On July 4, the Frederic Remington Art Museum will celebrate America’s 250th birthday by honoring one its most iconic and cherished artists. An artist whose works chronicled the expansion of the American frontier and the Old West. An artist whose paintings and bronzes fetch millions of dollars and appear in major collections around the country. An artist who has an entire museum dedicated to and named after him—Frederic Remington.
Untitled (possibly The Cigarette), ca. 1908-1909, oil on canvas, 27 x 30 in.
“I think that our country needs as many things as possible to bring us together, and arts and culture are one of those great industries that can do that. All arts and culture institutions need to consider what it means to be part of this American experiment, and that’s what our exhibition does,” says Maggie McKenna, executive director at the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, New York. “Frederic Remington is an incredibly important American artist who bridges the gap between the east and west, north and south, and old and new. It’s important to celebrate cultural icons, and Remington is one of them.”
Antoine’s Cabin, 1890, oil on canvas, 28 x 20 in.
Although Remington is at its core, the exhibition, titled Remington’s Impression on America, will also celebrate artists, art communities and culture that were influenced by the famous painter and sculptor. The exhibition will serve as a launching point for new initiatives, programming and exhibitions to follow. One unique component of the exhibition that indicates where the museum is headed is the inclusion of small works from the Cowboy Artists of America, which, in its mission statement, calls out to Remington: “To perpetuate the memory and culture of the Old West as typified by the late Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and others.”
The Charge of the Rough Riders (Charge of the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill), 1898, oil on canvas, 35 x 60 in.
“Any artist that has that kind of staying power, there is some kind of magic in their work,” McKenna says, adding that the museum celebrates all aspects of Remington’s career, from his writing and commercial work to his fine art in paintings, bronzes and works on paper.
Around 20 Remington pieces will be in the exhibition, which will include a number of his late-period nocturnes, which are often considered some of his most important paintings. Another piece on display is an untitled work that is sometimes referred to as The Cigarette.The nocturne is frequently cited as the final work by Remington before his untimely passing in 1909 at the age of 48 years old.
Untitled horse study, oil on canvas board, 12 x 16 in.
Visitors are encouraged to visit the exhibition, but to also follow future events at the museum, which is undergoing a “big-picture shift” that will examine how Remington’s legacy has been perpetuated by other artists. —
Remington’s Impression on America
Opens July 4, 2026
Frederic Remington Art Museum
303 Washington Street Ogdensburg, NY 13669
(315) 393-2425 www.fredericremington.org
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