PHOENIX — An Arizona museum is being rebranded and expanded after a historic $20 million donation from a local couple.
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg has been renamed the Sigler Western Museum after Carey and Jack Sigler, the couple who made the donation, the museum announced Tuesday.
“The museum is the crown jewel for the residents of Wickenburg and the area and for visitors from around the world,” Jack Sigler said in a press release. “It helps the local people here feel connected. Being involved with the museum has felt like an extension of our family.”
The donation is one of the largest ever given to an arts and cultural organization in Arizona and will be combined with $9.25 million in additional donations to allow the museum to build a new 27,100-square-foot facility across the street from its existing two buildings near Wickenburg Way and Frontier Street.
The Siglers made the donation as part of the museum’s A New Frontier capital campaign, which has been raising funds since 2022.
What is the Sigler Western Museum?
The museum, which opened in 1969, showcases art about the American West along with historic artifacts.
It is currently the home of more than 600 pieces of art and welcomes about 40,000 visitors each year.
Additionally, the museum was named the Best Western Museum Readers’ Choice and No. 2 Top Art Museum of the West by True West magazine this year.
It also hosts the acclaimed “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” exhibit, which has showcased work from more than 200 female artists over the past 20 years.
Details of new building at Sigler Western Museum
The new facility will almost double the footprint of the museum, as it currently is comprised of a 25,600-square-foot main building and the 4,674-square-foot Cultural Crossroads Learning Center.
It will be designed by Phoenix-based architecture firm Studio Ma and built by Tempe-based general contractor Okland Construction.
Studio Ma designed Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, along with additions at the Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum.
Plans for the new space include areas for an expanded “Cowgirl Up!” exhibit, a catering kitchen, an outdoor courtyard that will contain a sculpture garden and event spaces.
“Our museum has spectacular art, and we want to be able to showcase it to all of Arizona and the United States,” Daniel Finley, the museum’s executive director, said in a press release. “Through the generosity of Carey and Jack Sigler, our dreams will soon be realized.”
The new building is expected to open in late 2027.
Who are Carey & Jack Sigler?
The Siglers are originally from New Mexico and grew up on neighboring ranches. They moved to Arizona after getting married. Jack spent his career as the CEO of Russell Sigler Inc., a heating and air conditioning distributor. Carey was a teacher for 35 years.
They have lived in Wickenburg since the early 2000s and Jack has been a longtime trustee of the museum.
This donation will allow the Siglers to play a role in keeping the heritage of the American West alive in Wickenburg.
“We must keep the Western heritage. It is a big part of me,” Carey Sigler said. “The museum is the foundation of Wickenburg.”
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