The American Heritage Center is one of the University of Wyoming’s greatest assets available to students. Being one of the largest archives in the nation, especially west of the Mississippi River, it hosts an impressive array of artifacts, old books, and artwork. Currently, the AHC has several compelling and interesting showcases that students of all majors should check out. Some of the highlights include:
“Italy’s Legendary Cowboys of the Maremma,” by Gabrielle Saveri, is a photographic exhibition by Gabrielle Saveri, and it delves into the world of the Butteri, Italy’s traditional cowboys. The exhibit is a fascinating look at other cowboys outside the United States and holds special significance as a result. It’s a general look at the attire, typical cultural practices, horsemanship, and way of life of these cowboys, and provides an interesting perspective that many cowboys in the United States might not see otherwise, and gives a glimpse at what cowboys were like before they were even known as cowboys, as the Butteri tradition is nearly 2,000 years old. The Butteri are predominantly from the Maremma region of Tuscany and Northern Lazio, located in the north-central portion of Italy. This exhibit will be running through April 20.
Another interesting exhibit currently on display is “Western Women: What Makes a Cowgirl?” This exhibit was curated by a UW AHC intern by the name of Grace Derby. This exhibition explores the lives of seven different women with different stories who forged their own path through the perilous American West, and visitors can learn about women who worked on ranches, rode in rodeos, and even some who spent time alongside their fellow outlaws. It provides an impressively thorough glimpse into what the lives of these women were like and is well worth visiting for anyone interested in the history of the west. This exhibit will be on display until April 22.
Finally, the most recent exhibit is “Painted for Illustration: Paintings and Published Western Art From the Collection of Naoma Tate.” This is a particularly interesting exhibit, focusing on the works of Naoma Tate, who was primarily an artist dedicated to the creation of artwork for various books and magazines. This exhibit is a rare look at what goes into making artistic illustrations for book covers and magazines, something that isn’t thought about very often. Sometimes these paintings aren’t able to be viewed in their full glory on just the cover of a book, and seeing what the artist truly intended to display when in full format is a very interesting perspective. This exhibit goes until April 22.
The AHC’s exhibition areas are open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5pm, and admission is free. These exhibitions provide enriching opportunities for students and the community to engage with interesting historical narratives and artistic expressions that may not be seen on other areas of campus.
