Modern West is thrilled to collaborate with the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art in showcasing Angela Ellsworth's striking Seer Bonnet XXX (Desmonda). NEHMA has generously acquired Ellsworth’s sculpture, which is now on view in their brand-new exhibition The Lure and Lore of the West.

The Lure and Lore of the West explores the blurred lines between Western myth and history. Incorporating artworks from the late nineteenth century to the present, the exhibition highlights images of popular Western characters such as prospectors, pioneers, and cowboys alongside the rugged American landscape. As wilderness disappears, the show asks: What stories will remain? What new legends will emerge? Which wild spaces will endure for future generations?

Exhibition details:
January 20, 2026 - May 5, 2027
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, 650 N 1100 E, Logan, UT 84322

Seer Bonnets is Angela Ellsworth’s ongoing series of sculptural pioneer bonnets covered in thousands of steel, pearl-tipped corsage pins that create subtle patterns on the exteriors and sharp, rugged interiors. Standing in for the estimated thirty-five wives of Joseph Smith, the bonnets become the “tools of translation” which allow these resilient wives to see messages and translate them into visions. This is a nod to the tools Smith used to translate the Book of Mormon. Ellsworth re-imagines this community of women with their own visionary and revelatory powers, as they pioneer new personal histories.

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art organizes temporary exhibitions and numerous public events, all free of charge, to provide educational opportunities for Utah State University undergraduate and graduate students as well as K-12 and community groups. These include class meetings, artist talks, curator talks, film screenings, educational activities, and tours designed to interpret, present, and foster learning about visual art. NEHMA also leads programs such as its Museum + Music Series and Community Art Days that are geared to bring together families, the community, and University.