Exhibit part of Smokey Bear's 75th anniversary as forest service icon
Dianne L. StallingsThis year, Smokey Bear will celebrate 75 years at the forefront of the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire prevention campaign.
To commemorate contributions to the Forest Service and its wildfire prevention efforts, replicas of historic portraits by artist Rudolph Wendelin will travel to National Forests across the country.
The Lincoln National Forest will show the exhibit at the Smokey Bear Ranger District in Ruidoso from Feb. 20 through March 3. The exhibit will be open for public viewing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Wendelin created hundreds of Smokey representations that highlighted national resource conservation and wildfire prevention. It is Wendelin’s more humanized representation of Smokey Bear that is commonly known today. Under his direction Smokey assumed his ranger hat, jeans and shovel. The touring exhibit consists of 19 pieces of artwork from the National Agricultural Library.
The National Agriculture Library’s Special Collections houses rare books, manuscripts, nursery and seed catalogs, photographs and posters from the 1500s to the present.
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The Smokey Bear Collection at the National Agricultural Library consists of extensive material including posters, proofs, original artwork, motion pictures, sound recordings and memorabilia.
Within this collection are the 19 original Rudolph Wendelin paintings and two hand-painted replicas.
For more information, call Smokey Bear Ranger District at 575-257-4095. The district office is on the corner of Mechem Drive and Cedar Creek Drive in Ruidoso.
Reporter Dianne Stallings can be reached at 575-257-4001, ext. 4108 or dstallings@ruidosonews.com.