Imagining the West
The American West has inspired artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and conservationists to explore, exploit, embroider and preserve its romance and realities. Through distinguished observers and chroniclers of the region, Imagining the West examines its pioneering spirit, sublime landscapes, and unique social and ecological challenges.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Performance | Okee Dokee Brothers
Sun, March 5, 2:30pm
Bing Concert Hall
Their Grammy-nominated children's album, Saddle Up, trots happily through the American West.
Performance | The Colorado
Fri & Sat, Apr 21 & 22, 7:30pm
Bing Concert Hall
Featuring new compositions for a multimedia performance, The Colorado is a stunning, prismatic view of a natural treasure and how best to steward its resources.
Public Talk | Conversation with Pete McBride
Fri, Apr 21, 6:00pm
Bing Concert Hall
National Geographic's Pete McBride joins us at the Bing with opening remarks by Stanford professor David Kennedy.
Public Talk | Composing the American West
Wed, Apr 19, 6:00pm
McMurtry Building, Oshman Hall
Music scholar Beth Levy (U.C. Davis) explores how the American West has animated the works of iconic American composers such as Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Virgil Thompson.
Suggested Reading
The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by John Wesley Powell
The American West as Living Space by Wallace Stegner
Frontier Figures: American Music and the Mythology of the American West by Beth Levy
A Great Aridness by William De Buys
The Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness by Rebecca Solnit
Online Resources
Bill Lane Center for the American West
Woods Institute for the Environment
National Geographic on The Colorado River