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American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters
As Lakota artist Oscar Howe wrote in 1958, “There is much more to Indian art than pretty, stylized pictures.” This exhibition highlights this depth and the 20th century American masters who shaped it. Explore early artists such as the Kiowa Six, Tonita Peña, Harrison Begay and the institutions that influenced them — particularly the University of Oklahoma and the Santa Fe Indian School. See how their art, and that of many others, was not limited to a specific medium or…
Horseplay
The Museum’s Dickinson Research Center is home to more than 700,000 photographs, 44,000 books, and perhaps unexpectedly, at least 1,000 horses. Meet some of the herd in Horseplay, the new exhibition featuring Tom Lovell’s sketches and studies of this Western icon. The rarely seen prep work reveals how Lovell developed ideas and practiced movement, anatomy, proportion, and personality. Watch horses take shape across mediums and styles. From abstract to realistic, pencil to pastel, small-scale to large, no two are alike.…
Cowboys in Khaki
Men and women from across the American West played critical roles — both “over there” and on the home front — in helping the Allies win World War I. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) divisions drawn from the Western states provided crucial support at a precarious time (from September to November 1918) to turn the war’s tide. Opening November 17, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum presents the exhibition Cowboys in Khaki: Westerners in the Great War to tell the stories…
Ancient. Massive. Wild. - The Bison Exhibit
Ancient. Massive. Wild. - The Bison Exhibit https://youtu.be/iVOWe6nVU2g Museum Galleries February 8 - May 12, 2019 Few animals conjure the power and symbolic presence of the North American bison. Whether painted on a tipi or an artist’s canvas, minted on a nickel, or seen grazing in Yellowstone National Park, the image of the bison stirs in us deep loyalties to the North American landscape. Wild and fundamental, the bison is a familiar part of our shared heritage. This exhibition explores…
The Bison as American Icon
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Few animals conjure the power and symbolic presence of the North American bison. Wild and fundamental, the bison is a familiar part of our shared heritage. Explore the National Cowboy Museum’s newest exhibition through lively lectures, exhibition tours, a reading and discussion program, and an award-winning documentary film. Register at: education.okstate.edu/olli, or call (405) 744-5868. February 21 Lecture: The American Bison: Past, Present, and Future James H. Shaw, Ph.D.,…
The Museum Store's Annual Sidewalk Sale
The Museum Store’s Annual Sidewalk Sale March 18 - 24, 2019 Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Noon – 5:00 p.m. Enjoy discounts on décor, apparel, books, and much more! Shop The Museum Store anytime at store.nationalcowboymuseum.org
Special Exhibition Tours
Saturday & Sundays 1:00 p.m. Museum docents offer 45-minute tours of the spring exhibitions. Free to Museum members or Museum admission. No reservations required.
Bison Film Fest: Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison (2010)
2:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Facing the Storm is the epic account of the tempestuous relationship with the iconic symbol of wild America. The American bison once dominated the plains of North America, numbering in the tens of millions. Native Plains Indians shared a sacred relationship with the species that went far beyond survival and sustenance. Then, in the 19th century they were nearly eradicated from the continent, and an entire Plains culture was forever changed. 78 minutes.…
Brown Bag Lunch Series: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains
Noon – 1:00 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room What is it about the bison that makes it such a potent symbol? Historian Dan Flores claims that in 1870 there were at least 10 million bison in the southern herd on the North American plains. Flores draws a vivid portrait of these animals in their glory and tells the harrowing story of what happened to them at the hands of market hunters and ranchers. Bring your lunch or purchase one…
Bison Film Fest: The White Buffalo (1977)
2:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater At the close of 1874, a haunted, dying Wild Bill Hickok teams up with a grieving Crazy Horse to hunt a murderous albino buffalo. Along the way, he meets Crazy Horse, who is also searching for the giant white buffalo, and they team up to kill the elusive animal. An offbeat movie that combines the expected western movie clichés, rip-roaring adventure, and monster movie conventions, 1 hr, 37 m. Rated PG. Free to…
The Buffalo War: Brown Bag Lunch Series
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Michael Grauer, McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, shares a multi-cultural and much-layered story involving Native Americans, Anglo Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans. This collision of cultures revolved around the conscious destruction of the American bison as a lifeways resource for native peoples and as a product for the Industrial Revolution. Bring your lunch or purchase one at The Museum Grill. Reservations are not required.…
