Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West

Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West, Nonprofit Organization, 3830 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ.

Located in Old Town Scottsdale, our mission is to boldly immerse guests in the unique story of the Greater Western region, illuminating the past to better shape our future.

Traditional and well-known Zuni pueblo jewelry style called cluster work, incorporates the setting of many finely shaped...
06/17/2026

Traditional and well-known Zuni pueblo jewelry style called cluster work, incorporates the setting of many finely shaped stones into intricate compositions. Cluster work is an example of the various regional styles that developed as silversmithing became widely adopted by Southwestern tribes during the early 20th century.⁠
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Edith Tsabetsaye (b.1940) has taken cluster work to the next level, creating a design with even smaller stone sizes that dome upward in a crescent shape like hundreds of arching rainbows. Each stone is perfectly symmetrical as it blends into the next, the result is mesmerizing! Her technique is innovative yet maintains the distinct composition of Zuni cluster work.⁠
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Come see this piece in the groundbreaking exhibition, From Earth to the Stars. On view now at Western Spirit Museum!

The shared landscapes of the American West are not empty backdrops. They are lived-in places—homelands, work sites, trav...
06/15/2026

The shared landscapes of the American West are not empty backdrops. They are lived-in places—homelands, work sites, travel routes, and sacred spaces—shaped over time by the people and animals who moved through them. Over centuries, communities shared these environments in complex ways: through trade and cooperation, adaptation and change, and, at times, conflict and displacement.

As the Cheyenne pass from sunlight into shade, Charlie Dye’s poignant oil hints at what is coming but not yet seen. The bison skull in the foreground sharpens the sense of foreboding. “Cheyenne Sundown” is but one of over 80 pieces on exhibit in Working Pardners.

Charles Loloma (1921-1991) is one of the most influential artists and jewelers of the 21st century. By the late 1950s, a...
06/13/2026

Charles Loloma (1921-1991) is one of the most influential artists and jewelers of the 21st century. By the late 1950s, after working and studying as a painter and ceramicist, he took up jewelry earnestly. By the 1970s, his career skyrocketed on a national and international scale. Loloma’s designs quickly became an iconic representation of contemporary American Indian jewelry. ⁠
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This cuff bracelet was made for Loloma’s wife Georgia who he married in the early 1980s. Georgia encouraged Loloma’s use of high-quality materials in large sizes. From that encouragement, his work during the 1980s would represent an era of bold designs and elaborate compositions with unique sculptural qualities.⁠
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Throughout his phases of work Loloma remained true to his core beliefs, pulling inspiration from the Hopi landscape, culture and beauty around him.⁠
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“That’s what I’d like to be about – beauty.” -Charles Loloma, Arizona Highways, April 1979, p.32⁠
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Come see more works by Charles Loloma in the groundbreaking exhibition, From Earth to the Stars. On view now at Western spirit!

Chato’s Land inverts the familiar Western chase narrative: the American Indian hero (played by Charles Bronson) is the h...
06/12/2026

Chato’s Land inverts the familiar Western chase narrative: the American Indian hero (played by Charles Bronson) is the hunted, but the white posse pursuing him are the true savages, their racism and brutality escalating as the chase wears on. ⁠
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Chato’s Land screens this Sunday, June 14 at 2PM. Chief Curator will introduce the movie and lead a post-film discussion with the audience.⁠
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This screening is part of our Reel Indians film series, exploring representations of American Indians in Westerns of the 1970s, held in conjunction with our exhibition Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western.⁠
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Chato’s Land (1972)⁠
Dir. Michael Winner/United Artists⁠
Starring Charles Bronson⁠
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American one-sheet poster, 1972; The Rennard Strickland Collection

Skip the tie and give Dad an experience in the West.This Father’s Day, dads receive FREE admission to Western Spirit Mus...
06/11/2026

Skip the tie and give Dad an experience in the West.

This Father’s Day, dads receive FREE admission to Western Spirit Museum.

Explore the galleries, step inside our iconic Western Spirit Museum mural for a free family photo, enjoy a special Western film screening of The White Buffalo, and spend the day discovering the stories of the American West together.

📅 Sunday, June 21st
📍 Western Spirit Museum

Artist Mary Alice Cox “Mac” Schweitzer (1921-1962) spent summers immersing herself in the communities of the Hopi and Na...
06/08/2026

Artist Mary Alice Cox “Mac” Schweitzer (1921-1962) spent summers immersing herself in the communities of the Hopi and Navajo. Mac built personal relationships with many of her subjects, depicting scenes of their daily life or those of cultural significance. She maintained deep respect for the communities and sketched “only significant parts of Hopi life which the Indians did not mind having recorded.” Corn Woman (Grinding Corn) captures a Hopi woman using a mano (grinding stone) inside a metate (flat stone with a depression), to complete the seasonal ritual of preparing dried corn kernels into cornmeal for cooking. The scene, although appearing simple, demonstrates the intimate connections Mac experienced with diverse communities of the Southwest.⁠
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By the 1950’s, Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo women had adapted to wearing more Anglo-style clothing such as commercial cotton blouses or printed housecoats. Mac avoided depicting Native women in modern clothing. Instead, she would make her subject’s garments vague or represent a clothing style from a few generations prior. This personal choice resulted in Mac’s picturesque portrayal of women and the representation of an idealized past. In Corn Woman (Grinding Corn), Mac may have added a Manta dress and traditional green and red Pueblo belt to her subject.⁠
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Come visit, Mac Schweitzer: A Southwest Maverick Rediscovered, Guest Curated by Ann Lane Hedlund, Ph.D. On view now until September 2026 at Western Spirit Museum!⁠
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Mac Schweitzer (1921-1962)⁠
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Corn Woman (Grinding Corn), c.1954⁠
Oil on Masonite, heavy impasto⁠
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Mac Schweitzer Collection⁠
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Gift of Ann Lane Hedlund - In Memory of Kit Schweitzer and in honor of the Schweitzer, Cox, Moore and White Families

