Meridian organized an exhibition on the American West for circulation in China that began in early 2007. Out West: The Great American Landscape was a cultural exchange project endorsed by the Minister of Culture of China.

This was the second part of an exchange begun by Ancient Threads, Newly Woven, an exhibit organized jointly by Meridian and the China International Exhibition Agency in Beijing that featured contemporary art from the Silk Road of Western China. The latter toured the United States for two years.

Out West visited numerous venues in China, bore the Olympic logo, and was one of the cultural presentations leading up to the 2008 games.

The purpose of this exchange was not only to present an excellent exhibition, but, seen in a larger context, to carry an educational, cultural, and social message. Its underlying goal was to help create an atmosphere of increased good relations and mutual understanding as a background for business development and other bi-lateral relations. The targeted audience was “ordinary people” whose knowledge of the United States may have been limited.

Out West included artworks by a range of contemporary artists from the American West. Subjects included cowboys, Native Americans, and other cultures that have shaped Western traditions. Also emphasized were Western landscapes from New Mexico to Wyoming, the people and animals that inhabit them, as well as the effects of Western culture on films and important historical events. Meridian worked with museums, universities, collections, and individual artists to organize the best representation possible. A catalogue was published in both English and Chinese.

Meridian worked with the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, which was the initial venue for the exhibition. The museum assisted in organizing a national tour that included venues in Western China. The Vice Minister of Culture, Madame Meng Xiosia, during a visit to Washington, DC, echoed the Ministry’s enthusiastic support of the project. The Chinese Embassy in Washington also collaborated with Meridian.

The exhibit previewed at Meridian’s Cafritz galleries in mid-February 2007, an event attended by the Chinese Ambassador, Congressional representatives from participating Western states, and exhibition sponsors. Out West began its China tour in early 2007.

Sponsorship was provided by American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch Foundation, FedEx Corporation, and Tyco International.