Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is launching its second annual “The Cool Frontier,” a summer schedule of events in air-conditioned comfort in the Valley’s first museum to honor Actor Kevin Costner with the 2025 Western Spirit Award.
To celebrate the theme “It’s Cool in Here,” Western Spirit, 3830 N. Marshall Way, is offering a buy one, get one free special. Guests who purchase one adult or senior admission ticket at the regular price will receive a second one of equal value free. The free tickets are valid until September 30.
Museum exhibits include “A Decade of Western Spirit,” a large-scale timeline on display in the lobby that highlights the groundbreaking exhibitions and achievements that have helped make Western Spirit a Smithsonian affiliate museum that is regularly that is also a 2025 inductee to the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce Scottsdale History Hall of Fame.
“Women of the Southwest: A Legacy of Painting” is on view through August 24. The exhibit is comprised of almost 200 works by 25 pioneering women artists gifted to Western Spirit by Fran and Edward Elliott.
As a group, the female artists have achieved an impressive list of “firsts.” For example, Lillian Wilhelm Smith was the first woman to paint the Rainbow Bridge, and she was the only woman illustrator of Zane Grey’s novels. Painter Jessie Benton Evans was one of the catalysts behind the first art show at the Arizona State Fair that began in 1915.
Other ongoing exhibits that museum goers can experience this summer include:
• “Collecting Stories: John Coleman Bronzes” from the Collection of Frankie and Howard Alper. The exhibit features a selection of bronzes from the Alper Family’s collection, including the 10-piece Explorer Artist Series, inspired by the 19th century paintings of George Catlin and Karl Bodmer.
• “Canvas of Clay: Hopi Pottery Masterworks” from The Allan and Judith Cooke collection. This exhibit is on display for the first time and includes more than 65 of the finest examples of Hopi pottery.
• “Courage & Crossroads: A Visual Journey through the American West.” Meriwether Lewis’ presentation style pipe tomahawk and other rare Native American objects serve as the centerpiece of this story of America’s West in the 19th and early 20th centuries; in all, the exhibit includes more than 100 paintings and sculptures.
• “The A.P. Hays Spirit of the West Collection.” The exhibit offers a collection of 1,400 Old West items from Scottsdale gallerist Abe Hay; these include revolvers, rifles, saddles, knives, holsters, spurs, chaps, badges and more.
• “People, Places, Predicaments: John Clymer’s West.” Clymer was an extraordinary artist whose work vividly captured the spirit of exploration and adventure of the American West. The exhibit features over 50 paintings by John Ford Clymer from the Eddie Basha Collection.
Every Tuesday from approximately 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in June, July and August, artists – including Lindsay Green, Ira Grin, Paul Steele, Milly Guthrie, Kathy Howard and many others – will be at the museum painting their artwork in person.
Also, Western Spirit has a full schedule of classic Spaghetti Western-themed movies planned for June starring well-known actors from the genre like Clint Eastwood, Jack Palance and Lee Van Cleef. They are:
• “Django” – Sunday, June 8
• “The Big Gundown” – Tuesday, June 10
• “The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly” – Sunday, June 15
• “The Great Silence” – Tuesday, June 17
• “The Mercenary” – Sunday, June 22
• “They Call Me Trinity” – Tuesday, June 24
• “Man of the East” – Sunday, June 29
For more information, visit https://westernspirit.org/.