Join us for Reel West Sundays featuring classic Western films at 2 p.m., and don't miss Live Artist Fridays every Friday...
06/08/2026

Join us for Reel West Sundays featuring classic Western films at 2 p.m., and don't miss Live Artist Fridays every Friday from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Experience the art, stories, and spirit of the West all month long at Western Spirit!

Robert Redford’s portrayal of a man who abandons civilization to live in the wilderness struck a chord with audiences, w...
06/05/2026

Robert Redford’s portrayal of a man who abandons civilization to live in the wilderness struck a chord with audiences, who made Jeremiah Johnson one of the decade’s biggest Western hits. The film draws on a familiar fantasy—the white man who sheds his old identity and finds a place within Indian culture—but Johnson learns many hard lessons, among them that he cannot truly bridge two worlds.⁠
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Jeremiah Johnson screens this Sunday, June 7 at 2PM. Chief Curator will introduce the movie and lead a post-film discussion with the audience.⁠
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This screening is part of our Reel Indians film series, exploring representations of American Indians in Westerns of the 1970s, held in conjunction with our exhibition Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western.⁠
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Jeremiah Johnson (1972)⁠
Dir. Sydney Pollack/Warner Bros.⁠
Starring Robert Redford, Will Greer, Allyn Ann McLerie, Stefan Gierasch, and Charles Tyner⁠
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British 24-sheet poster, 1972; The Rennard Strickland Collection

Katsina are Hopi religious figures that reside in the San Francisco Peaks located in Northern Arizona. During specific c...
06/04/2026

Katsina are Hopi religious figures that reside in the San Francisco Peaks located in Northern Arizona. During specific ceremonies, the Katsina spirits visit the Hopi mesas to bless the people. Hopi who participate in ceremonies will dress as a specific Katsina to embody the spirit. ⁠
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The bear or Hon Katsina is distinguished by color variations white, yellow, blue or black. The Hopi ceremonial calendar divides the year into two sections based on visits from specific Katsina. The Hon Katsina is most seen in the springtime Mixed Dances called Soyohim, recognized as a warrior that possesses strength to cure the sick.⁠
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Carved or painted Katsina are traditionally made for babies and young girls, meant to be gifted at Katsina ceremonies. The tradition has evolved over time as representations of Katsina have been created for sale, with the development of styles suggesting movement and dance trending around the 1950s.⁠
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Pictured above is a miniature representation of the White Bear or Köcha Honau Katsina by carver Alfred Lomahquahu (b.1964). The carving stands just over 3 inches tall! Captured in a dancing motion, impressive details such as a turquoise concho belt, ketoh (wrist guard) and necklace adorn the miniature figure. White Bear grips a bow in one hand and a rattle in the other. Lomahquahu also includes black paw prints on either cheek, a distinctive detail on Hon Katsina carvings. ⁠
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Come see this miniature Katsina and other works by Alfred Lomahquahu in the ongoing exhibition, The West in Miniature. On view now at Western Spirit Museum!⁠
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Alfred Lomahquahu (b.1964)⁠
Hopi⁠
White Bear Katsina, n.d.⁠
Wood⁠
Neil and Sarah Berman: Collection of Miniature Hopi Katsina

In 1946, Mary Alice Cox “Mac” Schweitzer (1921-1962) moved to Tucson, Arizona with her young son Kit and first husband J...
06/01/2026

In 1946, Mary Alice Cox “Mac” Schweitzer (1921-1962) moved to Tucson, Arizona with her young son Kit and first husband Jack. Mac jumped right into the artist scene of Tucson, joining the Tucson Fine Arts Association (TFAA) and the Tucson Independent Artists Group (TIAG). By 1947, she exhibited two works in the first TIAG open show titled “New Look at Art.” One of her pieces in the show, a dynamic mountain scene done in oil paints called Catalina Torrent (serigraph edition pictured above), received outstanding praise. At the time of the show, Critic Geroge Rosenburg reported on the painting:⁠
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“By subject the painting is certainly not original. But the ex*****on of violently contrasting light, seemingly unique in this part of the country, is top performance painting” ⁠
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Produced by Robert “Bob” Spray (1910-2000) in 1949, Catalina Torrent was one of Mac’s first silk-screened works based on an original piece. Mac continued to collaborate with Spray on silk-screen projects, also creating high-quality screenings of various large-scale animal subjects. ⁠
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Come visit, Mac Schweitzer: A Southwest Maverick Rediscovered, Guest Curated by Ann Lane Hedlund, Ph.D. On view now until September 2026 at Western Spirit Museum!

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3830 N Marshall Way
Scottsdale, AZ
85251

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

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