WICKENBURG, ARIZONA
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Welcome to A New Frontier at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum
Where history and art meet with dreams and adventure
In the early 19th century, the Old West was marked by rugged landscapes, Native American villages, and pioneers heading west seeking adventure and fortune.
In many ways, the Western frontier was America’s first melting pot. It was a place where indigenous people and those of European, Mexican, Latin American, Asian, and African descent created a rich chorus of voices and settlements that were as culturally diverse as anywhere on earth. Artists were inspired to record the dramatic, raw extremes of landscape and weather, the vast beauty, and
unique lifestyles. The legends and reality of the incomparable North American West came to life through song, prose, and art of all forms.
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s mission is to share the diverse stories, cultures, and experiences of the West through world-class art collections and historical exhibitions. The Museum inspires young and old alike with visual and historic tales of cowboys, Natives, pioneers, miners—all those who shaped the captivating land we know as the American West.
Olaf Wieghorst, Roundin’ Up the Herd, ca. 1955, oil on burlap, gift of Mr. Alan S. Ray, DCWM Collection, photo © Terrence Moore
Cover: Joe Beeler, Thanks for the Rain, bronze, 1988.
It is fitting that the 55-year-old, highly regarded Desert Caballeros Western Museum calls Wickenburg, Arizona its home. Surrounded by the majestic Sonoran Desert, world-class destination resorts, and luxury dude ranches, Wickenburg is located only an hour’s drive northwest of Phoenix in Maricopa County. Wickenburg remains one of the last of the country’s true Western towns—one that embodies Western traditions, values, and lifestyles. It proudly lives by the Code of the West—of principles that exemplify honesty, integrity, and loyalty.
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum not only boasts one of the finest Western art collections in the United States, but its collection of Western art by women artists has been heralded as the best in the world. The Museum showcases the history of the West through compelling stories, exhibitions, fine art, and sculpture. By preserving history, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum creates a personal connection to the West and our storied past. In addition, it connects generations by allowing younger and new audiences to learn from the experiences of their ancestors and feel a part of a larger narrative. For current and budding artists, the Museum provides a rich source of material that may be reinterpreted and reimagined, keeping the unique cultural heritage of the West alive and relevant. Desert Caballeros Western Museum brings visitors in touch with the trailblazers who shaped our West—whose lives were very different from our own but, like us, had hopes, dreams, and visions for a better future.
Our Mission to Educate
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is committed to educating visitors about the West through almost 100 educational and social programs, lectures, and annual events, including field trips for local and surrounding school districts. These programs and exhibitions bring together adults and youth from local, regional, national, and international communities. The Museum’s education staff serves twelve schools in the Wickenburg Unified School District with ten registered as Title One schools. Last year, more than 2,800 youths were served by the Museum through onsite and offsite outreach programs. Many were at-risk students from underserved rural areas who enjoyed their first museum experience – a truly lifechanging event.
Celebrating Women Artists
For nearly two centuries, women artists have been capturing the romance and perseverance of the Western lifestyle. They received little attention due to the patriarchal nature of the Western art world, but through hard work and an indomitable spirit, women artists slowly began to gain increased attention and recognition. In fact, when Georgia O’Keeffe came into prominence, she was not only recognized as a great woman artist but as one of America’s greatest artists.
Desert Caballeros Western Museum celebrates the work of those early women pioneers while championing emerging women artists. Cowgirl Up!, founded two decades ago by trustees of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, is an annual exhibition and national treasure that showcases the best and brightest contemporary female artists working in the Western genre. Their collective voices and talents provide an even deeper understanding of
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), Untitled (Ghost Ranch Patio), c. 1940, graphite on tan paper. The Dita and John Daub Western Women’s Acquisition Fund.
the West. In the traditionally male-dominated world of Western art, Cowgirl Up! remains one of the very few—and most significant—international events for Western women artists, launching and accelerating the careers of over 200 women artists—shattering the glass ceiling of the Western art world.
Connecting Community
The Museum also unites the local and visiting communities. The town has declared that the Museum is one of the key factors in attracting a winter population that doubles its size for six months of the year. Desert Caballeros Western Museum is a magnet for national and international tourists and residents alike, hosting 40,000 unique
annual visits, and helping to generate Wickenburg’s primary economic development.
Located 54 miles northwest of Phoenix, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum is the only visual arts center for local and regional visitors. The Museum collaborates with the town of Wickenburg, the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, and K-12 schools, including eleven registered Title One, all strengthening community outreach throughout the region. Partnerships with surrounding rural communities that do not have the resources to offer educational opportunities for underserved children and families are critical to the Museum’s mission.
Cowgirl Up! entrance in the main galleries, 2024.
A New Frontier Capital Campaign
In 1975, the Museum moved into its current location in the heart of historic downtown Wickenburg. At that time, the permanent fine art collection included 140 works. Today, it numbers more than 575—many of which are in storage due to lack of gallery space. However charming, the Museum’s 50-year-old main building requires substantial repairs and renovations. For more than ten years, the structure has lacked the space to house and exhibit growing collections, host large events, and properly welcome the increasing number of visitors. While the Museum enjoys a national and international reputation for its collections, programs, and events like Cowgirl Up!, many issues impede its ability to grow, including insufficient gallery space; lack of modern technology, lighting, and security; building systems that are inefficient or require replacement; and a lack of dedicated parking and outdoor activity spaces.
