1. German retailer Erivan Haub and his wife Helga
honeymooned in the Pacific Northwest during
the 1950s and fell in love with the area so much they
decided to start a family here. The longstanding
connection between Tacoma and the Haub family has
led to the biggest gift in Tacoma Art Museum’s history.
The new 16,000-square-foot museum wing along
Pacific Avenue holds one of the largest American West
art exhibits in the nation. Curator Laura Fry guided us
through it wearing her red cowboy boots, adding great
insight and fun facts about the surrounding art.
T H E M O S T
W A N T E D
M U S E U M
T A C O M A ’ S N E W
A M E R I C A N W E S T
C O L L E C T I O N I S
A H U G E D R A W
BY HALEY HAMILTON
PHOTOS BY RACHEL COWARD
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2. When you walk into
the gallery, a sculpture
by Alexander Phimister
Proctor of a cowboy at
the Pendleton Roundup
greets you. After posing
for Proctor, the cowboy
was arrested for stealing
horses. The scandalous
act made it difficult for
Proctor to find a home for
his art, but today it makes
it even more interesting.
The Gilbert Stuart
portrait of George
Washington has been
used on the U.S.
dollar for more than a
century. What better
state for ole cherry-
tree-choppin’ George
to find a home? Fun
fact: Washington
reportedly was really
into interior design.
Cubism in Western
American art? Who
knew? Ed Mell painted
the landscape of the
American West with
geometric shapes.
The artfully designed galleries are made
with Richlite, an eco-friendly material
made of paper that is manufactured
by Tacoma-based Richlite Company.
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3. Bill Schenck, a friend of the late artist Andy Warhol,
captured the often-one-sided storytelling of the Western
cowboy in Hollywood with his pop art-inspired painting.
The neon-colored buffalo by John Nieto shakes up
the common misconception that all American West
art only uses only shades of dust and dry red clay.
The TAM signature pops of
red greet you as you walk
in the expansive new lobby,
perfect for a private party or
enjoying a scenic view of the
Sound and Mount Rainer.
There is an audio guide for
the new exhibit narrated
in part by Western cinema
legend Clint Eastwood.
The Haub family donated 295
works that will stay with the
museum permanently. The
new exhibit features 130 of
those pieces and is open until
November. TAM is scheduled
to open a Georgia O’Keeffe
exhibit in the new wing in
March featuring more than 20
original O’Keeffe paintings.
TAM is open 10am-5pm
Wednesday-Sunday and every
third Thursday of the month
from 10am-8pm. Adult
admission is $9 and $25
for families. On third
Thursdays, admission is free!
tacomaartmuseum.org
No detail was overlooked in
designing the new wing.
Haub curator Laura Fry
debated between multiple
paint samples before
finding the perfect shades to
complement the art.
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