HOUSTON, TEXAS.- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents George Catlin and His Indian Gallery on view through January 17, 2005 at the Caroline Wiess Law Building. The exhibition George Catlin and His Indian Gallery showcases artworks from one of the most important collections at the Smithsonian American Art Museum�George Catlin�s original Indian Gallery.

Determined to record the "manners and customs" of Native Americans, Catlin, a lawyer turned painter, traveled thousands of miles from 1830 to 1836 following the trail of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Catlin visited 50 tribes living west of the Mississippi River from present day North Dakota to Oklahoma. This exhibition includes Native American artifacts collected by the artist that have not been shown with the paintings in more than 50 years.

George Catlin and His Indian Gallery is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with close collaboration and assistance from colleagues at the National Museum of the American Indian.