Following evaluations and assessments by architectural, structural, and gallery professionals, the Board of Trustees determined that expansion was not feasible at the existing site. In short, bringing the building up to full ADA compliance and American Alliance of Museums standards would not be worth the investment.
In 2020, an initial $1 million seed gift allowed the Museum to kick off the capital campaign and acquire the final piece of land needed to build the new Art Museum and Pavilion across the street from the Museum’s existing building. Since that time, the Museum has received other generous gifts: a $5 million leadership investment from Jack and Carey Sigler, significant contributions from John and Dita Daub to establish the new Chief Curator/Curator of Western Women’s Art position and procure trailblazing art from early Western women artists, and a $1 million matching challenge from Lanny and Sharon Martin that was achieved thanks to the significant commitment and support from long-time, valued friends of the Museum.
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s $27 million capital campaign will provide the funds necessary to showcase its growing collection of paintings and sculptures, expand educational experiences for students and adults, and provide a superb facility for gatherings that will benefit our citizens and attract more tourism and events to the Town of Wickenburg.
The 12,020 square-foot Art Museum and Pavilion is envisioned as a state-of-the-art facility that will nestle into the heart of downtown Wickenburg. Brilliantly designed by the renowned architectural firm, Studio Ma, it will marry authentic, locally
Architect’s rendering of the proposed new expansion by Studio Ma.
sourced, regional materials of the Old West to a new Western sensibility. The building’s height has been carefully matched to complement neighboring structures, paying homage to downtown’s historic landmarks, while adhering to the theme of keeping Wickenburg western.
Gallery Spaces
The combined gallery spaces will total 7,053 square feet, a 30% increase over the space available in the existing facility. Boasting one of Arizona’s most illustrious collections of art and artifacts, this expansion will allow the Museum to advance its mission to tell the story of the West through fine art, sculpture, and historical exhibits that are inspirational, educational, and thought-provoking.
Art Pavilion
In addition to serving as the venue for numerous Museum events and increasing its capacity to deliver more educational programs, the new Art Pavilion will soon become Wickenburg’s—and the region’s—most significant and essential venue for regional conferences, celebrations, corporate gatherings, private parties, and community meetings. The space will become the new home to the Museum’s esteemed and expanded Cowgirl Up! exhibition and sale, increasing the number of visitors and collectors from near and far. With the capacity to seat up to 300 people, a catering kitchen, advanced audio/video capabilities, and new technologies, the Art Pavilion will prove to be a long-awaited and remarkable regional facility, giving the Museum an important earned revenue source.
Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden is envisioned as a beautiful outdoor courtyard that will bring the West alive with bronze and steel sculptures and offer visitors a contemplative place to relax and enjoy. It will also provide the Museum with additional event space in a beautiful desert setting.
The Existing Building
While the new Art Museum and Pavilion will display our permanent collection and traveling exhibitions of Western art, photography, and sculptures, the existing building will have the much-needed space to highlight history through fascinating stories, lifestyles, and legends of the West. As visitors enter the existing museum building, they will be transported into a world of days gone by, with artifacts and exhibits that showcase the West’s culture, hardships, and beauty. With this brilliant split of themes, it’s like getting two museums for the price of one.
Join Us
The far-reaching goal of the New Frontier is to advance this prestigious Western art museum for the Town of Wickenburg, Arizona, the wider West, and in fact, the entire world. The new Museum provides not only a blueprint for the future but an intriguing tale of a community whose Western legacy will endure for years to come. It’s a story of a new frontier of creativity, belief, and endurance.
A number of attractive and prestigious naming opportunities, including components of the new and existing buildings, as well as executive leadership positions, are available to those who wish to make a significant investment in Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s $27 million A New Frontier campaign. A naming opportunity is a distinctive and cherished way to honor the individuals and families whose investment and dedication will transform the Museum and provide a lasting legacy.
Become a part of A New Frontier! Your investment in the New Frontier is an investment in the Museum, the larger community, and the artists, students, patrons, residents, and visitors served every year.
To learn more about naming opportunities and how you can invest in the Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s A New Frontier campaign, please contact: Becky Rovey, Capital Campaign Chair brovey@westernmuseum.org
Dan Finley, Executive Director dfinley@westernmuseum.org
Kathy Clark, Director of Development kclark@westernmuseum.org
Thomas Moran, A Passing Storm (1920), oil on canvas, DCWM collection, gift of Mr and Mrs. Aiken Fisher.
Voted “Best Western Museum 2025” by the readers of True West magazine.
Main Museum
21 N Frontier St, Wickenburg, AZ 85390
Cultural Crossroads Learning Center (CCLC)
10 N Tegner St, Wickenburg, AZ 85390
westernmuseum.org
928.684.2272
info@westernmuseum.org
© 2024 Desert Caballeros Western Museum
The Cowgirl Up! artists that attended the exhibition opening in 2023. Mural art by Kim Polomka.