Buffalo Bill Center of the West announces Whitney Western Art Museum curator endowment

Barron Collier, Chairman of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Board of Trustees in Cody, Wyoming, is pleased to announce the endowment of the Whitney Western Art Museum Curator position by Maggie and Dick Scarlett. The Scarletts are longtime Wyoming residents living in Jackson Hole, with close ties to the Cody community and the Center of the West. The position is named the “Margaret and Dick Scarlett Curator of Western American Art.”

“Not only are we so very thankful for this extraordinary multi-million dollar gift,” says Buffalo Bill Center of the West Director and CEO Bruce Eldredge, “but we’re equally grateful for Dick and Maggie’s valuable commitment to the mission of the Center of the West. They are such an encouragement to us all!”

The Scarletts have had a long association with Cody and the Center beginning with Maggie’s parents. C.E. “Bud” Webster, Trustee Emeritus of the Center, and Lucille Webster were both born and raised in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin and known for their great appreciation of the region, their philanthropy and business activities including Webster Motors Inc. Dick founded United Bancorporation of Wyoming which owned the Shoshone First Bank, now Cody’s branch of Wells Fargo Bank.

Today, they both point to that legacy, their business connections in the community, their desire to give back to the community and their passion for the Center—all of which have fueled their desire to insure the successful growth and oversight of the art museum at the Center. “The Whitney Western Art Museum has one of the finest collections of western American art in America due to the good work of its Curatorial staff and leadership,” Maggie explains. “Beginning with Harold McCracken who brought many major works of art to the Museum, and the successful efforts of the Center’s Directors since, including Peter Hassrick, these collections can best be described as ‘world class.’ Dick and I want to perpetuate and continue that momentum of excellence with our gift.”

Maggie is Vice-Chair of the Center’s Board of Trustees as well as chairperson for the Whitney Western Art Museum Advisory Board. Dick serves on the Center’s Finance, Investment, and Personnel Committee. “We have a passion for western art and are delighted to continue the fine work of the Whitney Western Art Museum,” he adds.

An endowment is an investment fund in which revenue generated by the fund is used for a specific purpose—in this case, to support the work of the Whitney Western Art Museum.

Since 1917, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West has been committed to the greatness and growth of the American West, keeping the western experiences alive. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page.