About the Project

Whitney Gallery of Western Art

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art, dedicated in 1959, presents an outstanding collection of masterworks of the American West. Through a chronological survey from the early nineteenth century to contemporary times, the art narrates a history of the West. The reconstructed studios of Frederic Remington and W.H.D. Koerner, as well as the original studio cabin of J.H. Sharp, provide visitors to the galleries an uncommon opportunity to see the artists' work environment and discover their process of creation.

Collections of the Whitney Gallery of Western Art

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art began with one work of art, the monumental sculpture of Buffalo Bill – The Scout by artist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The commission of the memorial to the great western leader, Col. William F. Cody, set in motion events which would eventually lead to the establishment and growth of a major collection of western art within a western heritage museum.

The Whitney Online Collection features original paintings, sculptures, and prints that trace artistic interpretations of the West from the early nineteenth century to today. Artists featured include George Catlin, Alfred Jacob Miller, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Alexander Phimister Proctor, W.R. Leigh, Joseph Henry Sharp, N.C. Wyeth and many others. Contemporary Western Art is represented by artists such as Harry Jackson, James Bama, Deborah Butterfield and Fritz Scholder.

Please keep visiting, as this is an ongoing project with the regular addition of new records and images.