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List of Events
Cowboy Crossings
In one of the most significant events to impact the fine art world, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum hosts the Opening Weekend event and sale for two outstanding exhibitions. The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) showcases the best of saddlemaking, bit and spur making, silversmithing, and rawhide braiding; while the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA) features fine art from members who celebrate the West through painting, drawing, and sculpture. The TCAA exhibition is on view through January 6,…
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…
Small Works, Great Wonders
Small Works, Great Wonders® features a fusion of traditional and contemporary paintings and sculptures at affordable prices. Enjoy cocktails with more than 100 of the nation’s finest artists, including many from the prestigious Prix de West. Door prizes, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music paired with beautiful works of art make for a truly special evening. Guests may also shop the Holiday Open House at The Museum Store. During this unique sales event, purchasers may leave with art in hand at the…
Signature Tour
Signature Tour From Remington and Russell to Native American works, see some of the finest Western art in the country during this docent-facilitated Museum tour. View ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life. Round out the tour with a look at the evolution of the working cowboy, from the range to their portrayal in film and pop culture. Walk away with a better understanding of the diverse cultures that have shaped the West…
Oklahoma Heritage Concert
Students can celebrate Oklahoma’s 111th birthday and watch history come to life at the National Cowboy Museum with stage performances by Rodeo Opry, using an interactive program to teach Oklahoma history, music, and culture. This educational music experience takes participants through trials and triumphs, including Native American heritage, the Dust Bowl, state symbols and famous Oklahomans. Follow the concert with self-exploration of Museum galleries; visit select gallery stations to learn more about art and the material culture encompassing the West.…
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.…
Ante Up!
An excitement-filled evening of casino games, live music, spirits, and food, Ante Up! will not only entertain the public, but also support the Museum's public education programs. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 29, 2018. Set in an Old West saloon atmosphere, Ante Up! will offer attendees a casual evening of true Western fun, including games of chance like poker, blackjack, and roulette, and live musical entertainment. A full bar, craft beers, and three separate food stations…
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/mobile
Saturdays for Kids: Holidays at the Museum
Prosperity Junction, Classrooms, Galleries Celebrate the holidays in Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Make Western-inspired ornaments, pinecone birdfeeders, and decorations, meet historical Western figures, sample frontier food, and mosey up to the sarsaparilla bar before dropping off your holiday wish list with Santa! Find Howe and Dee the Cowboy Elves to earn a special badge. Free for children and accompanying adults. For more information, email education@nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Volunteer Recognition Luncheon
The Museum’s success depends, in part, on the dedication and service of volunteers. Their roles are as diverse as their knowledge and expertise. Guests experience the West through relevant, meaningful stories shared by volunteers. To recognize and celebrate their efforts, Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, a New Mexico based chef, author, Native foods historian, and photographer, will deliver a keynote address based on her research. Invitation only. For information about becoming a Museum Volunteer, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/volunteer.
Lois Ellen Frank Book Signing
Dr. Lois Ellen Frank joins the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Museum Store to celebrate her cookbook Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations featuring traditional and contemporary recipes. Dr. Frank, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based chef, author, photographer, and Native foods historian is from the Kiowa Nation on her mother’s side and Sephardic on her father’s side. She has spent more than 25 years documenting foods and life ways of Native American tribes from the Southwest. This lengthy immersion…
A Date with the Duke – Holiday Edition
John Wayne’s granddaughter, Anita La Cava Swift, delivers opening remarks at a special screening of El Dorado (1967) and a scrumptious buffet prepared by The Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City. The late Roger Ebert said, “El Dorado is a tightly directed, humorous, altogether successful Western, turned out almost effortlessly, it would seem, by three old pros: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and director Howard Hawks.” Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara. Together…
Holiday Wine-Down
Relax from the stresses of the holidays! Visit the Museum for a Holiday Wine-Down painting class under instruction from Wine & Palette. While here, get a jump on holiday shopping in a festive environment at The Museum Store. $45; $40 for Museum members. All supplies provided, including light hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Reservations required by December 6; register at Register Now
Express Employment Professional’s 24th Annual Cowboy Christmas Ball
December 14, 2018 7:00 p.m. Presented by Express Employment Professionals, the 24th annual yuletide dance features Michael Martin Murphey headlining an evening of entertainment for the entire family. An alcohol-free event with more than enough spirit coming from the combination of a bountiful home-cooked dinner buffet, traditional Western songs and dances dating back more than 100 years, and an unforgettable visit from Santa. Reserve Now (Museum Member) …
