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The
National Cowgirl
Museum and Hall of Fame
in Ft. Worth, Texas, presents
the "never-before-seen" exhibit,
Georgia O’Keeffe and the Faraway: Nature and Image,
February 12-September 6, 2010. From the museum's media
release:
The exhibition, a
collaboration between the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, explores the
relationship that artist and Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree O’Keeffe
had with nature through her camping experiences and artifacts.
The two museums spent more than two years creating the exhibition
in which visitors will find O’Keeffe’s personal effects, including
clothing, letters, drawings and camping equipment, displayed
alongside her artwork. This union of artistry and personal
belongings is recognized nationally as an endeavor that harbors
the art, geography, photography and artifacts in an effort to
understand how O’Keeffe explored the American West through camping
and hiking in a variety of environments.
“It is terribly exciting for our Museum to be able to first
display this fresh look at the brilliance of Georgia O’Keeffe,”
said Patricia Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl
Museum and Hall of Fame. “Our mission is to promote the women of
the West, and we are the first history museum to ever curate an
O’Keeffe exhibition. In addition, this is the first time in a
decade that a major O’Keeffe show has been presented in the state
of Texas.”....
....O’Keeffe
was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1991. Other
inductees that year included Nancy Sheppard, Jonnie Jonckowski and
Mary Ann “Molly” Goodnight.
Read more
here.
Cowgirls and poets who are inductees in the National Cowgirl Hall of
Fame include Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns
and Georgie Sicking.
Find more
about the
The National Cowgirl Museum and
Hall of Fame at their web site,
www.cowgirl.net.
[This
exhibit is also announced at
www.CowboyLegacy.org]
Posted
2/10
Oregon's
Pendleton Round-up
celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year (September 15-18,
2010) and an expansive, lavishly illustrated book by
Ann Terry Hill
and
Michael Bales,
Pendleton Round-up at 100,
honors the venerable event and those who have participated.
Many of the 900-plus photos and illustrations in the book are
collected and published for the first time. The wide diversity of
the rodeo's participants—the 1911 Round-up included the
still-controversial
"Last Go Round" showdown between black cowboy George Fletcher,
Indian cowboy Jackson Sundown, and white cowboy John Spain—including
cowgirls, Native American tribes, black cowboys, and others are
represented in the well-research text and images.
Among the chapters that pull readers into the action and
excitement of the rodeo are "The Great Bucking Contests":
"Old-Time Cowgirls"; "The Risks"; and "Clowns and Bullfighters."
Behind-the-scenes topics such as "Ranch and Rodeo," "Behind the
Mike," and "The Arena" give an even deeper look at the event.
There is a focus on families and tradition in "Families Are the
Backbone," "From Generation to Generation: Tribal Participation";
and "Pendleton Traditions."
Appendices include complete lists with many family-supplied photos
of one hundred years of Round-up Presidents; Round-up Chiefs and
Prominent Tribal Headmen; Round-up Queens and Princesses; Happy
Canyon (Indian) Presidents and Princesses; and Saddle Bronc,
Buldogging, Steer Roping, Calf Roping, Team Roping, Bull Riding,
and Bareback Champions; All-Around Cowboy Winners; and other
categories.
Read more about
Pendleton Round-up at 100
and see a short video
here at the University of Oklahoma Press site. Find
information about the Pendleton Round-up's 100th celebration
here at the Pendleton
Round-up site.
Posted 2/8
Ramblin'
Jack Elliott
received a
GRAMMY award for his
traditional blues album,
A Stranger Here,
at the
52nd Annual
GRAMMY
awards show on January 31, 2010. He left the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
a bit early—after several outstanding performances—to
attend the GRAMMY show.
See a photo of Ramblin' Jack accepting the award
here
(by Matt Sayles of the Associated Press.)
A short documentary about the
making of A Stranger Here is
available
here
on YouTube. Find more at Ramblin' Jack's web site,
ramblinjack.com.
The awards are
presented by the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in the music
industry.
"Traditional Blues" was included in this year's
new GRAMMY division, "American Roots," which also encompassed
other categories of Western interest, including
Michael Martin Murphey's
Buckaroo Blue Grass in the Bluegrass
category and Willie Nelson & Asleep
At The Wheel's
Willie And The Wheel
in the Americana category.
Find all of the American Roots nominees
here.
The winners in all categories are listed
here.
Posted 2/2
The
Western Folklife Center's
26th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering took place
January 23-30, 2010, in Elko, Nevada. This year's event included
a focus on Seminole and “Cracker” cowboys from Florida and swamp
cowboys from Louisiana.
Find some reports and photos
from the event
here
at the BAR-D.
The Western Folklife Center
describes the event as "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."
Activities included workshops,
exhibits, and performances; some
performances are broadcast live on the web (and archived). See
the entire schedule
here.
Among
the invited poets and musicians in 2010 were:
Adrian,
Mike Beck, Baxter Black,
Marty Blocker, Dave Bourne,
Jerry Brooks, Bimbo Cheney,
Corb Lund and the Hurtin'
Albertans, Cowboy Celtic, Doris
Daley, Stephanie Davis,
John Dofflemyer,
Ray Doyle,
Elizabeth Ebert,
Don Edwards, Ramblin' Jack Elliot,
Richard Elloyan, Leon Flick,
Dennis Gaines, Dick Gibford,
Janice Gilbertson,
DW Groethe,
R.W. Hampton,
Andy Hedges
and Andy Wilkinson, Brenn Hill,
Yvonne Hollenbeck, Carol Huechan,
Linda Hussa, Linda Kirkpatrick,
Ross Knox, Ed Littlefield and Marley's
Ghost, Liz Masterson, Wally McRae,
Denise McRea,
Waddie Mitchell,
Jane Morton, Michael Martin Murphey,
Andy Nelson,
Rodney Nelson,
Joel Nelson, Rich and Valerie
O'Brien, Glenn Ohrlin, Mike Puhallo,
Vess Quinlan, Henry Real Bird,
John Reedy,
Pat Richardson,
Riders in the Sky, Randy Rieman,
Bob Schild,
Sandy Seaton,
Georgie Sicking,
Jay
Snider, Sons of the San Joaquin,
Dave Stamey,
Red Steagall,
Gail Steiger, Milton Taylor,
Diane Tribitt, Ian Tyson,
Miss "V" The Gypsy Cowbelle, Cora Wood,
Wylie & The Wild West, and
Paul Zarzyski. (Some
were unable to attend.)
Find information about
the gathering—including audio and video cybercasts from the auditorium
shows—at the official web site
here.
[2010 poster image by Jim Harrison, Gainesville, Florida;
www.meta-visual.com]
Updated 2/18
Respected cowboy
troubadour
Don Edwards will receive the
Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award from the
National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum
on April 17, 2010. From the museum's media release:
With a career spanning more than four
decades, Don Edwards is a guitarist, composer, recording artist
and historian who has preserved and added value to the rich
heritage of traditional Western music. Edwards will be honored
with the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award during the annual
Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western
Heritage Museum® in Oklahoma City, April 17, 2010.
The black-tie affair recognizes principal creators in 16
categories of Western music, literature, television and film.
Inductees to the Hall of Great Westerners and Hall of Great
Western Performers also will be honored.
In 1990,
the Museum established the Chester A. Reynolds Award, named in
honor of the founder of the Museum. This honor is bestowed upon
a living person who embodies the traits depicted by Chester A.
Reynolds himself...an individual, group or institution
perpetuating the ideals, history and heritage of the American
West, whether by a single remarkable achievement or a body of
quality work over a period of years.
Born in New
Jersey in 1938 as the son of a Vaudeville magician, Edwards was
exposed at an early age to a vast array of music. He taught
himself how to play the guitar at the age of 10 and moved to
Texas when he was 16. Edwards was drawn to the cowboy way of
life by the books of Will James and “B” Western movies that
featured cowboys like Tom Mix and Ken Maynard. As a teenager, he
worked ranches in Texas and New Mexico and chased rodeos before
landing his first entertainment job as an actor, singer and
stuntman at Six Flags Over Texas in 1961. Edwards made his first
record in 1964. He has since recorded more than 15 albums,
participated in numerous collaborations with other artists and
has authored three song books.
Edwards has contributed much to the
preservation and celebration of traditional cowboy music. He has
two albums, Guitars & Saddle Songs and Songs of the
Cowboy, included in the Folklore Archives of the Library of
Congress. As a result of 40 years of research, Edwards completed
Saddle Songs, a compilation of classic cowboy ballads
presented through two separate recordings and a book of the
songs’ histories, lyrics and music. To add to his resume of
talent, Edwards portrayed the role of “Smokey” in Robert
Redford’s 1997 film The Horse Whisperer. He also was
featured on the movie’s sound track.
Edwards has
many awards to show for his accomplishments as a Western music
balladeer and historian. He has received the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum’s Wrangler Award, along with numerous
other awards from The Western Music Association, The Academy of
Western Artists, the Will James Society, the National
Association for Independent Music. He was selected Best
Balladeer by True West magazine three years in a row. He
also is an inductee in the Traditional Country Music Hall of
Fame, the Western Walk of Stars, the Texas Trail of Fame, and
the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
When Edwards is not recording music he
often gives workshops and lectures about Cowboy music heritage.
He has taught seminars at Yale, Rice, Texas Christian and other
universities. He also has appeared on hundreds of radio and
television programs and performed thousands of concerts
throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland,
New Zealand, Europe and Asia.
Read the entire
release
here.
See our feature about
Don Edwards here and visit his web
site,
www.donedwardsmusic.com.
