West Valley Art Museum Permanent Collections contains over 1,651 items from more than 75 countries.

Our permanent collections holds over 1000 pieces of Ethnic Dress and textiles. Currently, West Valley Art Museum has the largest collection of ethnic dress in the southwest. Due to the already strong representation, a special emphasis is given to Asia, Africa and Latin American cultures.

The Museum also collects Fine Art prints from all over the world and includes such American artists as Andy Warhol, Peter Max, and T.C. Cannon. In total our collection contains over 300 prints. Fifty-four are 19th century historic Japanese woodcut prints, which support our Asian section of Ethnic Dress. These prints include well known Japanese artists such as Hiroshige, Kaoru Kawano, Kiyoshi Saito and Kunichika Toyohara.

Ethnographic Artifacts help to define and explain the nature of the cultures of the ethnic dress collection. To that end, the Collection contains 91 Chinese snuff bottles, 26 calligraphy tools, 115 ethnographic sculptures, Japanese fans, chopsticks, scrolls, including examples of cloisonné and repoussé bowls, candlesticks, vases and platters.

The Collection also emphasizes Arizona Artists and includes such notables as John Waddell, Fritz Scholder, John Dawson and Ann Coe.

The Permanent Collection, like the communities and the constituents it reflects, is dynamic. Through display of ethnic dress, in all its diversity, our collection highlights the commonality of the human spirit. Donations by Museum members and friends from our community are the foundation of our expanding permanent collection. In the beginning the area was a second-home vacation-community for the well traveled but now has changed to year-around living. Many museum members and visitors actively collected artifacts from Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America and have donated important pieces to the museum to ensure ongoing viewer enlightenment and education.

Loan of Collection Materials: As a Cultural Center, West Valley Art Museum continues its outreach program through the loan of artworks. Loans have been to facilities such as Minneapolis Institute of Art, Sky Harbor International Airport, Peoria Library, ASU West and Surprise City Hall.

When an item is donated, the Curators interview the donor for provenance and any other history known by the benefactor. The Collections Committee researches materials that are under consideration for accession. When funded, professional appraisers are hired to authenticate and evaluate potential accessions

Docent training: Docents research and report on pieces within the Permanent Collection as part of their educational program.

Operating within the Museum's Mission Statement we strive to be relevant and responsive to our culturally diverse and growing community. Collaboration and teamwork are important ingredients in the development of our exhibition program.

Comments from Museum visitors are always taken into consideration when re-evaluating at the conclusion of an exhibition.

Ethnographic Artifacts
John Dawson
Dorothy Knop
Fine Art Prints
Elaine Rothwell
Fritz Scholder
Arthur Secunda
Japanese Woodcuts

Ethnic Dress Collection