HomeArtArt Galleries › The Taos Society of Artists Opens at the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
 
 
 

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A major exhibition of masterpieces from the Taos Society of Artists opens today at the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, exploring one of the most influential schools of American painting in our nation’s history.

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Alluring landscapes depicting the beauty  and simplicity of Taos life and its vast lands while juxtaposed by fascinating portraits of the Native American community. These vivid and engaging portraits sought to capture the everyday lives,their traditions and the beauty of the community. The Taos Society of Artists were a diverse and renowned group whose works were “inspired by the area’s enchanting land and indigenous peoples”, states the Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. There distinctive style of American art helped to transform the quaint Taos community into an international art center leading its artist's to international success. Originally founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915 by six artists, Oscar E. Berninghaus, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Eanger Irving Couse, William Herbert “Buck” Dunton, Bert Geer Phillips and Joseph Henry Sharp and eventually expanded to 12 members and seven associate members all which are represented in the exhibition.

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This exhibition showcases an impressive collection of more than 80 artworks that have been loaned for institutions and private collections from around the country. The Taos Society of Artists created work that exemplified skill  and European academic artistic training, as well as the ability to truly capture the spirit and character of Taos and the Native American people of the time period. “The Society’s resulting American masterpieces feature vivid images of dramatic landscapes and Native Americans in traditional clothing, which shaped popular cultures’ perceptions of the American Southwest and influenced generations of artists, including Georgia O’Keefe, Andrew Dasburg, Marsden Hartley and Maynard Dixon,” stated the Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.

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The careful selection of artwork, the important historical references and the beautiful presentation of The Taos Society of Artists exhibition was brillantly co-curated by Tricia Loscher, Ph.D., chief curator of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, and Peter Hassrick, director emeritus of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Scottsdale Art Auction proudly sponsors the Taos Society of Artists exhibition. The Taos Society of Artists will be on display from January 10 through April 30, 2017. The Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is a spectacular facility that boasts an incredible variety of artwork and artifacts as well as a wonderful sculpture garden that is perfect for the entire family to enjoy.

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Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is located at 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale. For more information about Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, events or exhibitions visit them at http://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/. *All images are courtesy and copyright of the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. WSMuseum