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As
the largest native animal on the continent, the North American Bison is
a cultural icon that has survived for millennia. The Custer Area Arts
Council has taken the buffalo icon to another level in a 21st
century art venue. Through the 4th Annual Custer Stampede the
public now has an opportunity to own a piece of two or three dimensional
buffalo art in sizes ranging from life-sized to tabletop.
Beginning
May 2008, the buffalo art will be displayed in Custer City and the
surrounding Black Hills. Visit a local area business to get your free
map for the Custer Stampede. On Saturday, September 26, 2008, the unique
pieces of art will be “rounded up” and corralled in downtown Custer
City. Prior to the public auction there will be live entertainment and
the 4th Annual Taste of Custer, located at the 1881 Courthouse Museum at
411 Mt Rushmore Rd. Proceeds from the auction
help fund future arts and economic development projects in Custer, South
Dakota.
If
you’d like to sponsor a piece of buffalo art or be a contributor to
this community art project, you may send your tax-deductible donation to
the Custer Area Arts Council, P. O. Box 310, Custer, SD 57730-0310. If
you’re interested in purchasing unique buffalo art and can’t be
present at the auction on September 26th, bids will be
accepted by the Custer Stampede Committee.
The
Beginning
In
October 2004, members of the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce and the
Custer Area Arts Council joined together to form the Custer Stampede
Committee. The committee's focus was to put together an annual
event that would represent our community, involve our growing arts
population, and make Custer City a favorite destination point. The
outcome of this vision was a visual art project to be held every year.
The first event was in 2005 when 20 artist transformed 20 life-size
fiberglass buffalo into one-of-a-kind works of art. These
masterpieces were then displayed throughout Custer City for the
summer/fall months. The event culminated with the auction, where
the highest bidder took their buffalo home to roam in new pastures.
Custer
Stampede 2006
The
second annual Custer Stampede Event adorned the streets of Custer City
with the artwork of twenty juried artists, using the Charlie Russell
Museum buffalo form. In addition to the 20 life-size buffalo,
there were also ten tabletop buffalo, all transformed by regional
artists and displayed by local businesses.
Custer
Stampede 2007
Local
businesses will distribute FREE Buffalo Trail maps to visitors
throughout the summer and early fall of 2007. These exclusively
designed maps show where each of the numbered buffalo can be located;
buffalo numbers correspond to the artist listed on the back of the map.
A full color,
collectable, auction booklet will be available for purchase beginning in
May at local businesses. Each page in the book features an artist,
their biography, their buffalo art, and their vision. Two pages showcase
previous years’ buffalo. The price is $9.95.
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