Every now and then, you come across something that’s a window into a bygone era. Something that reminds you of where we came from, and where we need to go. I found myself thinking about this recently as I stood in Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West and stared at the face of the man in the photo “The Navajo,” taken in 1938 by some guy named Barry Goldwater. Some guy? It goes without saying that the late United States senator was an icon, not only in Arizona, but across the world. His accomplishments on the public stage were many, but there’s one fact about him that most people nowadays don’t know. See, Barry Goldwater was more than a politician. He was also a gifted photographer, who traveled the state exhaustively documenting its people, places, beauty and culture. He was one of the initial contributors to Arizona Highways magazine, which helped put on the exhibition in conjunction with the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation. More on that in a minute. First, about the museum: If you haven’t been to the four-year-old Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West (which we’ll refer to as SMoW for the sake of word count), it’s probably not what you think. The impressive and expansive two-story structure boasts a modern design that somehow perfectly complements the Western art inside it, and the art itself challenges your notions of what “Western art” really means. It’s a Smithsonian Affiliate, and is already a centerpiece for the Scottsdale arts scene. “The museum is really dedicated to illuminating the past, in order to enlighten the future,” said Mardi Larson, director of marketing & communications for SMoW. And in that context, the Goldwater exhibition has a perfect home. Barry Goldwater’s images take you back to an Arizona of a bygone day. He had a knack for capturing the essence of what made — makes — Arizona special, a richness of culture and diversity, a place where breathtaking natural landscapes abound. The exhibition’s curator is Ali Goldwater Ross — Barry’s granddaughter — executive director of the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation. She and a friend personally drove the exhibition’s artwork across the country from Atlanta to Scottsdale, The world through Barry Goldwater’s eyes WE SEE OUR FUTURE WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PAST Tom Evans | Contributing Editor 30 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | FEBRUARY 2019 NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}

“The Navajo” ( 1938, Barry M. Goldwater, Courtesy of the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation )