It’s true what you’ve heard. California is varied and vast, full of coastal towns, iconic beaches, Hollywood history and national parks. However, many don’t realize the significance that art has had in establishing and preserving what this “Land of Milk and Honey” is today. More so, Western artists of the early to mid-19th century in particular were essential in the establishment of institutions like the National Park Service, furthering the notion that places like Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains should be preserved for future generations.
“Landscape paintings and photographs captured the grandeur and beauty of the West and captivated audiences at a time when travel was limited,” explains the U.S. Department of the Interior, which runs the National Park Service, via the Museum Management Program website. “These artworks created a groundswell of support to preserve the natural wonders that culminated in the establishment the National Park Service in 1916.”
Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, California (detail), 1944, gelatin silver print, 15½ x 19”
The NPS notes that artist George Catlin, known for his extensive travels of the West and painting of many Native American tribes, was the first to conceptualize the National Park Service in 1832, as he was concerned about the damaging effects of hefty westward expansion of the time. When gold was found in Coloma, California, in 1848, it intensified this expansion for the state and for the West as a whole. The Gold Rush attracted around 40,000 people that arrived by boat in San Francisco by 1849, with another 40,000 traveling by wagon. 
San Francisco Skyline. Courtesy San Francisco Travel Association.
Moving forward, the trend caught on as many artists like Thomas Moran, Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Thomas Hill, Joseph John Englehart and Thomas Ayres contributed to the California landscape art scene. This includes the first published image of Yosemite by Ayres in The High Fall, a drawing of Yosemite Falls, considered the highest waterfall in the world.
One of the most well-known photographers of the American West, in the early to mid-20th century, Ansel Adams, also has an entire series dedicated to Yosemite National Park, where the Ansel Adams Gallery is currently located. Adams was an environmentalist, also keen on preserving these sacred regions. Dome from Glacier Point and Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park are popular images among the collection. The artist also captured California’s beaches, flora and fauna, further illustrating the diverse beauty of the state. 
Oceanside Pier Sunset, San Diego, CA. Photo by Brett Shoaf. Courtesy San Diego Tourism Authority.
These artists helped lay the groundwork for the cultural, social and political landscape of California as it is today, along with the actual landscape, aiding in its preservation. Hence, the state has the most national parks in the country. Besides Yosemite, this includes Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Redwood National & State Parks, Point Reyes National Seashore, Pinnacles National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Channel Islands National Park and Death Valley National Park.
While much of California’s past has been covered in this brief introduction, the following pages cover the current state of art in California. Continue reading to hear from galleries, artists, events and art fairs in different regions of California that continue the community message of preservation, along with sharing its infinite beauty and historic richness.
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Autry Museum of the American West, War Music II, 2008, mixed media on wood, by Mateo Romero. Purchase made possible by Jackie and Gene Autry. Autry Museum; 2008.34.1
Autry Museum of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 667-2000, www.theautry.org
The ongoing exhibition Art of the West at the Autry Museum offers a comprehensive look at some of the primary forces that have shaped art and creative practices across both historical eras and distinctive cultures and geographies. By looking at art through the prisms of religion and ritual, land and landscape, and migration and movement, we can see how a diversity of environments, belief systems and cultural exchanges have informed artistic production in ways that are both powerful and divergent. 
Autry Museum of the American West, Matinee Cowboy, Posing, 1978, oil on canvas, by Fritz Scholder (1937-2005). Autry Museum of the American West; 90.139.1
Comprised of select juxtapositions between historical and contemporary works, the gallery features major examples of Spanish Colonial and Northwest Coast art, contemporary Native American artists such as Kent Monkman and Rose B. Simpson, and icons of the Western landscape Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt. Intermingled throughout are also major examples of decorative and historic arts, including selections from the Autry’s extensive collection of Navajo Chief’s blankets, Tiffany silver and a 1948 Indian Roadmaster motorcycle. 
Autry Museum of the American West, Mountain of the Holy Cross, 1875, oil on canvas, by Thomas Moran (1837-1926). Donated from the Collection of Jackie and Gene Autry. Autry Museum; 91.221.49
In 2022, the museum is looking forward to two new exhibitions. In Dress Codes, visitors can explore how the clothing in our closets have long and often surprising histories, unpacking cultural histories of icons of Western style. The museum is also opening Imagined Wests, a reimagining of their Imagination Gallery that builds on the gallery’s historic playful tone and widening its focus to explore a range of stories and imagined landscapes of the American West. Imagined Wests will explore the ways people across—and beyond—the West create their own versions of the region through storytelling and dazzling popular culture objects from the Autry and Southwest museum collections.
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Maxwell Alexander Gallery, The Tracker, oil, 42 x 42", by Joshua LaRock.
Maxwell Alexander Gallery
406 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91105, (213) 275-1060, info@maxwellalexandergallery.com, www.maxwellalexandergallery.com
Maxwell Alexander Gallery has quickly become one of the leading galleries in the Western art genre. “With a focus on contemporary artists, we’ve been able to curate the strongest artists all under one roof,” says gallery owner Beau Alexander. “From Logan Maxwell Hagege to T. Allen Lawson, from Glenn Dean to Len Chmiel and G. Russell Case, Eric Bowman, Thomas Blackshear, John Moyers and Brett Allen Johnson. ‘The new breed of fine art’ is a philosophy we hold dear, featuring only the best artists with a forward-looking view of the West and with a superior technical ability to create. We refuse to represent a large roster but instead focus on a quality roster of master artists.”
Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Northern Cliffs, 49 x 45", by Logan Maxwell Hagege.The newest artist at the gallery is Joshua LaRock. The artist’s mastery in representational painting comes from his years of study in New York academies. The Texas native has refocused on his roots and since his Western series debuted just two years ago, he’s sold every single painting he’s created—including a monument valley scene with riders that was recently acquired by the Booth Western Art Museum.
Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Cloud Dance, oil, 30 x 27½", by T. Allen Lawson.
Alexander further notes that the art market in Los Angeles and across the West continues to be robust. “With the pandemic lockdowns, collectors refocused on purchasing art to bring beauty into their homes,” he says. “The last two years have been the strongest ever in our nearly 10-year existence as a gallery. Collectors across the country continue to purchase art at a rapid rate, with the most sought-after artists selling every piece they send to the gallery. As the world changes, art seems to be a constant—something that brings joy and wonder into our lives on a daily basis.”
The next notable show will be the Artist Retreat Group Exhibition schedule for this coming March, and following that will be the Logan Maxwell Hagege Artist Showcase in May.
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Otto Stürcke wins Best of Show at the 2021 event.
Tehachapi Arts Commission
Tehachapi, CA , (626) 945-3753, info@artstehachapi.org, www.artstehachapi.org
The Tehachapi Arts Commission has dedicated itself to establishing the Tehachapi, California, region as a destination for fine artists and collectors. In July of 2021, the commission successfully put together the first Tehachapi Art Show that brought out more than 200 visitors during the public viewing, and raised $14,550 during the VIP opening for the Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Foundation.
The unique structure of the show has set a new tone in the art industry. The committee behind the art commission, local artist Donald Towns, Dwight and Laura Dreyer, and gallery owners Jim and Cheryl Wilson, invite artists from all over the country to paint the Tehachapi area “en plein air” in advance. Artists perfect their work, then return for the actual show, where additional works of art are featured, including a miniature piece. 
Tehachapi Arts Commission, At Days End, oil, 18 x 24", by Frank Ordaz.
Tehachapi Arts Commission, Moonlight Crossing Study, oil on linen, 8 x 8", by Frank Serrano.
The committee members make sure to showcase a diverse range of styles, themes and subject matter, that includes Western scenes like Frank Ordaz’s oil At Days End, and Frank Serrano’s Moonlight Crossing Study. The show also honors stand-out artists such as Otto Stürcke, who was awarded Best of Show for the 2021 show. The top landscape award was given to Eleinne Basa, and the best urban painting went to Scott W. Prior.
The Tehachapi Art Show returns in 2022, and is scheduled for July 23 through 24, with the VIP opening on July 22.
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Charisse Rudolph, I’ll Stand by You, ink basked dye, 26 x 22"
Charisse Rudolph
(760) 937-5689, info@charisserudolphfineart.com, www.charissefineart.com
Charisse Rudolph has had a paintbrush in her hand since pre-school. Being dyslexic, art was the only subject she excelled at during her school years and she took every class she could take. Rudolph is an all-around storyteller and creative person whether it is painting, writing or acting. Her natural gift creates a story and an understanding of her subjects.
Rudolph’s paintings are about heart connection. Her style is bright, contemporary Western art. She paints with colored ink and strives to paint more than just a pretty picture. When she left the field of team building and equine-assisted services in 2017, she had to close her non-profit called Healing Horses & Armed Forces. At HHAF, they specialized in supporting the military who were dealing with the effects of PTSD and MST. Rudolph is now a full-time creative person and is passionate about painting the heart connection that she learned to look for when she facilitated her programs. 
Charisse Rudolph, Amazing Grace, alcohol ink, 40 x 30"
For the last three years, Rudolph has been painting the heart connection she sees with horses, mules, donkeys and people, but the artist also has two paintings of cheetahs in the works, including I’ll Stand by You, pictured here. Rudolph is also planning on some paintings that have to do with women of the West.
Rudolph’s next big show will be in New Mexico, at Art Santa Fe, July 15 through 17.
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Frank Serrano, Sunrise Through the Cottonwoods, oil, 8 x 8"
Frank Serrano
(760) 920-7288, frank@serranofineart.com, www.serranofineart.com
Artist Frank Serrano currently lives in Big Pine, California, surrounded by the enormous Owens Valley, where inspiration is never ending. The Eastern Sierra and Inyo Mountains provide beautiful settings for his paintings. Focusing mostly on Western vistas, Serrano’s passion has evolved to include cowboys and ranch life, which is garnering the attention of many collectors from all parts of the United States. 
Frank Serrano, Rock Hopper, oil, 14 x 11"
Rock Hopper, depicting a cowboy riding a yule while perched on a rocky cliff, further illustrates Serrano’s passion for the Western lifestyle, and his skill at capturing breathtaking moments.
“Currently, I’m working on paintings for a show in Santa Barbara in 2022 and hope to also include more Western shows to my schedule in the near future,” Serrano explains. —
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