Memphis Pop

Few animals conjure the power and symbolic presence of the North American bison. Whether painted on a tipi or an artist's canvas, minted on a nickel, or seen grazing in Yellowstone National Park, the image of the bison stirs in us deep loyalties to the North American landscape. Wild and fundamental, the bison is a familiar part of our shared heritage.

The exhibition opens with a primary mystery: For thousands of years until the early 1860s, there were tens of millions of bison roaming the plains of North America. By 1890, there were fewer than 300. What happened? Centered on this question, The Bison explores the "before" and "after" of the bison's dramatic decline. It also shows how the bison's seeming extinction was ultimately averted by conservationists. In charting this positive outcome, the exhibition explores the many ways that the bison's identity was transformed yet again into a symbol of America and a popular image.