Treasured Landscapes: National Park Service Art Collections Tell America’s Stories Virtual Exhibit and Book

The National Park Service Museum Management Program collaborated with over 50 national parks to launch the virtual exhibit TREASURED LANDSCAPES: National Park Service Art Collections Tell America’s Stories together with a companion book in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial, 1916–2016.

A painting of (Grand Canyon Scene at Eastern End of Canyon) by Thomas Moran. 1920. Oil on canvas. W 101.7, H 77 cm. Grand Canyon National Park, GRCA 13630

Landscape art played a major role in the establishment of the National Park Service and inspired national leaders to protect and preserve these special places for all Americans.  Stunning paintings, watercolors, sketches, and works on paper from National Park Service museum collections are seen together for the first time.  They capture America’s treasured landscapes from Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Death Valley, to works displayed in the homes of such eminent Americans as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Laurence Rockefeller. Other works mirror American experiences, from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to solitary Southwestern scenes, to wildlife in nature.  These artworks convey a visual record of the Nation’s stories and reveal the remarkable diversity and engaging history of the National Park Service.

National Park Service Landscape Art Virtual Exhibit