Works of art on the theme of America’s wilderness drawn from members’ private collections formed the basis of the winter exhibition at the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos opening January 16. Curated by Alissa Anderson, “Members Collect III,” marked the third time the Museum has turned to its members to share their personal treasures. As Anderson says in the illustrated brochure that accompanied the exhibition, “Although the traditional subject matter of the paintings, photographs, and sculptures cannot be classified as specifically modern, many of the pieces have a modernist sensibility in terms of composition, color, or style.” These included paintings by nationally-known artists Fernand Lungren, Edgar Payne, Carl Sammons, Ludmilla Welch, James Swinnerton, Channing Peake, Milford Zornes, Ray Strong, and Millard Sheets in addition to lesser known, but exceptionally talented artists such as Bill Atkinson, Clarence Hinkle, Richmond Kelsey, Frank Kleinholz, Judy Lindley, Peter McIntyre and the Pillsbury Picture Co. The show also included sculpture by John Cody and an unidentified Japanese artist.

Most of the images in the exhibition were created during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s when early California landscape painting celebrated the natural beauty of the American landscape through a European-influenced Impressionist style. However, this exhibition also showed the work of artists who used an alternative, post-Impressionist style to explore the American landscape. Edgar Payne’s “Evening Sky, Arizona” is an example of this attempt to capture realistic scenes using striking colors and shapes.

The exhibition continued through March 30. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11-5. A donation of $2.00 per person is requested. Members and children 12 and under are free. The Museum is located at 2329 Jonata Street in Los Olivos (between Mattei’s Tavern and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church). For more information, call 688-1082.