The Autry National Center Presents ‘Art of the West’

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Autry National Center presents “Art of the West,” an installation of more than 100 works of art that explores the meaning of Western art as it has evolved among diverse peoples and across generations.
Drawing on the Autry and Southwest Museum of the American Indian collections, the exhibition surveys the shared values and interests that have inspired artists from different cultures and times.
Historical works by masters such as Thomas Moran and Frederic Remington are seen alongside modern and contemporary pieces by the likes of Virgil Ortiz, Georgia O’Keeffe, Luis Tapia and David Levinthal. These distinctive, powerful works speak to their creators’ experiences of the West as a destination, a community and a home.
“Art of the West” inaugurates the Autry’s new Irene Helen Jones Parks Gallery of Art, which will allow the Autry to be able to showcase works both beautiful and surprising, including rarely seen pieces from the Southwest Museum Collection. A smaller “jewel box” space within the gallery is designed for intimate viewing. Debuting in this space is “Yosemite After Adams,” a mini-exhibition of photographs.
“Art of the West” is thematically organized, investigating Western art through the lenses of Religion and Ritual, Land and Landscape and Migration and Movement. The exhibition freely mingles art forms, genres, eras and media. Functional objects are seen alongside painting and sculpture.
“Art of the West” features outstanding examples of leatherwork, basketry, textiles, ceramics, glass, metalwork, wood, jewelry and video. Artworks are as varied as a Hmong quilt, a 14-ft. tall crucifix, a Victorian velvet dress and a motorcycle. Works by Native peoples from California, the Northwest Coast, the Southwest and the Great Plains are shown alongside those by Spanish colonial artists, Romantic-era painters, modernists and contemporary artists of various backgrounds and experiences.
The Autry is a museum dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past to the present to inspire a shared future.
Contact: theautry.org.