Navigating the West: George Caleb Bingham and the River

George Caleb Bingham was born in Virginia but made his name here in St. Louis. The painter earned a living from his portraits (and various political jobs, such as serving as the State Treasurer), but it's his paintings of frontier life on the river that secured his lasting fame. Navigating the West: George Caleb Bingham and the River, the new exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum, showcases 22 Bingham paintings and 50 drawings and prints, and provides a long look at his mastery of what became known as the luminism painting style. John J. Egan's recently restored 348-foot-long painting Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley is also part of the show.

Tue.-Sun. (Feb. 22-May 17). Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (314-721-0072 or www.slam.org). $6 to $14, free on Friday.
Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Feb. 22. Continues through May 17, 2015