Celebrating the cowboy and the old west through the art of A.R. Mitchell "King of the Cowboy Pulp Illustrators".
Arthur Roy Mitchell (1889-1977) painted iconic western scenes featuring cowboys, horses, cattle and vast beautiful landscapes that captured the hearts and minds of pulp western readers from the 1930's to today. Known as the "King of the Pulp Western Illustrators", the largest collection of his work is proudly displayed at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, in downtown Trinidad, Colorado.
The establishment of the museum came about following the artist’s death in 1977 when Ethel Mitchell Erickson or “Tot” A.R. Mitchell's sister, felt a sentimental pull toward returning his entire collection to Trinidad where she and her brother were born and raised. More than 350 paintings and illustrations by Mitchell are displayed at the museum, along with works by other nationally recognized artists like Harold Von Schmidt and Harvey Dunn.
The museum also exhibits a collection of early Hispanic folk art including bultos, retablos, tinwork, Penitente artifacts, Native American pottery and blankets.
The museum exhibits a historic collection of photographs taken by George Benjamin Wittick. Born in 1845, Wittick was the official photographer of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (later known as Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe). The display of his photographs of Native American culture is not to be missed.
A.R.Mitchell Memorial Museum of Western Art is located in the historic Jamieson Department Store, a 1906 Western-style structure with original pressed-tin ceilings, wood floors and a horseshoe-shaped mezzanine.
Our Mission is to perpetuate the cultural legacy of Mitchell by offering rewarding and educational opportunities through historical and artistic experiences.
The museum opens on May 25, 2017. Please visit our website www.armitchellmuseum.org for details.
