Cassens fine art presents: "bright horizon"

THREE CONSECUTIVE AUCTION RECORDS.
HAMILTON HOSTS ONE OF MONTANA'S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER WORKING artists.

HAMILTON, Mont. Cassens Fine Art is proud to present “Bright Horizon,” a solo exhibition of new original paintings by Colt Idol, one of the most broadly collected working painters in Contemporary Western art. The exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, May 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. The show remains on view at the gallery and online through June 4, 2026.

We have represented Idol's work since 2019, and in that time, we have watched his work land in Chicago, Australia, and Europe, selling to first-time buyers in their twenties and lifelong collectors in their eighties. At this year's Coeur d'Alene Art Auction, a single painting set his new personal record, the third consecutive year he has broken his own mark at the same event.

"Colt has one of the widest collector bases of any artist we represent," says Michelle Cassens, Owner and Director of Cassens Fine Art. "His work connects across age groups, across regions, and across subject matter, because what people are responding to is the way he paints just as much as what he paints. This show is a chance to see where he is right now, fifteen years in, and it is a very good place to be."

“Bright Horizon” brings together all new works across a range of subjects and scales. Idol has been deliberate about variety in this body of work, different colorways, different textures, and a palette built around the warm, high-key light that has become the defining quality of his paintings. He is represented in galleries and auctions throughout the western United States, has been featured in Southwest Art and Western Art Collector, and is a consistent presence at the C.M. Russell Museum auction events in Great Falls.

In addition to the physical gallery presentation in historic downtown Hamilton, the full exhibition is viewable online at cassensfineart.com. Cassens Fine Art invites the community to join us for the opening reception on Friday, May 22, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Event Details:
Exhibition: Bright Horizon
Dates Displayed: May 22 - June 4, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, May 22, 5-7 p.m.
Location: Cassens Fine Art, 215 West Main St, Hamilton, MT