For immediate release

Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale
Cody, Wyoming
Contact Diane Ballard, director
1-888-598-8119, or (307) 587-5002
art@codychamber.org

Cody Hosts Western Arts Festival

Cody, Wyo. - The Buffalo Bill Art Show will roll out the best in contemporary Western art during an annual celebration of the arts Sept. 26-27 in Cody - a burgeoning arts community in the foothills east of Yellowstone National Park.

"Our visitors come back every year because they love the art and feel genuinely welcome here," says Art Show Director Diane Ballard. "Our event is informal, casual and personal, affording many opportunities to meet the artists."

More than 100 juried artists exhibit their latest oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, sculpture, ceramic and mixed media during a month-long show culminating in a dinner and auction within a massive tent on the grounds of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

Now in its 22nd year, the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale is the centerpiece of Cody's annual arts celebration, also featuring the Western Design Conference and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's black tie gala, the Patron's Ball. This trio of events, Sept. 24-27, is known collectively as the Rendezvous Royale.

Opening Aug. 26, and remaining on display through Sept. 26, the Buffalo Bill Art Show exhibits varied representations of the landscapes, people and wildlife of the American West. State-of-the-art lighting techniques favor each piece in a spacious venue: the Photography Gallery of the Historical Center's new Draper Museum of Natural History.

On the night of the sale, art collectors and artists come together inside a 200 by 60 foot tent with sleek white walls, lending a casual atmosphere to an evening of fine dining and spirited auctioneering. Sales prices average about $5,000 for live auction items, and keen collectors spot numerous bargains during a series of silent auctions.

The Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale annually generates sales of more than $500,000. Proceeds benefit programming and art acquisitions for the non-profit Buffalo Bill Historical Center, as well as the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce.

The morning after the sale, the art show continues with a hearty breakfast and a lively Quick Draw. Art lovers stroll across the Historical Center's grounds to observe two dozen painters and sculptors at work, often using live models. A lighthearted auction of Quick Draw pieces concludes the weekend on a colorful note.

While they're in Cody, art lovers take advantage of special exhibits, artist demonstrations and seminars in conjunction with the art show and Western Design Conference. Artists display their skills at galleries across town, and also within the museums of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

This year, participants may ride a trolley for a tour of the studios of some of Cody Country's leading artists, including Mel Fillerup, M.C. Poulsen, Linda S. Raynolds, Jeffrey B. Rudolph, and Steve Schrepferman, in addition to Caleco Foundry.

Also this year, the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale has named its first annual Honored Artist. The artist, James Bama, long acclaimed for his realistic studies of the contemporary American West, will present a lecture, "My Life as a Western Artist," as part of the weekend schedule.

Visitors often schedule extra time to visit Yellowstone Park during the quiet fall shoulder season, view the spectacular scenery and wildlife throughout the region, or tour the city of Cody - forged by Buffalo Bill Cody at the turn of the century.

Cody's arts weekend also presents a convenient opportunity to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and its five museums dedicated to the arts and culture of the American West, including the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, featuring famous works by C.M. Russell, Albert Bierstadt, W.H.D. Koener, N.C. Wyeth, Frederic Remington, Thomas Moran, Harry Jackson and other western masters.

For more information call Buffalo Bill Art Show Director Diane Ballard, (307) 587-5002, email art@codychamber.org, or visit www.buffalobillartshow.com.