About the Exhibition
Art of the West showcases the dynamic and evolving world of art that springs from the cultural practices of some of the many peoples who have shaped the American West. This exhibition is the first of its kind to explore how shared values and interests have inspired artists from different cultures and times to create distinctive, powerful works that speak to their experience of the West as both a destination and a home.
Organized around three primary themes—Religion and Ritual, Land and Landscape, and Migration and Movement—Art of the West displays historical works by such masters as Thomas Moran and Frederic Remington alongside more contemporary pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe, Virgil Ortiz, Luis Tapia, David Levinthal, and many others. Shown with these icons are rarely seen artworks from the Autry’s rich collections, including the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection.
Highlights (Click image for details)
Indian Roadmaster motorcycle, 1948, Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company, Leather, metal
Museum Purchase, Autry Museum, 97.70.1.1
James Doolin, Bridges, 1989, Oil on canvas
Loan courtesy of the Estate of James Doolin and Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Culver City LT2008-82-1
Bentwood box, Northwest Coast, 1860–1880, Bent and painted cedar with inlaid shells
Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, Autry Museum, 309.L.6
Mateo Romero, War Music II, 2008 Mixed media on wood
Purchase made possible by Jackie and Gene Autry, Autry Museum, 2008.34.1
Andrew Melrose, Westward the Star of Empire Takes Its Way—Near Council Bluffs, Iowa, 1867, Oil on canvas
Museum Purchase, Autry Museum, 92.147.1
Bison chair, Scotland, 1842, Mahogany, rosewood, glass
Museum Purchase, Autry Museum, 91.41.1, 91.41.2