Interview with the Curators: Artist at Work - The Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy

For artist Kenneth M. Freeman, the cowboy hat and boots was not a gimmick or shtick. Neither was his Arizona attitude. Ken Freeman may have grown up in a traditional Jewish home in Chicago, Illinois but make no mistake he was a cowboy.

The Booth Western Art Museum, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, hosts the world premiere of the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Exhibition Artist at Work opening on January 16, 2010 and continuing through May 2, 2010 in the newly created Special Exhibition Gallery. This collection is a traveling retrospective of the late Kenneth M. Freeman (1935 - 2008) who had a prolific career as both an illustrator and fine artist, primarily portraying the American West. Artist at Work presents a cross-section of Freemans lifetime body of work and range of mediums.

The Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Exhibition Artist at Work scheduled opening on the Martin Luther King weekend holds special significance because of Freemans paintings, sculpture and artifacts portraying Buffalo Soldiers.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to the harshest and most desolate posts. The Buffalo Soldiers fought the Indian Wars of the American West and established frontier outposts which have since become towns, explains Bonnie Adams, curator of the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy. Ken Freeman was a Captain in the 9th Calvary Memorial Buffalo Soldiers.

A re-creation of Freemans studio is the centerpiece of this exhibition, defining the artists creative process. Earning scholarships to study at the American Academy of Art, Freeman studied techniques of the European old masters. Capturing the rich heritage of the many varied peoples he encountered in photographs, Freeman brought the personalities of these models to life.

Kens old masters technique was very time consuming but the outcome is extraordinary. It is the only way to achieve the depth of colors and warm layers of content that will pass the test of time.

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