Recently Acquired
AGeorge Carlson bronze of a Native American figure is now part of the permanent collection at the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The work, the 30-inch-tall The Graceful Dance, was purchased during the 2017 Best of the Best exhibition at the museum, where Carlson was one of eight artists showing new and old work.
The work was purchased by museum trustee John Hale on behalf of the Hale Family Foundation. Immediately after the purchase of the work it was donated to the Woolaroc, where it’s been on display since February. It is the first Carlson work in the collection of the museum. The bronze is now on display with paintings by Thomas Moran and Nicolai Fechin on nearby walls.
“It’s great we’re able to keep the piece here in the museum,” says museum director Shiloh Thurman. “We’re honored to have a piece— and this is our third we’ve purchased or have had donated to us—from our Best of the Best show. And we just love George’s work, so this is extra special.”
Thurman says that during the run-up to the opening weekend of the exhibition Carlson was on hand to give a tour to a high school art class. “We were still in the rough staging of the exhibition so maybe 90 or 95 percent of the work was hung, and George came through with these kids and really broke down what the artists were doing, explained their technique and made educated guesses about the emotions they were feeling when they were creating paintings or bronzes. It was a tremendous gift to have him there talking to these young art students.”
The Woolaroc was established in 1925 as a ranch retreat for oilman Frank Phillips. Today the 3,700-acre ranch is home to the museum as well as a wildlife preserve filled with native and exotic species, including buffalo, elk and longhorn cattle. For more information about the museum visit www.woolaroc.org.
Calling all Western art museums! Have a recently acquired painting or sculpture? Email the details to editor@westernartcollector.com.