Winter Break Drop-In Activities
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon - 2:00 p.m. Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very own cowboy elves. Free…
Foil Art and Metalwork Hunt & Find * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 17 – 24 and December 26 - 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Beaded Snowflake Designs * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 18 - 24 & December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Holiday Jigsaw Puzzle * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 19 – 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Card Collage * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 20 – 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Beaded Candy Canes * Winter Break Drop-in
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 21 – 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Scratch Art * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 22 - 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Beaded Charm Pins * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 23 – 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe…
Cowboy Slim & Sure Shot Annie and Kids West Quest * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 24 and December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee,…
Beaded Snowflake Designs * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 26 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very…
Card Collage * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 27 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very…
Jeweled Rodeo Belt Buckles * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 28 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very…
Scratch Art * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 29 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very…
Beeswax Candles * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon – 2:00 p.m. December 30 – 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very…
Cowboy Slim & Sure Shot Annie and Kids West Quest * Winter Break Drop-in Activities
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. December 31 Various Museum Locations It is Winter Break across Oklahoma! Load up the family and explore the Museum using family friendly Museum Quests to visit the galleries and Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Find and assemble giant floor puzzles and strike your best pose at the Selfie Stations. Create at the Activity Tables for a special make-and-take, and locate Howe & Dee, the Museum’s very own cowboy elves. Free with Museum admission, while…
Weather in the West - Saturdays for Kids
Lincoln Hallway 10 a.m. – Noon Western weather can be wild! Tornadoes, hail, blizzards, and extreme temperatures are just a few of the elements that impact humans and animals living there. Make a tornado in a bottle and participate in other weather-related activities. Free for children and accompanying adults. Available while supplies last. This program is made possible with support from the Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation.
Docent-Guided Signature Tour
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Meets at Canyon Princess (cougar sculpture in West Hallway) From Albert Bierstadt’s glowing landscape Emigrants Crossing the Plains to pieces by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, see some of the finest Western art in the country. View ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life. Round out the tour with a look at the evolution of the working cowboy, from the range to their portrayal in film and pop culture.…
Docent-Guided Signature Tour
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Meets at Canyon Princess (cougar sculpture in West Hallway) From Albert Bierstadt’s glowing landscape Emigrants Crossing the Plains to pieces by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, see some of the finest Western art in the country. View ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life. Round out the tour with a look at the evolution of the working cowboy, from the range to their portrayal in film and pop culture.…
A Date with the Duke: In Old Oklahoma (1943)
Guests can whet their appetites with a cash bar and scrumptious buffet prepared by The Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City while watching a special film screening of In Old Oklahoma (1943). Michael R. Grauer, the Museum’s new McCasland Curator of Cowboy Culture, introduces the story of the oil boom when school teacher Martha Scott comes to Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and witnesses a conflict between cowboy John Wayne and oilman Albert Dekker. In the new oil economy, some attitudes may have changed…
Read the West Book Club: The Coming
1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. S.B. "Burk" Burnett Board Room The Coming is an epic novel of native-white relations in North America, intimately told through the life of Daytime Smoke - the real-life red-haired son of William Clark and a Nez Perce woman. Capturing the trajectory experienced by so many native peoples - from friendship and cooperation to betrayal, war, and genocide - this sweeping novel, with its large cast of characters and vast geography, braids historical events with the…
Hearts for Art
Open Museum Hours All Galleries One day to celebrate love in not enough! Visit the Museum any time during February 1 - 14 and show your love for your favorite piece of art or artifact. Pick up a heart at Visitor Services, leave it by your selection, and share on social media using #MyWest and #HeartsForArt. While visiting, pick up the "Find the Love" guide, a selection of art from the Museum's collection that speaks of love. Free to Museum…
Comic Book Art - Saturdays for Kids
Lincoln Hallway 10:00 a.m. - Noon In the 1950, the Chisholm Kid, a black cowboy from Oklahoma, was the first to be featured in a comic book. Discover more about this comic and create one of your own. Free for children and accompanying adults. Available while supplies last. This program is made possible with support from the Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation.
