|
An impressively designed and absorbing new release,
Charlie Russell and Friends,
gives an inside look at the artistic life of a Western icon. Filled with
lively stories and fascinating and rare photographs and art images, the book
focuses on
Charles M. Russell's
(1864-1926) artist friends and influences. His relationships with artists
Maynard Dixon, Philip Goodwin, and his "protégé" Joe De Yong are the
volume's main focus, but there are also many rich accounts concerning other
artists, including Edward Borein.
The book, distributed by the
University of Oklahoma Press, is a part of the "Western Passages" series
from the Denver Art Museum's
Petrie Institute of Western American Art. Institute Senior Scholar Joan
Troccoli provides a solid introduction, placing Russell in his element with
his quote, "I have many friends among cowmen and cowpunchers..." and then
expanding his world in an overview of his relationships with his
contemporaries and with earlier artists. She writes of George Catlin's
influence on Russell and comments, "...with the exception of Frederic
Remington, no artist save George Catlin (1796-1872) has had an impact on the
art of the American West comparable to that made by Russell."
The book's heart is the friendships Russell
made with artists and others of his time. Legendary cowboy and writer E.C.
"Teddy Blue" Abbott is quoted about Russell's character, "...he would often
split his last dollar with a friend...money was nothing to him, a friend was
everything." There are engaging stories about Russell's experiences in New
York, San Francisco, and elsehwere, and about the artists that he and his
wife Nancy invited to their Montana home and studio. The book's four
essayists (Brian W. Dippie, Peter H. Hassrick, Mark A. White, and Thomas
Brent Smith) offer insight and art criticism along with the many anecdotes
and stories.
Current Institute Director Thomas Brent
Smith's piece about the friendship between Russell and Dixon gives a
captivating look at their lives and their work and explores their mutual
friendship with Borein and other artists. Western writers Dane Coolidge,
Eugene Manlove Rhodes, and Charles F. Lummis are a part of the story. When
noted photographer Dorothea Lange, once married to Dixon, is asked about
Dixon's artistic influences, she responds, "He had a couple of old
cowpuncher friends, whose opinion he valued very highly. One of them was
Charlie Russell, a great American legendary painter."
Mark A. White, in his essay about Russell and
Joe De Yong, covers their shared interest in Native Americans and De Yong's
work as a technical adviser on early Hollywood westerns. Citing Dan
Gagliasso's book, Joe De Yong and Hollywood: Charlie Russell's
Protégé on the Celluloid Frontier, White
writes that "...De Yong's appreciation for the perceived authenticity of
Russell's paintings informed the 'look' of these westerns, and occasionally
the anecdotes Russell shared with De Yong became actual scenes in the films
on which he later advised."
Each of the experts offer clear and
interesting essays. Russell expert Brian W. Dippie provides a spirited
survey of Russell's work and friendships. Peter H. Hassrick, Director
Emeritus of the Petrie Institute, writes about the Russell and sporting
artist and illustrator Philip Goodwin. Goodwin's work may be more
recognizable than his name today; Hassrick presents a comprehensive review
of his career and builds the story of the special bond he had with Russell.
Dorothea Lange's stunning photograph of
Russell is among the many great images in the book, which includes vintage
photographs and full color images of drawings, paintings, letters, and more
by Russell, Goodwin, De Yong, Dixon, and others. The book is sprinkled
generously with references that lead any interested reader to deeper
background information.
See the University of Oklahoma Press site
here for additional information about Charlie Russell and
Friends.
Posted 9/1
The Fall, 2010 issue of
Range Magazine,
"the cowboy spirit on America's outback," includes many interesting
articles, including the Merit Award photography winners in its popular
"Outback Roundup" competition.
Among the articles, top reciter
Jerry Brooks
is profiled in a piece, "Brooksie," by
Jessica Brandi Lifland
(www.jessicalifland.com),
the official photographer for the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The article introduces Jerry
Brooks, "...she is one of the foremost reciters of classic cowboy
poetry....She plays a big role in keeping the poems, and thus the culture,
of westerners of past and present generations alive..."
