Opening Reception - Icons for a New West

The show highlights bold new directions in Western art, from pieces that challenge nostalgia to works that reimagine traditional icons. Artists in this exhibition invite viewers to experience the West through a modern lens, offering exciting insights into its unique culture and landscape.

"Western art is a far more interesting genre than most art patrons believe it is, especially those living on either coast of the US. In this show, I invited artists who are delving into contemporary themes and media. In some cases, the work we have for the show is experimental. These pieces are likely the direction the artist is headed with his or her work. I say experimental because these works are those that the artist’s buyers are not aware of and so are not “market tested.” This work is always what I am most excited to see; they signal to me that the artist is pushing boundaries, not only in their work, but for their audience. This work can be risky and even scary for an artist-what if my collectors don’t like it?-but making art that takes risks is vital to the artist’s growth. (Note: examples of these riskier works are most often what museums collect because they are ground-breaking.)

Other artists’ work is pushing boundaries in subject and so, are presenting the West through a different lens. These pieces are wonderfully fun for collectors because they challenge us to see through the artist's eyes-in essence, to experience the world in a fresh, new way. In this respect, artists are looking at western “icons” and reimagining them or simply shedding the nostalgia so many genre paintings embrace. As a curator, I always seek to present living artists’ works that reveal our current state of being and actually have something to say about our unique experience here in the Western US."

Participating Artists

Reen Axtell, Kate Breakey, Tim Cherry, Maeve Eichelberger, Andy Evansen, Dwight Davidson, Ulrich Gleiter, Terry Gardner, Stephanie Hartshorn, Tony Hochstetler, Susie Hyer, William Matthews, Don Stinson, Charles Parson, Corey Pickett, Linda Prokop, Jeff Puckett, Billyo O’Donnell, Michael Vacchiano, Dan Young, Daniel Sprick, Johanna Mueller, David Carmack Lewis, Elsa Sroka, Jen Starling.