Our décor is a dedication to our namesake, Frederic Remington, whose paintings and sculptures tell the story of the American West.
Although Remington's in Okoboji youth was spent out East and he attended the school of Fine Arts at Yale, he was intrigued by the West. After a marriage rejection, he decided to go West to seek his fortune. He returned home empty handed, but the West, its people, its history and its spirit were to serve as the foundation for his art. The door was open. He made his debut and was introduced to the public when a full-page illustration appeared in Harper's Weekly. He worked for magazines as their artist-correspondent while accompanying soldiers following the trail of Geronimo. He became the authority of life in the West and was consulted on details of illustrations.
He has the ability to depict reality with a bit of morality - his work was not just of an Indian, but of a ravaged Indian, the misunderstood solider and the disappearing cowboy. His interest was in the people and the part they played in history. His love of horses is brought to life in his paintings and sculptures. But the horse never stands alone. It is secondary to his focal point, the man.
In addition to over 2500 paintings and drawings, some of which you see around you, Remington's repertoire consists of over 25 sculptures, including the most famous western art bronze - "The Bronco Buster"
In the late 1800's, William Coffin said, "There is no question that Eastern people have formed their conceptions of what Far-Western life is like more from what they have seen in Mr. Remington's pictures than from any other source..." The soldier, the cowboy and rancher, the Indian, the horse and the cattle of the plains still live on...because of Frederic Remington.
| Open Daily | 11:00 am - ? |
