As spring roars in, check out these in-person and virtual events for your art-filled Western itineraries and other viewing pleasure.
Through May 31
Crafting America
Featuring more than 120 works made from ceramics, fiber, wood, metal, glass, and other unexpected materials by 98 American artists,this exhibition presents a diverse and inclusive story of American craft spanning from the 1940s to today. It highlights the work of artists such as Ruth Asawa, Peter Voulkos, Jeffrey Gibson, Sonya Clark, Toshiko Takaezu, Sheila Hicks, Andy Paiko, Hoss Haley, and Wendell Castle, with a special focus on the varied backgrounds and perspectives in craft, the vital contributions of Indigenous artists, and new skills and points of view brought by immigrants to the United States. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 479.418.5700, crystalbridges.org
Through May 31
Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight
One of the founders of the hard-edge modernist movement and often called the “American Mondrian,” Leon Polk Smith was one of America’s most accomplished 20th-century painters. This exhibition illustrates how the Oklahoma-born artist’s paintings were influenced by the colors and patterns of Indigenous beadwork, ribbon work, and painted hides. A fully illustrated catalog featuring essays by heather ahtone (Choctaw, Chickasaw), Joe Baker (enrolled Delaware), Dwanna McKay (Muscogee Creek), and others accompanies the exhibit. Heard Museum, Phoenix, 602.252.8840, heard.org
Through September 21
Divine Spark
Dallas’ Crow Museum of Asian Art kicks off 2021 with the second offering in its multiyear Texas Asian Women Artists exhibition series to promote the work of emerging and established Texas-based Asian contemporary women artists with Divine Spark. For her first solo exhibition at the Crow, Dallas artist Kana Harada created sculptures and other new works in foam, acrylic, and watercolor with an uplifting, positive message during the global pandemic. Also on at the museum is Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists, featuring a selection of works by living, emerging, and internationally established Japanese women ceramic artists. The exhibition draws from the Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz collection, the largest public or private assemblage of Japanese ceramics outside of Japan. A third exhibition, Vishnu: Across Time and Space, celebrates one of the most powerful and popular gods in the Hindu pantheon through a selection of works of art from the museum’s collection. The Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 214.979.6430, crowmuseum.org
Through October 3
Harry Fonseca: Stone Poem #4
This spotlight exhibition highlights a single painting in a major series of paintings by Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian, Portuguese) called the Stone Poems, inspired by his visits to rock-art sites in the Coso Range of the Eastern Sierra and Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Stone Poem #4 evokes figural images similar to those found in the Great Gallery, a prehistoric rock-art site located in Horseshoe Canyon in Utah. In addition to the painting, the museum houses archive materials related to the artist’s research, design, and creation of the Stone Poem series. Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, 775.329.3333, nevadaart.org
Through October 3
Powerful Women: Contemporary Art From the Eiteljorg Collection
A two-part show highlighting women artists and the powerful work they’ve created, this exhibition explores the work of visionary female artists who have shaped and changed public conception of contemporary art. It includes artworks by such artists as Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee), Anita Fields (Osage, Muscogee), Alison Saar, Wendy Red Star (Crow), Jean LaMarr (Northern Paiute, Achomawi), Hung Liu, and Julie Buffalohead (Ponca Tribe Oklahoma), all of whom are celebrating, challenging, or enlightening people to create a new or different perspective. Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, 317.636.9378, eiteljorg.org
March 25 – July 18
New Beginnings: An American Story of Romantics and Modernists in the West
In collaboration with Santa Fe’s Tia Collection, this exhibition focuses on Taos artists who, like early Montana modernists, began to experiment with interpreting the West through a modern lens — pushing boundaries, adapting new ways of thinking and seeing, and finding their own version of place-based modernism. Artists include John Sloan, who directly influenced Montana modernist Isabelle Johnson; post-impressionist Jozef Bakos; and Joseph H. Sharp, who set up a studio on the Crow Agency, near Billings, Montana; as well as a number of well-known Taos and Santa Fe artists and lesser-known New Mexican artists. Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, 406.256.6804, artmuseum.org
March 28 – September 5
Cowgirl Up! Art From the Other Half of the West
