Knowing the West

This expansive survey of the art and culture of the American West presents richly diverse works by more than 35 distinct Native American nations considered alongside non-Native artists from the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries.

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Knowing the West encourages deeper consideration of a familiar topic, to celebrate the wide variety of cultures that together reflect the complex histories and stories of the American West. Astonishing in range, historical significance, medium, and quality, more than 120 artworks by Native American and non-Native artists are presented including textiles, baskets, paintings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, saddles, and prints honoring a large percentage of women-makers, in particular. The artworks are shown in meaningful dialogue, such as a California basket by Elizabeth Hickox (Wiyot/Karuk), juxtaposed with a large-scale California landscape by Albert Bierstadt, emphasizing influence and exchange and pointing out different ways of thinking about land and place. Multiple texts by a diverse range of scholars with broad-reaching perspectives explore topics such as Lakota winter counts, saddle designs, Euro-American artists as collectors, printmaking, diplomacy, Hispanic art traditions at the border, and Pueblo and Hopi potters. This unprecedented volume includes artworks from the late 18th to early 20th centuries from more than 35 distinct tribal nations alongside American artists.