View the entire article
here
(pdf file).
Jessica
Brandi Lifland has been working on a project
that is a "visual exploration" of the lives of cowboy poets. Her
photoblog
includes images of
Jerry Brooks
and
Elizabeth Ebert and slide shows
featuring poets Rodney Nelson,
DW Groethe,
and Bill Lowman.
She has
contributed other articles and photographs about cowboy poets to
Range, including
Wallace
McRae (Summer, 2008;
see the article in this
pdf file at the magazine's web site) and
Henry
Real Bird (Winter, 2009).
Poet and outfitter
Sandy Seaton Sallee's
article, "Sweetgrass," tells the story of Montana's Allestad family, who
"trailed their sheep 150 miles into and out of Montana wilderness" until
predators and changes in government regulations forced them to sell the
ranch in 2004. The article's photographs are by
Lucien Castaing-Taylor,
the co-producer of the film
Sweetgrass,
which follows "...the Allstead sheep from shearing time to shipping lambs in
the fall...It is an unusual documentary in that there is no narration
other than sheep, natural mountain music, and a singing sheepherder." Find
more about the film at
www.sweetgrassthemovie.com.
The issue's cover is a painting by
Cowboy Artists of America Emeritus Member
J.N. Swanson,
titled "Throwing a Fit," from his forthcoming book,
The Life and Times of a Western Artist. There are many
additional articles and features of wide interest to the ranching
community.
Find more at the
Range Magazine
web site.
[photo of Jerry Brooks by Jessica Brandi Lifland]
Posted 8/25
Popular Western singer and songwriter
Brenn Hill
is featured in an extensive profile by Senior Editor
Jennifer Denison
in the September, 2010 issue of
Western Horseman.
The article, titled "Cowboy Courage," delves into Brenn Hill's work and
life, including his music, his relationship with horses, and the ordeal of
his young son's cancer treatment. The photographs (also by Jennifer Denison)
give a look into Brenn's riding, writing, and family life. Noted for his
songwriting excellence and his ability to capture real Western life,
he is quoted, “I believe the Western genre commemorates a way of life that’s
unique to the West, and I consider it a sacred duty to carry forth this
genre as those before me have done."
The
Western Horseman
web site has an audio and photography presentation, "Songs
from the Saddle," which includes excerpts from the songs on
Equine, Brenn Hill's most recent
CD. View it
here.
Read some of Brenn Hill's lyrics in our feature here
and visit his web site,
www.BrennHill.com.
Posted 8/23
 The
Western Folklife Center's
27th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering—"a
week-long celebration of life in the rural West, featuring the contemporary
and traditional arts that arise from lives lived caring for land and
livestock"—takes
place January 24-29, 2011 in Elko, Nevada.
The week includes a broad selection of performances and workshops. The event
will also host "...special guests from the Hungarian puszta, the largest
contiguous grasslands in Europe, comparable to the pampas of Argentina or
the Great Plains of the United States. The puszta is home to the legendary
Hungarian horsemen, or csikos, who have tended and defended their herds of
horses and grey longhorn Hungarian cattle since the Magyars first crossed
into the area from the Carpathians a thousand years ago..." (Read more at
the
Gathering site.)
The program can be viewed
here (PDF file).
