The Booth Museum Extends Freeman Art Exhibition
- The Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Exhibition - ‘Artist at Work’

Scottsdale, AZ (February 4, 2010) – The world premier of Kenneth M. Freeman exhibition consists of fifty (50) oil paintings and sculptures that feature working cowboys and cowgirls, rodeo heroes, Native American elders and children, mountain men, Western landscapes, and Buffalo Soldiers.

After a successful launch and positive response, The Booth Western Art Museum, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, has extended the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Exhibition – ‘Artist at Work’ through May 22, 2010. The exhibition also highlights a number of educational exhibits that include a re-creation of Ken Freeman’s studio complete with easel and artifacts, a section on Ken Freeman, the illustrator, showcasing a display of book covers and posters including ‘Fallon’ by Louis L’Amour, and a special section on the Buffalo Soldiers (http://www.9thcavalry.com).

“The Kenneth Freeman Legacy Exhibition represents a true working artist,” said Seth Hopkins, executive director of the Booth Western Art Museum. “The exhibition shows the artist at work … as an illustrator, sculptor, and painter. The Booth Museum has two of Ken’s paintings in our permanent collection.”

“This is also be the first temporary exhibition at the Booth Museum since the opening of our new 40,000 sq. ft. expansion, completed in October, 2009,” added Hopkins. “We now house the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the country. We say: You don’t have to leave the South to visit the West.”

The Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy exhibition opening on the Martin Luther King weekend held a special significance with the Buffalo Soldiers display.

“During the late 1800’s 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,” explained Bonnie Adams, curator of the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy. “Ken was an honorary Captain in the 9th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers and his paintings and sculpture of the Buffalo Soldiers are compelling works.”

Included in the Buffalo Soldiers exhibit are a regiment flag, Ken’s uniform, photographs, pencil sketches, underpaintings, artifacts, finished paintings and sculpture.

The studio recreation in exhibition focuses on Ken’s artistic technique.

“Ken painted each work three times. First he sketched on the canvas or board with pencil and then did a full value, burnt umber painting where he worked out all the values. When the burnt umber was dry, he laid down the color,” added Adams. “This was the style of the old masters and members of the press dubbed Ken Freeman The Rembrandt of the Rodeo.”

Ken was a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago (www.aaart.edu). He began taking classes at the American Academy of Art in the summer of 1950 at the age of 15. He won a scholarship to the school from the Latham Foundation. He also studied with renowned artist Haddon Sundblom.

“He was a man you could never forget. His enthusiasm for life and art was contagious. Of all the artists from the Academy I've met over the years, Ken really stood out as one of a kind,” said Aron Gagliardo of the American Academy of Art.

About Kenneth M. Freeman (1935-2008)
Accolades include winning the Salmagundi Show in New York City, the Union League Club of Chicago, being chosen five times as artist for the Parada del Sol Rodeo in Scottsdale, AZ and having a painting selected for the 1988 Prescott Centennial Rodeo. That particular painting was also used as the inside cover of Arizona Highways Magazine. Ken was also famous for painting original art for the Hashknife Pony Express ride three years running from which posters have been made and sold in the post offices. Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona chose two of these posters for display in the Library of Congress in the American Legacy Project
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Ken was known affectionately as “Rembrandt of the Rodeo” by members of the press. First Lady Barbara Bush, impressed with Ken Freeman’s southwestern art, invited him to show at the Smithsonian Institute in conjunction with the Native American Museum Extravaganza. Ken also had a one man show in 2007 in Milan, Italy. In addition to creating book covers for Louis L’Amour (http://www.louislamour.com), Will James (http://www.willjames.org) and other western authors, Freeman produced original art for Hamilton Collectibles, a ten plate series called Proud Indian Families. His notable portraits included President Herbert Hoover, John Wayne, Robert Fuller, Sherwin Wasserman, Senator Lister Hill, Ray Herndon, John Smith and Waylon Jennings.

Website: www.KennethMFreeman.com has streaming HD video interviews with Robert Fuller, Rex Allen Jr., Ray Herndon, and Sergeant Major Bill McCurtis of the Buffalo Soldiers.

Exhibition Dates for the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Exhibition – ‘Artist at Work’
-- January 16, 2010 – May 22, 2010: The Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
-- June 26, 2010 - October 24, 2010: Phippen Museum Prescott, AZ
-- Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities Available. Email: Doug@DMProductionsLLC.com

ONLINE RESOURCES: High resolution images are available online in a WinZip file:
http://www.KennethMFreeman.com/freeman_downloads.zip
Images include Tough Draw (the title image of the exhibition), Cookie Lady, Little Princess, Sergeant Major Bill, The Hand-Off and Young Pow Wow Dancer as well as images of Ken Freeman.