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Charles Fritz: 100 Paintings Illustrating the Journals of Lewis and Clark – the Complete Collection
by: Charles Fritz
Foreword by: Timothy Peterson

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ACCLAIMED WESTERN ARTIST WINS SILVER MEDAL IN BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARDS
Charles Fritz: 100 Paintings Illustrating the Journals of Lewis and Clark by acclaimed Western artist Charles Fritz won the silver medal in the history category of the Independent Book Publishers Association’s 2010 Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Named in honor of America’s most cherished publisher and printer, the Benjamin Franklin Awards recognizes excellence in independent publishing around the nation. Books are judged on editorial and design merit by top practitioners in each field.

Winners were announced at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City during Book Expo America.

A professional artist for the last thirty years, Fritz is known for his luminous landscapes. This avid student of Western history is recognized for his comprehensive research and the historical accuracy of his paintings.

Fascinated by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Fritz noted that although several members of the Corps of Discovery kept journals, an artist did not accompany the expedition. Unlike almost every expedition since, there had been no one to visually document the unique people, landscapes, animals, and plants never before seen by Americans living in the East.

He decided to take on the immense task of bringing the Journals of Lewis and Clark to life, telling the remarkable American story visually—and for the first time allowing us to experience what the Corps saw on their historic journey.

Fritz spent a decade researching and creating 100 paintings depicting the triumphs and travails of the Corps of Discovery’s two-and-a-half-year trek through unknown territory to the Pacific Ocean and back between 1804 and 1806.

When the last piece was completed in 2009, the works were compiled in the book Charles Fritz: 100 Paintings Illustrating the Journals of Lewis and Clark. The award-winning tome features the complete collection, including excerpts from the journals, a fascinating discussion on the origin on the Corps of Discovery, and details on the creation of the paintings.

Peyton C. Clark, great, great, great grandson of Captain William Clark, describes the Fritz collection as “monumental,” adding, “This book will hold a special place in the William Clark family library.”

Fritz completed the last of the 100 paintings in 2009, just before the book’s release; the bulk of the collection has been touring the country since 2003, from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Wyoming to the Booth Museum of Western Art in Georgia.

“For those who haven’t been able to see the collection in museums,” Fritz says, “the book allows them to experience the Lewis and Clark story from this visual perspective.”

The complete collection is next scheduled for an exhibition at the Tucson Art Museum later this year. Talks are underway regarding a permanent location for the collectio..

About the Author
Charles Fritz grew up in Mason City, Iowa, and studied history and education at Iowa State University in Ames. His luminous paintings of the West have been included in many museum exhibitions across the country, including the Albuquerque Museum; Artists of America; Great American Masters; Denver Art Museum: Gilcrease Museum; Prix de West Exhibition, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum; C.M. Russell Museum; and the Salmagundi Club. His work has been featured in many magazines, periodicals, and books, including Donald Hagerty’s Leading the West: One Hundred Contemporary Painters and Sculptors and Canyon de Chelly: 100 Years of Painting and Photography. Fritz resides in Billings, Montana, with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Isaac and Erik.

For an interview, contact the author at 406-652-2971 or [email protected].

About Farcountry Press
Farcountry Press is the descendant of American and World Geographic Publishing, the book-publishing arm of Montana Magazine. The company was formed in 1980 and is based in Helena, Montana.

The award-winning publisher specializes in softcover and hardcover color photography books showcasing the nation’s cities, states, national parks, and wildlife. Farcountry also publishes several popular children’s series, as well as guidebooks, cookbooks, and regional history titles nationwide.

The staff produces about 25 books annually; the backlist has grown to more than 300 titles.

www.farcountrypress.com, 800.821.3874