Senator Barry M. Goldwater’s Arizona Images Featured in Exhibition at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
He’s one of the most notable names in state history, and while Barry M. Goldwater is perhaps best known for his service as a five-time U.S. Senator, a lesser-known fact about the prolific politician, businessman and author is that he spent much of his time behind the lens.
Now, thanks to a partnership between the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation and Arizona Highways magazine, images captured by the iconic Arizonan are available for viewing at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West until Sunday, June 23, 2019.
The museum’s first-ever exhibit that features photography, exclusively, Goldwater’s tribute exhibition showcases the former senator’s love for the people, landscapes and culture of the state, spotlighting dozens of the more than 15,000 images snapped for his personal collections as well as the pages of Arizona Highways. Never-before-seen photos, intimate family snapshots and personal items that once belonged to the senator all make the cut, as do images plucked from his own photo books he dubbed, “…my last will and testament to my love for my native state.”
Presented by SRP alongside commemorative sponsors Charles F., Jennifer E., and John U. Sands, this exhibit grants guests a rare opportunity to view the beauty of the state and its people through the senator’s eyes.
“My grandfather had a long history with Arizona Highways, as well as a passionate wish to share his photographs with the world,” said Ali Goldwater Ross, executive director of the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation and the curator of the Goldwater exhibition at SMoW. “Establishing the Foundation and being able to make this premier exhibition a reality has been an incredible labor of love. I’m so grateful to my family, Arizona Highways, SRP, SMoW and the Sands family for their support and recognition of the importance of our mission.”
Dedicated to sharing the stories of the Greater Western Region through permanent and revolving exhibitions, the Goldwater exhibition is the fourth in a series of eight new exhibitions coming to SMoW, a Smithsonian Affiliate, during the 2018-19 season.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors 65+ and active military members. Students and children 6-17 are $8, and members and children 5 and under are free of charge.