[Photograph by Lori Faith Merritt (www.photographybyfaith.com]
Posted 1/20
Popular songwriter and singer
Jean Prescott has produced an
important, impressive CD set,
The Poetry of Larry McWhorter
The recording includes the works of
Larry McWhorter
(1957-2003), one of the most respected contemporary cowboy poets.
The CDs include Larry McWhorter's recitations of his poetry, and
eleven poems that were never recorded, recited by some of today's
top performers.
Jean Prescott describes the release:
The Poetry of Larry McWhorter
is the complete collection of Larry McWhorter's cowboy poems.
There were eleven poems that Larry never recorded and that's where
a number of his peers came into the picture.
Red Steagall,
Waddie Mitchell,
Chris Isaacs,
Andy Hedges, Gary McMahan,
Dennis Flynn, Oscar Auker and Jesse Smith all
eagerly agreed to help out with the project.
Larry had always
wanted to recite two of his favorite poems with Waddie Mitchell,
"The Retirement of Ashtola" and "Cowboy Count Yer Blessings."
Thanks to Waddie, Hal Cannon, Rich O'Brien, and engineer, Aarom
Meador, we were able to make that a reality. You can just see
Larry and Waddie on stage reciting those poems.
After listening to both CDs for the first time, I came to an even
greater realization of what a great poet Larry was and what we
lost as a genre when he left us. I am thrilled to be able to
present this double CD to the world of cowboy poetry knowing that
young cowboy poets and fans alike will be able to enjoy and recite
Larry's classic contemporary cowboy poems for years to come.
The CDs were be presented at a
special
public autograph session at the Western Folklife Center's
26th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Andy Hedges, Jean
Prescott, Waddie Mitchell, and Red Steagall, and others were in
attendance, along with Andrea McWhorter Waitley and Abi McWhorter (Larry's
daughter).
Larry McWhorter is featured on the first
volume of The BAR-D Roundup, The
BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four (2009), and his solo recitation of
"Cowboy Count Yer Blessings" will be included on the forthcoming,
fifth volume of The BAR-D Roundup.
Find more about Larry McWhorter and some of
his poetry in our feature here,
find more about
The Poetry of Larry McWhorter and order information in the New Releases news
here, and view the entire
project and complete track list in a special feature
here.
Updated 2/2
The
Desert Caballeros Western
Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona,
presents the fifth annual
Cowgirl Up! Art from
the Other Half of the West exhibition and sale, March
26-May 2, 2010.
From the museum's media release,
“We are very proud of the fact that
Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West,
in just four years, has become one of the most important show and
sale for women artists in the country,” says Mary Ann Igna,
interim director of the Museum. “With 56 artists in this year’s
show, you would have to travel to at least three other states and
to all the other major art towns in the West to see the breadth
and depth of what we will have here at one time…and in one place.”
....
With more than 200 drawings, paintings and sculptures in this
year’s show,
Cowgirl Up!
offers a much broader landscape of works than are usually found at
a Western art show. “This is what makes
Cowgirl Up!
so unique,” says Igna. “We have artists stretching beyond
traditional Western art to embrace the West’s unique lifestyle and
spirit. Of course, we also have our share of horses and steers,
but even those are unusually dramatic.”
Find more information about the event at
www.cowgirlupart.com.
Posted 1/11
Texas
rancher, horseman, writer, reciter, and poet
Joel Nelson, who was recently awarded a
prestigious National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
National Heritage Fellowship,
was featured in the 2009 National Heritage Fellowship Concert, held in
September at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland. The concert is now
available for listening on demand
here from National Public
Radio's
American Routes
program.
Joel Nelson recites his poem, "Words."
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.
[photo
of Joel Nelson by Kevin Martini-Fuller]
Posted 12/31
The
National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma City presents
"The
Guitar: Art, Artists and Artisans,"
February 12 through May 9, 2010. From the museum's media release:
There is something about a cowboy and guitar
that says "we belong together." Today they do, but that was not always the
case. In spring 2010, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum®
offers a new exhibition showcasing the instrument....
Included in the exhibition are approximately 50 guitars worth millions,
from top entertainers — recording artists whose image and career is tied
closely to this instrument. These notable artists include Garth Brooks,
Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Lynn Anderson, Brooks & Dunn, Eddy Arnold and
Marty Robbins.
This exhibit spans the spectrum of time, hosting guitars recently built
and played and historic models such as a C.F. Martin, circa 1845, lavishly
ornamented and presented to Benito Pablo Juárez, President of Mexico. Also
on display is a collection of 12 guitars covered with Swarovski crystals
that make up a guitar chandelier designed by Dallas, Texas artist Amanda
Dunbar of Dunbar Studios...A portion of the exhibit demonstrates how a
guitar is built.
....
For information about "The Guitar: Art, Artists and Artisans" or other
Museum events call (405) 478-2250 or visit
www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Find the entire media release
here.
[Photograph
supplied by the NCWHM: Western Sky, Gibson, 1995, Artist, Bruce
Kunkel, carved wooden body with polychrome Western landscape. Iconic
images in abalone inlay on neck. (Photograph courtesy of Alan Levin
Collection]
Posted 12/30
The January, 2010 issue of
Western Horseman
features a number of cowboy poets and Western musicians:
An article about Oklahoma rancher and poet
Jay Snider,
"Let Me Tell Ya'll a Story,"
is the Cowboy Culture
section's featured story. Jay Snider's poem, "Twister," is also
included, along with photographs. Senior Editor Jennifer Denison
oversees the Cowboy Culture
section, which also has a panel of advisors that includes renowned
cowboy troubadour Don Edwards.
Montana-based writer and backcountry guide Ryan Bell (ryantbell.com)
profiles poets Ross Knox
and Sandy Seaton
along with Western singer and songwriter
Dave Stamey
in "Packers' Prose,"
about how these artists' backcountry experience has influenced
their work.
Ryan Bell's cover story, "The Raven Within,"
about Western music legend Ian Tyson
(with photos by Senior Editor Ross Hecox) delves into Tyson's
career and ranching life. It includes the singer's provocative
commentary on the changing West and his recent challenges with a
vocal chord virus that has affected his singing. The magazine has
named Ian Tyson Western Horseman of the Year,
an award that will be presented at the Western Folklife Center's
26th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
in January, 2010.
Respected horseman, poet, and reciter
Randy Rieman
and his rope horse techniques are
featured in an in-depth article, "Ready to Rope"
(story and photography by Ross Hecox).
Top cowboy poet and philosopher
Baxter Black's
regular On the
Edge of Common Sense
column, this time, "The Screwdriver Incident,"
appears in its customary position on the magazine's back page. A
collection of Baxter Black's columns,
The Back Page,
has just been published by Western Horseman.
Find more about the current issue,
including special web-only features, at the
Western Horseman
web site.
Posted 12/21
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we
share the sad news that singer, songwriter, poet, and musician
Curly
Musgrave—so dearly loved
and respected, a man whose grace and goodness touched all who had the
privilege of knowing him — died
Sunday, December 13, 2009.
Curly had been challenged by a number of undiagnosed illnesses in
the past few years, and on Monday, December 7, was diagnosed with a
glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor.
Curly's long-time performing partner,
Belinda Gail, was at the
Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, upholding their
performance commitment, when Curly died. Throughout the event,
she received the support of the
entire festival, which had been dedicated to Curly. (Read an
article
here.)
Curly was a proud and wonderful husband, father, grandfather,
and, quite recently, he became a great grandfather.
You can send condolences to Kathi Musgrave and her
family at
PO Box 512,
Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352, and you can write to
Belinda Gail at PO Box 729, Crestline, CA 92325.
Read here
about a "quiet fund" memorial and "stay-at-home benefit."
A "Celebration
of Curly's Life" was held January 9, 2010. The program from
the Celebration of Curly's Life is
posted on
here where there is also a link
to the photoshow at
www.CowboyLegacy.org.
Our tribute page also includes a song, "A
Cowboy Farewell," written by Diane Tribitt, Curly Musgrave,
Belinda Gail, and R.W. Hampton.
Your recollections and photos are welcome for posting on our
tribute pages. Email us.
[photograph of Curly Musgrave by Lori Faith Merritt (www.photographybyfaith.com)]
Find the most recent updates on the Tribute pages
Lone Cowboy
by popular, much-honored cowboy singer and
songwriter
Michael Martin Murphey
(www.michaelmartinmurphey.com)
has been released by
Western Jubilee
Recording Company. The CD is his first solo album, ever. As the
liner notes state, it is just "Michael Martin Murphey with guitar
accompaniment."
The playlist includes some of his best-known tunes, including
"Carolina in the Pines," "Wildfire," and the title tune, along with
standards such as "Little Joe the Wrangler," "Cool Water," and "When
the Works All Done This Fall," most with his arrangements.
Western Folklife Center Founding Director Hal Cannon is quoted,
"...There is nothing like hearing Michael sing and play his
guitar—an unadorned sound that makes us realize what an incredible
songwriter and musician he is. Michael is a rare artist who sees his
music in a larger cultural context. When he sings about cowboy life,
he supports ranchers with all his heart. His generosity to the
revival of cowboy poetry and music is unparalleled."
Michael Martin Murphey has been nominated for a
GRAMMY
award for his recent CD, Buckaroo Blue Grass.
Read more about that below.
Find more at
www.michaelmartinmurphey.com.
Posted 12/22
A
special "Cowboys of Color
Rodeo" will take place
at the
Fort Worth Stock Show,
January 18, 2010. From a
National Multicultural
Western Heritage Museum
media release:
The legendary Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is teaming up with
long-time friends from the National Multicultural Western
Heritage Museum (formerly the National Cowboys of Color Museum
and Hall of Fame) to present a special "Cowboys of Color Rodeo"
performance during the 2010 Stock Show.
