When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off in 1803 on a trek across the then brand-spanking-new Louisiana Purchase, they expected to meet a lot of new people, see new terrain and uncover a lot of interesting new things.
More than 200 years later, their long journey continues to inspire artists who look westward and back in time for their subjects. Lewis & Clark: The Corps of Discovery Art Sale and Exhibition brings the work of some of the most successful contemporary Western artists to the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve.
The show’s opening weekend, Sept. 27-28, is booked with events for show sponsors, art collectors and spectators alike. An artist and sponsor dinner offering a preview of the show is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27. The following day, guests can participate in guest talks with artist Charles Fritz and hear a presentation by author James P. Ronda (Lewis and Clark Among the Indians) before the exhibition and sale officially open at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28.
The event includes 100 pieces by Fritz, a nationally recognized Western painter, along with 14 works by painter Michael Haynes illustrating the two-year expedition. Also part of the show and sale are 50 bronze sculptures by Richard Greeves, a Lewis and Clark historian and artist.
Pieces marked for sale can be purchased during the Sept. 28 evening sale reception. Proceeds benefit the museum.
Lewis & Clark: The Corps of Discovery will remains on exhibit at Woolaroc, 1825 Woolaroc Ranch Road, Bartlesville, through Dec. 29.
All-day passes to Sept. 28 events are $125-$175, while tickets to that evening’s show and sale event are $75-$125 and includes the cocktail reception and museum admission from 6-9 p.m. For more information the exhibit and sale or to learn more about event sponsorship, go to www.woolaroc.org.
