William Gollings: Collected Treasures

Closing the 2026 season and this year’s theme Our Legends, The Brinton Museum presents William Gollings: Collected Treasures, an exhibition dedicated to an artist deeply connected to the Sheridan region and the Quarter Circle A Ranch.

William “Bill” Elling Gollings (1878–1932) was a painter of the working American West, known for his depictions of cowboys, Native peoples, and life on the open range. His relationship with Bradford Brinton began nearly one hundred years ago and would continue throughout his career, with Brinton becoming one of his most important patrons. Today, Gollings’ work remains an important part of The Brinton Museum’s collection.

This exhibition brings together works from private collections—many rarely, if ever, shown at The Brinton—alongside recent acquisitions. Featuring paintings, etchings, and drawings, the exhibition highlights the breadth of Gollings’ subject matter and his enduring focus on the history of the American West.

Gollings’ work reflects a West shaped by firsthand experience. Having spent years working as a cowboy, he understood the realities of life on the range—herding, branding, and seasonal labor. His time working near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and his relationships with Cheyenne individuals further informed his perspective.

Rather than presenting a purely romanticized vision, Gollings sought to capture a West in transition. His work often looks back to a time before railroads, mining, and homesteading reshaped the region, preserving a way of life even as it was fading.

Through carefully selected works, Collected Treasures offers a focused look at Gollings’ artistic vision—one that bridges lived experience and memory, documenting a West that was both real and already becoming legend.