Carl Oscar Borg, “The Herd,” 1937, oil on canvas. Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Museum of Art

Maynard Dixon, “Butte at Red Lake Arizona,” 1922, oil on canvas. Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Museum of Art

Cowboy boots from Eddie Pogue's collection. Photo courtesy of Bakersfield Museum of Art

By Beth Pandol, Director of Marketing, Bakersfield Museum of Art

Two spectacular Western art exhibits open June 10 at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, along with paintings and drawings by Aron Wiesenfeld. Other exciting events and projects are planned for a summer-long celebration of Western culture.

The Masterworks of Western Paintings features panoramic, colorful and lyrical paintings of the 19th century by Albert Bierstadt. His melodramatic canvases of the Sierras created an atmosphere that was innovative to the West. The exhibit then moves to the Southwest, to the chroniclers of the 1890s through 1927: Maynard Dixon, Walter Ufer, Joseph Sharp and others who depicted the vistas, grand canyons, monolithic forms of red and ocher buttes, Native Americans and cowboys on their horses. Other artists include: Edgar Payne, George Catlin, Conrad Buff, Carl Oscar Borg, Edward Borein, and Frank Tenney Johnson.

“These are paintings by the very biggest names in Western art,” said Curator Emily Falke. “We are privileged to have these paintings in our gallery.”

The Best of the West: Bakersfield Collects exhibit is comprised of works from 17 lenders from Kern County with eclectic western collections. Over 140 pieces will be in the show, including paintings, watercolors, bronze and wood sculptures, etchings, ceramics, buffalo heads, artifacts including spurs, bits, saddles, ropes, bridles, blankets, guns, boots, hats and chaps, and stage coaches. Pieces date from the early 1900s to the present and depict Native American art, cowboys and Southwestern contemporary art.

This is going to be tremendously popular in Kern County, given our Western heritage and the ranching history here. So many people in this area enjoy Western art and they are going to be surprised and pleased at the amount of pieces here on exhibition. These are pieces from some amazing collections and we’re very lucky to have them for exhibition.

Both The Masterworks of Western Paintings and Best of the West: Bakersfield Collects are presented by: Wells Fargo Bank, Aera Energy LLC, Tejon Ranch, Citizens Business Bank and The Bakersfield Californian. Sponsors include: Historical Collections Council of California, MaryLee & Phil Zander, Ginnie & Stan Eschner, KERO ABC 23, Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center and Frankie and E.G. Berchtold.

Also opening on June 10 is Aron Wiesenfeld: Paintings and Drawings. This mysterious and visceral retrospective is a cross section of the work Wiesenfeld has been doing for the past five years. The subjects of these drawings and paintings confront perilous circumstances on quixotic paths. They are often pilgrims, refugees, or nomads, traveling through the silent, “non” places of the world, between the cultivated and the wild. This exhibit is sponsored by KERO ABC 23.

As part of the Best of the West theme, the Bakersfield Museum of Art, along with The Bakersfield Californian and KERO ABC 23, will collect stories from local residents about how their families came to live in the West. “Going West – The Story of How Our Family Came to the Western U.S.” is a project to chronicle the stories of the journeys families took, either in the distant past or recently, to live in the Western states. Residents are asked to submit stories of no more than 500 words of how their families moved to the West, whether that be on a wagon train or by an airplane from Asia, along with incidents, details and historical information that tell the story of moving west.

These stories of “Going West” will be featured on July 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the “Go West Day” at the Museum. “Go West Day” will feature children’s arts and crafts, cowboy activities, storytelling, music, food and more. Admission will be $1 and will include admission to the galleries. The day is sponsored by The Bakersfield Californian and KERO ABC 23.

Exhibitions run from June 10 to August 22, with an opening reception on June 10 at 6 p.m. The reception features the lively music of Highway 65, hors d’oeuvres by Big Mike’s Ragin’ BBQ and Bakersfield Marriott, an a no-host bar. Cost is $5 for members, $10 non-members. Additionally, the Wells Fargo “Buffalo Bill” stagecoach will be on display for the evening. For more information call 661-323-7219 or visit www.bmoa.org.