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GIFT OF AN OBJECT
Object and Artifact Donations
The Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum collection exists because of the generosity of donors. All collecting activities are guided by the Museum’s mission and vision statements. If you have an object or artwork that you would like to donate, please review our mission and vision statements to help understand our collecting focus:
Mission
The Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum’s mission is to cultivate a rich educational space for the diverse, international community served by, and rooted in, the American western legacy of Cheyenne Frontier Days.
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Vision
The Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum’s vision is to be an accredited, sustainable, culturally dynamic community asset.
If you believe your object supports our collection, please contact us to make an appointment with one of the Museum collections staff. Your gift may help fill a gap in our collections!
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Michael Kassel
Curator of Collections
mike.kassel@oldwestmuseum.org
Phone: (307) 778-1410
Curtis Olson
Registrar
curtis.olson@oldwestmuseum.org
Phone: (307) 778-7236
Contact:
Museum Purchase Program
The Museum Purchase Program began with the Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show and Sale during the summertime in 1981. The desire was to build a permanent Western Art Collection for the Museum that also supports the art shows. Through this program, businesses and individuals are encouraged to purchase a selection from the show as a donation to the Museum’s permanent collection.
The permanent collection has expanded from what is now known as the “Traditional Museum Purchase Collection” to include the “Contemporary Museum Purchase Program” which supports the Western Spirit Art Show and Sale and is held in the springtime.
All of the art in the Museum Purchase Collection has been purchased through either the Western Spirit Art Show or Sale or through the CFD Western Art Show and Sale.
The CFD Old West Museum’s Art Collecting Policy states “The CFD Old West Museum collects art inspired by life of yesterday and today of the High Plains and the Rocky Mountain West.”
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Contact Lonnie Reese to become a Museum purchaser
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Just LeDoux It, Mike Thomas, 2021 Museum Purchase Piece. Donated by Bill & Beth Edwards to celebrate the 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days™
FAQ about Donations
What is the donation process?
Potential object(s) for the permanent collection are put on a list that the Board Collections Committee reviews. The Committee decides if the object(s) is/are relevant to the Museum’s mission and vision statements. If they are relevant, the object(s) are then sent to and approved by a majority vote from the Museum’s Board of Directors. Once artifacts are accepted into the collection by the Board of Directors, the object(s) is/are considered to be the property of the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum and will be cared for according to the best practices as established by the American Alliance of Museums.
Can I just loan you an object and get it back later?
The Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum sometimes borrows objects from individuals and institutions for special exhibits. Such loans are initiated by the Museum staff and are for a limited duration. As policy, the Museum does not accept loans of artifacts that are not part of a planned exhibition.
Can you tell me how much my donation is worth?
The Museum staff cannot place a valuation on an object for donors, potential donors or citizens of the community. If you need an item appraised we recommend that you hire an appraiser who has been certified by one of the three sources below. Each accredited member has earned a professional designation in one or more specialized area of appraisal.
Here are some links:​
American Society of Appraisers (ASA) http://www.appraisers.org/
American Appraisers’ Association of America (AAA) https://www.appraisersassociation.org/
International Society of Appraisers (ISA) https://www.isa-appraisers.org/