40 January 2018 By Bob Roloff, “The Arizona Duuude” The West’s Most Western Town is home to The Museum of the West. Scottsdale was named for Chaplain Winfield Scott , a self-styled religious man who was no doubt named after, but not related to, the great General Winfield Scott , old “fuss and feathers,” the longest- serving commander of the Army and commander during most of the civil war, THAT Winfield Scott died at West Point in 1866. Chaplain Winfield Scott of Michigan and Scottsdale fame fought in the Civil War, commanding a regiment from Michigan, and was himself wounded at Gettysburg. Some twenty-five years later, this Scottsdale’s Scott, filed a homestead claim on 640 acres along the new Arizona Canal near what is now Scottsdale center, paying $2.50 per acre. Scott and a man named Utley had planned to create a town they would call “Orangedale”, but when Utley went to file for the townsite he decided to honor Scott with “Scottsdale”, and it became so in 1894. Scott moved on to San Diego, but he returned to Arizona in 1910 and died in Phoenix. Located near Old Town in Scottsdale’s arts district, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is a premier cultural destination in a locale that has been called “The West’s Most Western Town”. Owned by the City of Scottsdale and operated by Scottsdale Museum of the West, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is a stunning 43,000 square- foot, two-story main building designed by Phoenix-based architectural firm Studio Ma. An adjacent building designed by noted architect Vito Acconci and located on the historic Loloma Transit Station site preserves elements of its classic design. The building has been repurposed as administrative offices and Loloma Learning Center. The museum campus was designed by landscape architect Colwell Shelor of Phoenix and features low-water use desert plantings. Both indoor and outdoor spaces are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Standard certified, conserving precious natural resources while raising public awareness of their vital importance to the Western region. Scottsdale’s Museum of the West also features the beautiful outdoor Christine and Ted Mollring Sculpture Courtyard, with a changing selection of sculptures. The 135-seat Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Theater/Auditorium hosts performances, special programs, events, and the 10-minute film “Spirit Is”, highlighting the story of the American West. The Sue and Robert Karatz Museum Store offers a tempting selection of western-themed art and gifts. Open since January 15, 2015, the $11.4 million the museum features regularly changing exhibitions of Western art and historical objects on loan from some of the world’s foremost collectors and institutions. In addition, the museum immerses its guests in the essence of the American West through entertaining events and information programs. Interactive games and activities, as well as multi- media kiosks strategically located throughout the galleries, provide insightful stories about the art and objects on exhibit. The museum’s entry walkway features a monumental installation piece, “Diamond Bloom” by contemporary artist Curtiss Pittman, acquired through the Scottsdale Public Art Program. Inside the museum, the Scottsdale Charros Gateway Foyer features artist Maynard Dixon’s dramatic 1935 mural “Kit Carson with Mountain Men” and John Coleman’s 2004 bronze “Honeymoon at Crow Fair”. Since its opening, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West has become a SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATE organization, a TripAdvisor highly rated Scottsdale destination, and was named the nation’s “Best Western Museum” twice by the editors of True West magazine. A partnership with Arizona State University will provide additional resources, enabling the museum to become a communication and learning center for studies of the west. Director Mike Fox gives the greatest credit for the museum’s development to a number of Scottsdale residents who kept their good friend and former Mayor Herb Drinkwater’s dream alive to someday see a Western museum become a focal point of regional education and entertainment in “The West’s Most Western Town”. Founding Board Chairman, Jim Bruner, along with Paul Messinger, Dick Saba, Frank Jacobson, Virginia Korte, Christine Mollring, and Abe Hays, were among those visionary and dedicated residents of Scottsdale who for over 30 years persevered and in 2015 proudly made Herb’s dream come to reality! You can follow Bob Roloff on Facebook. John Coleman, American (U.S.), b. 1949, “Honeymoon at Crow Fair,” 2004, bronze, edition 4/5; Gift of Frankie and Howard Alper, Sue and John Coleman, and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Photo by Loren Anderson Photography. THE ARIZONA DUUUDE Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum Of The West Photo by Bill Timmerman, Courtesy Studio Ma, Architect 1. The Abe Hays Family Spirit of the West Collection exhibition. Gift of the Abe Hays family. Photo by Jennifer Conway.