The Brinton Museum announced the continuation of its 2026 Fall Into Art Series with a new lecture titled “Pards of the Paintbrush: Cowboy Artists Across the West.” The event will take place Friday, Oct. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the museum’s historic campus in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Local heritage takes center stage
Learning and Engagement Coordinator Anna Sensel explained that the Fall Into Art Series is an in‑depth lecture program that celebrates the artistic legacy of the American West. This month’s focus turns to the region’s cowboy painters, a tradition that blends the rugged life of ranch work with the visual storytelling of fine art.
Bill Gollings: A Sheridan‑born cowboy artist
One of the featured artists is William (Bill) Gollings, a Sheridan‑based painter who established his studio in the town around 1909. Gollings worked as a cowboy on numerous ranches, riding the fence line along the northern Cheyenne Reservation to keep cattle on the proper side of the fence. Those daily experiences provided the raw material for his paintings, which depict cowboys, ranching operations, packed trains, cattle drives, breaking horses, and rodeo scenes.
Gollings also painted many Native American subjects after forming friendships with members of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes. His work captures both the frontier lifestyle and the cultural interactions that defined the early 20th‑century West.
Why the series matters to Sheridan
The Brinton Museum’s lecture series offers Sheridan residents a chance to connect with the region’s artistic roots. By highlighting artists like Gollings, the museum underscores the importance of preserving local heritage while encouraging contemporary appreciation for Western art.
“Our goal is to bring the stories of these artists to life for our community,” Sensel said. “When people understand the history behind the brushstrokes, they gain a deeper sense of pride in our shared Western legacy.”
Event details and community involvement
The lecture will be open to the public, with free admission for museum members and a modest fee for non‑members. Attendees can expect a presentation that includes visual slides of Gollings’ work, anecdotes from his life as a cowboy, and a discussion of how his art reflects broader Western themes.
Following the talk, museum staff will be available for a question‑and‑answer session, allowing locals to explore topics such as the preservation of historic studios, the role of art in documenting frontier life, and opportunities for future programming that celebrates Western culture.
Looking ahead
The Fall Into Art Series will continue throughout the season, featuring additional lectures on Western sculpture, photography, and contemporary artists who draw inspiration from the cowboy tradition. The Brinton Museum hopes the series will become a staple of Sheridan’s cultural calendar, fostering community engagement and reinforcing the town’s identity as a hub for Western art.
For more information about the Oct. 9 lecture or to purchase tickets, visit the Brinton Museum’s website or call the museum’s front desk.
Original reporting: Sheridan Media (Sheridan WY) — read the source article.