Each year women artists who “capture the spirit and lifestyle of the West” are invited to participate in this exhibition and sale now in its 16th year. The event’s more than 200 artworks by 60-plus artists range from oil on canvas and charcoal drawings to ceramics and bronzes and provide a full spectrum of today’s Western art. Opening weekend festivities had to be canceled due to COVID, necessitating virtual tours in addition to in-person participation, and extending show dates. All artwork will be viewable on the museum’s website through the end of the show. Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, Arizona, 928.684.2272, westernmuseum.org
April 9 – 10
Scottsdale Art Auction
This Western art auction held by a consortium of leading art dealers offers an impressive selection Western art by contemporary and past masters. This year’s artists include Charles Partridge Adams, Albert Bierstadt, John Clymer, John Coleman, William Dunton, William Gollings, G. Harvey, E. Martin Hennings, Z.S. Liang, Mark Maggiori, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Edgar Payne, Bert G. Phillips, Ogden Pleissner, Kyle Polzin, Carl Rungius, Charles Russell, Charles Schreyvogel, Joseph H. Sharp, and Howard Terpning. Previewing begins March 29; purchasing may be in person, by phone, absentee, or online. Scottsdale Art Auction, Scottsdale, Arizona, 480.945.0225, scottsdaleartauction.com
April 15
Gold Palette ArtWalk: Western Week
Held in conjunction with the City of Scottsdale’s Western Week, this celebration of the area’s Western roots and culture features Western artists and live music from Desert Dixie. Select member art studios and galleries in the Scottsdale Arts District also include live demonstrations by Western artists and specialty Western-themed events and exhibits of their own. Main Street north to 5th Avenue, Scottsdale, Arizona, scottsdalegalleries.com
May 8
Settlers West Summer Show
This invitation-only show features roughly 80 paintings and sculptures from premier artists as well as emerging talents. John Fawcett, Robert Griffing, Ann Hanson, D. Edward Kucera, Scott Tallman Powers, Daniel Smith, and Dustin Dan Wechel are among the 44 artists participating in this annual event. All works are sold by intent-to-purchase draw. Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, Arizona, 520.299.2607, settlerswest.com
Article Lead Photo Credit:
Matchbook Chief - Dave Newman, acrylic/mixed media on panel, 40” x 40”
Through April 25
Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art & the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch
From the early 1970s until her death in 1991, art dealer Elaine Horwitch was a major force in contemporary art in the Southwest and responsible for launching the careers of hundreds of artists from the region. This exhibition features paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by some of her galleries’ favorite artists; they include John Fincher, James Havard, Tom Palmore, Billy Schenck, Fritz Scholder, Lynn Taber, Anne Coe, Larry Rivers, and Bob Wade. Booth Western Museum of Art, Cartersville, Georgia, 770.370.1300, boothmuseum.org
Through May 31
Crafting America
Featuring more than 120 works made from ceramics, fiber, wood, metal, glass, and other unexpected materials by 98 American artists,this exhibition presents a diverse and inclusive story of American craft spanning from the 1940s to today. It highlights the work of artists such as Ruth Asawa, Peter Voulkos, Jeffrey Gibson, Sonya Clark, Toshiko Takaezu, Sheila Hicks, Andy Paiko, Hoss Haley, and Wendell Castle, with a special focus on the varied backgrounds and perspectives in craft, the vital contributions of Indigenous artists, and new skills and points of view brought by immigrants to the United States. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 479.418.5700, crystalbridges.org
Through May 31
Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight
One of the founders of the hard-edge modernist movement and often called the “American Mondrian,” Leon Polk Smith was one of America’s most accomplished 20th-century painters. This exhibition illustrates how the Oklahoma-born artist’s paintings were influenced by the colors and patterns of Indigenous beadwork, ribbon work, and painted hides. A fully illustrated catalog featuring essays by heather ahtone (Choctaw, Chickasaw), Joe Baker (enrolled Delaware), Dwanna McKay (Muscogee Creek), and others accompanies the exhibit. Heard Museum, Phoenix, 602.252.8840, heard.org
Through September 21
Divine Spark
Dallas’ Crow Museum of Asian Art kicks off 2021 with the second offering in its multiyear Texas Asian Women Artists exhibition series to promote the work of emerging and established Texas-based Asian contemporary women artists with Divine Spark. For her first solo exhibition at the Crow, Dallas artist Kana Harada created sculptures and other new works in foam, acrylic, and watercolor with an uplifting, positive message during the global pandemic. Also on at the museum is Born of Fire: Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists, featuring a selection of works by living, emerging, and internationally established Japanese women ceramic artists. The exhibition draws from the Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz collection, the largest public or private assemblage of Japanese ceramics outside of Japan. A third exhibition, Vishnu: Across Time and Space, celebrates one of the most powerful and popular gods in the Hindu pantheon through a selection of works of art from the museum’s collection. The Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 214.979.6430, crowmuseum.org
