03/31/2026
CALL FOR ARTISTS
The Sheridan Public Arts Committee in Sheridan, Wyoming, asked the Museum of African American Art to share information about their Call For Artists to submit proposals for the Buffalo Soldiers "Iron Riders Memorial Sculpture Commission."
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
April 30, 2026
LINK FOR DETAILS
https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=17144
OVERVIEW
The Sheridan Public Arts Committee (S**C) invites qualified artists to submit proposals to create a permanent public sculpture honoring and memorializing the Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, also known as the Iron Riders. This work will serve as a lasting tribute to their courage, sacrifice, and enduring historical legacy. This commission seeks an artist who will create a sculpture grounded primarily in realism, offering a respectful and historically informed representation that honors the lived experience, strength, and dignity of the Iron Riders.
PROJECT INTENT
This memorial will stand as both tribute and recognition — acknowledging the contributions of African American soldiers while creating space for continued dialogue, remembrance, and appreciation.
IRON RIDERS HISTORY
The Iron Riders were members of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps, an all-Black unit of Buffalo Soldiers who undertook a remarkable military experiment in 1897 to test whether bicycles could replace horses for army transportation. Riding heavy iron-framed bicycles, they completed a grueling 1,900-mile journey from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri, traveling through what is now Sheridan County and earning their nickname from both their machines and their extraordinary endurance.
