Staff Reports | Community Updates
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in Old Town Scottsdale will open the Louis Sands IV Center in March, completing a $12 million expansion that adds a two‑story, 12,000‑square‑foot facility to the campus and brings the museum’s total footprint to 55,000 square feet.
The expansion will open alongside a weeklong series of events from Tuesday, March 24 to Sunday, March 29, 2026, according to a press release.
The museum will host receptions and special programs throughout the week, inviting guests to explore new exhibitions and the museum’s added space.
“The grand opening of the Louis Sands IV Center marks a transformative new chapter for Western Spirit Museum and a defining moment for Scottsdale as the ‘The West’s Most Western Town,’” Todd Bankofier, CEO and executive director of Western Spirit Museum, said. “This must-see destination was designed to inspire pride in our community, spark curiosity, and deliver a powerful, immersive cultural experience that really connects with our guests.”
The celebration begins with the center’s official unveiling and a press conference at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 24. Members of the media, city officials, community guests, artists, collectors, and members of the Basha and Sands families are scheduled to attend for remarks and a tour of the expanded space at Western Spirit Museum.
On Friday, March 27, museum members may attend a preview event with RSVP‑only tours available from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event includes food and beverages throughout the day.
On Saturday, March 28, the expansion opens to the public with free admission from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Western Spirit Museum. Registration is required, and guests may reserve free passes in advance or register at the door.
Saturday’s activities include outdoor programming from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a replica stagecoach photo area, Old West reenactors, tastings, food vendors, live Western music, and hands‑on activities. Artists and craftspeople will demonstrate their work throughout the day. Inside the museum, docent‑led express tours and pop‑up talks will guide visitors through the new galleries.
In the outdoor Sculpture Garden, guests may attend live music performances. The museum will also host a “Spirits of the West” whiskey tasting station in partnership with local vineyards or distilleries. Select gallery artists will demonstrate techniques including metal stamping, stone setting, painting, leather embossing, and sculpture.
Visitors will receive a museum passport stamp card encouraging them to view all exhibitions and activities. Completed cards may be entered for a chance to win a museum membership.
Free admission continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 29. Registration is required. Guests may explore four new exhibitions that showcase the art, history, and culture of the West.
The Louis Sands IV Center opens with four exhibitions across two floors, featuring Western American and American Indian art, painting, sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics.
“The Louis Sands IV Center allows us to tell the story of the West in a new, more expansive way, placing painting, sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics into conversation across two floors,” Dr. Andrew Patrick Nelson, chief curator, said. “Together, these exhibitions reflect the richness and continuing vitality of Western and Indigenous art, setting the stage for how our museum will move forward.”
On the main gallery level, three exhibitions highlight major artistic traditions of the West:
Visions in Bronze
This exhibition explores more than a century of bronze sculpture, from works inspired by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell to midcentury and contemporary pieces by American Indian and women artists. The collection examines how bronze has shaped cultural imagery of frontier life.
From Earth to the Stars
The exhibition traces American Indian jewelry traditions, showcasing silverwork, turquoise, and stone used to express identity and artistry. Works by Preston Monongye, Jesse Monongya, Charles Loloma, Verma Nequatewa (Sonwai), and members of the Yazzie family are featured.
Fire of Ages
This exhibition presents six centuries of American Indian ceramic traditions, including pieces from the Allan and Judith Cooke Collection and the Arthur and Linda Pelberg Family Collection. Works by the Nampeyo family and contemporary artists highlight evolving forms and techniques.
“Moving through these galleries, visitors encounter bronze, silver, and clay as a continuous story of land, labor, and imagination,” Dr. Nelson said. “Together, these exhibitions feature masterworks by artists including Remington, Russell, Preston Monongye, Charles Loloma, the Nampeyo family, and many others, offering a sweeping view of how material, culture, and creativity have defined the art of the West.”
On the upper level, Working Pardners: Masterworks from the Eddie Basha Collection debuts publicly for the first time. The exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, and works on paper assembled by collector Eddie Basha.
“Working Pardners reflects the depth of Eddie’s partnerships with artists,” Ms. Tammy Fontaine, associate curator, said. “This exhibition gives visitors a rare opportunity to experience his love for the West, its land, and its people.”
The exhibition includes works by Joe Beeler, David Johns, Larry Yazzie, Gary Niblett, Martin Grelle, Russell Houston, Ernest Berke, Cecil Calnimptewa, Howard Terpning, David Halbach, James Reynolds, Bill Owen, Ken Riley, and Roy Anderson.
“The grand opening of the new expansion will not just be an unveiling, but a meaningful cultural experience,” Dr. Nelson said. “The new Louis Sands IV Center will expand the way we tell our stories at the museum, and we are delighted to invite the community to be part of this immersive museum experience.”