Invited poets and musicians for the 2011 program include:
Adrian,
Baxter Black,
Dave Bourne,
Muzzy Braun,
Jerry Brooks,
Doris Daley,
Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie,
John Dofflemyer,
John Doran,
Don Edwards,
Ramblin' Jack Elliott,
Leon Flick,
Dick Gibford,
DW Groethe,
Amy Hale Auker,
Linda Hasselstrom,
Jessica Hedges,
Yvonne Hollenbeck,
Jess Howard,
Mike Hurwitz,
Linda Hussa,
Ray Lashley,
Ed Littlefield and Marley's Ghost,
Bill Lowman,
Corb Lund, The
Marshall Ford Swing Band,
Michael Martin Murphey,
Sid Marty,
Gary McMahan,
Wally McRae,
Chuck Milner,
Waddie Mitchell,
Rooster Morris,
Barbara Nelson,
Joel Nelson,
Rodney Nelson,
Kay Kelley Nowell,
Glenn Ohrlin,
The Quebe Sisters Band,
Vess Quinlan,
Henry Real Bird,
Rusty Richards,
Pat Richardson,
Randy Rieman,
Sandy Seaton Sallee,
Sean Sexton,
Georgie Sicking,
Jay Snider,
Sourdough Slim & Robert Armstrong,
Dave Stamey,
Milton Taylor,
Clarence Wager,
Dick Warwick,
Andy Wilkinson & Andy Hedges,
Cora Wood,
Joyce Woodson,
Wylie & The Wild West,
and
Paul Zarzyski.
Learn more about the poets and musicians and listen to audio samples of
their work
here at the Gathering site, where you can also view cybercasts of some
2010 Gathering performances and learn more about the event.
See our feature about the 2010 event and links to additional
CowboyPoetry.com features about the Gathering
here. We also maintain an
index
of all of the invited performers to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering,
since its inception in 1985.
Tickets for the 27th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering go on sale
September 7, 2010 for Western Folklife Center members and on October 7, 2010
for the general public.
Posted 8/19
Texas
rancher, horseman, writer, and top reciter and poet
Joel Nelson—recently
awarded a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
National Heritage Fellowship—is featured in an August, 2010
audio interview
by Josephine Reed as a part of the
National Endowment for
the Arts podcast series.
The nearly half-hour interview is described, "Joel Nelson talks
about how he grew to love poetry and how he writes and recites
poetry, as well as growing up on a ranch and his love of horses,
among other subjects." He also recites his poem, "Equus Caballus."
A transcript of the interview is also available
here.
The NEA describes the National Heritage
Fellowship award, "As part of its efforts to honor and preserve our
nation's diverse cultural heritage, the National Endowment for the
Arts annually awards one-time-only National Heritage Fellowships for
master folk and traditional artists. These fellowships are intended
to recognize the recipients' artistic excellence and support their
continuing contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage."
The awards were established in 1982. Two other cowboy poets have
been named National Heritage Fellows: Wallace
McRae in 1990 and Buck Ramsey in
1995. Cowboy singer, storyteller, and illustrator Glenn Ohrlin
received the award in 1985.
Find information about Joel Nelson
here at the National Endowment for the Arts' web site, and see our
feature that includes some of his poetry here.
Joel Nelson's poetry is featured on each volume of
The BAR-D Roundup.
[photo of Joel Nelson by Kevin Martini-Fuller]
Posted 8/16
The
National
Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City hosts the
Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) 12th Annual Exhibition
and Sale,
September 24, 2010 through January 2, 2011. From their announcement:
[The show and sale] offers the finest of Western saddles,
bits, spurs, braided rawhide and impeccable silver work by 20
talented gear makers from the United States, Canada and
Argentina. The educational focus of this year's show is leather
work....
....Clearly much has been accomplished with the Western gear
industry in the last decade. There is great optimism that these
trades are on the upswing, encouraging a new generation of
talented men and women to spend years devoted to the handmade
crafts many observers expected to disappear. The 2010 exhibition
consists of more than 50 pieces.
Don Reeves, the National Cowboy Museum's McCasland Chair of
Cowboy Culture, said, “The TCAA Exhibition and Sale truly meets
the expectations of a sophisticated Western clientele familiar
with good working gear and fine craftsmanship. The public has
the opportunity to view an extraordinary exhibition and purchase
works by master cowboy gear makers.” ....
Visit the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association web site
here.
Find more about the event
here at the Museum's web site.
