Mary Selfridge, Western-Indian & Wildlife Artist

Mary Selfridge was born and raised in Borger on the Texas panhandle. Soon after high school, Mary met and married her husband Bill Selfridge. Together they spent 8 years on the famed 6666 Ranch. Bill does all her custom matting and framing and provides valuable technical assistance to her.

Though virtually self taught, Mary’s technical development, artistic techniques, and realistic style have been enhanced by such people as Harold Scott, an oil artist from Oklahoma; Dick Corey, an appraiser for the Kennedy Gallery in New York; and her grandmother, Mrs. Madge Hinds, an adopted Sioux. Mary’s grandmother, and a person of great inspiration to her, spent a generous amount of time helping the underprivileged Sioux Indians. This devotion inspired the noted Indian poet, Stephen S. Jones, (Red Dawn, son of a Santie Chief), to compose a well-known poem entitled “The Texas Princess,” written for and dedicated to her in 1959.

Before selecting a subject for painting, Mary insists on developing a feeling for the subject matter. Once she has the overall concept well in mind, she devotes a great deal of time researching the subject and locale. Thus her works are highly acclaimed for their authenticity, accuracy, and overall “feeling.”

Mary is a charter member of the Oklahoma Artist’s Association, Northeastern Arizona Fine Arts Association, and Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Her work has earned over 200 purchase awards, five Best of Show awards, and eight First Place awards, including (partial list):

Best of Show—Dine-Bi-Keyah Museum Indian Show (two years), Oklahoma City Arts Association, Ruidosa Fine Arts Show (two years).

First Place—Art Festival (Guymon, OK), Best of the Southwest (Amarillo, TX), Elk City Art Festival (Elk City, OK), Fredrick Art Festival (Fredrick, OK), Garden City Art Festival (Garden City, OK), Ruidoso Art Festival (Ruidoso, NM), Cloudcroft Art Festival (Cloudcroft, NM), Dine-Bi-Keyah Museum Indian Show (Page, AZ).

Mary also has earned 2nd and 3rd Place awards as well as numerous Honorable Mentions. Mary’s accomplishments reach far beyond ribbons and plaques. During an auction benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, she donated an original that brought the highest bid in the entire auction. Many of America’s public figures have acquired her work—Louis L’Amour (who dedicated a book to her), Iron Eyes Cody, Dennis Weaver, Connie Stevens, Debra Hall, Chris Robinson, Robert Redbird, Josh Taylor, and a former Iowa governor. Many banks and commercial institutions display Mary’s works.

Mary’s originals and limited edition prints can be viewed in several galleries nationwide, including The Gallery (Midland, TX), Tams Western Art (Las Vegas, NV), The Water Front (Hollywood, CA), Americana Galleries (Sedona, AZ), The Kiva (Carefree, AZ), Webs Gallery (Scottsdale, AZ), La Placieta (Albuquerque, NM), John Gammill Gallery (North Conway, NH), and Troy’s Gallery (Scottsdale, AZ).

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