This year, 2017, marks the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Centennial—100 years of research, collecting, exhibitions, and programs. As part of the festivities, the Center’s Whitney Western Art Museum hosts, on Saturday, June 17, a special symposium that brings together top art historians and trailblazing contemporary artists to examine topics related to western American sculpture.
Titled Forged and Founded—Western American Sculpture, a Centennial Symposium, the day-long program takes place from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Costs are $25 for students, $55 for Center members, and $65 for non-members; the fee includes lunch.
From the beginning, sculpture has been central to the Whitney’s story. The Museum was founded around a monumental bronze, the iconic Buffalo Bill—The Scout. And today, its collection of sculpture is broad and deep—a defining strength of the Whitney’s holdings.
Sculpture has an important place in local history, too. Sculptors have long been drawn to Cody, situated just an hour beyond the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The region’s scenic beauty, cultural heritage, and relative remoteness have attracted artists of international renown. Today, contemporary sculptors are creating compelling works of art that expand and explode familiar definitions of western American art.
Forged and Founded features four enlightening lectures in a morning session, a lively Lunch & Lecture, and a menu of optional tours, open houses around the community, and visual arts presentations during an afternoon session. This multifaceted program holds appeal for scholars, professionals, students, and art and history enthusiasts with a range of interests. Coordinated with an eye toward interactivity and accessibility, Forged and Founded takes an innovative and engaging approach to scholarship on western sculpture.
Alexander Phimister Proctor (1860–1950). “Q Street Buffalo,” 1912. Bronze. Gorham Co. New York Founders. Gift of A. Phimister Proctor Museum with special thanks to Sandy and Sally Church. 2.16.2. Photograph by William J. O’Connor.
Attendees of the symposium can expect to:
- Learn about the history of bronze casting in America.
- Hear from experts about renowned sculptors Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and Alexander Phimister Proctor, their connections to Cody, and their impact on the national art scene.
- Consider groundbreaking contemporary sculpture in the West.
- Explore the bronze casting process as revealed by industry insiders who provide insight on this complicated—but compelling—art form.
- Interact with contemporary sculptors, and get the inside scoop on their artistic methods.
The symposium coincides with the publication of The Best of Proctor’s West, the latest book by noted art historian and the Center’s Director Emeritus Peter H. Hassrick. The event also draws on the subjects of two new exhibitions at the Center: Cody to the World! Celebrating 100 Years at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and a special spotlight exhibition in the Whitney’s Proctor Studio including new-to-view sculptures and paintings.
Pre-registration is encouraged and online registration is available. For questions and more information, contact Nicole Harrison at [email protected] or 307-578-4051.
We gratefully acknowledge funding received from the Peters Family Art Foundation, Bill and Robin Weiss, Carlene Lebous and Harris Haston, Hope and Edward Connors, and the Proctor Collection Endowment Fund. Thank you for supporting the Whitney’s mission of advancing scholarship on the art of the American West.
Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page.
