Cody Illustrates Town’s Artistic Chops with Week of Events Showcasing Top Western Artists

CODY, Wyo., Sept. 7, 2016 – Almost as soon as the summer-season visitors to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country return home, taking memories of Cody Nite Rodeo and other seasonal attractions with them, the focus of Cody locals, regional travelers in-the-know, and art buyers from around the country turns to the annual Rendezvous Royale.

A week-long celebration of the art of the northwestern Wyoming region, the Rendezvous Royale is set for Sept. 17-24. The line-up of events includes an online Silent Auction, an invitational design exhibition called “By Western Hands,” and the Sept. 17 “Boot Scoot ‘N Boogie,” a street festival and dance showcasing the town’s art community. After a week of workshops, exhibitions, an art walk and other events, Rendezvous Royale culminates in a gala weekend including the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale on Friday night and the Buffalo Bill Quick Draw and Brunch Saturday morning. The Annual Patrons Ball Black-Tie Gala at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West rounds out the week.

“This is the event of the year for many of us who live and work in Cody, and it reflects not only the caliber of the world-class western artists who make our beautiful corner of Wyoming even more spectacular, but also the unwavering commitment of our community to organize and orchestrate this annual celebration of the arts,” said Claudia Wade, director of the Park County Travel Council, the marketing arm for the region.

The Art of Cody
Art has been central to the character of Cody for nearly as long as the 120-year-old town has existed. A recent story in U.S. News & World Report listed Cody among 10 destinations for art-lovers, citing the “interesting and quirky backstories” for many of the town’s most distinctive works of art.

For example, patrons of Rendezvous Royale will see the Smithsonian-affiliated Whitney Western Art Museum, open year-round and offering some of the best displays of art of the American West to be found anywhere. The museum got its start with a single striking piece of art – the massive sculpture of the town’s founder called “Buffalo Bill – The Scout” – created by New York heiress Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1924. The museum itself was established in 1959 and includes historic paintings, sculptures and prints created by artists such as Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell and Thomas Moran.

The town is also home to numerous galleries, including furniture galleries inspired by the town’s most famous furniture designer and builder, Thomas Molesworth and his Shoshone Furniture Company. Molesworth’s company supplied distinctive, Western-inspired furniture to regional guest ranches and hotels as well as to Easterners such as Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The Cody Country Art League across the street from the Center of the West is dedicated to promotion of art and artists, and it has a variety of displays and art shows housed in the original Buffalo Bill Museum, now on the National Register of Historic Places.

A short four-block walk north of Sheridan Ave. takes visitors to the Historic Cody Mural & Museum, in the rotunda of the Church of Latter-Day Saints in downtown Cody. The massive mural by Chicago artist Edward Grigware depicts the beginning of the church and experiences of early members during their exodus from the East to Utah. The artist was not a member of the church so he spent nearly a year studying its history and expansion into the West. His stunning interpretation draws visitors of all faiths from around the world.

***

Yellowstone Country is comprised of the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as the valley east of Yellowstone National Park.
The area of Park County is called “Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country” because it was the playground of Buffalo Bill Cody himself. Buffalo Bill founded the town of Cody in 1896, and the entire region was driven and is still heavily influenced by the vision of the Colonel. Today its broad streets, world-class museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West and thriving western culture host nearly 1 million visitors annually.

Media contact:
Mesereau Travel Public Relations
(970) 286-2751
[email protected]