by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Northern Colorado foundry helps launch the nation’s 250th anniversary exhibition
Three larger-than-life bronze bison cast in Loveland are preparing for a cross-country journey to Washington, D.C., where they will anchor a major Smithsonian exhibition marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The sculptures were created at Art Castings of Colorado and will be installed outside the National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall as part of the exhibition “Bison: Standing Strong.” The museum-wide celebration honors the American bison — designated the national mammal in 2016 — and commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Before reaching the capital, the 125% life-size bronze statues will make a public stop in Colorado at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on March 11 and 12. The sculptures will be on display outside the museum during daytime hours, with Smithsonian experts on-site to discuss bison biology, conservation, and the species’ historical importance.
“These larger-than-life bronze bison depict museum specimens that literally helped turn the tide of extinction,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History. “Bringing the bronze bison to museums across the bison’s native range emphasizes the historic role the Smithsonian has played in preserving America’s natural history for future generations.”
Colorado sits at the heart of the bison’s historic range, and the species’ story is deeply woven into the region’s cultural fabric. Denver manages bison descended from a Yellowstone herd that helped save the species from extinction in the late 1800s. The state is also home to the gravesite of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and to Ralphie, the live buffalo mascot of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The immense sculptures were created by renowned natural history artist Gary Staab and cast in bronze in Loveland, long known for its public art and foundry expertise. After leaving Denver, the statues will continue to museums in Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois before being installed in Washington on March 18, with full public viewing beginning March 19.
The bronze bison is a gift from Naoma Tate and the family of Hal Tate. The broader exhibition and programming are supported through the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250” initiative, a nationwide commemoration of the country’s semiquincentennial.
“Bison: Standing Strong” will remain open through May 2029, while the Loveland-cast sculptures are expected to welcome visitors to the museum for generations.
Learn more about the museum and its exhibitions at https://naturalhistory.si.edu.
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Attribution: Information provided by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.