Each year, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Patrons Ball fundraising gala includes a silent auction of beautiful artwork and jewelry, decorative arts, and unique experiences. You can find—and bid on—several of these amazing items online!
The silent auction offers opportunities to buy a unique gift for a friend or loved one (or yourself!), and offers the Center your thoroughly appreciated support, as all proceeds benefit Center programs and operations.
To take a look at all the offerings in our silent auction, most of which were generously donated, visit the auction website at www.32auctions.com/PB2021. Bidding ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, September 20, 2021.
Below are a few highlights… Please note: the auction is on-going so items that appear on this page may sell at any time. Keep an eye on the auction site to check current bids and availability!
Artwork
- A Contemporary Sioux Indian framed print by James Bama: View and bid
- A Family Portrait framed, original oil painting: View and bid
- Princeton Tigers bronze bookends by Alexander Phimister Proctor (posthumous cast): View and bid
James Bama print: “A Contemporary Sioux Indian,” signed and numbered, 594/1000. 
W.A. Sawczuk original oil painting: “A Family Portrait.” 
Alexander Phimister Proctor posthumous bronze bookends.
Jewelry
- Baroque pearls on Sonoran turquoise two-strand necklace: View and bid
- Prehnite on gold silk with deer lace necklace: View and bid
- Navajo pearl necklace: View and bid
Baroque pearls on Sonoran turquoise two-strand necklace. 
Prehnite on gold silk with deer lace necklace. 
Navajo pearl necklace.
Center of the West Experiences
Among the beautiful artwork, jewelry, and decorative arts pieces included in the auction are two custom-designed Experiences with us here at the Center. These each give the winning bidder a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes or enjoy an exclusive experience you won’t find anywhere else. Take a look…
Geology with George
Explore the fantastic geologic structures of the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River Canyon. The Clark’s Fork Canyon is the seventh deepest canyon in the world. Carved by the constant erosion of the river and massive glacial floods, the canyon exposes amazing formations and deformations.
George Miller, an Outreach Educator at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, leads you on a wonderful morning of adventure and discovery. Together we will see the remnants of Pleistocene glaciers and the spectacular folding from the Laramide Orogeny, and untangle even older structures. As an educator, George makes the technical and esoteric geology come alive before your eyes. Join us for a fun and educational adventure right here in Northwest Wyoming.
Lunch and transportation provided by the Center. Limited to 4 participants.
For a preview of George’s tour, check out his video on the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River: https://youtu.be/95NYzcRu36Y.
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $2,500
Cowboy Cookin’ for 8: Career Night for Aspiring Chuckwagon Cooks!
Four of you will help “Cooky” Rich Herman prepare dinner the way they did on cattle drives—and the way Rich still does on pack trips. Your “kitchen” is an authentic chuckwagon supplemented by an open fire. Cooky will supervise while you build the fire, make and bake the biscuits and cobbler, get the beans ready, and cook steaks to perfection. The other four can watch, or kick back and relax with a glass of wine while waiting to be served. After a bit of cleanup, join Cooky and his able assistant, Debbie, around the cookfire to hear more about how cowboys cooked and ate out on the range. Rich shares anecdotes about his years feeding hungry guests on pack trips. Come away with authentic chuckwagon recipes and wonderful new memories.
For 8 participants; a limited number of additional guests can be accommodated for dinner for an additional fee.
Your preferred date subject to availability. Cooky says the fire keeps him warm, so you can schedule your experience in fall or spring as well as summer!
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $2,000
These items are just a few highlights.
Click here to view all auction items.
How to bid
Bidding on our silent auction items is easy. Simply navigate to the silent auction online, create an account, and go from there. If you visit the Center of the West in person, these auction items will be on display starting September 8; you can just scan the QR code on the label you’ll find with each individual item to begin bidding, or select the option to purchase an item at the Buy Now price.
Again, bidding ends at 5 p.m. Monday, September 20, 2021.
We thank you for your support through this online auction
The proceeds from the Patrons Ball silent auction benefit the mission and programs of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. We can’t thank you enough for your support!
For more information or questions, please contact the Development Office at 307-578-4008 or [email protected]. The successful bidders can make arrangements for pick-up or delivery.
