Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Yellowstone Painted Buffalo Auction

On the evening of August 29, 2009 the West Yellowstone Painted Buffalo herd will be auctioned off to the highest bidders. For the months leading up to the auction, bids will be accepted via http://www.wyed.org.

The herd gathers one last time from August 20 to 26th, 2009 at the Yellowstone Historic Center and then moves to the Grand Hall, at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. The herd will be displayed for viewing and silent bids on August 28th and 29th in conjunction with the annual West Yellowstone Regional Art Show in adjoining Hayden Hall. Other events, including a pancake breakfast and a raffle drawing for one of the painted calves on Saturday, August 29th, are being planned.

In the fall of 2006, WYED provided a new venue for artistic expression in West Yellowstone by establishing their first project: “Where the Painted Buffalo Roam.” Twenty-seven life sized fiberglass cow buffalo molds were created, and 25 artists from four states, Minnesota, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, were commissioned to paint them. The artists expressed their creativity in 3 themes: Yellowstone Park, Historic West Yellowstone and the American Indian.

Project sponsors and additional donations helped bring the project to life. In June 2007, the masterpieces were unveiled to the public and have been the highlight of the town’s sidewalks and businesses ever since. In 2008, 1 new artist and 9 of the original artists were commissioned to paint 10 buffalo calves which joined their mothers roaming the streets of West Yellowstone.
On August 29th, 2009, the beautiful babes and babies will complete their 3 year roam through the streets of West. At that time, 34 painted buffalo will be auctioned off to the public, including “Frances,” a truly special and unique buffalo cow painted by 15 of the original artists. Auction proceeds will benefit the artists, local non-profit organizations and future WYED projects.