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Spring will soon (too soon!) give way to summer and soaring temperatures throughout the West. You might find you want to split your days between outdoor activities and indoor pursuits. Or you may be touring the West and its iconic national parks and find yourselves with some extra time on your hands in one city or another. Knowing that you are all also art afficionados I have compiled a small selection of not to miss art museums in the Southwest and West. As you all know, the difference between seeing a work of art in a book or online and seeing an original piece of art where you can actually see the brush strokes, the density or transparency of the paint and see the light as it was originally intended is - well, the difference is there is simply no comparison. This summer when it's too hot to hike, go to the cool, quiet rooms of an art museum to have your mind blown by the best of the best art. Caveat: This is by no means an exhaustive list and I encourage readers to post their own recommendations in the comment section of this blog.

American Museum of Western Art - The Anschutz Collection, Denver, Colorado

www.anschutzcollection.org

This museum has as its goal to communicate a cross-section of art and history from the 19th century to today. The Anschutz Collection is composed of just 600 pieces of Western art representing nearly 200 artists. It's housed in a historic building just across the street from the famous Brown Palace Hotel in Denver and the minute you step through the door you are in another world. The art represents historic periods of the West. You'll see art from the Hudson River school and Rocky Mountain school as well as Taos and Santa Fe schools. The museum is only open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, though, so plan accordingly.

Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado

www.denverartmuseum.org

For a more expansive art experience in Denver, visit the Denver Art Museum. This amazing museum was founded in 1893 and is one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast. A visit to this downtown museum offers over 70,000 works of art from all over the globe. They house an exceptional collection of Indigenous arts of North America. With such a vast collection, you'll need to spend the day! The museum is open daily and stays open until 9 pm on Tuesday night. Check the website for their free day if you're on a budget.

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City. Utah

www.utahmoca.org

Located in downtown Salt Lake City, this museum is dedicated to social justice and collaboration. You'll find six gallery spaces within the museum to ignite your imagination and promote discussion. Like most museums, this one offers classes and instruction hoping to engage the public in creating their own art. Every third Saturday of the month, children and adults are invited to participate in hands-on arts and crafts lead by an instructor. It's a wonderful museum for a family adventure and near to many other sights and attractions in Salt Lake.

Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT

www.smofa.org

While you're touring around urban areas of Utah, be sure to visit this world class museum near Provo. The museum was founded in 1903 and holds a collection of over 2000 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures ranging from early pioneer to contemporary art by Utah artists. Interestingly, the museum holds the largest collection of twentieth century Russian and Soviet art in the Western United States. These works deal primarily with political, social and economic aspects of the former U.S.S.R. In addition to the museum's holdings, it hosts special exhibitions and annual juried shows that Utah artists hope to be a part of. Surprising find tucked away in Utah.

Springville

New Mexico Museum of Art

The Georgia O'Keefe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico

www.okeeffemuseum.org

You simply cannot visit New Mexico without seeing the work of infamous Georgia O'Keeffe. The Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe celebrates O'Keeffe's legacy. Her desert landscapes and giant flowers are everywhere, but if you can't make it into Santa Fe or the museum, they have a comprehensive and surprising online gallery of her work. Of course, nothing compares to the original, but it's definitely worth a look.For a real treat, drive south to Abiqui, NM, and tour the artist's home and studio. You can schedule a tour at the okeeffemuseum.org website.

Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, New Mexico

www.harwoodmuseum.org

Taos, another center for the arts in New Mexico, is home to the Harwood Museum of Art. Their collection of contemporary artists, including Hispanic and Native American art offers an unsurpassed art experience. Just glancing at their online collection will make you want to jump in your car for a drive to Taos.

Harwood Museum of Art

Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming

www.centerofthewest.org

This collection of museums is a destination unto itself, but the Whitney will leave Western art enthusiasts completely and everlastingly in love with the place. (Can you tell I'm one of those people?) At every turn you'll see famous pieces of art you recognize and stand amazed before them knowing you are seeing the real thing! Hyperbole? Maybe, but I know that's how I felt as I spent hours and hours in this facility. You'll see works by Charlie Russell, Frederick Remington, Thomas Moran as well as other historic and contemporary painters and sculptors. This museum is a must-see on the road to Yellowstone National Park.

Whitney Western Art Museum