The new Louis Sands IV Center features four new exhibitions, and represents a milestone moment for Scottsdale and its community
On Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in Old Town Scottsdale ushered in a new era and debuted a bold new chapter, transforming the museum into an even more premier cultural destination with the unveiling of its $12 million expansion. The centerpiece is the Louis Sands IV Center—a striking two-story, 12,000-square-foot addition that brings the museum to 55,000 total square feet and elevates the museum’s scale, sophistication, and visitor experience.
To mark this special milestone Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky proclaimed March 24th, Western Spirit Day. Mayor Borowsky joined former Scottsdale Mayors David Ortega, Jim Lane, Mary Manross and Sam Campana to cut the ribbon and officially unveil the new addition that will house four new exhibits.
“Western Spirit Museum is a coveted Scottsdale gem, a landmark and a point of pride for the ‘West’s Most Western’ town. This new 12,000-square-foot addition will ensure the stories of the West are shared with future generations for many years to come,” said Mayor Borowsky.
Following a brief press conference, Western Spirit Museum kicked off the weeklong celebration inspired by the theme “Unmistakably West”, an invitation to all to experience the North American West as it truly is: authentic, powerful, and unforgettable.
The curated lineup of receptions and special events will run through Sunday, March 29, 2026, honoring the
museum’s expansion and celebrating the enduring spirit, artistry, and heritage of the North American West.
“The grand opening of the Louis Sands IV Center marks a transformative new chapter for Western Spirit Museum and a defining moment for Scottsdale. 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,” said Todd Bankofier, CEO and Executive Director of Western Spirit Museum.
- Friday, March 27, museum members are invited to an exclusive, privately curated preview with RSVP-only tours offered in limited spots from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., featuring hosted food and beverage throughout the day. Not yet a member? Learn more and join at westernspirit.org.
On Saturday, March 28, the expansion officially opens to the public with an Opening Celebration and FREE admission all day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Western Spirit Museum. Registration is required. Guests are encouraged to reserve their free pass in advance at westernspirit.org for expedited entry, or may register at the door on event day.
Saturday’s events will be filled with immersive, family-friendly programming that brings the spirit of the West to life. Outside the museum from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm – guests can enjoy a full slate of curated experiences, including photo opportunities with a replica stagecoach, Old West performances, featuring food vendors, live Western music by Honeygirl featuring Scotty Johnson of the Gin Blossoms, and live painting by acclaimed performer Katie Von Kral. Live artist demonstrations throughout the day with master craftsmen will create works inspired by the four new exhibits showcased in the expansion. Inside the museum, Pop-up Talks will guide visitors through the new galleries every 15 minutes, offering insights into the expansion and its exhibitions.
Inside the museum’s outdoor Sculpture Garden, select master artists will also demonstrate their craft and
discuss their techniques—from bronze patina and pottery making to painting desert light, and jewelry making.
Young visitors will receive a Museum scavenger hunt encouraging exploration of all exhibits and activations with priz upon completion.
- FREE admission continues Sunday, March 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as Western Spirit Museum will also be open to all guests for free. Registration is required. Guests are encouraged to reserve their free pass in advance at org for expedited entry. Guests are invited to discover four new exhibitions that will allow visitors to experience the art, history and culture of the West.
The Louis Sands IV Center, which opens with four new exhibitions across two floors, bringing together Western American and American Indian art, painting, sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics in a dynamic new setting that reflects the breadth of the region’s creative traditions and the depth of the museum’s collections.
“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. Together, these exhibitions reflect the richness and continuing vitality of Western and Indigenous art, setting the state for how our museum will move forward,” said Andrew Patrick Nelson, PhD, Chief Curator.
On the main gallery level, three interconnected exhibitions present the West through its most powerful three-dimensional art forms:
Visions in Bronze explores how sculptors have used this enduring medium to shape modern myths of the frontier. Drawing on more than a century of work—from the classical inspirations of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, through a midcentury revival led by Arizona artists, to contemporary responses by American Indian and women artists—this exhibition reveals how bronze has elevated cowboys, mountain men, American Indians, and other frontier figures into cultural icons.
From Earth to the Stars traces the evolution of American Indian jewelry, revealing how artists transform
silver, turquoise, and stone into expressions of identity.
The exhibit highlights the deep relationships between land, materials, and artistry, showing how American Indian jewelers have transformed stones and metals into objects of beauty and cultural meaning. From early silverwork to bold contemporary designs, the exhibition honors generations of creativity, resilience, and artistic mastery. Featuring masterworks by artists such as Preston Monongye, Jesse Monongya, Charles Loloma, Verma Nequatewa (Sonwai), and the Yazzie family, the gallery invites visitors on a journey through lineages of technique, design, and cultural expression—from the minerals of the earth to the brilliance of the stars.
Fire of Ages explores over six centuries of American Indian ceramic traditions, showcasing how Hopi and southwestern potters have shaped clay and fire into vessels of extraordinary beauty and meaning. Fire of Ages traces this long arc of creativity through masterworks from the Allan and Judith Cooke Collection and the Arthur and Linda Pelberg Family Collection—works that reveal evolving forms, revived traditions, and lineages of artistry that span generations. From the bold innovations of the Nampeyo family to the refined designs of modern potters, the exhibition follows how fire, clay, and vision combine to create a living tradition, illuminating the deep continuity—and constant reinvention—at the heart of American Indian ceramic art.
“Moving through these galleries, visitors encounter bronze, silver, and clay as a continuous story of land, labor, and imagination,” said Nelson. Together, these exhibitions feature masterworks by artists including Remington, Russell, Preston Monogye, 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 is Working Pardners: Masterworks from the Eddie Basha Collection, the
inaugural public presentation of one of the most significant collections of Western American and American Indian art assembled. Drawn entirely from the Eddie Basha Collection, the exhibitions present paintings, sculpture, and works on paper that reflect Basha’s lifelong commitment to arts, artists, to the West, and to the relationships that sustain creative communities.
“Working Pardners reflects the depth of Eddie’s partnerships with artists,” said Tammy Fontaine, Associate Curator. “This exhibition gives visitors a rare opportunity to experience his love for the West, its land, and its people.”
The exhibition features masterworks by acclaimed artists such as 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—each offering a perspective on how creative expression emerges from connection and cooperation. From bronzes and paintings to prints and carvings, Working Pardners invites visitors to see the West not as a solitary frontier but as a shared landscape of labor, kinship, ceremony, and collaboration.
“The grand opening of the new expansion will not just be an unveiling, but a meaningful cultural experience,” 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.”
Western Spirit is located at 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
For more information about the Louis Sands IV Center expansion, please visit https://westernspirit.org.
Western Spirit Memberships start at $75 and ticket prices run as following; $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and military, $12 for students and children 6 – 17 years of age and FREE for kids 5 and under.