Hearts for Art
Sunday noon - 5:00 p.m. All Galleries One day to celebrate love in not enough! Visit the Museum any time during February 1 - 14 and show your love for your favorite piece of art or artifact. Pick up a heart at Visitor Services, leave it by your selection, and share on social media using #MyWest and #HeartsForArt. While visiting, pick up the "Find the Love" guide, a selection of art from the Museum's collection that speaks of love. Free…
The Bison Exhibit
Ancient. Massive. Wild. 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 meaning and significance of this…
Bison Opening Weekend Celebration
10:00 a.m. – Noon Museum Galleries Let’s get this stampede started! There is a herd on 63rd and you’re invited! Join the Thunder’s Rumble the Bison at the community opening of The Bison Exhibit. Hear Rumble’s unique story, make an illustration of events in your life, discover what is made from a bison, and learn about the great American mammal’s the remarkable powers. Visit the new exhibition and celebrate with bison-themed sweets courtesy of Platt College Culinary Arts.
Read the West Book Club: American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon
1:00 – 2:15 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room In 2005, Steven Rinella won a lottery permit to hunt for a wild buffalo, or American bison, in the Alaskan wilderness. Despite the odds — there is only a 2% chance of drawing the permit, and fewer than 20% of those hunters are successful — Rinella managed to kill a buffalo on a snow-covered mountainside. Now that the buffalo is on the verge of a dramatic ecological recovery across the West, Americans…
Ecology and the West Workshop for Elementary Teachers
S.B. "Burk" Burnett Board Room Join us for a free professional development opportunity for elementary (grades K-5) teachers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in collaboration with the College of Education and Professional Studies, University of Central Oklahoma. Engage with an environmental historian and a curator to explore the 19th - 21st century American West Learn new ways to analyze and interpret fine art and Plains Indian material culture Explore standards-based teaching resources and programs Investigate Museum collections…
Bison Bonanza: Family Sleepover
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 a.m., with Rumble stopping by from 9:30 - 10:00 p.m. Begins at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; Ends at the OKC Zoo Explore the magnificent American bison at this family sleepover! Trek through The Bison Exhibit after dark for a fun, hands-on evening of discovery! Each child makes an enrichment snack for bison Ginger and MaryAnn who live (and sleep) at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Before bedtime enjoy the Disney Channel family drama, Buffalo…
Ecology and the West Workshop for Secondary Teachers
S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room Join us for a free professional development opportunity for secondary (grades 6-12) teachers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in collaboration with the College of Education and Professional Studies, University of Central Oklahoma. Engage with an environmental historian and a curator to explore the 19th – 21st century American West Learn new ways to analyze and interpret fine art and Plains Indian material culture Explore standards-based teaching resources and programs Investigate Museum collections…
Home on the Range Dinner and Film Screening
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room Put on your cowboy boots for this not-to-be-missed program with a cash bar and three-course dinner prepared by The Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City. Film director Ken Spurgeon introduces his 2018 Western Heritage Award winning docudrama, Home on the Range, the story of the iconic song that sprang up on the Kansas prairie and gained national popularity. The film stars Buck Taylor and features various recordings, from the rock group…
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.
Wild Wits Trivia Night
Prosperity Junction and Galleries A casual night of trivia, fun, and prizes! Start your own team or join a table of soon-to-be-friends and show off what you know. View the Museum's new exhibitions and enjoy some competition and lively conversation. Trivia Night is sure to be a great time for all! Pizza and popcorn provided. Cash bar. Participants must be 21+ years old. Tickets are $10. Register Now!