This unique rodeo performance will be held on January 18, 2010
at 2:00 p.m. (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), consisting of
traditional professional rodeo events as well as other special
crowd-pleasing lineups such as Relay Races, Mutton Bustin' and
more. Highlighting the rich diversity that various cultures
bring to rodeo and the western way of life, it will also feature
special presentations by Circle L 5 Riding Club, La Guadalupana
side-saddle riding team and internationally acclaimed vaquero,
Jerry Diaz.
"It's a great honor to host this rodeo for the first time during
the Stock Show and pay tribute to the cowboys of color and their
heritage. We are pleased to highlight their remarkable influence
on the western culture and cowboy way of life as we know it
today," noted Brad Barnes, Executive Vice President and General
Manager of the Stock Show.
"This will be a wonderful opportunity and a great collaborative
endeavor of two world-class institutions' efforts to preserve
and celebrate the significant roles that various ethnicities and
cultures played in the development of the Western culture and
the cowboy way of life," stated Jim Austin, Co-Founder of the
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum.
Find more information at the National
Multicultural Western Heritage Museum web site,
www.cowboysofcolor.org,
and at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo web site,
www.fwssr.com.
Posted 12/9
Much of the December, 2009 issue of
Roundup
magazine
from the
Western
Writers of America (WWA)
honors the memory of respected writer and historian
Elmer Kelton, who died
in August, 2009.
Editor Candy Moulton writes, in her
Editor's Space column in
Roundup, "He was never
too busy to visit, never unwilling to give a word of advice.
Without a doubt he was the greatest mentor in Western Writers of
America's long history. And he carried the mantle of the West
wherever he went, graciously, humbly."
Other writers with tributes include Dale E. Walker, Max Evans,
Johnny D. Boggs, and Rod Miller. Rod
Miller's remembrance includes his poem, "Number 16," inspired by
an Elmer Kelton novel. The issue also includes an article by
Elmer Kelton, "Politically Correct or Historically Correct,"
based on a presentation at the Chisholm Trail Western Seminar
and published in 1993 in Roundup.
Raised on a Texas ranch, Elmer Kelton wrote
62 books. He received seven Spur awards from the Western
Writers of America for best Western novel of the year and the career Saddleman Award. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum awarded
him four Western Heritage Wrangler awards.
Western Writers of America has named Elmer Kelton "the Greatest
Western writer of all time."
In addition to his novels and non-fiction
books, Elmer Kelton wrote many articles. He graciously lent
CowboyPoetry.com his foreword
to
Cowboy
Poetry: Classic Rhymes by S. Omar Barker (Cowboy Miner Productions, 1998).
Read more about Elmer Kelton in our notice of his death
here.
The December issue of Roundup
also includes other articles, book reviews, news, information about
the WWA's Spur Award
entries (due January 9, 2010), and more.
Some of the contents of the December issue of
Roundup
are available
here on
the Western Writers of America web site.
Roundup
is sent to WWA members and is available to the public by
subscription. Find more information at the organization's web
site:
www.westernwriters.org.
Posted 12/8
The 52nd Annual
GRAMMY
award nominations—presented by the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in the music
industry—were
announced December 2, 2009.
Nominees from the Western music world include:
Michael Martin Murphey's
Buckaroo Blue Grass
(Bluegrass,
along with Jim Lauderdale, Steve Martin, Bryan Sutton And Friends, and
Rhonda Vincent);
Ramblin'
Jack Elliott's
A Stranger Here
(Traditional Blues,
along with The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band Featuring Rick Vito, John Hammond,
Duke Robillard, and Various Artists of Chicago Blues: A Living History);
and Willie Nelson & Asleep
At The Wheel's
Willie And The Wheel
(Americana, along
with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams).
All of those awards are a part of a new GRAMMY category,
"American Roots." Find all of the American Roots nominees
here, in the list of
all of the 2010 GRAMMY nominations.
The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on January 31, 2010
at Staples Center in Los Angeles, broadcast live on CBS
television.
Posted 12/7
True West
magazine's
2010
Best of the West Sourcebook,
the "eighth annual guide to everything Western," singles out
cowboy poets and Western musicians in its
Best of West
awards, which also honor other "special places and people who
keep the spirit and heritage of the West alive" in 30
categories.
Among those honored are
Paul Zarzyski
and
Wylie & the Wild West
as
Best Living Wild West Troubadours;
Waddie Mitchell
as
Best Living Cowboy Poet;
Dave Stamey
as
Best Living Western Solo Musician;
Sons of the San Joaquin
as
Best Living Western Music Group;
Bill Anton
as
Best Artist to Watch; and
the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
as
Best Annual Western Event.
The Best of the West awards are combined
in the
160-page publication
with extensive Western business
listings, display ads, and editor Bob Boze Bell's enthusiastic
introduction about the state of the West and its arts and
activities.
Visit the True West
magazine web site:
www.truewestmagazine.com
Posted 12/3
The Western Folklife Center hosts
Louisiana and Florida cowboys at the
26th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, to be held January
23-30, 2010, in Elko, Nevada. From their media release:
The special guests from Florida and Louisiana
will participate in storytelling and poetry sessions, discussions about cow
dogs, whip-making demonstrations, and workshops where they'll cook swamp
cabbage and traditional Creole dishes. Grammy-nominated musician Geno
Delafose and his band French Rockin' Boogie will perform their zydeco music
and play one of two dances during the Gathering. The Western Folklife
Center's Wiegand Gallery will host the exhibition:
Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition.
Nick Spitzer, the host of the public radio program,
American Routes, will give the annual
Humanities Lecture, "Zydeco Trail Ride: Louisiana and Texas Creole Cowboys
at Work and Play."
Read about the
featured poets, musicians, storytellers and traditional artists (which include
Billy Davis,
Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie,
Willie Johns,
Calvin "Buddy" Mills,
Doyle Rigdon,
Carl Sharp, and
Iris Wall) in the media
release
here.
View the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering schedule and find information
about exhibits, workshops, and performers
here.
Among
the
participating poets and musicians in 2010 are:
Adrian,
Mike Beck, Baxter Black,
Marty Blocker, Dave Bourne,
Jerry Brooks, Bimbo Cheney,
Corb Lund and the Hurtin'
Albertans, Cowboy Celtic, Doris
Daley, Stephanie Davis,
John Dofflemyer,
Ray Doyle,
Elizabeth Ebert,
Don Edwards, Ramblin' Jack Elliot,
Richard Elloyan, Leon Flick,
Dennis Gaines, Dick Gibford,
Janice Gilbertson,
DW Groethe,
R.W. Hampton,
Andy Hedges
and Andy Wilkinson, Brenn Hill,
Yvonne Hollenbeck, Carol Huechan,
Linda Hussa, Linda Kirkpatrick,
Ross Knox, Ed Littlefield and Marley's
Ghost, Liz Masterson, Wally McRae,
Denise McRea,
Waddie Mitchell,
Jane Morton, Michael Martin Murphey,
Andy Nelson,
Rodney Nelson,
Joel Nelson, Rich and Valerie
O'Brien, Glenn Ohrlin, Mike Puhallo,
Vess Quinlan, Henry Real Bird,
John Reedy,
Pat Richardson,
Riders in the Sky, Randy Rieman,
Bob Schild,
Sandy Seaton,
Georgie Sicking,
Jay
Snider, Sons of the San Joaquin, Dave Stamey,
Red Steagall,
Gail Steiger, Milton Taylor,
Diane Tribitt, Ian Tyson,
Miss "V" The Gypsy Cowbelle, Cora Wood,
Wylie & The Wild West, and
Paul Zarzyski.
Find information about
the gathering at the official web site
here.
[2010 poster image by Jim Harrison, Gainesville, Florida;
www.meta-visual.com]
Posted 12/2
The
BAR-D e-news went out to
subscribers
November 14, 2009. See the contents of the newsletter
here.
You can subscribe to e-news
here.
Back
at the Ranch, an
e-newsletter for supporters of the Center for
Western and Cowboy Poetry, was sent November 4, 2009. The
newsletter includes previews of features, advance notice of news and
projects, and more. If you're one of the Center's generous supporters
and did not receive the newsletter,
email us.
All of the Center's programs—the
Rural
Library Project, Cowboy Poetry Week, the
annual BAR-D Roundup compilation CDs, the
annual Western art poster for Cowboy Poetry Week, and all of the daily
updates of news, features, poetry, and more at CowboyPoetry.com—are
made possible by the generous support of individual and organizational
donors from our community.
If you are not a supporter yet, learn more
here about how you can
join others and be an
important part of it all.
This year has been a financial challenge for many,
including CowboyPoetry.com and the Center for Western and Cowboy
Poetry.
We urgently need your help to continue our programs.
If you visit CowboyPoetry.com often and find news, information,
and entertainment; if your poetry, CD, book, news, or gathering
have been featured...please show
your support, so that we can continue to bring you all of
the information that is important to you.
Popular singer and songwriter
Brenn Hill
is profiled in an interview by Michael Lohr in the current issue of
Cowboys & Indians
magazine.
Asked about cowboy poetry, Brenn comments with his usual eloquence,
"The cowboy poetry movement encompasses more than just a resurgence of
cowboy poetry and cowboy poets. This movement represents a resurgence, a
revival if you will, of the authentic cowboy that has been all but lost from
mainstream art and media. Cowboy poetry celebrates our American agricultural
heritage; it reinstates the values system that founded this country through
poetry and music of both yesterday and today. I hope to offer the world a
contemporary and progressive voice of the real American West as it is today,
and I am reliant upon the cowboy poetry movement to provide me a vehicle for
expressing my art."
