Curators

Mindy A. Besaw

The John S. Bugas Curator of the Whitney Gallery of Western Art
Phone: 307.578.4053-Fax: 307.578.4076
mindyb@bbhc.org

Mindy A. Besaw recently joined the staff of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center as the John S. Bugas Curator of the Whitney Gallery of Western Art. Ms. Besaw came to the Whitney from the Denver Art Museum, where she was Curatorial Associate at the Institute of Western American Art. While there, she served on a building-wide team that planned the re-installation of the permanent collection galleries in the new wing of the Museum which opened in 2006. Among other responsibilities at the Denver Art Museum, she also coordinated the exhibitions Frederic Remington: The Color of Night; West Point/Points West: A Celebration of Western Expeditionary Art; and The Harmsen Collection: A Colorado Legacy.

Ms. Besaw brings eight years of museum experience to the Whitney Gallery. She earned her M.A. in Art History at the University of Denver where she focused on museum studies and her B.F.A in Art History at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In addition to museum experience, Besaw was Adjunct Instructor in Art History at the University of Colorado, Denver for four years.

With a background in contemporary art as well as art of the West, Ms. Besaw’s special interest is to connect contemporary western art with its historical counterpart. She is currently working on an article comparing landscape artists of the twentieth century with nineteenth century explorer-artists.

Areas of Responsibility/Expertise

Whitney Gallery of Western Art collection and interpretations
Frederic Remington Catalogue Raisonné and Examination Process
Contemporary western American art
General western American art inquiries
Fine art special exhibitions

Mindy A. Besaw.