Alan Petersen Curator of Fine Art
Museum of Northern Arizona Flagstaff, AZ
(928) 774-5213 , www.musnaz.org
What event (gallery show, museum exhibit, etc.) in the next few months are you looking forward to, and why?
I’m excited about a new exhibition that we just opened here at Museum of Northern Arizona titled Horse and Rider: A Southwest Story. The exhibition draws from our collection and reflects the varied approaches to depicting horses, the most iconic symbol of the West, in a wide range of styles and media. Many of the works are by Native artists affiliated with the Santa Fe Studio Style, which I love.
Harrison Begay (Haskay-Yahne-Yah) (Navajo (Diné), 1917-2012), Three Kids on a Horse, gouache, 11 x 14 in. On exhibit in Horse and Rider: A Southwest Story at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.
Can you tell us about any recent acquisitions at the museum?
We’re currently reviewing a couple of proposed gifts of work by the artists of Artist Hopid, and I’m thrilled at the prospect of adding many of them to our collection.
What most excites you about the future of Western art?
I’m especially excited about younger artists, especially Native artists, who are breaking away from earlier, romanticized and stylized depictions of Western subjects and addressing current issues.
What are you researching at the moment?
I recently completed my manuscript on Swedish-American painter Gunnar Widforss. I’m in the process of finding a publisher for it.
What is your dream exhibit to curate? Or see someone else curate?
I’d like to present an exhibition that addresses how adventurous people, not necessarily artists, have immersed themselves in the remote areas of the Colorado Plateau—what drew them in and how they expressed their experiences. —
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