At the heart of this museum named "2007-2008 Western Museum of the Year" is its prized collection which tells the vast story of the West through the talented eyes of America’s great western artists. In its galleries, visitors are treated to the early explorer artists such as Catlin; the monumental landscape artists such as Bierstadt and Moran; the classic cowboy artists such as Remington and Russell; Taos society artists such as Sharp, Dunton, Berninghaus and Ufer; and contemporary artists such as Mell.