Curated by Stacey Durham, NBC Oklahoma Art Collections Manager

The American Horse has shared a long history with Native American and cowboy communities. Highly known for their domestic nature, American horses transformed the lives of these groups culturally and economically. They changed the way both groups traveled, earned income, harvested food and established social customs. They also became the most recognized symbols in Native and cowboy imagery. Inspiring and useful in times of peace and war, native art often depicts horses aiding them in warfare or assisting nomadic groups with carrying their belongings to their new settlements. Cowboy art showcases horses helping early ranchers herd other animals across rivers and mountainous landscapes. They also acted as a mode of transportation for hauling necessary items to sustain the cattleman while en route to their final destination. The equestrian life opened a door of endless possibilities that allowed for the advancement and expansion of civilization to the West.

Trailblazers is an exhibition that pays homage to the vital role horses played in the development of Western civilizations particularly with Native American and cowboy groups. Artists such as Harold Holden, Bill Anton, Richard West and Brent Learned excel at highlighting the horses’ physical capabilities in active moments of labor and raw on the close bond and trust between them and their human counterparts in scenes of leisure. Most importantly, their works of art in this outstanding collection demonstrate how the American horse empowered man to forge innovative paths in Western heritage.