Coors Western Art
Permanent Collection

Building a Legacy of the American West

About the
Coors Western Art Permanent Collection

The National Western Permanent Collection is a chronological narrative of the West, built one masterpiece at a time. For 35 years, the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale has selected a single work from each year’s Featured Artist to join this enduring archive. What began in 1993 has grown into a comprehensive survey of the modern West, spanning photography, sculpture, and painting.

Today, this collection is housed in the Katherine and J. Robert Wilson Art Gallery within The Legacy; National Western’s new headquarters. Situated on the historic site of the Denver stockyards and directly across from the original Livestock Exchange building, the gallery is a bridge between our storied past and our vision for the future.

Treasures from 
our Years

The National Western Permanent Collection is not merely an archive; it is a carefully curated record of excellence in the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale. The process of adding a new work to the collection is a collaborative and highly selective tradition:

The Featured Artist: Each year, the Coors Western Art staff and advisory committee identify a single artist whose work defines the contemporary spirit of the West.
The Selection: This artist is invited to present three significant works to the committee, specifically chosen to represent their unique style and mastery.
The Final Curation: From these three pieces, the committee selects one singular work to join the Permanent Collection. This ensures that every entry is not only a masterpiece in its own right but also a vital piece of the broader narrative of Western art history.