Tuesday

American West photography exhibition opens in 10 museums - and online

JACKSON HOLE, WY.- The exhibition National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West opened in 10 museums across the country. Featuring 75 iconic images of the West selected from among thousands in the National Geographic archives, the exhibition – already innovative in its simultaneous opening in so many U.S. venues – also connects with audiences at a website, www.photographsofthewest.org, and via social media.

“Visitors to the exhibition can further connect with the exhibition by visiting the website, which includes additional images, photographer interviews and interactive features,” says Jim McNutt, president and CEO of the National Museum of Wildlife Art and a key exhibition organizer. “The website is also a way for people who can’t attend the exhibition to participate virtually, and the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media options allow a real-time conversation to develop about the American West and the medium of photography.

” Rather than presenting the photographs chronologically, exhibition curators ultimately opted to organize the images around the themes of “Legends,” “Encounters,” “Boundaries,” and “Visions.” The broader themes allow the complexity of the West to emerge as historical photos from the likes of William Henry Jackson and romantic images of cowboys are juxtaposed with more contemporary realities of drought, development and the forward march of technology.

Social media connections to the exhibition can be found on Facebook at “National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West;” and on Twitter and Instagram at @photosofthewest. Start a conversation with #AmerWestPhotos. A video introduction to the exhibition is available here, and a companion book to the exhibition, National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West: Capturing 125 Years of Majesty, Spirit and Adventure, is available at participating museums and through National Geographic Books.

Participating museums include the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., and nine members of the Museums West consortium: Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Ga.; Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyo.; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, Ind.; Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Okla.; National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Okla.; National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, N.Y.; C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Mont.; and Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas.

American Indian Beauty Pageant winner Acosia Red Elk waits for a parade at the teepee village, a part fo the Pendleton Round-Up rodeo since its 1910 inception.

The exhibition is organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and Museums West.
(H/T)  Artdaily.org
SOURCE

The Milky Way shines on a clear night behind Owachomo Bridge—a natural sandstone arch in Utah.

 “Comanche John” dresses in full dress at the Red Earth Festival.

 Sun-drenched hikers on Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail head toward a rainbow created by a late-afternoon storm. Precipitous weather patterns contribute mightily to the canyon’s prismatic drama.

 An enduring symbol of the American West, the mighty bison roams freely through another national icon–Yellowstone National Park’s Lion Geyser.

 In the desert outside Roswell, Navajos and other spectators gather around a Ford to watch from a distance the launch of Robery H. Goddard’s P-series rocket.

 Swaddled in a cradleboard similar to one his ancestors used, tiny James Winterhawk Seymour naps beneath a traditional beaded dreamcatcher during a powwow on the Yakama Reservation.

 A ceremonially clad boy dancing at Oklahoma City’s annual multi-tribal Red Earth festival suggests the enduring drumbeat of North America’s indigenous cultures.

 Despite attempts at acculturation, Native American rituals thrive. Dried cattail pollen, central to all Apache rites of passage, showers a White Mountain Apache during her ceremonial transition into womanhood.
VIDEO
American West Opening from Clarkson Creative on Vimeo.

Responses to "Explore 125 Years of National Geographic Photos of the American West (Photos - Video)"

  1. Anonymous says:

    Stunning shots ... as always captured to perfection...

  2. Anonymous says:

    TO SAY THIS IS AWESOME IS SO INADEQUATE!!!! BEAUTIFUL BEYOND DESCRIPTION.VERY INFORMATIVE ALSO. THANK YOU!!!

  3. Mimi says:

    TQ What a fascinating n rich culture, stunning photography. So much to learn from and about.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Realy Stunning Photograph's...
    Emazingly Beautifull!!!

  5. Tracy Autry says:

    The photos were beautiful but couldn't do justice for the gorgeous landscapes, amazing culture, and strong people. The information and historical data provided was so convenient and easy to read. Just wish there was more such info included. I liked the site very much and would encourage more people to learn more about the original Americans, the Native American people!

  6. wish I had an opportunity witness such grand culture.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Beautiful picture

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