Stemming from the donated collection of Fran and Edward Elliott, comes the significant exhibition The Women of the Southwest: A Legacy of Painting, hosted at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. “This collection represents one of the most significant donations of artwork by women to an American institution,” says museum representatives. “These artists were drawn to Arizona [specifically] by its dramatic landscapes, vibrant desert hues, unique light and rich cultural history. Despite the challenges posed by the absence of major art centers and patrons, these women thrived and left an indelible mark on the art world.”
Jesse Benton Evans (1866-1954), Grand Canyon, ca. 1920, oil on board, framed: 19½ x 18½ in.
Betsy Fahlman, professor of art history at Arizona State University, founding board member of Western Spirit and friend to the collectors’, adds that “Fran Elliott formed a truly remarkable collection of Arizona’s early women artists that represents an exceptional legacy for the state of Arizona. With her passing, and that of her husband, Ed, the collection was given to Western Spirit. To honor this gift, the museum has organized [this] exhibition of 50 works.”
Marjorie Thomas (1885-1978), Hogan in Desert Landscape, ca. 1925, oil on canvas on board, framed: 6¾ x 5¾ in.
Covering the late territorial period through the early 20th century, representatives share that the exhibition includes works by Lillian Wilhelm Smith, the first woman to paint the Rainbow Bridge and illustrator of Zane Grey’s novels; Kate Cory, the first resident artist to extensively paint and photograph the Hopi at the First and Third Mesas; Jessie Benton Evans, a catalyst behind the first art show at the Arizona State Fair in 1915; and Marjorie Thomas, who established the first artist studio in Scottsdale. Her quiet yet engaging painting, Hogan in the Desert Landscape, is an important highlight for the exhibition.
The exhibition is currently on view indefinitely at Western Spirit in Scottsdale, Arizona. —
The Women of the Southwest: A Legacy of Painting
Ongoing
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
3830 N. Marshall Way Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 686-9539, www.scottsdalemuseumwest.org
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