Visual Arts

The first hero was nature herself; sweeping landscapes awed early audiences and are still prominent in modern pieces. Then, the people took their turn. Though early depictions of cowboys and Native Americans were often flawed in interpretation and depiction, it is the heroic moments of perseverance within a harsh landscape that made them worthy of immortalization through art. Finally, wildlife stole the focus. The simple yet powerful balance animals create in nature harmonized the disruptiveness of people and the emptiness of a landscape. Each of these subjects has created visual lessons on what the West is, was, and how it has changed today. Admission to the Museum and it’s exhibitions is always free. Shifting Subjects: Heroes of the West is on view April 2 through May 31.

This exhibition is the third in a series of American art exhibitions created through a multiyear, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art as part of the Art Bridges Cohort Program. Bringing together more than 66 works from the collection of Art Bridges, the Amarillo Museum of Art, Art Museum of South Texas, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the Ellen Noël Art Museum, this exhibition features family lifecycles from aging to death. This collection of works, comprised of paintings, photographs, works on paper, and video, delves into the milestones and challenges of family and community life—from birth to aging, and from the bonds of joy to the fractures of loss. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on how we form families and communities; how those relationships are disrupted by adversity, such as illness, poverty, or immigration; and how they are fortified through love, celebration, and resilience.