Artists of the American West
FAYETTE, Mo. – The historic American West will be the focus of a major
exhibition being mounted by The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art at
Central Methodist College in mid-October.
Titled “Artists of the American West,” the exhibition opens Oct. 19 and
will run through Nov. 30. Visitors to The Ashby-Hodge Gallery can expect
to see Indians, trappers, traders, settlers, Pony Express riders and the
first transcontinental railroad construction illustrated in hand-colored
lithographs and wood engravings that comprise the exhibition. They are
by Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Remington,
John J. Audubon and John Mix Stanley, among others – famous artists
alive during the country’s great western migration in the 19th century.
The collection of prints provides a vivid picture of the American West
at a time when the native cultures were beginning to feel the impact of
the advance of white settlers. Additionally, it presents the artistry of
many of the first artists to work west of the Mississippi River. It is
an impressive demonstration of the role of the graphic artist in
establishing an image of the American West and in documenting an
important period of U.S. history.
Also being shown in the gallery during the “Artists of the American
West” exhibition are works by contemporary artist Charles Banks Wilson,
well known for his paintings of native Americans and frontiersmen and
his portraits of American humorist Will Rogers. They are part of the
gallery’s permanent collection.
The gallery will be open from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It will be closed Nov. 26 and 27
during the Thanksgiving holiday. For more information about the
exhibition or to arrange group tours, contact Dr. Joe Geist at (660)
248-6304.
The exhibition is a program of Exhibits USA, a national division of
Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization, with
assistance from the Missouri Arts Council.