Home School Day
The National Cowboy Museum has planned an exciting day of learning and exploring the new exhibition Ancient. Massive. Wild. - The Bison Exhibit. Families can explore the meaning and significance of the iconic bison from the Plains Indian culture of the 1800s through the commercial and national symbol of the present. Use your imagination in the Interactive Education Gallery and hear from the Museum’s Curator of Ethnology and Curator of Cowboy Collections and Western Art. Space provided to eat lunch. Reserve…
Bank of America Museums on Us Weekend
The Museum welcomes Bank of America customers taking advantage of Museums on Us the first full weekend of every month. Any ATM, credit or check card from Bank of America provides free general admission for the cardholder. For more details visit, http://museums.bankofamerica.com
Saturdays for Kids: Bison Tales
10:00 a.m. – Noon Museum Hallway and Galleries The bison were once essential to the lives of many Plains Indians. Hear intriguing tales about bison and other Western wildlife and create a craft to take home. Stories begin at 10:15, 10:45, 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. Free for children and accompanying adults.
Spring Garden Tour
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Museum Gardens Museum docents offer a tour of the Museum Gardens. Enjoy the plethora of plants and flowers native to the American West. Learn about the land in which the story of the West is rooted. Leave plenty of time to check out The Museum Store! Free to Museum members or with Museum admission. Weather permitting.
Navajo Rug Sale & Auction
Art Sale Preview & Rug Auction Begin Enjoy the opportunity to purchase high-quality weavings at a wide range of prices and add to your collection of Native art. At any time during the silent auction individuals may purchase a rug at 20% over the minimum if it does not have an earlier bid. Proceeds from the sale support the National Cowboy Museum’s exhibitions and programs. Friday April 12, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Saturday April 13, 2019 10:00 –…
2019 Western Heritage Awards
59th Annual Western Heritage Awards April 12 – 13, 2019 The Museum’s Western Heritage Awards was established in 1961 as the pinnacle commemoration of the American West by honoring the legacy of men and women for their works in literature, music, film, and television. The evening includes the induction of individuals into the Hall of Great Western Performers and the Hall of Great Westerners who made extraordinary contributions to shaping the American West’s rich heritage. The evening continues with…
Plein Air Paint Out
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Museum Gardens Be a part of this plein air paint out. Pull out your paints, pastels, and pencils, set up an easel, and join other art lovers in the Museum’s beautiful gardens. Bring your own art materials to capture a trail, scenic vista, portrait, or water scene! Free to Museum members or with Museum admission.
Prairie-to-Table Dining at the Cowboy
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Western States Plaza and Gardens (Rain back-up location: S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room) Join Museum President & CEO Natalie Shirley and experience flavors of the American West through great food and drink. The special prairie-themed menu is prepared and presented by the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City. Cash bar. $65, $55 for Museum members. Reservations required; register by April 12 at Register now! Appetizer: Paleo chili with sour cream and green onions Salad: Arugula, cactus, avocado, roasted…
Teddy Roosevelt: The Cowboy President and the Return of the Bison
5:30 – 8:30 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room Enjoy a first person presentation with Teddy Roosevelt as he discusses his travels to the Dakotas to find bison “before they were all gone.” He tells the story of how his time in the West changed his life, from a thin, young city slicker to a robust and adventurous cowboy. Stories include saloon fights, encounters with wild people and animals, and how these experiences gave him the insight and courage to protect and preserve…
Roam the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Join the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for a special day trip to the serene and picturesque Tallgrass Prairie Preserve guided by Oklahoma Nature Conservancy Communications Relations Coordinator Harvey Payne. Discover the largest protected remnant of tallgrass prairie left on earth, home to the imperiled prairie chicken, more than 700 plant species, and 2,200 wild bison. Coinciding with the birth of baby bison in their natural habitat, the bus will explore the bison loop and the cabin of Osage…
Special Exhibition Tours
Saturday & Sundays 1:00 p.m. Museum docents offer 45-minute tours of the spring exhibitions. Free to Museum members or Museum admission. No reservations required.
