Smithsonian Museum Day 2019 was September 21, 2019. Last year my wife and I visited the Oak Hill Museum and wanted to do something different this year. Due to schedule conflicts, she couldn’t go with me, so my son and I decided to make it a guys’ day and visit the Booth Western Art Museum.
If you are unfamiliar with Museum Day, it is an annual event held at museums and other cultural centers across the country. On Museum Day, guests receive free admission to participating venues. Prior registration is required through the Museum Day website, and a printed ticket is required. Smithsonian Magazine sponsors this event.
Since neither of us had visited the Booth Western Art Museum before, we didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, it wasn’t at all what I expected. It was a large, three-story building with exhibits both inside and outside. Inside, in addition to the art exhibits, there is a cafe that serves light lunches and a gift shop that sells an array of items relating to exhibits and Western history.
Upon entering the museum, there is a welcome desk. You can purchase tickets to enter the museum and receive more information about it and its exhibits at this desk. My son and I picked up a museum guide map and went to the cafe for a quick soda before exploring the museum.
There are several permanent galleries at the museum. Among these is the Presidential Gallery which has exhibits on each of our country’s presidents; the “War Is Hell” gallery which focuses on the American Civil War; and the Heading West Gallery, which focuses on the westward expansion.
As we toured each gallery, we were in awe. I couldn’t help but think that the subjects of most of the paintings and sculptures captured by the artists are now long gone. Many of the paintings in the museum are over 100 years old and were painted by artists traveling the Old West who were witnesses to this fascinating time in America’s history.
There are hundreds of paintings and sculptures located in several museum galleries. Subjects include Native Americans, Cowboys, Farmers, Animals, Children, Transportation, and anything related to the west and its exploration. One thing I was reminded of time and time again while exploring the rooms of the museum was what was considered the “West” changed as our country expanded westward. Some paintings focus on our exploration of lands west of the Appalachian mountains, while others highlight our conquest of the lands west of the Mississippi River. Still, others illustrate our conquest of the actual “Western United States.”
In addition to the permanent exhibits, Booth Western Art Museum also hosts special rotating exhibitions. “Warhol And The West” was the current special exhibition when we were there. Booth is hosting the first showing of this exhibit before it moves to other art museums in the country. This exhibit focuses on Andy Warhol’s love for the American West and his unique depictions of it through his artwork. If you are interested in viewing this exhibit, you need to hurry. It is only at the Booth Museum until December 31, 2019.
There is something for everyone at Booth Western Art Museum. The “Sagebrush Ranch” exhibit is designed for children ages 2 to 12 and features many hands-on exhibits. Designed like a working ranch, it offers an interactive learning experience that children can share with members of the whole family.
The museum also is host to a non-rotating research library. Students can use the works in this library to study art history and, the civil war, western, and presidential history. They do ask that younger researchers have adult supervision when using the library. The use of the library is by appointment only during regular museum hours.
My son and I enjoyed our visit to the Booth Western Art Museum. It wasn’t at all what either of us expected. After touring the exhibits, viewing the artwork, and reflecting on the things I saw there, I have a renewed appreciation for the difficulties and struggles experienced by this country’s early explorers. I also gained a new perspective on the beauty of our great land and how important it is to preserve and protect it for future generations.
For more information about the Booth Western Art Museum, click here.
Follow this link for more information about Museum Day.
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