Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

A POR TR AIT OF THE SOUTHWEST  23

performers visit such cities
as Phoenix and Las Vegas,
which is world-renowned
for its dazzling casinos.
One of the region’s most
famous attributes is the
quality of light found in
the hills of northern New
Mexico. Georgia O’Keeffe
(1887–1986), who painted
striking and vivid depictions
of the local landscape,
Mountains rise behind the towering walls of the Hoover Dam across the Colorado River helped to make the area
bordering Nevada and Arizona around Santa Fe a mecca
for all kinds of artists. Today,
Such intense urbanization has put pressure the city is ranked as the third-largest art
on the region’s resources, particularly water. market in the US. Native artisans also
In the 1930s, dam-building projects were produce fine artifacts: the pottery of Maria
initiated in the western states, starting with Martinez (1881–1980) of San Idelfonso
the Hoover Dam. By the 1960s, however, Pueblo is highly regarded, as are the
it was clear that in order to generate paintings of Navajo artist R. C. Gorman
electricity, irrigate farms, and supply cities, (1931–2005), and the work of Pueblo
more dams were needed. The controversial potter Nancy Youngblood Lugo (b. 1955).
Glen Canyon Dam, opened in 1963, flooded The Southwest is as much a state of
a vast area of natural beauty, as well as mind as it is a geographical region.
Native ruins and sacred sites. Today, many The attractions of the landscape and
local tribes have asserted ownership of the a romantic sense of the past combine
water on their lands. to conjure up the idealized legends of
the “Wild West.” For many visitors, the
Culture and the Arts Southwest offers the opportunity to
Vast wilderness and a warm climate make indulge that bit of cowboy in their souls.
outdoor leisure popular in the Southwest.
There are miles of hiking trails, rivers for
white-water rafting, lakes for watersports,
ski resorts, and some of the US’s finest
golf courses. One of the best ways to
experience the landscape is on a trail ride,
while armchair cowboys can attend that
great Southwestern event – the rodeo.
Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, and
Albuquerque are home to symphony
orchestras, theater, opera, and dance
companies. Hispanic music flourishes
throughout the Southwest, and traditional
Native American dances are held in many
pueblos and pow wows. Famous for
popularizing Native American flute music,
R. Carlos Nakai collaborates with composers
and orchestras to create cross-cultural
classical and jazz music. International star Hikers on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon

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