WESTERN ART MUSEUMS OF THE YEAR

Visionary museums from coast to coast showcase the West's best artists and artwork.

- JOHNNY D. BOGGS

1. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WILDLIFE ART

(Jackson, WY)

This museum features works by artists ranging from James Audubon to Andy Warhol. It is appropriately located in an area known for all kinds of wildlife and makes animals the stars with more than 5,000 pieces of art. Always forward-thinking, the museum is featuring "Re-Imagining Conservation: From Many Viewpoints," which runs through November 12 and is the latest in a long line of outstanding exhibits. The museum partnered with Creature Conserve, a Rhode Island-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit outreach organization, to create this exhibit of artwork from 31 artists from nine countries to imagine the future of conservation.

wildlifeart.org

2. EITELJORG MUSEUM

(Indianapolis, IN)

Indiana has produced its share of Western figures, good (bootmaker John J. Justin) and bad (the train-robbing Reno brothers). But its biggest claim might be as home to an outstanding collection of Native American and Western art. The permanent exhibition "Attitudes: The West in American Art" never grows old, while "Native Art History is Made Here, which runs through March 31, 2024, remembers the inaugural 1999 and 2001 Eiteljorg Fellowship honorees, including famed Apache sculptor Allan Houser.

eiteljorg.org

3. MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART

(Kerrville, TX)