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Today, Saturday, September 27, I visited the Plains Art Museum in downtown Fargo. The museum is located in a renovated turn of the century warehouse. It has three floors, each with a different collection of art. It also houses a cafe, numerous studios, a resource library, and a store, among other things. The Plains Art Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, which is an honor because only about 21 percent of museums in the nation are accredited.

The Rembrandt collection, the permanent collection, and a ceramics collection were on display today. The Rembrandt collection featured numerous etchings by Rembrandt and some prints by other 17th century artists. The ceramics collection was part of Innovation and Change, ceramics from the ceramic research center of Arizona State University. The permanent collection featured a variety of pieces from local artists, regional artists, and also artists from around the world.

Of all the pieces I saw today, a print by Walter Piehl Jr. was my favorite. It is entitled Breezy Music: Sweetheart of the Rodeo. As I was walking through the gallery, I saw this painting from the side and thought it was an abstract painting. Once I got up to it and read the description, I had to step back and look for at it from farther away. Then I saw a beautiful painting of a cowboy on a saddle bronc, mid-ride. The painting has bright, vivid colors and the style indicates that the cowboy is going for quite a ride. I have included a picture of this painting, and realize that the colors are much more vibrant in real life, overshadowing the outline of the horse and cowboy, which are harder to see on the actual painting. I really like the quote by Piehl regarding this painting. "I address the action and energy of the horse and rider in conflict, one aspect of rodeo. I intend to present it in a contemporary painterly manner without the romance and sentiment that so often dominates Western Americana subjects." Piehl is attempting to portray the cowboy in a way other than romance, which he has so often been depicted. We discussed the romantic appeal of the cowboy in lecture.