Read the entire article
here.
See our feature about Brenn Hill here
and visit his web site, www.brennhill.com.
Posted 11/30
Noted Western artist
Bill Anton
has been selected as the poster artist for the
17th annual Santa Clarita
Cowboy Festival (April 22-25, 2010). Bill Anton's work has been featured
on
other gatherings' posters, including the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, as an
electronic Cowboy Poetry Week poster, and appears on
the cover of
The Big Roundup
from CowboyPoetry.com.
The 2010 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival takes place at the
Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and other venues in Santa Clarita,
California. The festival includes Western gear, food, clothing, and living
history exhibits. Performers in 2010 include
The Quebe Sisters Band,
Don Edwards,
The Sons of
the San Joaquin,
Dave Stamey,
Jon Chandler and the Wichitones,
Juni Fisher,
Brenn Hill,
Yvonne Hollenbeck,
Andy Nelson,
Cow Bop,
Sons and Brothers,
Rusty Richards,
David Bourne,
The Saddle Cats,
Pat Richardson
and others, along with Native American and Hispanic song and dance. Find more
about the 2010 Performers
here.
Find more
information at www.cowboyfestival.org.
Posted
11/23
Top cowboy poet Baxter Black's
new book,
The Back Page, is a collection of his columns from
the back page of
Western Horseman.
The publisher describes the book:
For more than 15 years, many
Western Horseman
readers have begun their journeys through each issue by, strangely enough,
starting at the back. That's because, during those years, the back page
has been occupied by the humorous ramblings of America's best-selling
comedic veterinarian, Baxter Black. This book is a collection of these
observations, accompanied by the original illustrations that appeared in
the magazine. This look back at 15 years of the best of Baxter is sure to
bring smiles to the faces of cowboy philosophers everywhere.
See our feature about Baxter Black here.
Read more here about
The Back Page
and visit Baxter Black's web site at
www.BaxterBlack.com for more
information.
Posted 11/16
The
Western Music Association
held its
21st Annual Western Music Association
Festival in
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
November 19-22, 2009
and presented its annual awards.
Award winners include:
Entertainer of the Year:
Dave Stamey
Female Poet:
Doris Daley
Male Poet:
Waddie Mitchell
Cowboy Poetry Book:
Trail Mix
by
Diane Tribitt
Cowboy Poetry CD:
Beneath a Western Sky
by
Doris Daley
Poet/Musician Collaboration:
Les Buffham
and
Judy Coder,
"Song Of The Mourning Dove"
Traditional Duo/Group:
Sons of the San Joaquin
Traditional Album:
Juni Fisher
for
Gone for Colorado
Cowboy/Western Swing Duo/Group:
Asleep at the Wheel
Cowboy/Western Swing Album:
Hang-n-Rattle
by
Wylie & the Wild West
Female Performer:
Juni Fisher
Male Performer:
Bill Barwick
Instrumentalist:
Curly Musgrave
Find more here in our Awards news.
WMA Board Member
and New Mexico Music Commissioner
Rick Huff
shared a proclamation received from
Governor Bill Richardson,
declaring November 19-22
"Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Days."
The proclamation also mentions New Mexicans Jack Thorp,
S. Omar Barker, and the fact that New Mexico is the
only state with an official cowboy song. See the proclamation
here.
Posted 11/23
Unwired,
by top band
Wylie & the Wild West,
is the latest release from Western Jubilee Recording Company. The album was recorded live and in
concert in July, 2009 at the Western Jubilee Warehouse in Colorado Springs.
Western Jubilee describes the CD, "Wylie Gustafson along with
Ray Doyle,
Scot Wilburn
and Rick Bryceson
presented a stirring 60 minute concert in our old Warehouse. Wylie
sings old classics and new originals—both solo and with full band. Soft and
slow to rattle and roll..."
In his
newsletter,
Wylie Gustafson comments that the album is, "A little jump and
kick with a touch of mellow down easy. We made a point of including a good jag
of our acoustic material so I thought Unwired
would be an appropriate title. We always have these magical nights at the
Warehouse so we thought we'd try to capture one on tape."
Wylie & the Wild West's previous release,
Hang-n-Rattle, just received a top album award from the Western Music
Association (see a list of all of the WMA awards here).
See the
Unwired
track list
here
and find more about Wylie & the Wild
West in our feature here.
Find more information and track samples for
Unwired
here
at the Wylie & the Wild West web site and at
Western Jubilee.
Posted 11/24
The
Dallas Museum of Art
has a new installation,
Cowboys:
On the Range Between Art and Life, on display through July 1,
2010, From the museum's description:
Highlights of the installation include Frank Reaugh’s
painting Plains, Thomas Hart Benton’s hectic imagining of a famed
gunslinger in his lithograph Jesse James, Bank Langmore’s
photograph Portrait of Old Cowboy, Erwin E. Smith’s photographic
documentation of life on the trail, and Perry Nichols’ painting Fight
in the Corral, which romanticizes the experience of the cowboy,
invoking the rugged physicality of manliness and individualism.
Visit the Dallas Museum of Art web site
for more information.
Posted 11/16
The popular Heritage of the American West
Performance Series in Spearfish, South Dakota, is returning to the
High Plains
Western Heritage Center under new direction.
The original monthly show was started by Kay Jorgensen and
Jim Thompson (Live! with Jim Thompson)
of Creative Broadcast Services and ran for ten years, with its final show in
August, 2009.
Francie Ganje (pictured)—the
director of the shows under CBSI—has worked, with others, to continue the
series.
A December show, with details to be
announced, will feature South Dakota poet Ken Cook
and Montana singer, songwriter, and poet Bob
Petermann.
Find details at the
High Plains
Western Heritage Center web site and read
about the new Heritage of the American West and find show details in our
feature here.
Updated 11/23
Minnesota rancher, writer, poet, and editor
Diane Tribitt
has created a new e-magazine site,
CowboyLegacy.org.
From the announcement:
...Our kickoff publication highlights rancher and
cowboy poet
Deanna Dickinson McCall,
Western singer
Joni Harms
and America’s Western Sweetheart
Belinda Gail. We
have also teamed up some cowboy poets and artists, incorporating their
combined works into beautiful layouts by graphic design artist Brianna
Varner. These “True Spirit Reflections” include the work of:
Tim Cox
with
S. Omar Barker,
Ann Hanson
with
Sharon Brown
and
Bill Owen
with
Ken Cook.
Columnists include the
Editor’s Pen
by
Diane Tribitt,
Best of the West Reviews by
Rick Huff,
Health Care
by
Lisa Gall, FNP, BC,
Chiropractic Care
by
Dr. Deann Adams,
The Bookshelf
by
Diane Tribitt, Vet articles by
Dr. Bethany Funnell
- UofM Beef Team and the
Bar-D Cowboy Poetry
column from
CowboyPoetry.com....
Read more
here in
our featured sites section and visit the site at
www.cowboylegacy.org.
Posted 11/12
Rancher, cowboy, educator, and author
Henry Real Bird has been named Montana Poet Laureate by Governor Brian Schweitzer.
The position "recognizes
and honors a citizen poet of exceptional talent and
accomplishment. The state Poet Laureate's role is to encourage
appreciation of poetry and literary life in Montana by giving
readings and presentations throughout the state, making poetry
available to a wide state audience." See an article about the
appointment
here in the
Billings Gazette.
An October 2, 2009
article
in the Billings Gazette, "Real
Bird sees opportunity as poet laureate,"
quotes Henry Real Bird on the position and his life in southeastern Montana,
and includes audio.
Henry Real Bird appears frequently at the National Cowboy Poetry
Gathering and other gatherings across the West. He is featured in
Why the Cowboy Sings from the
Western Folklife Center.
A Crow Tribal member and past president of Little Big Horn
College, Henry Real Bird and his family have long been involved in
an annual historical re-enactment of the Battle of Little Big
Horn; he has co-written the script and helps direct the
production. Read more about the event
here.
UPDATE 11/2:
See a profile and find more information
here
from the Montana Arts Council
Henry Real Bird took part in the recent National Folk Festival in
Butte. See photos and a report from that event
here at CowboyPoetry.com.
[2008 photo of Henry
Real Bird by Jeri
L. Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others
here.]
Updated 11/2
The University of Oklahoma
Press
has published a 300-page volume of
The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell, A Retrospective of Paintings and
Sculpture.
The publisher describes the book as "a sumptuous collection of iconic
works,"
and describes the contents:
Here are iconic images that have
defined the West in the popular imagination for more than a
century. The volume boasts reproductions, most in full color, of
more than 150 of Russell’s finest works in oil, bronze, and
mixed media. Select examples of his drawings, watercolors, and
illustrated letters as well as archival photographs place
Russell’s paintings and sculpture in historic and artistic
context.
Introduced by the book's editor, scholar Joan
Carpenter Troccoli, works are collected in chapters such as her "Poetry and
Motion in the Art of Charles M. Russell"; "Memories of Charles M. Russell
Among My Indian Relatives," by George P. Horse Capture, Sr.; "'What a Pair
to Draw To': Charles M. Russell and the Art of Storytelling Art," by Brain
W. Dippie; "Charlie Russell Discovers Lewis and Clark," by James P. Ronda;
"Montana's Magnificent Russell," by Kirby Lambert; and others.
The book was made possible through the
collaboration of several museums' Russell holdings, including the Gilcrease
Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Amon Carter Museum, the Montana
Historical Society, and others. The Denver Art Museum currently has an
exhibit, "The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell" (see the news item
below).
The University of Oklahoma Press's The Masterworks of Charles M.
Russell
is the sixth volume in the publisher's Charles M. Russell Series
on Art and Photography of the American West. It is a companion to the 2007
Charles M. Russell: A Catalogue Raisonné,
the first book in the series.
Find more about the book in our news
here and
here
at the University of Oklahoma Press web site.
Posted 10/26
Top singer, songwriter, and poet
Red Steagall
brings his new
In the Bunkhouse
television series to
RFD-TV,
starting Wednesday, November 4, 2009. From the official announcement:
Cowboys & Indians
takes pride in presenting
In the Bunkhouse,
a new half-hour television series showcasing Red Steagall,
America's favorite cowboy singer and storyteller. The "cowboy variety"
show premieres Nov. 4 on the RFD-TV network, where it will air
Wednesdays at 1 and 11 p.m. EST.
"I call the show 'cowboy variety,'" Steagall says, "because that's what
it is, the best in all things cowboy—music, interviews, poetry, chuck
wagon cooking, and a little bit of good old American wisdom in every
episode." Each week, Steagall promises, "I'll share coffee with the men
and women who keep our beloved cowboy culture alive..."
Steagall, host of the syndicated radio show
Cowboy Corner
and long-time columnist for
Cowboys & Indians, is the
official Cowboy Poet of Texas. He has performed as a singer and musician
for more than four decades, touring at least 200 days every year. More
than 200 of his songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Dean
Martin, Roy Clarke and Ray Charles.
Read more
here
at RFD-TV.
Find more about Red Steagall in our feature
here
and at his web site, www.redsteagall.com.
[2008 photo of Red
Steagall by Jeri
L. Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others
here.]
Posted 11/3
New Mexico's
City of Las Vegas Museum and Rough
Riders Memorial Collection hosts a new
exhibit,
Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy,
through December 2010. From the museum:
The exhibit explores the Las Vegas Cowboys Reunions, one of the
biggest rodeos in the nation in the early 20th century. True to
its ranching heritage origins, contestants vied for top honors
in events taken directly from the range—no dime store cowboys in
the bunch. Unlike today's rodeo circuit, women competed in many
events. The likes of Montana Belle and Mayme Stroud wowed the
crowds with bronc-riding, steer wrestling, and trick riding.
Literati and the arts took note of the Reunions—filmmaker
Tom Mix, artist Randall Davey, and author
S. Omar Barker were in the crowd. The
display includes saddles, photos, handbills, and other items
relating to the annual event from 1915 through the 1960s. The
exhibit focuses mainly on the early years (1915-1930s), but it
also explores how this local tradition developed and evolved
over time.
Writer
and poet Philip Lenoir
(1882-1923) is credited with creating the "Git Fer
Vegas, Cowboy" slogan. His poetry is featured this week,
below, and there's more about him in this
week's Picture the West.
Some photos of Western women and
cowgirls from Picture the West will be featured in a video being
added to the exhibit.
Find more about the
Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy
exhibit at the
museum's web site,
at the museum's
blog,
and
here
at the museum's Facebook page, where there are photos.[thanks to
Mark L. Gardner
for the first information about this exhibit]Posted 11/2
The
Amon Carter Museum
in Fort Worth, Texas, announces a new gallery
space and online resources dedicated to the works of
Frederic Remington
(1861–1909)
and
Charles M. Russell
(1864–1926).
From the museum's media release:
An
interpretative gallery space dedicated to the works of Frederic Remington
and Charles M. Russell recently opened at the Amon Carter Museum. Located
on the mezzanine level of the museum, the nearly 2,000-square-foot network
of galleries serves to educate visitors about the works of American
artists Remington and Russell. Admission to the gallery is free.
“When the museum expanded in 2001, we gained additional space to exhibit
our renowned collection,” says Rick Stewart, senior curator of western
paintings and sculpture. “What we found was that our visitors wanted to
know even more about Remington and Russell and their techniques. We hope
these galleries better acquaint the public with the life and works of
these two great American artists.”
The galleries feature the self-taught artists’ oil paintings, watercolors
and drawings. Nearly 100 artworks are on view, and the museum plans to
periodically rotate some of the works. Several interactive features
comprise the galleries, including pull-out drawers with large works on
paper and a computer workstation. Museum visitors may also watch a short
animation that depicts the lost-wax bronze casting process utilized by
Remington and Russell. Additional works by Remington can be viewed in the
second-level paintings and sculpture galleries.
In addition to the interpretative galleries, the museum has launched
www.cartermuseum.org/remington-and-russell, the definitive online
resource for any scholar or layperson interested in Remington, Russell and
their art. Every work by the two artists in the museum’s collection (about
400 objects) is viewable online. Exhaustive timelines are provided for
each artist as well, complete with hundreds of period photographs and
noteworthy events and dates in their lives. The site also includes:
biographies of the two artists; comprehensive bibliographies; videos of
the lost-wax process of making sculpture and of curator Rick Stewart
discussing several of the artists’ works; and extensive teaching
resources, making the site a destination for educators everywhere....
Visit the new
online resource
here
at the
Amon Carter Museum web site.
[image: "Buffalo Skull" 1915, by Charles M. Russell
(1864-1926), graphite on tan paper, Amon Carter Museum,
Fort Worth, Texas; 1961.268]
Posted 10/19
The
National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum
in Oklahoma City presents
Arte en la Charrería: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture
through January 3, 2010. From the museum's description:
The very
essence of the Mexican experience is exemplified by the culture of the
charro, or Mexican cowboy. It is a rich legacy of tradition and valor, of
honor and custom, of war and peace. Arte en la Charrería contains more
than 120 examples of the excellent craftsmanship and design distinctive to
the Mexican cowboy. The exhibition introduces audiences to the work of
talented Mexican artisans who manufacture the articles and costumes that
embellish and distinguish the charro tradition.
The “charro,”
or Mexican cowboy, is an important aspect of North American history. Men
and women in La Charrería hold events similar to those in American rodeo,
but beyond the fancy riding is the pageantry of their costumes and
accessories.
Many traditions date back to the 16th century when Spanish settlers
brought their ranching practices to the colonies. The gathering of cattle
and horses often ended with celebrations attracting people from miles
around. At these festivities charros showed off their skills and competed
with one another. The competitive horse events are called the “charreada”
but the term “charrería” encompasses the entire culture of those events
including the costumes, music and food.
“Charrería
encompasses numerous traditions associated with the colorful charro, a
legendary figure that has become the national symbol of Mexico,” said Don
Reeves, the Museum’s McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture. “Through this
exhibition the National Cowboy Museum joins in the celebration of the 2010
Bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain and the 100th anniversary
of the Mexican Revolution,” he said.
Highlighted in
the bilingual exhibit is detailed craftsmanship—whether represented in a
sombrero, clothing, saddle, bits and spurs, or reatas. Suede riding pants
and short jackets are decorated with metallic thread embroidery and silver
buttons. Sombreros feature vivid colors and embellishments.
“The ornate treasures in this exhibition represent one of the most
important charro collections in Mexico. Gumaro González of Nuevo Leon
began collecting these items in the late 1800s, and we are thrilled his
descendants are sharing these heirlooms with our Museum visitors,” Reeves
said.
Many of these spectacular items have never before been seen before and
were borrowed specifically for this limited tour....
Read a complete
media release
here.
Find additional information about the exhibit
here,
including photos, at the International Arts & Artists web site, the exhibition's organizer.
[image: Hat, courtesy of Luis González Cárdenas. © Arte en la Charrería;
courtesy
of the National
Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum]
The Masterworks of Charles M.
Russell; a Retrospective
of Paintings & Sculpture,
opens October 17, 2009 at the
Denver Art Museum.
From the museum's media release:
The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell
will highlight more than 60 major works in oil and bronze by the renowned
western artist (1864-1926). Revising conventional concepts about the
artist, the exhibition will be on view at the DAM October 17, 2009 through
January 10, 2010. This exhibition, the first-ever major retrospective of
Russell’s painting and sculptural work, was co-organized by the Denver Art
Museum’s Petrie Institute of Western American Art and Gilcrease Museum,
Tulsa, Okla.
Find more information
here
at the Denver Art Museum web site.
[Image courtesy of the Denver Art Museum: Self Portrait, 1900; Watercolor on
paper., Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyo.]
Updated 10/19
As announced previously, the
Western Writers of America will
take part in the
Heber City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, in
Heber City, Utah, November 6-7. 2009. The
schedule and presenters have been
announced.
Presenters include
Kirk Ellis,
“Ranger Doug” Green
of Riders in the Sky,
Will Bagley,
Johnny D. Boggs,
Jon Chandler,
Terry A. Del Bene,
Rod Miller,
Candy Moulton,
Michael Zimmer, and
Steve Moulton. Session topics
include Rod Miller's two-part presentation, "Writing
Poetry About the West – What writers can learn from Cowboy Poets," Steve
Moulton's "Cowboy Music," and other topics including writing fiction,
non-fiction, and history; writing for film, magazines; Western literature;
and more.
Find the entire
program and information about the presenters
here
at CowboyPoetry.com.
From the initial media release:
Several award-winning professional writers will
participate in readings, presentations, and panel discussions at the Heber
City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, November 6 and 7. The
programs will appeal to both aspiring and accomplished authors, as well as
readers of Western literature and film....
