The American West is not just a place of spectacular beauty; it is also associated with a pioneering spirit.

"As the western regions of China continue to grow, there will be parallels with the expansion in the last century of America's vast western spaces and their resources, both physical and human," says Nancy Matthews, vice-president of the Meridian International Center (MIC).

The MIC, in collaboration with the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, is hosting an exhibition featuring landscapes and history, and cowboys' and Native Americans' way of life in the western United States.

The Out West: The Great American Landscape exhibition includes 68 paintings by 50 American artists and more than 40 photographic works from National Geography, depicting unique and dynamic aspects of the American West. Among the well-known Western artists featured at the exhibition are Dana Boussard, Russell Chatham, William Matthews, Dan Namingha, Howard Post, Kevin Red Star and Donna Howell-Sickles.

"The landscape of the Western states, including Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Arizona, is interpreted in the broad sense to highlight not only the dramatic physical scenery of the western regions, but also the people and animals who inhabit them and the inspirations for cowboy-and-Indian iconography," Matthews says.

In addition to Guangzhou, the exhibition has toured Beijing, Urumqi, Xi'an, Shanghai and Qingdao. It will then move to Hong Kong - the last stop for the one-year cultural exchange exhibition in China.

Time: 9 am-5 pm, until October 17

Place: Guangzhou Museum, Zhenhailou, Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou

Tel: 020-83545253

(China Daily September 29, 2007)