Corning, NY—Nearly 25 feet long and knitted by 25 community member in 25 days, Artemus, the buffalo bursting through the façade of The Rockwell Museum, will keep warm this winter with a new hand-knit scarf! Local knitters at Wooly Minded on Market Street knitted Artemus a red-and-green scarf to wear during the bitter winter months. Knitters from the community were invited to help knit and crochet the scarf, which took over 6,500 yards of yarn to complete!
Artemus’ scarf is two-feet wide and 25 feet long to accommodate his 60 inch neck.
Hi-res images can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3b7yap9i0wglijj/MWF79Tx41w
About Artemus
For nearly 14 years, the façade of The Rockwell Museum building has been home to a bison named “Artemus.” In 1999, Tom Gardner – a well known artist – received a $5,000 grant from The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in order to create a fiberglass sculpture for placement on the exterior of The Rockwell. Funding for the project was provided by The New York State Council on the Arts, which supported the design and fabrication of this whimsical creation -- a bison bursting through the façade of the Museum building.
When visiting the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, visitors have the pleasure of discovering buffalo throughout the Museum. “The buffalo is a powerful symbol of the west,” commented James Peck, Curator of Collections, “So it is only appropriate that the image of the buffalo is one of the most recognizable emblems of the Museum, both in the galleries and on the façade of the building. Artemus serves as the Museum’s ambassador to Corning and to the wider world.”
Artemus received his name through a community contest when the name was selected because of its similarity to the phrase “Art is a must.” As you drive by Artemus, make a stop at the Rockwell Museum to see how true this statement is.
About Visiting The Rockwell Museum
Now through April 2014, enjoy free admission every Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. As always, kids and teens (19 & under) receive free admission every day. The Museum offers a special $4.00 admission rate to local residents with zip codes beginning with 148, 149, or 169.
