Speaking as a fan of the Tacoma Art Museum and of the art of the west (I loved SAM's "The Beauty and the Bounty" show last year), I consider this wonderful news. Well, so long as this addition doesn't change the character of the rest of the museum--the concern Jen Graves articulates.

There's nothing stopping the two strains from coexisting with and complementing each other just fine, unless the museum loses its vision. TAM already strikes a similar balance, albeit on a much smaller scale, with its permanent collection of Chihuly glass.

Great. And does not Craig Sailor ever rule?

I would rather see the focus be on Pacific Northwest Landscape oriented art; mixed with artifacts, natural history and radical ecology concepts. Sounds like this "Western" thing might be too broad and kitschy but still enjoyable I'm sure.