The beauty of one of the last fully-functioning mountain ecosystems in the world, the stories of contemporary American Indian life entwined with tradition, and a view of the real and idealized West as seen through the evolution of western clothing-the Buffalo Bill Historical Center explores these diverse themes through this year's upcoming special exhibitions.
The stunning landscape and wildlife images of Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam reveal the beauty in the large area running from Yellowstone National Park up through the Yukon in Canada, a nearly two-thousand-mile corridor encompassing vital passageways on which wildlife depend for survival. The more than forty large-format color photographs by Florian Schulz highlight conservation issues and efforts to link existing parks with connected corridors throughout the region.
In collaboration with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, the exhibition was organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington in Seattle and Mountaineers Books. Yellowstone to Yukon opens April 15 in the Historical Center's John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery and runs through August 7.
On April 29, a second extraordinary photography exhibition opens in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation features the photography of Sara Wiles. The exhibition provides historical background for the Northern Arapaho people while the contemporary images invite viewers into the culture, values, and philosophies that guide contemporary Arapaho life. The photos include children, elders, families, and tribal activities.
Arapaho Journeys will be on view from April 29 - October 2 and is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
The real West and the idealized West are represented through apparel in a unique exhibition titled Dressed Just Right: An Evolution of Western Style from Function to Flamboyance, opening June 3, also in the Special Exhibitions Gallery at the Center. Function and style blend together in the western clothing, accessories, and decorative arts that make up the exhibition.
More information about these special exhibitions, as well as the permanent galleries, programs, field trips, and other events planned for 2011 can be found at the Historical Center's Web site, www.bbhc.org