Introduction to Blacksmithing - Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Workshop
February 20 – 22, 2019 Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Workshop: Introduction to Blacksmithing 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Capron Bits and Spurs, Christoval, Texas In conjunction with the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA), this workshop will introduce tools used in blacksmithing and their function. Tools, including chisels and punches, will be created using principles of blacksmithing and can be utilized in the bit and spur making process. The culminating project, a set of tongs, will be constructed exercising the techniques…
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.,…
Oklahoma Heritage Concert
Special Events Center 10:30 a.m. Students can celebrate the Oklahoma’s 111th birthday and watch history come to life at the National Cowboy Museum with stage performances by Rodeo Opry, using an interactive program to teach Oklahoma history, music and culture. This educational music experience takes participants through trials and triumphs, including Native American heritage, the Dust Bowl, state symbols and famous Oklahomans. Follow up the concert with self-exploration of Museum galleries. Visit select gallery stations to learn more about art…
Bison and Beer Paint Night
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Museum Entrance and Galleries Wind down from the stresses of the day with this fun, one-night painting event! Visit the Museum for a painting class under instruction from local artist Courtney Abbott. In conjunction with The Bison Exhibit, create your own colorful bison silhouette painting. While here, get a jump on spring shopping in The Museum Store. $45; $40 for Museum members. All supplies provided, including light hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Reservations required by February…
Weatherschool
Weatherschool Special Events Center 10:30 a.m. NewsChannel 4 and the National Cowboy Museum are teaming up to present Weatherschool, a great way for kids to learn about Oklahoma’s ever-changing weather in a lively format with the KFOR 4Warn Storm Team. Following Weatherschool, explore the Museum’s exhibitions to discover the role of weather in the West. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy after the 45-minute presentation, then explore weather-related art in the Museum galleries. Weatherschool will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m.…
The Bison as Popular Icon - Brown Bag Lunch Series
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Nathan Jones, Associate Curator of Cowboy Culture, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, discusses the impact of the bison as a popular icon. Tracing a story that spans millennia using artifacts and other documentary sources, Jones tells the story of an animal that has been a central symbol to Western identity. From cave paintings to currency, see how both the bison’s presence and absence has shaped our cultures. Bring your lunch…
Bison Film Fest: Bless The Beasts & Children (1971)
2:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Director Stanley Kramer brings to the screen the important story of six wealthy misfits who, while attending a summer riding camp, set out to free a herd of buffalo scheduled to be shot the next day. The boys find their lives turned around by Cotton, who, in a hot-wired pickup, challenges them to join efforts to save a herd of buffalo and rediscover themselves in the process. 1 h, 41 m, PG. Free…
Depicting the Grasslands – Bison in Wildlife Art - Brown Bag Lunch Series
Noon – 1:00 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room What is it about the bison that makes it such a potent symbol? Join Adam Duncan Harris, Curator, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming, as he explores how Western art can help us understand humanity’s relationship with wildlife and nature. Harris presents a selection of Western art paintings and sculptures representing the wildlife and history of this region. He examines the legacy of complex artist George Catlin through paintings produced…
Read the West Book Club: Betrayal at the Buffalo Ranch
1:00 – 2:15 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room When Angus Clyborn’s Buffalo Ranch opens in Cherokee country, murder, thievery, and a missing white buffalo calf take Sadie Walela and her wolfdog on a dangerous and wild ride. The publication is available in The Museum Store (15% discount for Museum members). The Read the West Book Club meets once a month in January, February, and March. Cost for the series is $25, $20 for Museum members, and includes refreshments and…
The Destruction of the American Bison - Brown Bag Lunch Series
Noon – 1:00 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room What is it about the bison that makes it such a potent symbol? In conjunction with The Bison Exhibit, Andrew C. Isenberg, Hall Professor of American History at the University of Kansas, examines the decline of the North American bison population. Isenberg presents the destruction as the outcome of an integrated dynamic process involving the volatile natural environment of the Great Plains, the ecological and economic invasion of the Euroamericans, and…
A Date with the Duke: The Quiet Man (1952)
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room In The Quiet Man (1952), Sean Thornton is a retired American boxing champion trying to put tragedy behind him by returning to Innisfree, the Irish village of his birth. He buys the house where he was born from its current owner, enraging the wealthy and bellicose Red Will Danaher, who had designs on the property himself. On arriving at his cottage, Thornton finds it being swept out by Mary Kate, a…
Bison Film Fest: Buffalo Dreams (2005)
2:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater After accepting Josh Townsend, a transplant from Chicago who just moved to the community with his family, into his circle of friends, Thomas Blackhorse is hurt and angry when Josh betrays a confidence and reveals the location of a sacred Navajo landmark to vandals. To save his friendship with Thomas and preserve the local customs, Josh challenges the leader of the vandals to a dangerous mountain bike race. Josh and Thomas must work…
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…
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.
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…
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…
