Programs

Artful Insight — The Santa Fe Modernists

April 07, 2025

Monday, April 7, 2025, 3:00 p.m.

Explore the fascinating background of the founders of Santa Fe’s art colony, Los Cinco Pintores, the first group in Santa Fe devoted to modernism and bringing art to the people. Artists such as Jozef Bakos, Fremont Ellis, and Will Shuster helped make the city a destination for creatives of all types.
Image credit: Józef Bakós, El Santuario Chimayo, before 1945

Artful Insight — Birger Sandzén

May 05, 2025

Monday, May 5, 2025, 3:00 p.m.

Birger Sandzén came to the US from his home in Sweden in 1894 to teach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. At just 23 years old, he was hired to teach languages and assist in the art and vocal music departments. His talent for art won him the principal art instructor position in 1899, where he remained until retiring in 1946. He also has ties to Colorado. He taught as a guest artist at the Broadmoor Art Academy (later the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center) and the Chappell House School of Art in Denver. In addition to teaching, Sandzén was a prolific painter, producing at least 2600 oil paintings and 500 watercolors. He is known for his bold use of stroke, color, and heavy impasto paint. Many of his paintings feature landscapes of the American Southwest, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and his beloved Kansas. His work can be found in the premier art institutions in the US and Sweden, including here at the American Museum of Western Art.
Image credit: Birger Sandzén, Colorado Mountain View, 1923

Book ticket

Westbound – Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir by Deborah A. Miranda

May 13, 2025

Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:30am Westbound will discuss Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir by Deborah A. Miranda. Pre-registration is required and will be limited to 15 guests.

Book ticket

Writing the West – Celebratory Reading

May 14, 2025

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 2:00-4:00pm Join us at AMWA for Writing the West, our monthly writing series combining art history, storytelling, and participants’ creative voices. To help inspire your writing, we’ll explore the Museum’s galleries, stopping to learn about specific paintings relevant to each month’s theme.

Book ticket

Puzzlin’ Art SPARK! Program 6/19/25

June 19, 2025

Thursday, June 19, 2025 In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter, the American Museum of Western Art offers this SPARK program as an opportunity for individuals with mild memory loss and their care partners to enjoy art and artifacts in a guided, comfortable setting that is both welcoming and stimulating. Call 303-293-2000 to Register

Westbound – Go as a River by Shelley Read

July 08, 2025

Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 10:30am Westbound will discuss Go as a River by Shelley Read. Pre-registration is required and will be limited to 15 guests.

Book ticket

Westbound – Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

September 09, 2025

Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 10:30am Westbound will discuss Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Pre-registration is required and will be limited to 15 guests.

Book ticket

Puzzlin’ Art SPARK! Program 9/18/25

September 18, 2025

Thursday, September 18, 2025 In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter, the American Museum of Western Art offers this SPARK program as an opportunity for individuals with mild memory loss and their care partners to enjoy art and artifacts in a guided, comfortable setting that is both welcoming and stimulating. Call 303-293-2000 to Register

Westbound – The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich

November 11, 2025

Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 10:30am Westbound will discuss The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich. Pre-registration is required and will be limited to 15 guests.

Book ticket

Puzzlin’ Art SPARK! Program 12/18/2025

December 18, 2025

Thursday, December 18, 2025 In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter, the American Museum of Western Art offers this SPARK program as an opportunity for individuals with mild memory loss and their care partners to enjoy art and artifacts in a guided, comfortable setting that is both welcoming and stimulating. Call 303-293-2000 to Register

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