Creative Connections

Memories of Carroll Smith, Chief Draftsman for the Richardson/Bass Companies – 2006, Oral History conducted by former museum staff, Debi Carl. Debi Carl:  Tell me about the island.  I’ve never had the opportunity to go there.  I think I know the story about how Sid acquired it.   What I’ve heard Clint Murchison owned the one adjacent to it and Sid spent so much time down there that Clint said, “The one next door’s for sale, why don’t you just buy it?”  (Laughter) And he did. Carroll Smith:  He got it for a song.  He didn’t have to pay very much [...]

Our upcoming exhibit, Another Frontier: Frederic Remington’s East, explores a different side - an Eastern side - of this iconic Western artist. Although Remington traveled throughout the American West on assignment for many of the popular magazines for which he worked, most of his compositions were completed in his New York-based studio. One of his favorite places to paint was in his beloved North Country in the northern-most tip of New York state, where Remington spent most of his summers. The North Country could be defined as the forested region stretching from the Adirondack Mountains across the St. Lawrence River [...]

Charles M. Russell, When Blackfeet and Sioux Meet, 1908, Oil on canvas, 20 1/2 x 29 7/8 inches In our ongoing efforts to learn more about the various American Indian cultures represented in our collection - like the Blackfeet depicted in many of Charlie Russell’s paintings - The Sid recently hosted a training for our docent volunteers led by Dr. Michael Wise, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas, where he specializes in the history of the American West. Dr. Wise has studied many aspects of the food histories and cultural environments of the [...]

If you took an art class in school or just for fun, you’ve probably had the opportunity to make some kind of sculpture, whether with clay, plaster, play-doh, or other materials. But how many of us have experienced casting a sculpture out of bronze? Bronze is the most popular metal for casting sculptures, and was a material with which both Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington cast their many bronze pieces, including those currently on display in our galleries. How does one cast a bronze sculpture? Photo credit: OKFoundryCompany When casting metal, there are a lot of challenges you [...]

In 1907, Charlie Russell paid tribute to Montana resident, Millie Ringgold, in his painting “Utica.” A musical person, Millie often played songs while drumming her empty five-gallon coal oil can, which can be scene prominently in Russell’s painting. In honor of Black History Month, join us as we follow the story of a freed slave, her favorite song, and the first great cautionary tale of the oil age. The following article was researched and written by SRM docent, S. Mark Clardy. Millie Ringgold Millie Ringgold was born a slave in Maryland in about 1845.  After the Emancipation Proclamation, [...]

Three of the often cited reasons for the closing of the frontier of the American West typically include the telegraph, the transcontinental railroad, and barbed wire. Display of different types of barbed wire. Cattle Raisers Museum. Fort Worth, TX. So you may be surprised to learn that large scale manufacturing of barbed wire began first in the Mid-West in central Illinois (1874-75) before expanding to the American West. The invention of barbs also made its way into other preventative products, such as calf weaners, cattle yokes & pokes, and even into poison bottle designs. Joel Horn Breachy Cattle [...]

From September 15 – October 15, as a nation we observe and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. This time is an opportunity to recognize and honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of fellow Americans whose families and ancestors immigrated from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central & South America. By Doerr & Jacobson -- Photographer - Original source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views. / United States. / States / Texas. / Stereoscopic views of San Antonio, Texas. (Approx. 72,000 stereoscopic views : 10 x 18 cm. or smaller.) digital record. This image is available from the New [...]

It’s August, and for students in Texas, that means the beginning of another school year. For some students, this month marks the beginning of their college years and will perhaps set the direction of their future careers. For many co-eds, college will be a time to discover their path, as was the case for SRM artist, Frederic Remington. In the spring of 1878, Remington wrote to his Uncle Horace Sackrider, “I am going to try and get into Cornell College this coming June and if I succeed will be a Journalist. I mean to study for an artist anyhow, whether [...]

Happy Summer Solstice! Summer is a time for fun and adventure…in the garden! Vegetable gardens are in full bloom this season. In Texas, gardeners have to remain diligent about watering and protecting their precious plants from the brutal heat. In the Southwest, where it’s dry and arid, people have developed techniques in order to adapt their gardens to the environment. One such technique is practiced by the Zuni (A:shiwi) called Latdekwi:we, or waffle gardening. Timothy O'Sullivan. Gardens surrounding the Indian pueblo of Zuni, 1873. Stereograph. Source: Stereographs from geographical explorations and surveys west of the 100th meridian, expeditions of [...]

Dr. David Cross from TCU guides our class through the various stages of child brain development. The end of the year is a time for reflection and review. In the education department, much of our attention has been on training a new class of docents at the Sid. Over the course of 13 weeks we have learned so much. Scholars from near and far have taught us about the background of two iconic artists of the American West, Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, as well as the history surrounding the time period in which these two artists lived [...]