“We’ve put together a lineup with broad appeal,” says
WWA president Boggs. “Our featured writers’ expertise covers practically
all forms of Western literature, from Kirk Ellis’s work for film and
television to Will Bagley’s critically acclaimed histories. Western
fiction, nonfiction, poetry, song—it’s all there. And, with notable
performers “Ranger Doug” and Jon Chandler scheduled to appear, WWA
programs should be entertaining as well as informative.” Boggs says books
and CDs by the featured authors will be available for sale at the
Gathering, with the writers on hand for autographs and signings.
According to event organizers, the author appearances
promise to deliver insights into the writing process, Western subjects on
movie and television screens, research techniques for both fiction and
nonfiction, inside information about publishing and marketing, adapting
writing skills to multiple genres, as well as tips and advice for both
readers and writers.
Entrance to WWA events is free with paid admission to
the Heber City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair. Schedule and
ticket information are available online at
www.hebercitycowboypoetry.com. Information about Western Writers of
America is found at
www.westernwriters.org.
Read the entire release in a
previously posted news item,
here.
Find the schedule here.
Updated 10/20
The
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame—"dedicated
to honoring and documenting the lives of men and women who have made
exemplary contributions to Western Heritage, past and present"—host
its annual Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony Weekend of Activities November 6- 7,
2009. Events include the "Forgotten Cowboys"
Western Heritage Symposium and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
From the museum's media release:
...During the symposium, museum guests will
attend a series of western heritage sessions, in which they will learn
about a proud heritage, learn to embrace diversity and tolerance, and
encounter new role models, as they hear from western heritage historians
and guest speakers who will increase museum guests' knowledge of the
complete history of the settlement of the western United States...The
sessions will consist of oral presentations by western heritage historians
and guest speakers, the viewing of historic photographs and artifacts as
well as opportunities for museum guests to interact with the speakers,
test their knowledge of history and win prizes...
...The Hall of Fame induction ceremony salutes outstanding pioneers who
contributed to the settling of the early American Western Frontier as well
as acknowledge individuals who continue to be trailblazers committed to
the legacy of western culture. The 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees will
include
Mayisha Akbar,
Alex Dees,
Dean Smith, and
Ben F. Tahmahkera. The
2009 posthumous inductions include Calvin Greely, Jr.,
Henry Harris,
Isaac Burns Murphy, and
Albino Tais. The
museum's notable Hall of Fame alumni include Bill Pickett,
Quanah Parker,
Jerry Diaz,
Bass Reeves,
Red Steagall,
and Cathay Williams.
Find biographies of each of
the inductees here.
Learn more about the events and about the museum
at their web site, www.cowboysofcolor.org.
Posted 10/8
Faces of the
Frontier, an exhibition at The Smithsonian
Institution's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.,
through January 24, 2010, offers a wealthy of history and
photography. From the exhibition description:
The American West was dramatically remade in
the eight decades between the beginning of the Mexican War and the
passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. This exhibition tells the
story of those changes through the photographs of the men and women who
helped define this era. Although the history of the trans-Mississippian
West is many centuries old, the period beginning with the annexation of
Texas in 1845 and the outbreak of war with Mexico in 1846 saw
ever-increasing encounters between people of different
cultural traditions and circumstances. These individuals played a
significant role in the exploration, settlement, and representation of
this vast territory.
At the same time, the new visual technology of photography, first
introduced in 1839, reshaped the way Americans and others came to
understand the West. More than any literary or artistic medium,
photography made visible the region's great natural and human diversity.
Although photography often reinforced popular notions, it also presented
new ideas about the West—and in the process about America itself.
....
The
web site
for the exhibition includes information and photographs. Some of those
images include Sam Houston, John Muir, Jack London, Quanah Parker, Sitting
Bull, Geronimo, Charles M. Russell, Kit Carson, Red Cloud, Horace Greeley,
Brigham Young, Calamity Jane,Tom Mix, Buffalo Bill Cody, John Wesley Powell,
Theodore Roosevelt, and many others.
A new book from Oklahoma University Press,
Faces of the Frontier: Photographic Portaits of the American West,
includes Western-themed photographs from the National Portrait Gallery,
including the exhibit's photographs and many others.
The exhibit will be at the San Diego Historical
Society in California, from March 12 through June 6, 2010, and at the
Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from October 9, 2010, through January
2, 2011.
Posted 9/28
The
Western Folklife Center's
Wiegand Gallery hosts the exhibition
The Lingo of Our Calling: The Legacy of Cowboy Poetry,
through November 13, 2009. From their announcement:
This exhibition offers a glimpse into ranching culture in the rural
West through the lens of cowboy poetry and related art forms. The Lingo
of Our Calling invites you to hear first-hand from working cowboys and
to explore the enduring beauty and spirit of their culture. Though curated
by the Western Folklife Center, The Lingo of Our Calling is part of
the Nevada Arts Council's Nevada Touring Initiative, sponsored by the
National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of
Genius Initiative...
The Lingo of Our Calling exhibition presents cowboy poetry, music,
gear, paintings, photography, posters and quilts. Recordings of
recitations of the poems appearing in the exhibit bring them to life.
Short films featuring the art and work of contemporary ranchers offer
insight into the culture from the perspective of those working day-to-day
on the land. A small, traveling library of selected volumes provides an
opportunity to delve further into cowboy poetry.
From the time of the open range and trail drives to today's ranching
generation, cowboy poetry, storytelling and music have been a means of
entertainment and communication. Cowboy poetry took hold as an oral and
literary tradition during the late nineteenth century, giving voice to the
experience of working ranchers and cowhands. Since the mid-1980s, cowboy
poetry gatherings—of which Elko's was the first—have galvanized an
occupational and creative community, where artists find mutual inspiration
and camaraderie. The poetry, stories and music once shared around the
campfire or in the bunkhouse are now also performed onstage, bringing a
much larger and more diverse audience into the fold. Because of its
universal themes—friendship, loyalty, connection to place, loss,
loneliness and change—cowboy poetry has an appeal that reaches well beyond
the culture from which it emanates...
Find more information
here at the Western Folklife Center web site.
Posted 9/30
Montana's "Polish-rodeo-hobo" poet
Paul Zarzyski
and top cowboy singer-composer
Wylie Gustafson
appeared Tuesday, October 6, 2009 on the
Millennium Stage
at The Kennedy Center
in Washington, D.C. The event is available for viewing on demand
from
the archive. The
performance is a part of the Homegrown: The Music of America
concert series.
The hour-long concert included "Grace,"
both as the poem written and delivered by Paul Zarzyski and in song as
written and performed by Wylie Gustafson; "Bucking
Horse Moon," with both as a
poem delivered by Paul Zarzyski and the song, which he wrote in
collaboration with Tom Russell, sung by Wylie Gustafson; "Monte
Carlo Express..." by Paul
Zarzyski; Wylie Gustafson's "Whip Out a Yodel";
"Black upon Tan,"
the poem written and delivered by Paul Zarzyski; "Ridin'
Double Wild," both as the poem
written and delivered by Paul Zarzyski and in song as written and
performed by Wylie Gustafson; "Words Growing Wild in
the Woods," the poem written
and delivered by Paul Zarzyski; "To Ride,"
written and performed by Wylie Gustafson; "For the
Stories," the poem written and
delivered by Paul Zarzyski; Tex Owens' "Cattle Call,"
performed by Wylie Gustafson; "The Heavyweight Champion
Pie-Eating Cowboy of the West,"
the poem written and delivered by Paul Zarzyski;
Badger Clark's "To Her,"
set to music and performed by Wylie Gustafson; and "Rodeo
to the Bone," co-written by
Wylie Gustafson and Paul Zarzyski—who introduced it with a bit of Badger
Clark's "The Legend of Boastful Bill"—sung
by Wylie Gustafson.
On October 7, Paul Zarzyski and Wylie Gustafson appeared at the
Library of Congress
in a noon performance in a concert series co-presented by the
American Folklife Center and the Music Division at the Library of
Congress in cooperation with the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
Other cowboy and Western artists
who have been a part of these series (and whose performances can
be found on video from
The Kennedy Center Archive) include
DW
Groethe, The Quebe Sisters, The BAR-J Wranglers, Sourdough
Slim, Jody Nix, Chuck Milner, and Liz Masterson and Sean
Blackburn.
Wylie Gustafson
and Paul Zarzyski
collaborated on a recent, acclaimed CD,
Hang-n-Rattle
(and several of the selections from the concert are included on
that CD).
Read our review here and visit
www.wyliewebsite.com and
www.paulzarzyski.com for
more information.
[2009 photo of Wylie
Gustafson and Paul Zarzyski by Jeri
L. Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others
here.]
Updated 10/8
The National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo took place
September 10-12, 2009 in Montrose,
Colorado. Find the complete results and photos in our report
here
(updated 10/5 with additional photos).
Dates for the 2010 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo
in Montrose, Colorado have been announced: September 16-18, 2010.
The Rodeo will again be
held
in conjunction with the
San Juan Western
Heritage Festival.
The unique event was conceived by and is produced by poet
Sam
Jackson, who believes in "excellence through competition."
The participants for the
2009 rodeo were:
J.B. Barber (Idaho), Marci Broyhill (Nebraska),
Jerry Brooks (Utah),
Jim Cardwell (California),
Jim Cathey (Texas), Keith Chadwell
(Oregon), Jan M. Corey (Arizona), Geff Dawson
(Kansas), Betty Wolf Duncan (Iowa),
Slim Farnsworth (Colorado),
Janice Gilbertson (California),
Del Gustafson (Washington),
Lee
Kimberlain (Colorado), Al "Doc" Mehl (Colorado),
Dick Morton (Colorado),
Jane Morton (Colorado),
Duane Nelson
(Oregon), Orvil Sears (Washington),
Cade Schalla (Texas), Don Sims (Wyoming),
Bryan Smith (Alberta),
Kip Sorlie (South Dakota), Almeda Terry
(Montana), Keith Ward (North Carolina), and C.R. Wood (Utah).
