The annual Masters of the American West exhibition and sale in Los Angeles has always had Native American representation among its ranks of artists, but this year’s sale is on a whole other level with 14 Indigenous artists among the 64 total artists. And not only are Native American voices being added to the show, but also their unique mediums as well, including ledger art, pottery, stone sculpture and glass blowing.
Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Raven and Killer Whale, blown and sand-carved glass, 15 x 22 x 4¼”
Terrance Guardipee (Blackfeet Nation), Running Eagle, Leader of the Crazy Dog Society, oil-based colored pencil on antique ledger paper and historical documents, 22 x 35”
The exhibition opens February 10 at the Autry Museum of the American West at the base of the iconic Griffith Park that overlooks Los Angeles. It will kick into high gear on February 23 and 24 when a weekend celebration culminates into the by-draw sale.
The miniature portion of the Masters of the American West exhibition. Courtesy of the Autry Museum of the American West.
One of the galleries at the Autry Museum of the American West. Courtesy of the Autry Museum of the American West.
“These [Native American] artists are really important to us, especially here at the Autry, which has one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American arts and artifacts,” says Stephen Aron, the museum’s Calvin and Marilyn Gross Director and President and CEO. “It’s appropriate that the Masters exhibition reflects that part of the museum and the West.” The participating Native American artists are Autumn Borts-Medlock, Tammy Garcia, Doug Hyde, Greyshoes (Upton Ethelbah Jr.), Hyrum Joe, Oreland Joe, Johnson Yazzie, Kevin Red Star, Mateo Romero, Preston Singletary, Russell Sanchez, Shonto Begay, Terrance Guardipee and Tony Abeyta. Several of them, including Romero, Medlock, Red Star, Garcia and Abeyta have shown at the Autry before, but many are joining the show for the first time. The Masters of the American West has long been an important show in the Western art circuit of shows. “I can’t speak to other museums, but for the Autry, we put on these shows as a way for us to speak to our mission statement, which is to bring people together to tell stories, and then to connect the past and the present to inspire our shared future,” says Aron. “We feel that Masters exemplifies what our mission statement is all about. We want to show art that inspires. These are works of wonder.”
February 10-March 24, 2024
Masters of the American West
Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 667-2000, www.theautry.org
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