Prix de West Workshop: Painting Atmosphere and Reflected Light
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Museum Classrooms Dan Mieduch has painted for more than 40 years. He will demonstrate his special technique for capturing a subject and creating a feeling of air and depth of field. He teaches principles of reflected light using pops of color, and reveals what he calls an “easy” way to infuse paintings with life and sparkle. Students are encouraged to bring previous work for Mieduch to transform by brightening and adding his unique touch. Skill…
The 47th annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum hosts a prestigious invitational art exhibition of more than 300 Western paintings and sculpture by the finest contemporary Western artists in the nation with art seminars, receptions, and awards. The exhibiting artists bring a diversity of styles to this significant art exhibition and sale. Works range from historical pieces that reflect the early days of the West, to more contemporary and impressionistic works of art. Landscapes, wildlife, and illustrative scenes are always highlighted…
Prix de West Workshop: Painting the Canyons of the West
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Museum Classrooms Western painter G. Russell Case is inspired by nature, with its simple shapes, hard lines, and shadows. His landscapes are compositions that combine the natural world’s beauty with the rich imagination and originality of an artist’s mind. Case will focus on basic landscape approaches with an emphasis on the Western canyons as the subject. Students may use landscapes of their choice. Skill level: beginner to advanced. $480 per person; $400 per Museum member.…
Farm Basket Workshop
Classrooms A & B Hand-craft the perfect storage piece or décor accent. Led by Basket Weavers Guild of Oklahoma, participants will create their own farm basket measuring approximately 9 inches high, 13 inches wide (square to round opening). Suitable for beginner to advanced, all supplies provided; lunch is on your own. $35, $30 Museum member. Register online by July 23 at nationalcowboymuseum.org/event/farm-basket-workshop-2019.
Advancing the Pencil Portrait, Part I
Classrooms A & B Whether you are new artist or have drawn for a while, this class helps you explore the essential steps in rendering an eye-catching portrait. The class covers how materials can create different textures and values as well as weekly demonstrations. Instructor: Scottie Scott Skill level: beginner to advanced. Limited enrollment. $120, $100 Museum member. Supply list provided. Register online at nationalcowboymuseum.org/event/advancingpencilport.
Advancing the Pencil Portrait, Part II
August 29, September 5, 12, 19 Advancing the Pencil Portrait, Part II 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Classrooms A & B Drawing the pencil portrait not only pushes us to render a likeness, but brings challenges in texture. This class continues working artists with correct proportions and value placement, as well as focusing on different skin textures, clothing and hair. There will be a class project; or attendees may bring a picture of someone to draw. There will also be demonstrations…
Cherokee Cultural Celebration
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. In partnership with the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the National Cowboy Museum presents a Cherokee Cultural Celebration. Students will experience a variety of activities related to 19th century Cherokee culture and lifestyle. Hands-on participation in Cherokee games such as blow gun shooting, stickball playing, marbles, and chunkey will be presented. Demonstrations in pottery making, basket weaving, and finger weaving will show the unique Cherokee lifestyle of this time period. Other activity stations will…
Spiro and the Native American Art of the Mississippian World
The Spiro people, and their Mississippian peers, are nearly forgotten in the pages of North American history, yet they created one of the most exceptional and highly developed societies in all of the Americas. This exhibition explores the archaeological and historical data connecting the Spiro site and its people to other communities throughout North and Central America, and offers an interpretation into the nature of their community, religious activities, farming and hunting practices, and daily life. The exhibition also shows…
