This portrait of Chief Joseph by Edward S. Curtis is one of 30 images that can be seen in the current exhibit at the Community Fine Arts Center.

The Community Fine Arts Center, a branch of the Sweetwater County Library System, will host a traveling photography exhibit showcasing the work of Edward S. Curtis. The exhibit opens November 8 with a book discussion at 7 p.m. on Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. The public is invited to the opening reception on November 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The exhibit features pieces from Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian, a grand work that provides a permanent record of 80 North American tribes through ethnographic notes and over 1500 photographs included in 20 volumes. Accompanying the volumes were 20 portfolios containing 36 photogravure prints each. A selection of these images in digital format will be on display.

This exhibit will be available to see November 8 through December 22. CFAC hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday noon to 5 p.m.

“Edward Curtis’s The North American Indian: A Traveling Exhibit to Wyoming Libraries” is supported in part by funding from the Wyoming Arts Council, as well as the Wyoming Community Foundation’s Carol McMurry Donor Advised Fund in partnership with the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which holds a rare complete set of The North American Indian.

This exhibit is part of a community celebration, “Eye of a Nation: a Celebration of Heritage,” highlighting both the visual and performing arts to recognize the significance of Edward Curtis’s work and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s 100th anniversary. These events have the support of local organizations including the CFAC, Western Wyoming Community College Hay Library and Cultural Affairs Committee, Downtown Rock Springs, Rock Springs Historical Museum, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the Sweetwater County Library System.