The First Prairie Chicken
WELCOME TO THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN DESIGN (PCD) PRAIRIE & WESTERN BLOG
The PCD team is not only focused on imagery which can be shared but also to provide a resource for those who have an interest in Prairie and Western topics - these include history, art, culture, environment, agricultural, events, recreational and other information. this will be the place for links to articles, images, and information which might be of interest.
We have created this BLOG to share that information - we invite you to visit often to see updates, new posts and other bits of extremely interesting information which we hope will inform, educate and challenge you on topics with which you have an interest.
The first PCD post contains links to some wonderful museums which hopefully will provide some intrigue and pique your interest in the Plains and the West.
Arts & Culture - Museum Edition
There are countless museums across the US which provides one an opportunity to learn and experience the Plains and the West. These are some of our favorites and we hope this resource is helpful and serves as a catalysts to a visit sometime in the future.
Autry Museum of the American West (Los Angeles, California): theautry.org
Wonderful collection of ongoing western art. According to the Museum “Art of the West showcases the dynamic and evolving world of art that springs from the cultural practices of some of the many peoples who have shaped the American West. This exhibition is the first of its kind to explore how shared values and interests have inspired artists from different cultures and times to create distinctive, powerful works that speak to their experience of the West as both a destination and a home.”
Amon Carter Museum of American Art (Fort Worth, Texas): www.cartermuseum.org
A solid collection of photographic works including those of Edwin E. Smith Photographs - one of the preeminent Cowboy Photographers. The museum also has collections from L.A. Huffman (1854-1931), Evelyn Cameron (1868-1928) and Charles D. Kirkland (1851-1926) all of which represent a significant body of early Western Photographic work.
Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Cody, Wyoming): centerofthewest.org
The Center of the West is actually Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Natural History Museum and the Whitney Western Art Museum. The Center of the West is a sprawling campus so plan to spend some time if you want to experience all that this important cultural stop has to offer.
C.M. Russell Museum https://cmrussell.org/
The museum is considered the home of Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), “the art and soul of the American West”. If you are able to visit you will find that rings true. If you are a C.M. Russell fan or simply a fan of Western Art this is a must stop for anyone who wants to understand this complex and iconic figure. If you are not familiar with Charles M. Russell he was many things including “a consummate Westerner, historian, advocate of the Northern Plains Indians, cowboy, writer, outdoorsman, philosopher, environmentalist, conservationist, and not least, artist.”
Before you leave Great Falls a visit to the Montana Cowboys Association The Cowboys Museum at the Cowboys Bar is required - it is worth the stop.
Denver Art Museum https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/western-american-art-galleries
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (Indianapolis, Indiana): www.eiteljorg.org
Art of the American West Collection
Gilcrease Museum: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art - https://gilcrease.org/
This is another museum that is closed for construction but holds another impressive collection and is a ‘must stop’ if you are near Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to the museum “…The Gilcrease Art Collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints represents artists and subjects from across North America. From colonial portraiture in New England, to 20th-century modernism in the Southwest, to contemporary Native American artists, the collection features more than 13,000 artworks spanning 400 years, forming one of the world’s most comprehensive views of American art”. If you are interested in viewing their online collection click here
Joslyn Museum of Art - https://www.joslyn.org/
The Joslyn is currently closed scheduled to reopen in 2024. If you are interested in seeing what the new Joslyn will look like the time lapsed construction can be seen here. This is another iconic museum of Western and regional art and is in the heart of Omaha.
Museum of Nebraska Art - https://mona.unk.edu/mona/
Another Museum that is closed for renovations. The museum has a small but impressive collection of works which focuses on Nebraska and the plains. According to MONA [their] “…permanent collection reflects the history and culture of the state and holds work from artist-explorers like George Catlin to the early 20th century American master and Cozad native Robert Henri, to Thomas Hart Benton’s original illustrations for The Oregon Trail. MONA also proudly displays one of the nation’s premier collections of wildlife art by John James Audubon.”
Museum of Northwest Colorado https://museumnwco.org/
One of the highlights of the Northwest Colorado is the Gunslingers Museum. The Museum's is as exciting as the name implies and provides a fascinating display or a variety's of artifacts from the day.
The Plainsman Museum https://www.plainsmanmuseum.org/
The Plainsman museums is a wonderful ohmage to the Pioneers of the region. The current exhibit is “Impact Nebraska Artists' "Willa Cather" Art Exhibition from September 15 - November 10
Rockwell Museum (Corning, New York): www.rockwellmuseum.org
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma): nationalcowboymuseum.org
By the museums own words “The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture…located in Oklahoma City, [The Museum] collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American. For those that have visited those words might seem like an understatement. It is one of the preeminent Cowboy Museums are if you are in the area it is an important stop.
FAM - First American Museum (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma): - https://famok.org/
Before you leave Oklahoma City visiting the First American Museum (FAM) is also an important stop. FAM provides “visitor experience the collective histories of 39 distinctive First American Nations in Oklahoma today. First Americans Museum shares the cultural diversity, history, and contributions of the First Americans”. To learn more about the FAMs mission click here
National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) (Smithsonian) - Washington, D.C.: https://americanindian.si.edu/
Wyoming State Museum: https://wyomuseum.wyo.gov/
The museum was established in 1895 and required by statute to collect, preserve, and interpret a diverse range of objects, including history, art, anthropology, and natural history. These collections represent Wyoming’s heritage, from prehistory to the present day. Another stop which is worth the price of admission - it is free.
