Wilson Hurley Interview

Wilson Hurley The artist Wilson Hurley was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 11, 1924. In 1972, Hurley became a member of the National Academy of Western Art, and in 1984, he was given the Prix de West Purchase Award by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. In 1991, Hurley painted five large triptychs for the Special Events Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, each celebrating the beauty of western landscapes of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California, and Wyoming. In 1996, he completed the triptychs and titled the series, “Windows to the West” because of the diversity of geographical locations and, in his words, to “show a view of the world passed through another’s mind.”

Duane R. Chartier Chartier installed the five triptychs in the Special Events Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum between February 1991 and August 1996. From his curriculum vitae, Chartier explains the experience: “This was a five-year project to provide technical advice, fabrication and installation services for 5 triptychs with 16’x16′ center panels and 10’x16′ wing panels. Work included the custom design and fabrication of interlocking honeycomb aluminum panels onto which the paintings were marouflaged. This is the world’s largest landscape painting installation.”