In this exhibition, we examine artists developing new relationships with the West.  This gallery contains works by Taos Society of Artists, Georgia O’Keeffe, Maynard Dixon, Thomas Blackshear II, and other artists in the 20th and 21st century.

Beginning in the twentieth century, artists developed new relationships with the West. They settled in the region, rather than just visiting it. Taos, New Mexico, attracted many artists. The atmospheric light and the bold desert setting beckoned artists. They immersed themselves in the landscape. The Puebloan peoples and the Hispanic culture made inspiring subjects for figure painters. The artists wanted to produce art that was uniquely American. Several painters banded together as the Taos Society of Artists. The Society brought their art to new audiences.

Taos grew as an art colony, attracting artists who portrayed the West with styles influenced by Modernism. Other sites in New Mexico and throughout the West became viable as homes for artists. In the latter part of the century and into the next one, artists diverge in presenting the West in style and subject. Some revive views of the West from the past. Others resolutely introduce contemporary scenes of a changing West. The region remains a strong source for artistic inspiration and reflection on identity.