Through October 3
Harry Fonseca: Stone Poem #4
This spotlight exhibition highlights a single painting in a major series of paintings by Harry Fonseca (Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian, Portuguese) called the Stone Poems, inspired by his visits to rock-art sites in the Coso Range of the Eastern Sierra and Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Stone Poem #4 evokes figural images similar to those found in the Great Gallery, a prehistoric rock-art site located in Horseshoe Canyon in Utah. In addition to the painting, the museum houses archive materials related to the artist’s research, design, and creation of the Stone Poem series. Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, 775.329.3333, nevadaart.org
Through October 3
Powerful Women: Contemporary Art From the Eiteljorg Collection
A two-part show highlighting women artists and the powerful work they’ve created, this exhibition explores the work of visionary female artists who have shaped and changed public conception of contemporary art. It includes artworks by such artists as Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee), Anita Fields (Osage, Muscogee), Alison Saar, Wendy Red Star (Crow), Jean LaMarr (Northern Paiute, Achomawi), Hung Liu, and Julie Buffalohead (Ponca Tribe Oklahoma), all of whom are celebrating, challenging, or enlightening people to create a new or different perspective. Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, 317.636.9378, eiteljorg.org
March 25 – July 18
New Beginnings: An American Story of Romantics and Modernists in the West
In collaboration with Santa Fe’s Tia Collection, this exhibition focuses on Taos artists who, like early Montana modernists, began to experiment with interpreting the West through a modern lens — pushing boundaries, adapting new ways of thinking and seeing, and finding their own version of place-based modernism. Artists include John Sloan, who directly influenced Montana modernist Isabelle Johnson; post-impressionist Jozef Bakos; and Joseph H. Sharp, who set up a studio on the Crow Agency, near Billings, Montana; as well as a number of well-known Taos and Santa Fe artists and lesser-known New Mexican artists. Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, 406.256.6804, artmuseum.org
March 28 – September 5
Cowgirl Up! Art From the Other Half of the West
Each year women artists who “capture the spirit and lifestyle of the West” are invited to participate in this exhibition and sale now in its 16th year. The event’s more than 200 artworks by 60-plus artists range from oil on canvas and charcoal drawings to ceramics and bronzes and provide a full spectrum of today’s Western art. Opening weekend festivities had to be canceled due to COVID, necessitating virtual tours in addition to in-person participation, and extending show dates. All artwork will be viewable on the museum’s website through the end of the show. Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, Arizona, 928.684.2272, westernmuseum.org
April 9 – 10
Scottsdale Art Auction
This Western art auction held by a consortium of leading art dealers offers an impressive selection Western art by contemporary and past masters. This year’s artists include Charles Partridge Adams, Albert Bierstadt, John Clymer, John Coleman, William Dunton, William Gollings, G. Harvey, E. Martin Hennings, Z.S. Liang, Mark Maggiori, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Edgar Payne, Bert G. Phillips, Ogden Pleissner, Kyle Polzin, Carl Rungius, Charles Russell, Charles Schreyvogel, Joseph H. Sharp, and Howard Terpning. Previewing begins March 29; purchasing may be in person, by phone, absentee, or online. Scottsdale Art Auction, Scottsdale, Arizona, 480.945.0225, scottsdaleartauction.com
April 15
Gold Palette ArtWalk: Western Week
Held in conjunction with the City of Scottsdale’s Western Week, this celebration of the area’s Western roots and culture features Western artists and live music from Desert Dixie. Select member art studios and galleries in the Scottsdale Arts District also include live demonstrations by Western artists and specialty Western-themed events and exhibits of their own. Main Street north to 5th Avenue, Scottsdale, Arizona, scottsdalegalleries.com
May 8
Settlers West Summer Show
This invitation-only show features roughly 80 paintings and sculptures from premier artists as well as emerging talents. John Fawcett, Robert Griffing, Ann Hanson, D. Edward Kucera, Scott Tallman Powers, Daniel Smith, and Dustin Dan Wechel are among the 44 artists participating in this annual event. All works are sold by intent-to-purchase draw. Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, Arizona, 520.299.2607, settlerswest.com
Article Lead Photo Credit:
Matchbook Chief - Dave Newman, acrylic/mixed media on panel, 40” x 40”