See our feature about the National
Cowboy Poetry Rodeo
here.
Updated 10/5
The
Amon Carter Museum
in Fort Worth, Texas, presents
Views and Visions: Prints of the American West, 1820-1970,
on view through January 10, 2010. The free exhibit showcases
approximately 120 prints and illustrated books from the museum's
permanent collection. From their media release:
American artists saw and experienced the western frontier in
different ways and with varied perspectives. This exhibition features
prints from the past two centuries, representing a myriad views and
visions of the American West.
"While the works will be arranged by subjects familiar to the
viewer-nature, wildlife, native peoples and non-native settlement-they
will reflect broader aspects," says Rick Stewart, the Carter's senior
curator of western paintings and sculpture and curator of Views and
Visions.
"One of the most interesting features in the exhibition will be the
juxtaposition of particular works," Stewart continues, "sometimes made
more than a century apart, that will show curious similarities or
intriguing differences in artistic vision."
Included in the exhibition are the first eyewitness renderings of Yosemite
Valley, the summit of the Sierra Nevada and the iconic Mountain of the
Holy Cross. From these early landscapes and portraits of western denizens,
the show progresses deep into the 20th century with works by Leonard
Baskin, Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and Grant Wood.
"As this exhibition will show, some American artists viewed the West in
its mythic enlargement," says Stewart, "while others attempted to infuse
their mythic visions with a harsher reality. Yet even today, the appeal of
the mythic vision of the American West remains widespread."
Find more information about the exhibit
here
at the museum's web site.
[image: "Nebraska Evening, 1941" by Thomas Hart Benton,
Lithograph, © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/UMB
Bank Trustee/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY; Amon Carter Museum,
Fort Worth, Texas; 1984.12 ]
Posted 9/23
The
Western Writers of America will
take part in the
Heber City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, in
Heber City, Utah in November. From their media release:
Several award-winning professional writers will
participate in readings, presentations, and panel discussions at the Heber
City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, November 6 and 7. The
programs will appeal to both aspiring and accomplished authors, as well as
readers of Western literature and film.
“We have talked with the Cowboy Poetry Gathering
organizers for several years about doing this,” says Johnny Boggs,
president of Western Writers of America. “The Gathering is a major event,
attracting thousands of people interested in the culture of the American
West, so it seemed like a natural fit for WWA to get involved.”
Tom Whitaker, founder and president of the Heber City
Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, now in its fifteenth year,
agrees. “Our mission is to promote Western heritage and culture. Western
writing—history, fiction, poetry, songs, movies, television—that’s all
part of it. Since Western Writers of America represents hundreds of
authors in all those areas, we wanted the organization to be part of our
event.”
WWA will have a dedicated lecture room, the Campfire
Stage, Friday and Saturday at the Gathering. Among those scheduled to
appear are screenwriter Kirk Ellis, winner of Emmy, Golden Globe,
Wrangler, and Spur Awards for his work in movies and television, including
the miniseries Into the West and John Adams, and “Ranger
Doug” Green, of hall-of-fame musical group Riders in the Sky, who is also
author of several books on music history and many magazine articles.
Other notable authors on the schedule include
award-winning Utah historian Will Bagley, who both writes and edits books
considered definitive works in Western History, including Blood of the
Prophets and the series Kingdom in the West; Johnny Boggs, a
New Mexico freelance magazine writer, prolific novelist, and winner of
numerous Spur and Wrangler Awards; Jon Chandler, Colorado singer,
songwriter, novelist, and recipient of several awards in both music and
literature; Candy Moulton, Wyoming author of a Spur Award-winning history
of Chief Joseph as well as other historical books and magazine articles;
Michael Zimmer, Utah author of five historically accurate novels about the
West, the fur trade, and buffalo hunting; Wyoming archeologist and author
Terry Del Bene, whose work includes numerous museum and roadside exhibits
as well as the popular Donner Party Cookbook; and Rod Miller, Utah
author of numerous poems, magazine articles, two books of history, and a
Western novel.
“We’ve put together a lineup with broad appeal,” says
WWA president Boggs. “Our featured writers’ expertise covers practically
all forms of Western literature, from Kirk Ellis’s work for film and
television to Will Bagley’s critically acclaimed histories. Western
fiction, nonfiction, poetry, song—it’s all there. And, with notable
performers “Ranger Doug” and Jon Chandler scheduled to appear, WWA
programs should be entertaining as well as informative.” Boggs says books
and CDs by the featured authors will be available for sale at the
Gathering, with the writers on hand for autographs and signings.
According to event organizers, the author appearances
promise to deliver insights into the writing process, Western subjects on
movie and television screens, research techniques for both fiction and
nonfiction, inside information about publishing and marketing, adapting
writing skills to multiple genres, as well as tips and advice for both
readers and writers.
Entrance to WWA events is free with paid admission to
the Heber City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair. Schedule and
ticket information are available online at
www.hebercitycowboypoetry.com. Information about Western Writers of
America is found at
www.westernwriters.org.
Posted 9/22
The
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame—"dedicated
to honoring and documenting the lives of men and women who have made
exemplary contributions to Western Heritage, past and present"—has
a new interactive learning room, Kiddie Korral, "designed to
encourage children and young adults to further learn about and explore the
various multicultural activities that characterize that unique culture of
the American West." From the museum's media release:
While visiting this
interactive learning room, visitors have the opportunity to engage in
activities that include: making a horse from a toilet paper roll, testing
their trick roping skills, perfecting their lassoing skills, taking their
picture sitting on top of a horse, testing their shooting skills in a
western gunfight, expressing their poetic talents with western magnetic
poetry words, fine-tuning their musical talents while playing a cowboy
guitar, learning about Native American tribes with special trivia playing
cards, designing their own cowboy brand, challenging themselves with a
mind-boggling rodeo jigsaw puzzle and horseshoes metal puzzle, having fun
with a bucking Buckaroo game, testing their knowledge of western heritage
trivia, figuring out western heritage crossword puzzles, hidden message
word searches, cowboy word unscramble and word matching games, playing
horseshoes games and cactus ring toss games, showcasing their artistic
abilities with multicultural cowboy & cowgirl coloring pages, and so much
more!
In addition, every Saturday from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm parents are encouraged
to bring their children to experience free storytelling at the museum.
Storytellers will read and share their favorite stories to children,
highlighting the history of the settling of the American Western Frontier
as well as discussing the modern-day sport of rodeo and other
cowboy/western heritage entertainment. There is no cost to attend this
weekly event....
... The National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum, located in Fort
Worth, Texas, was founded in 2001 with the primary objective to offer the
visitor a true and complete historical perspective of the people and
activities that built the unique culture of The American West. The work of
artists who documented the people and events of the time, journals,
photographs, ant other historical items are part of this new collection of
long overlooked materials that tell, perhaps for the first time, the
complete story. The American West of today still operates on many of the
principles and cultural relationships begun so long ago. The hope of the
museum is that its visitors will share in the enjoyment of a new vision
and leave with awareness that today's West came into being through the
struggles and triumphs of diversity. The Hall of Fame was founded to give
recognition to the outstanding pioneers who contributed to the settling of
early American western frontier as well as acknowledge individuals who
continue the legacy of the western culture. The Hall of Fame tells the
stories and presents excellent examples of American heroes of the past,
present and future.
Learn more about the museum
at their web site, www.cowboysofcolor.org.
Posted 9/21
Top cowboy poet
and philosopher Baxter Black is featured on
National Public Radio's
What's in a Song?
segment for September 12, 2009, as a part of the
Weekend
Edition Saturday program.
The program is described, "Public radio's favorite cowboy poet,
philosopher and former large-animal veterinarian lost his father at an early
age. But Black has a vivid memory of being regaled by a certain song about a
young cowboy at bedtime." Baxter Black talks about "Little
Joe the Wrangler," accompanied by excerpts from
Don Edwards' rendition of the song; the song's lyrics were written by
Jack Thorp.
What's in a Song? is produced by NPR in collaboration with the
Western
Folklife Center.
At the Western Folklife Center site
here, you can listen to the
segment, find a full audio of Don Edwards' rendition of "Little Joe the
Wrangler," some background, and the lyrics. You can also listen to the
What's in a Song
segment
here
on the National Public Radio site, where there is also a transcript of the
program and the audio for the program and for the full version of Don
Edwards' rendition.Other Western
songwriters featured recently on
What's in a Song?
include Stephanie Davis, Stan Howe, Tom Russell,
Brenn
Hill, Mike Beck, Curly
Musgrave, and Michael Martin Murphey. Find previous What's
in a Song broadcasts
here at the NPR web site.
[photo courtesy of Baxter
Black, www.baxterblack.com]
Posted 9/14
The
National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum
hosts the
The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) Annual Exhibition
and Sale,
September 26, 2009 through December 6, 2009. The event "offers the
finest of Western saddles, bits, spurs, braided rawhide and
exquisite silver work by 20 talented gear makers from the United
States, Canada and Argentina." From the Museum's media release:
Each generation mourns the passing of the cowboy way of
life as they knew it, but cowboys continue to work cattle from
horseback and quality Western gear is still in high demand. Some
cowhands skimp and save for years to purchase a custom-made
saddle by a maker they admire with full knowledge it might take
them five years for their order to make it to the top of the
master craftsman's list.
