The exhibit includes varied depictions of Buffalo Bill: some traditional busts, portraits and realistic scenes of historically significant moments, others more impressionistic. The show includes works by trained fine artists and folk artists alike.
One painting portrays a shootout between Buffalo Bill and Yellow Hair, a Cheyenne sub-chief. "Buffalo Bill took Yellow Hair's scalp. Of course, scalping is not very politically correct these days," says Friesen. "In those days, the Indians were scalping people all over the plains, and scouts like Buffalo Bill did that as a rite of passage. Quite frankly, that earned him greater recognition and respect among the Indians." Friesen has grown accustomed to rebutting jabs from museum visitors who are concerned about Buffalo Bill's dealings with American Indians. "There is always someone out there who wants to be offended," he says. "I call them the politically correct and historically confused. We don't want people to think all Buffalo Bill did was kill Indians. It was kill or be killed. That's all that happened here in the Great Plains. You have people who come and say he killed all the buffalo and killed all the Indians. He advocated for preservation of the buffalo. He was an early hunter, and he was as concerned as anybody else that the buffalo would be wiped out. After the Indians wars were over, he became the Indians' best friend, hiring them to be a part of the Wild West Show and helping preserve their culture when U.S. government policy was attempting to destroy their culture." In Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, a traveling troupe of former cowboys, cowgirls and Indians would reenact scenes and attempt to give audiences an authentic taste of the wild West. "Some say he exaggerated it to give it more entertainment value. Buffalo Bill built his show on the bedrock of experience," Friesen says.One experience omitted from the museum's show is that of Native American artists. "I don't recall any well known Indian artists that have done a Buffalo Bill image," Friesen says. But Lakota visitors frequent the museum to see Sitting Bull's headdress, Lakota pipes and other artifacts, Friesen notes, and the museum has volunteers from various tribal backgrounds.
The museum will kick off the exhibit at Buffalo Bill's Birthday Bash, a free event from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, February 23, at the musueum. Folk, Fine and Funky: Buffalo Bill in Art will run through January 25, 2015, at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road in Golden. Regular admission is $5. For more information go to buffalobill.org or call 303-526-0744.
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