1991 Prix de West Medal by Shirley Thomson-Smith

Shirley Thomson-Smith was commissioned to create the 1991 Prix de West Collectors’ Medal, a striking bronze piece suspended from a teal ribbon and featuring a stylized female profile. The sculpted form, at once timeless and serene, reflects Thomson-Smith’s signature focus on the strength and dignity of the human figure, particularly women. This collectible cast bronze medal embodies her mastery of elegant, flowing lines and reverence for the female figure, making it a stunning tribute to her legacy.

Expertly crafted with fine detail, the medal features a delicate bas-relief design. The obverse highlights a graceful representation of a woman inspired by Thomson-Smith’s hallmark style, evoking a sense of serenity and resilience. The reverse bears a carved "NAWA 1991" etching, noting the year this medal was introduced to honor the National Academy of Western Art.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1929, Shirley Ann Thomson moved with her family to Oklahoma City at the age of five. She began her formal art education at the University of Oklahoma in 1945, where she discovered her love for sculpture under the guidance of Professor Joseph R. Taylor. Although financial hardships forced her to leave college after two years, the foundation was set for a lifelong devotion to three-dimensional form.

In the late 1950s, while living in Durango, Colorado, Thomson-Smith found deep inspiration in the grace and quiet strength of Navajo women, whose influence can be seen throughout her body of work. Returning to Oklahoma in the 1960s, she continued her artistic training informally at Oklahoma City University and gradually developed a refined, minimalist style characterized by flowing lines and contemplative expression.

Thomson-Smith began her professional career as a sculptor in 1973 and quickly gained recognition. Her work has been exhibited at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, and the Haley Library and History Center in Midland, Texas, among others. She is a lifetime member of the Oklahoma Sculpture Society, an associate member of the National Sculpture Society, and a founding member of both American Women Artists and the West and the National Academy of Western Artists.

The 1991 medal stands as a quiet yet powerful tribute to her enduring artistic vision and to the grace and resilience of the female form.