Cowboys and horses, saloons and sombreros, guns and rifles and vast expanses of land. The American West! While there is truth to this imagery, it has also achieved a mythic status quo. As such, it’s only a partial picture of the true west. In a show that challenges long-held stereotypes, works by 48 20th-century and contemporary artists—among them Jacob Lawrence, Wendy Red Star, and Rick Bartow—depict Indigenous cultures, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and more. The show’s unexpected narratives implicitly question cultural and racial clichés. —E.C.

Travels to: Whatcom Museum of Art in Bellingham, Washington (March 19 – August 21, 2022)