The Art of the American West
As I mentioned in the previous post, I grew up just outside of Washington, DC and my family fully took advantage of the Smithsonian museums. All my life I wandered the National art galleries in particular. I was taught at a very early age how to appreciate works of art for their own unique attributes, inspirations, and messages.
When I moved away from the DC area, I began to really see that there was indeed the presence of amazing art outside of the National galleries. As soon as I went away for college, I began to seek out and explore any and all art galleries I could find. I continued that practice as I moved from state to state.
One thing that particularly struck me is that more often than not, galleries and art museums reflect the regional art styles of their own surroundings. Take, for example, the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas. True to its regional roots, their exhibitions tend to feature the inspiration of the American West, including Native American art.
I’m particularly taken by the museum’s interest in rare books and manuscripts (a passion of mine). They have an upcoming exhibit called “Pictured Prayers: Medieval Books of Hours”, which will feature illuminated manuscripts. They have other exhibits in the past that showcased other illuminated manuscripts as well. And, they own some of the folios that belonged to John James Audubon.
Since my favorite style of painting comes from the Hudson River School, I was beyond enthusiastic to find out they own pieces by one of my all-time favorite artists, Albert Bierstadt. The American West was brought back to the people in the East in all its glory by the Hudson River painters. They shaped the way people saw the frontier and facilitated our nation’s move to fulfill the concept of Manifest Destiny.
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