[Image courtesy of the National Cowboy
& Western Heritage Museum: Humming Bird in Gold Overlay (Detail) on
Bit by Ernie Marsh, Westfall, Oregon]
Posted 8/5
The thirteenth annual
National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo
takes place in Montrose, Colorado, September 17-18, 2010, in
conjunction with the
San Juan
Western Heritage Festival.
From the organizations' joint media release:
The 13th
Annual National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo returns to Montrose,
Colorado, September 17-18, 2010. Held in conjunction with
the San Juan Western Heritage Festival, events take place at
the historic Turn of the Century Saloon, 117 North 4th
Street. Along with the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo, the
Festival will feature live entertainment—including a
Saturday evening show by top singer and songwriter
Brenn Hill.
The purpose
of the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo is “Excellence through
competition.” The announcer will, once again, be the
well-known cowboy poet and events organizer Smoke Wade. The
judging team will be led by 13-year National Cowboy Poetry
Rodeo veteran, the one and only “Prairie Pastor,”
Ed Nesselhuf and include
Darrell Arnold, poet,
author, photographer, and long-time editor and publisher of
Cowboy magazine; the notoriously funny and talented
cowgirl poet, Sam DeLeeuw; one
of Western America’s most admired cowgirl poets and author,
artist, and teacher Jo Lynne Kirkwood;
and the man who started the
Western Legends Roundup, one of Americas premier Western
festivals, Dennis Judd.
This year
the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo takes on an international
flavor with cowboy poets from 12 states, Canada and
Australia competing for approximately $6000.00 in prize
money, silver buckles, trophies and a year's worth of
bragging rights. Poets compete, on stage, in a stock rodeo
format. With numbers on their backs, judges, and a rodeo
announcer, the poets spur their "rides," (their poems) as
they compete in 9 different events, giving each contestant a
golden opportunity to see how they really stack up
against their peers. There will be a Friday night show
featuring cowboy poets and musical acts.
Saturday,
September 18, the top 50 percent of the competing cowboy
poets advance to the final round. Following the finals, a
Cowboy Poetry Shoot-out will be held, as top ranked cowboy
poets compete for the title, "Best in the West." Poets
interested in registering for the NCPR may contact Sam
Jackson,
last2camp@kanab.net (435) 644-5459 or (435)
899-1100.
A headliner
and awards show will take place on Saturday evening
featuring the winners of the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo
along with popular western singer and songwriter, Brenn
Hill.
While in
Montrose, poets and families will enjoy the Western Colorado
Experience, which includes Black Canyon; Ute Indian Museum;
Western History Museum; Ouray—“the Switzerland of America”;
and other attractions. Many will take home memories
and local products from historic downtown Montrose.
The San
Juan Healthcare Foundation is the major sponsor and the
fundraiser proceeds will go to the Caring Friends Fund for
patients at the San Juan Cancer Center.
Read more in our feature about the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo
here,
which includes a
roster of participants
to date.
Updated 8/2
Additional recent news items continued
here...
Oh, You Cowgirl!;
Henry Real Bird; True West;
Red Steagall, Cowboy Keeper Awards,
Restoring Vintage Western Saddles; Western
Horseman; "Flying High and Crash Landing: Bull Wrecks in
Rodeo" at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum;
National Day of the Cowboy; National Day of the Cowboy at
the Autry Museum; Walt LaRue; Wylie Gustafson on A
Prairie Home Companion; Dave Stamey/David Stoecklein
collaboration; Last American Cowboy; Red Steagall on
demand; Art of the Western Saddle, Sole Mates;
Western Horseman; Prix de West; American Cowboy;
American Routes radio;
René
A. Heil photography; New Plains Review; Jessica
Brandi Lifland photography;
Georgia Cowboy Poets;
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Five;
and much more...
|
|
Newest: "The Little House That
Grew," a photograph by Jeri Dobrowski. Submissions welcome
through September 21, 2010. Find submission information
Past United States Poet Laureate Ted Kooser's American Life
in Poetry column, updated weekly.
