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Fred Oldfield Western Heritage Center Provides Peek into the Old West

Fred Oldfield Western Heritage Center

A general store area is one of several memorabilia exhibits at the Fred Oldfield Western Heritage Center.

Any conversation in these parts about Western art and history will almost always include the name of Fred Oldfield.

In addition to his artwork‚ Oldfield has long been dedicated to collecting and preserving memories and artifacts of the American West‚ so much so that his daughter finally worked with officials at the Puyallup Fair to open a museum in 2002 for Western arts and history at the fairgrounds. In addition to housing a permanent collection of Oldfield’s paintings‚ sketches and memora­bilia‚ the center also is home to a full-time art school.

“We’re busy‚” says Joella Oldfield‚ executive director of the Fred Oldfield Western Heritage Center. “From the beginning‚ the fairground folks loved the idea‚ and we leased a building.”

The center’s namesake‚ however‚ was less enthusiastic at the outset.

“He came in kicking and scream­ing‚” recalls Oldfield of her dad’s initial reac­tion. “We had to com­promise on the name – he wouldn’t let us call it a muse­um because he said that he wasn’t dead.”

During those early years‚ the center had to vacate the premises regularly for the two annual fairs‚ so after forming a board of directors and incorporating as a nonprofit‚ the center moved to its current year-round home nearby in 2005.

“It’s great‚” Joella Oldfield says. “We’re able to have our art school‚ summer camps and other activities for families. We have fabulous cowboy poets‚ storytellers … we always have something going on.”

And new programs are being rolled out all the time‚ such as the July Fiddle Contest and Festival‚ which is held in coordination with the Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association‚ District 8.

And at the age of 89‚ Fred himself stays personally involved in the center‚ dropping in on occasion to teach a class or just visit with children.

“They are so cute when he shows up‚” Joella Oldfield says. “They say ‘Cowboy Fred is here! Cowboy Fred is here!’ Children have always been a passion of his‚ and they just adore him.”

Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Michael W. Bunch

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