A few gear makers gathered in Elko, Nevada, and began sharing
their concerns that saddle making, bit and spur making, rawhide
braiding and Western silversmithing were facing serious
challenges. There is an aging core of master-level makers, a
shortage of emerging new talent, and a lack of public education
and recognition regarding these highly prized and collectible
tools of the cowboy trade.
Convinced these problems could best be addressed by a small
organization of master artists highly regarded by their peers,
calls went out and several interested individuals from across
the American and Canadian West met on the border of northern
Idaho. This historically unique assembly of makers in May 1998,
laid the groundwork for the formation of the
Traditional Cowboy Arts
Association.
Read more about the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association event
here at the Museum's web site.
Other exhibits opening in September at the National Cowboy and
Western Museum include “The
Jackie L. Coles Collection: Selected Works” (opened September
5, 2009) and the American Indian art show, “Bonita
Wa Wa Calachaw Nuñez: Selected Works,” opening September 19,
2009.
Find more information at the National Cowboy and Western
Heritage Museum web site:
www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
[photo courtesy of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage
Museum: Saddle by Rick C. Bean, saddlemaker, Meridian, Idaho ]
Posted 9/8
Respected cowboy troubadour
Don Edwards,
"the voice of the American cowboy," has been selected
unanimously
as the 2010 recipient of the prestigious
Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award
from the
National Cowboy
and Western Heritage Museum.
Named in honor of the museum's founder, the award is
described, "This award is presented to a
living honoree that has made outstanding contributions as an
individual, group or institution toward perpetuating the
ideals, history and heritage of the American West, whether by
a single remarkable achievement or a body of quality work over
a period of years."
The award will be presented in April, 2010 at the museum's
annual
Western Heritage Awards.
Don Edwards' 50-year career will also be celebrated in a
special event at the Western Folklife Center's
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
on Thursday, January 28, 2010 in a program, "Cowboy Balladeer
and Bard," with Don Edwards and Randy Rieman.
See our feature about Don Edwards
here and visit his web site,
www.donedwardsmusic.com.
[
photo
by Donald Kallaus]
Posted 8/27
Third-generation Montana
rancher, poet, and writer
Wallace McRae
shares stories of his life and his work in an engaging and
entertaining two-part interview on Yellowstone Public Radio,
in conversation with George Cole on Real Time. He
recites several poems, including his "Maggie" and "My
Requiem," and reads from his new, widely acclaimed collection
of stories,
Stick Horses and Other Stories of Ranch Life.
Listen to the interview
here.
Wallace McRae has been a part of
nearly every
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
He was the first cowboy poet to be awarded the
National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for
the Arts. He is a recipient of the Montana Governor's Award
for the Arts, and has served on the National Council of the
Arts.
His poem, "Urban Daughter," is
included on The BAR-D Roundup: Volume
Three. Read more about him in our feature
here.
[2009 photo of Wallace
McRae by Jeri
L. Dobrowski; see her gallery of western performers and others
here.]
Posted 8/26
Western
Horseman
profiles top cowboy poet and philosopher
Baxter Black
in a cover story by Jenifer Dennison in its September, 2009
issue. The warm and probing article, illustrated with entertaining
photos by Gene Peach, delves into Baxter Black's background
and the experiences that shaped him and his writing and
performing career.
The article quotes Baxter's good friend
Red Steagall, who comments,
"Baxter looks out a window that is uniquely his own, but he
has the ability to make you think it's the only window to look
out of. He's a marvelous entertainer and one of the greatest
classic poets the world has ever known."
The September issue also includes Baxter's regular "On the
Edge of Common Sense" column, and the Western Horseman
web site includes
audio of Baxter reading his columns.
Visit Baxter Black's web site (www.baxterblack.com) and read more about him and some of his poetry in our feature
here.
Posted 8/24
The August/September issue of
American Cowboy
includes a nine-page feature article by
Jeri Dobrowski, " Gathering
Momentum," about cowboy poetry
and music gatherings. She quotes many performers, gathering organizers,
and fans. (The piece starts with the words from
Baxter Black's
public service announcement from
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four:
"Cowboy poetry...starring ornery cows, bucking horses, and stubborn
cowboys on a stage of rugged mountains, alkali flats, careening canyons,
and sunsets the color of tropical fish.") Many of the articles' photos
are by Jeri Dobrowski as well, including images of
Jerry Brooks,
Gail Steiger,
Paul Zarzyski,
Red Steagall,
and others. The interesting, wide-ranging article includes links and
references for web sites, Western radio, books, and recordings, and is
accompanied by a list of events.
Also featured in the issue: "15
Insights from Michael Martin Murphey,"
with comments from the top cowboy singer and songwriter (www.michaelmartinmurphey.com)
about "life lessons from his experience as a Western entertainer" on
subjects including "respect your roots," "delight in knowledge," and
"work. and work hard."
Mark Bedor
reviews popular singer and songwriter
Stephanie Davis's
new CDs, Western Bliss
and Western Bling,
in a review titled "Simple Gifts." He calls the CDs "both wonderful,
warm, well-crafted records that offer a respite from modern madness."
See our feature about the CDs here.
The magazine
includes many other articles and features about western music,
art and photography, history, travel, rodeo, movies and other western
entertainment, and trail riding. Each issue includes news, letters to
the editor, classified and display ads, a Western events calendar,
book and music reviews, style and food features, and more.
Find more information at the American Cowboy Magazine
web site.
Updated 8/24
The
Will Rogers
Medallion Award Committee
(www.willrogersmedallionaward.org)
has announced
the winners of the 2009 Will Rogers Medallion Awards
for Outstanding Achievement in the Publishing of Western
Literature. Recipients are:
Cowboy Poetry:
A Prairie Prayer
by Bruce Roseland; Cowboy
Poetry: Tracks That Won't Blow Out by
Ray Owens,
and Lost Trails by
Willard Hollopeter.
Western Nonfiction:
Unbridled Cowboy by
Joseph B. Fussell
Western Fiction-Young Adult:
Beyond The Smoke by Terry Burns
Western Fiction: Sittin' 'Round The Stove—Stories from
the Real West by
Ken Overcast
Western Media -Film:
On The Trail of Jack Thorp
by Susan Gervasi
See the
news item here
with additional details about publishers and producers, in a media release
from the Will Rogers Medallion Award Committee.
See our feature
here
about the awards, which includes information about past recipients.
Posted 8/19
From the
Booth Western Art Museum:
The Booth Western Art Museum is
inviting visitors to take an artistic journey down two of America’s most
historic highways. The Museum will open “Route 66 Meets
Highway 41: Roadside Impressions by Chuck Middlekauff,”
on August 18. The exhibition includes depictions of historic signs and
landmarks along Route 66 and Highway 41. Guests are invited to meet the
artist at a reception on September 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and attend
a lecture by the artist at 7:00 p.m. in the Booth Theatre.
Known for his paintings of historic neon signs, Coke machines, roadside
diners, and nostalgic motels, as well as close-ups of cowboys,
Middlekauff first experienced the Western culture of cowboys, truckers,
and diners during cross-country car trips with his family. The Texas
artist relishes the challenge of painting those fading roadside
attractions and billboards that show textures induced by weathering and
years in the hot sun. He first captures old signs or buildings on film
and then, stroke by stroke, recreates them in all their tarnished detail
on canvas. The artist has traveled along Route 66, which runs between
Chicago and Los Angeles, many times, seeking out remnants of the past.
“America’s Main Street,” as this legendary road is called, has provided
consistent subject matter for Middlekauff for many years.
In 2008, Middlekauff accepted an invitation from the Booth Museum to
explore the Tennessee and Georgia sections of Highway 41, which runs
from Copper Harbor, Michigan to Miami, and create a series of paintings
contrasting Highway 41 and Route 66. Starting from their home in Austin,
Texas, Middlekauff and his wife Carol have traveled east to Highway 41
on two recent occasions, searching for old signs and other icons.
However, finding the older images for the Highway 41 portion of the
exhibition proved challenging for Middlekauff. “Sadly, it seems that
Chili’s, Chick-fil-A, and Wal-Mart have bulldozed most of those old
motels and diners, and the glorious old signs advertising them went away
in the process,” said Middlekauff. “During one trip we actually saw some
men on a ladder, in the act of covering over one old sign with sheet
metal.”...
Although the artist had already spent plenty of time on Route 66, while
living in Texas, Colorado, and California for almost 40 years, in April
of this year, Middlekauff headed out along “America’s Main Street” from
Amarillo to Los Angeles. He and Carol cruised the old road in their
white 1975 Corvette, looking for more rusty remnants of those “good ole
days” to recapture on canvas, before they are all gone.
“Though the old signs on both roads have much in common,” said
Middlekauff after his recent travels, “Route 66 is beautiful in its wide
open spaces, and Highway 41 is beautiful in its lushness and greenery,
definitely two different roads.” ...
For more information on “Route 66 Meets Highway 41: Roadside Impressions
by Chuck Middlekauff,” contact the Booth Western Art Museum at
770-387-1300 or visit www.boothmuseum.org.
Image: © Chuck Middlekauff, "Are We There
Yet?," acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40,” courtesy Booth Western Art Museum
Posted 8/17
The Western Folklife Center has announced the schedule of
ticketed shows for the
26th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, to be held January
23-30, 2010, in Elko, Nevada.
View the schedule
here. Workshops and exhibits are
also announced
at the official web site
here.
The
