CWS celebrates 40 years with art exhibit from own collection

For the first time in its history, the Center for Western Studies (CWS) is displaying works entirely from their own private collection in honor of the Center's 40th anniversary.

The show, titled 40th Anniversary Exhibition: Art from the CWS Collection, is currently on display in the Madsen/Nelson/Elmen Galleries of the Center's Fantle Building.

Founded by former Augustana English professor and Writer-in-Residence Herbert Krause in 1970, the CWS seeks to preserve the history and culture of the Northern Plains through art and literature.

Because of their commitment to the Northern Plains, much of the artwork featured in the exhibit is from local and regional artists like Oscar Howe, Harvey Dunn and Gutzon Borglum.

The exhibit also attempts to show different sides of these artists.  For example, Borglum, despite being famous for building Mount Rushmore, has a painting, "Moonlight," featured in the gallery.

"The interesting thing about Borglum is that his brother was the sculptor and he was the painter," CWS Director of Outreach and Communications Tim Hoheisel said. "He only became a sculptor to kind of one-up his brother."

The exhibit also features non-Midwestern artists like Norman Rockwell. Like Borglum's, Rockwell's painting, titled "A President's Wife," is a far cry from the Saturday Evening Post covers that he is associated with.

"It is very different than what we see on the magazine covers," Hoheisel said.

Most of the artwork in the collection has been donated to the CWS.

"It's very rare that the Center will actually go out and buy artwork; we just don't have the funding," Hoheisel said.

Instead, the Center receives artwork through bequests and estate gifts, as purchases by supporters or through artist's commissions.

"The Center has a real base of support in the region," Hoheisel said. "To be the size that we are and to be membership-based is an accomplishment."

Aside from the gallery, the CWS is also home to extensive archives of Northern Plains history and also puts on public events like the Boe Forum and the Dakota Conference, all of which are supported by the Center's 700 members.

"There really is no other organization like us; that has a gallery like us, an archive and puts on events like the Boe Forum," Hoheisel said. "We really are unique."

40th Anniversary Exhibition: Art from the CWS Collection will be on display through Feb. 26. The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. There will be a special open house viewing with extended hours from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11.