The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville is pleased to feature Contemporary Western artist Billy Schenck, November 1-12, 2006 in the lobby of the Booth Theatre. This exhibition features more than 70 paintings by artists involved with the famed Taos and Santa Fe art colonies, plus works by lesser known artists who also produced outstanding depictions of the desert southwest. The scope of Schenck’s collection is limited in focus by subject matter, honing in on northern New Mexico. The collection is not limited by some of the criteria that many collectors use; size, medium, style, or genre. The result is an absolutely enchanting grouping of works that are as diverse as the region they portray. Schenck muses: “What I have tried to do within my limitations is to find the best representation of these artists in the best era of their art making.” Indeed, he has done just that. Whether one enjoys figurative works or landscapes, there is something for all viewers to enjoy. Many of the works portray Native Americans, sometimes portraits, but more often posed in the landscape. Some of the landscapes are familiar sunlit scenes with adobes and brilliant fall foliage; others are nocturnal scenes with the high desert bathed in moonlight. The big sky of the American West figures prominently in many of the works. This combined with distant horizon lines, open spaces, and boundless landscapes, lend the works an ethereal quality, possibly what Schenck calls “sensuality.” The diversity of mediums among the artists in this collection is notable as well, including oils, and many works on paper, pencil drawings, lithographs, serigraphs, etchings, woodcut prints, and drypoint and aquatint.Through the works in this collection, viewers journey to Canyon de Chelly, Enchanted Mesa, Sanctuario de Chimayo, the Rio Grande Pueblos, and the mountains, arroyos, canyons and plateaus in between. One also experiences the blending of Anglo, Latino/a, and Native American cultures unique to northern New Mexico. Join The Booth Western Art Museum on a journey to the high desert Southwest with artist/collector, Billy Schenck. For more information call 770-387-1300 or visit www.boothmuseum.org.