You’ll have the chance to see artists’ depictions of scenes across Owensboro-Daviess County later this month during the 18th Annual Buffalo Festival and Paintout hosted by the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. Interested artists still have time to apply.
The event will be held September 26-28 at OMFA, located at 901 Frederica Street.
Artists may enter the Buffalo Paintout by completing the registration form on omfa.us or by calling 270-685-3181. The registration fee is $20 before September 15. The fee increases to $35 after that date.
The three-day event will be highlighted by a gala reception from 6-8 p.m. on September 28, when more than $3,000 in awards will be presented for winning entries. The gala will feature thematic cuisine and entertainment by the bluegrass ensemble King’s Highway. Admission is $50 per person, or $40 per person for Friends of the Foundation members. Participating artists and a guest will be admitted for free. Reservations may be made by calling the museum at 270-685-3181 or emailing [email protected].
The Buffalo theme for the Festival and Paintout was inspired by the two heroic-sized bronzes installed in the art museum’s Ryan Sculpture Park on Frederica Street between 9th and 10th streets. The bronzes were commissioned by the museum to create the Bronze Buffalo Trace designed to commemorate the origins of Owensboro.
Present-day Frederica Street began as a buffalo trace through which settlers made their way to the banks of the Ohio River to establish the settlement which ultimately became Owensboro.
The bronze buffalo sculptures “Into the Wind” and “Meadowlands Pair” were gifts to the museum and the community from Mary Lou Steele and her late husband, Robert Steele, as well as former Mayor Ron Payne and his wife Denise. The bronzes were created by noted American wildlife sculptor T. D. Kelsey of Texas.
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art is open 12-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1-4 p.m. on weekends. Admission is free but donations are encouraged of $3 for adults for $2 for children.
