By Natalie Keller
I became aware of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West at the Scottsdale Artist’s League meeting. Allen Fossenkemper (a volunteer from the museum) gave a short talk along with a slide show on some of the fabulous paintings and sculptures exhibited there. After talking with Allen, he put me in touch with a woman named Rebecca Heller who is the communication and marketing manager. My visit to the museum was everything I thought it would be and more…all I can say is WOW; the museum knocked my socks off!
You will be missing another great adventure if you don’t visit the newest addition to “The West’s Most Western Town!” The City of Scottsdale hit the bulls eye by keeping the Western theme strong and building a very impressive museum for the local and visiting folks! Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is a place where you’ll be immersed in the past and present spirit of the West.
Weeping Wall and Sculptures
The museum has an auditorium that can be reconfigured into a larger space and can be rented out for events, such as, business meetings, cocktail parties or even weddings. The auditorium seats 120-130 or when the seats are retracted will handle 250-275 people. To expand the space even more, the side door opens out to a garden of sculptures. There is one wall in the garden that is called the “weeping wall” and it has several features that collect water to take care of watering the plants. Landscape architects Colwell Shelor of Phoenix designed the landscaping so it is environmentally savvy and thus conserves the natural resources. I spent just as much time looking at the architecture as I did looking at the fine art! A ten-minute video is normally shown in the auditorium and plays on the hour from 10 am to 5 pm. It shows the spirit of the west through its beautiful photography.
About 30 years ago, Mayor Herb Drinkwater and a committee of local community leaders planned the museum; it was a dream that became a reality in January. It is owned by the City of Scottsdale and operated by the Scottsdale Museum of the West (a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization). The museum is located in the old art district between the heart of the main street gallery scene and the Scottsdale Artist’s School. It covers 43,000 square feet of space and stands on the site of the renovated Loloma Transit Station. Studio MA, a Phoenix architectural firm, designed the museum.
Lewis and Clark Exhibit
The museum features rotating exhibitions from collectors and other institutions. One of the unique collections there now is the Inspirational Journey: The Story of Lewis and Clark featuring the artwork of Charles Fritz. This collection is on loan from the Peterson Family collection. There are 100 sequential paintings of the historic early 19th century expedition along with bronze sculptures by various artists to compliment and enhance the story. You will be duly impressed with Fritz’s paintings. Each painting depicted a noted event of the journey. His paintings are so awesome that I will go back and see them again!o)
Other Exhibitions currently on view:
Fine Art of the American West: People and Places is on loan from various collections. Some of the artists are Joseph Henry Sharp, Fritz Scholder, William R. Leigh, Ed Mell, Kate T. Cory and Marjorie Thomas. There are paintings showing a variety of styles, themes and imagery of Western art.
Process and Materiality: The Bronze sculptures of John Coleman and Erik Petersen are also exhibited and the photos of the artists at work accompany the sculptures.
An on going exhibition is Courage and Crossroads: A Visual Journey through the Early American West is also on loan from the Peterson family. This is the story of the American West during the 19th and 20th centuries. There are more than 80 paintings by various noted artists. Edward Curtis is represented by some of his black and white/sepia photographs of Native American Indians that have been printed in numerous books. There are many native artifacts shown and one area and it has several items belonging to Kit Carson, including his handgun.
Contemporary Gallery
Confluence of Cultures in the American West: A Selection of Contemporary Artists from the Peterson Collection (ongoing exhibition) Noted artists of today including Martin Grelle, Paul Calle, Chris Calle, Lindsay Scott, Howard Terpning, Z.S. Liang, and Alfredo Rodriguez that are among the contemporary artists featured in this exhibition. These paintings include images of mountain men, American Indians, cavalry, settlers, and buffalo in various situations in their life. The paintings are all displayed in a large space on the second floor that is conducive for stepping back so one can appreciate the art. I loved the way all the exhibitions were arranged to accommodate the viewers as they stroll through the body of work from one artist to another.
Another on going exhibition is The A.P. Hays Spirit of the West Collection on loan from The A.P. Hays Collection. This collection is a selection of saddles, spurs and hundreds of other western artifacts that totals more than 1200 included in eight themes of the exhibition. In this area there is a large floor painting of a horse and scenery that extends up the back wall. You can take a photo of a person holding their hand out and it will appear that the hand is touching a standing horse! I’ll say that’ a very nice touch!
Saddles and Artifacts
Will James: Cowboy Artist and Author also on loan from The A.P. Hays Collection features paintings, drawings, etchings and etc. which illustrates and puts the spotlight on the life and times of the prolific writer and painter. His drawings capture the essence of the west; he exhibits excellent artistic skills through the simplicity of the drawings.
Heritage Hall is where you can also explore other biographies of other notable individuals who contributed to the American West past and present.
There is a gift shop on the first floor and it has some lovely artistic items to purchase
There is even a three-dimensional original painting for sale just like the one displayed around the corner. When you view the painting it appears to show moving angles of the buildings like you’re walking around the corner from it! You have to see this…its fantastic!
There are many more features about the museum that I have not mentioned but
Cowboy Art
what you should realize is that we have another beautiful venue to visit and bring our visitors to see. It will take more than a few hours to view everything but for the price of admission it’s an inexpensive way to immerse oneself in the Western culture and spirit. Cowboys, Indians, cattle and horses are an important part of Scottsdale’s history and we can see the past come alive again in Scottsdale’s Museum of the West!
General Information
Some of these exhibitions will be taken down on September 30, 2015. On November 7, 2015 to May 31, 2016 the museum will feature A Salute to Cowboy Artists of America and a Patron: 50 Years of Amazing Contributions to the American West. (The Museum plans to rotate its exhibitions by drawing on artists and collectors from seventeen western states.)
Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p. m
Thursday: 9:30 – 9 pm
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Monday.
Admission Prices:
Adults: $13,
Seniors and Military: $11
Students and Children (6 – 17 years): $8
Members and children under 5: FREE
Special group rates please call Visitor Services at 480-686-9539
The seasonal membership is at the bargain rate of $25 but we predict that won’t last long!
Thank you to Rebecca Heller for the tour and all the information about the museum that Natalie has incorporated into this article. Photos taken by Natalie Keller.
Recent Comments