This exhibition features art portraying the drama and romance of the Old West, including works be Frederic Remington, Charles Marion Russell, N.C. Wyeth and others from the late 19th to early 20th century.

In the decades after the Civil War, the western territories of the United States saw increased activity, conflict, exploits, and accomplishments. Euro-Americans came into the West as fortune seekers, soldiers, and settlers. American Indians found their ways of life changing from the effects of this influx.

Euro-American artists and writers came to the West, in person and sometimes only in their imaginations, seeking the adventure of the region. The West became a setting for narratives about the creation of order in a world seen as wild and lawless. The artists presented vivid images of Western peoples. Their paintings and sculptures created iconic representations of characters such as the courageous cowboy, the noble Indian, and the daring rancher’s daughter. The Wild West became part of the story of America.