The Remington Art Museum

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Good things do come in small packages! This small exquisite gem of a museum is located in Ogdensburg, New York, on the south shore of the St Lawrence River, opposite Prescott, Ontario. It is dedicated to the life and works of Frederic Remington, who at the turn of the 20^thcentury was probably America’s most widely known and respected illustrator and sculptor. Margo and I were fortunate to be able to tour it and receive briefings from the enthusiastic curator, Laura Foster. If you are anywhere within a thousand kilometers of Ogdensburg, a visit to this museum will be a trip you won’t forget.

Frederic Remington:

Born in Canton, New York, in 1861, he gradually matured into America’s preeminent interpreter of the old “Wild West” and the cowboy’s life, through his paintings, writings, magazine illustrations, and extraordinarily realistic sculptures. His life was one of great variety – son of a Civil War Colonel, he became an Ivy League college student, rancher, saloon keeper, war correspondent and artist, journalist, novelist, adventurer, oil painter, and sculptor, and the creator of the art form commonly referred to as “cowboy” sculpture. He was one of the most famous American artists of his time, and two of his paintings were featured on US Postage stamps in 1888. He died in 1909: sculptures under way at the time were finished by his fellow sculptor, Sally J. Farnham, and cast under his widow’s direction. For a complete account of his life, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Remington

The Museum:

It is housed in a beautiful 1809 mansion, renovated around 1900, which became the residence of Remington’s widow Eva, who lived there until 1918. She bequeathed the residence, the artist’s collection, and the many furnishings which they had collected over the years to the Remington Art Memorial, founded there in 1923, which eventually became the Museum. There are examples of the illustration work that first brought him fame, plus numerous bronzes and paintings. It has an education center (“Kid’s Place”) aimed mainly at children and young teens, that provides hands-on opportunities for families to explore Remington’s world and artistic process through creative artistic play. For recent information on its activities go to: http://www.fredericremington.org/remington-related-summer-2014-newsletter.php .

I hope my modest glimpse into this cultural gem inspires you to visit. And don’t forget you can enlarge any of my 40 images below by simply clicking on it.

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