$20 million naming gift to museum from Carey and Jack Sigler
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is announcing that it has received a $20 million donation, one of the largest gifts ever to an arts and cultural organization in Arizona’s history.
The museum will be renamed the Sigler Western Museum after Carey and Jack Sigler, a Wickenburg couple, who are making the generous donation.
The new name of Sigler Western Museum takes effect immediately.
With the Sigler gift and an additional $9.25 million in recent donations from many donors, the museum is breaking ground soon on a new art museum and pavilion across the street from its existing building.
The new $30 million facility will span 27,100 square feet with gallery spaces, an indoor pavilion and an outdoor courtyard, adding to the museum’s 25,600-square-foot existing main building and the existing 4,674-square-foot Cultural Crossroads Learning Center.
The 55-year-old museum, located in Wickenburg’s historic district, draws about 40,000 visitors a year from across the United States and abroad.
During the last 20 years, the museum has made an international name for itself by spotlighting the nation’s best women artists in the Western genre with its “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” annual exhibition and sale.
Cowgirl Up! has launched and accelerated the careers of more than 200 women artists since the exhibition’s inception. More than 175 pieces of art and 1,200 individual event and museum tickets were sold during the 2025 “Cowgirl Up!” opening weekend, generating $900,000 in revenue.
In 2025, the museum earned True West magazine recognition as the Best Western Museum Readers’ Choice and the #2 Top Art Museum of the West.
Expected to open in late 2027, the new building is being designed by Studio Ma, a globally recognized architecture firm based in Phoenix that also designed Scottsdale’s Museum of the West and renovations and additions to both the Heard Museum and Phoenix Art Museum.
Okland Construction of Tempe is the general contractor. Okland Construction, a family-owned builder, has delivered cultural and community spaces across the Southwest, including work for the Heard Museum.
The design of the new art complex will allow an expanded Cowgirl Up! exhibition, a catering kitchen, advanced audio/visual capabilities, and new technologies. The outdoor courtyard will offer a bronze and steel sculpture garden and additional event space.
The existing museum building will continue to focus on history with the stories, artifacts, and legends of the West.
In 1975, the museum had 140 pieces in its permanent fine art collection. Today, it has more than 600 pieces.
The museum’s New Frontier Capital Campaign Committee has been raising funds for the past 3 years.
The Sigler gift for the new building will accommodate the museum’s world-class paintings and sculptures, expand student and adult educational experiences, and provide a dynamic facility for conferences, celebrations, business gatherings, private parties, and community meetings in Wickenburg.
“Our museum has spectacular art, and we want to be able to showcase it to all of Arizona and the United States,” said Daniel Finley, the Sigler Western Museum’s executive director. “Through the generosity of Carey and Jack Sigler, our dreams will soon be realized. The museum has always been a vital part of Arizona, and it will become even more so in the future.”
“Building this new art complex is more than just brick and mortar. It is building a legacy that will honor the spirit, history, and creativity of the West for future generations,” said Becky Rovey, the Museum Capital Campaign chair.
Carey and Jack Sigler grew up as close family friends on neighboring ranches in New Mexico. Carey herded cattle from an early age. As young adults, Jack and Carey married and moved to Arizona after Jack completed his Army service.
Jack served as the CEO of Russell Sigler Inc., a family-owned, industry-leading independent heating and air conditioning distributor, and Carey was a schoolteacher for 35 years.
Their love of the western ranch life led them to Wickenburg, where they have lived for 20 years now. Jack has been a long-time trustee for the museum.
“We must keep the Western heritage. It is a big part of me,” Carey Sigler said. “The Museum is the foundation of Wickenburg.”
“The museum is the crown jewel for the residents of Wickenburg and the area and for visitors from around the world. It helps the local people here feel connected. Being involved with the museum has felt like an extension of our family,” said Jack Sigler. “The American West is something unique to the United States. I always thought that was our heritage and the lifestyle is great to keep.”
Carey and Jack Sigler enjoy the annual Cowgirl Up! exhibit and have amassed a significant collection of original art over the years.
“Showcasing women artists is a claim to fame for the museum. No other museum in the country has done so much for women artists,” Jack Sigler said.
Studio Ma met with museum representatives, from the Building Committee to the Board of Trustees, prior to drawing plans. The main design goals they heard were “Western” and “authentic.”
“The outdoor courtyard is a real driver to the design of the building. We are wrapping the building around the courtyard and ensuring visual connections to the art pavilion, lobby, and galleries,” said Christopher Alt, AIA, founding principal of Studio Ma.
“The museum’s role in the community also cannot be overstated. It is the conservatory of important works of art and also has an important role in the social fabric of the town.”
The building’s wood soffits will connect the indoor to the outdoor and glass will be carefully placed to maximize visual interest among the gallery spaces and protect the art from UV damage.
Studio Ma is designing the new building to fit into the larger campus of the existing main building and the existing Cultural Crossroads Learning Center, a multipurpose space, and to align with the Sigler Western Museum’s overall master plan for the next 50 years.
“The museum serves as a cornerstone of community pride in Wickenburg and plays a vital role in attracting a seasonal population that nearly doubles during the winter months,” said Mayor BG Bratcher.
“With 40,000 annual visitors, the museum significantly contributes to our local economy. The generous Sigler donation and the addition of new buildings promise to strengthen this impact and help shape a vibrant future for Wickenburg. I am sincerely grateful to Carey and Jack Sigler and the many other donors for their gifts.”