Bass Reeves portrait to be on display in the Arkansas Capitol

Artists will soon be solicited to paint a portrait of Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves for display in the Arkansas Capitol building. Reeves will be the first African-American and first non-governor to have a portrait in the Capitol, according to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office.

Reeves was a U.S. Deputy Marshal under U.S. Federal Judge Isaac C. Parker. Reeves was born a slave in Texas in 1838 and died in Muskogee, Okla., on Jan. 12, 1910. Reeves was an African-American and illiterate, but captured more outlaws than anyone else, according to the book, “Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves,” written by Art Burton. Burton wrote that Reeves was an expert tracker and detective, and was able to memorize the warrants for every lawbreaker he was to arrest and bring to trial. Reeves was the first African-American inducted into the Great Westerners Hall of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1992.

A 25-foot tall monument of Bass Reeves was unveiled in downtown Fort Smith in May 2012. It was created by sculptor Harold T. Holden. The larger-than-life statue of Reeves also includes his horse, Blaze, and his trusty dog, named simply “Dog.”

“We must not forget our history. I look forward to honoring this American legend with a special portrait in the Arkansas State Capitol,” Secretary of State John Thurston said in a statement.

The Secretary of State’s office is working with the Fort Smith-based U.S. Marshals Museum on the project. Museum President and CEO Ben Johnson told Talk Business & Politics a request for quotation will soon be posted on the museum’s website to seek applications from artists. The deadline for responses is Aug. 23.

“It will be interesting to see who raises their hand. …We just want to see their previous work and what they want to do with a portrait,” Johnson said, adding that a portrait “needs to fit stylistically and thematically with other portraits in the Capitol.”

Johnson said they have worked for more than a year on the project and he is grateful Thurston’s office had the idea for the portrait. He said a committee comprised of officials from Thurston’s office and the museum will review artist applications and make a selection. He said it’s a goal to have the portrait on display in the Capitol in 2025.

“If a response meets with the approval of the committee, the respondent shall be invited to submit samples of their previous works alongside a written narrative outlining their experience and qualifications for this project. Once an artist has been chosen, the artist will then be presented to the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission for final approval,” noted a statement from Thurston’s office.

Johnson said having Reeves’ portrait in the Capitol will be “a remarkable thing given the arc of his personal story from slavery to being a deputy U.S. Marshal.”

No budget has been set to pay an artist or any other costs to display the portrait. Johnson said the museum will conduct “philanthropic outreach” to raise money to pay for the portrait, and then donate it to the state.