Victory Park
1201 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA  95203
(209) 940-6300   
info@hagginmuseum.org

Tah-col-O-Quoit by Charles Bird King, ca. 1842, hand-colored lithograph, 13-1/4 x 9 inches

Spanning the period 1835-1886, these images were created by prominent artists such as John J. Audubon, Albert Bierstadt, Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, and Frederic Remington. They offered 19th-century Americans their first views of the West. Today these prints provide a window on a frontier that has largely vanished.

Two of the best known early artist-explorers to reach the Western frontier in the 1840s were Philadelphia-born artist George Catlin and Swiss artist Karl Bodmer. Thirteen of their memorable images showing the customs of various tribes of the Great Plains, as well as distinguished portraits of their chiefs, will be part of this display.

Artist Frederic Remington, on the other hand, was fascinated by the U.S. cavalry, horses, and outdoor pursuits. Featured in the exhibit will be two of his wood engravings, “Mexican Infantry on the March” and “An Ox Train in the Mountains.”

While most of the artists-explorers in this exhibition traveled west, often as part of expeditions sponsored by the federal government, some never left America’s East Coast. Eight prints in the show, for example, were created by Charles Bird King, an artist hired by the Office of Indian Affairs to paint portraits of Native American dignitaries visiting the U.S. Capital. F.O.C. Darley showed an idealized pioneer family in the hand-colored lithograph, “Emigrants Crossing the Plains.”

Emigrants Crossing the Plains by F.O.C. Darley, 1874, hand-colored engraving, 5-5/8 x 8-3/8 inches

Artists of the American West was curated by Norman Geske, former director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The exhibition was organized by ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, who has also overseen its tour to museums around the country. The Haggin Museum is proud to bring to Stockton this display that will interest both art lovers and history buffs.

EVENTS

• Summer Evening Reception
  Friday, July 15, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
  This informal reception will provide an opportunity to enjoy this new special exhibition in the evening with good company. Wine and beer, along with tasty hors d’oeuvres, will be served. The cost will be $10 per person at the door. RSVP to the museum’s Administrative Assistant at 209-940-6311 or AdminAssistant@hagginmuseum.org.
  
• Indians of the Great Plains: A Presentation by Dr. Brian Baker
  Sunday, September 18, 2:30-4:00 p.m.
  Dr. Brian Baker, a professor in the Native American Studies Program of the Department of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Sacramento, will address the way the Plains Indians were represented in the works on display in this exhibition. He will offer insight into certain cultural traditions such as the use of feathers, tattoos, regalia, and clothing of the different Indian Nations. He will also explore the ways non-Indian artists have represented Indian culture. For more information, contact Elisa Barosso at (209) 940-6332 or education@hagginmuseum.org.

MUSEUM INFORMATION
The Haggin Museum is located in Stockton's Victory Park, 1201 N. Pershing Ave., and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults 18 and up; $2.50 for youth ages 10-17, students with a valid I.D., and seniors 65 and over; and free for museum members and children under 10 accompanied by an adult. Admission is free to all on the first Saturday of the month.

Free docent-led tours may be booked in advance by contacting Elisa Barosso at (209) 940-6332 or education@hagginmuseum.org. For disabled access, call ahead at (209) 940-6311 or 940-6317.

The Museum Store, which features a variety of merchandise inspired by the museum’s collections, is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Several books on Western American art, along with pieces of Western sculpture, will be on sale in the Store to complement this special exhibition.