Booth Art Academy Gears Up for the First Class in the New Year

Don't forget about the upcoming Jr. Pottery class at the Booth Art Academy! Those registered will experience mud like never before in the first class of the Spring semester at BAA. The Jr. Pottery workshop is for kids ages 7 & up, all of which are no doubt going to have some good ol' fashioned messy fun. Students will learn the basic ceramic techniques of pinch, coil and slab building, and exlpore the potter's wheel. Participants will also take home several completed pieces - perfect gifts to give Mom and Dad for Valentine's Day. The first workshop is next Tuesday, February 2, and will be held the following three Tuesdays in February. All workshops are from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the TRC building located at 1 N. Gilmer Street. The class is currently filled, but anyone interested should call 770-387-3849 to be placed on the waiting list. And be sure to check out the Booth Museum Web site to take a look at all the upcoming classes offered this Spring at BAA so you don't miss out on another class!

Sculpture Unveiling and Film Screening

This past Thursday, the Booth Western Art Museum unveiled Craig Bergsgaard's newest sculpture Memorare, Sand Creek 1864 (shown at left). Bergsgaard spoke about his inspiration for the piece which depicts a Native American man clutching a torn American flag with a woman's lifeless body laid over him. In addition to the sculpture unveiling, Don Vasicek showed an abridged version of his film Ghosts of Sand Creek. In the film , Cheyenne and Arapho descendants of the Sand Creek Massacre tell their personal oral history of the injustices committed by the U.S. Military. After the unveiling and film screening, researcher Jessica Osenbrugge joined Bergsgaard and Vasicek for a panel discussion about the 1864 event.

Pictured here (left to right): Don Vasicek, Jessica Osenbrugge and Craig Bergsgaard.

(Become a Fan of the Booth Museum on Facebook to see the complete photo album from Thursday's lecture.)

Booth Museum's Jim Dunham to Appear on PBS

Jim Dunham, director of special projects and historian for the Booth Western Art Museum, will appear on PBS' "American Experience: Wyatt Earp" on Monday, January 25, at 9:00 p.m. The one hour film will depict the life of Earp who was an officer of the law for a large portion of his life, and is perhaps most known for his participation in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz. Dunham, who has been fascinated by cowboys and Indians since a young age, went to Arizona last summer to be interviewed on why the story of Earp and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is still viable, important and interesting. Check out the article in today's Daily Tribune News for more information about Dunham's participation in the film.


(Special thanks to local artist and Booth Volunteer Carol Rotti who painted the awesome back drop behind Jim Dunham.)

Mark Your Calendar for Annual Cowboy Gathering

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Booth Museum's 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering which is secheduled for March 11-14, 2010. Scheduled events include evening concerts on Friday and Saturday night, chuck wagon and Dutch oven cooking contests, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo contests, children’s activities, and an artist’s workshop with featured artist Nelson Boren. Other special guests include Red Steagall and Sweethearts in Carhartts. The event will take place at the Booth Western Art Museum and the Grand Theatre, both located in historic downtown Cartersville.

On Thursday, March 11, visitors to the Museum can listen to Doc Stovall and the Tumbleweed Cowboy Band in the Museum Atrium from 5 to 7 p.m. At 7:00 p.m., featured artist Nelson Boren will present a lecture in the Booth Theatre on his artistic style and career highlights, and will be available to sign copies of the official Gathering poster in the Museum Store following his lecture.

Friday's activities inlcude an artist’s workshop conducted by featured artist Nelson Boren, and a special concert in the Booth Ballroom with musical guests Sweethearts in Carhartts.
Throughout the day Saturday, there will be a variety of events for the entire family. As part of the Southeastern Chuck Wagon Cook-Off, teams of cooks will prepare beans, meat, potatoes, bread and desserts just as they did during the cattle drives of the 1800s. Other activities include a fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo contest, adult Cowboy Poetry workshop, continuous family entertainment, and children’s activities throughout the Museum. Saturday evening’s concert features famed Western singer, songwriter, poet, and guitarist Red Steagall.

The weekend wraps-up Sunday, March 14, beginning with Cowboy Church in the Booth Ballroom at 11:00 a.m. After the service, from Noon to 4:00 p.m., a Dutch Oven Cooking Contest will take place on the Museum’s festival grounds. Top cooks will compete for prizes and bragging rights in three categories: bread, main dish and dessert, and will serve samples to the public. Also during this time the Georgia Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest Finals will be held in the Booth Theatre. The top 10 Georgia Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest finalists in four age divisions, representing grades five through twelve, will compete for cash prizes which are awarded for first, second and third place. Children’s activities will also be offered throughout the Museum.

For more information on the 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering, including admission prices and schedule, visit www.boothmuseum.org or call 770-387-1300.

Atlanta & Company Promotes World Premiere Exhibition

Curator of the Kenneth M. Freeman Legacy Collection, Bonnie Adams, was a featured guest on Atlanta & Company Wednesday. Adams discussed the Kenneth M. Freeman Exhibition: An Artist at Work, which is on display now at the Booth Western Art Museum. This World Premiere will travel to various other parts of the Unites States when it leaves here May 2.

The exhibition features more than 50 oil paintings and sculptures that feature working cowboys and cowgirls, rodeo heroes, Native American elders and children, mountain men, Western landscapes, and Buffalo Soldiers. In addition to the paintings and sculptures, An Artist at Work also highlights a number of educational exhibits that include a re-creation of Ken Freeman’s studio complete with easel and artifacts, and a section on Ken Freeman, the illustrator, showcasing a display of book covers and posters including ‘Fallon’ by Louis L’Amour.

Referred to as the Jewish Cowboy, Freeman was a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, having begun classes at the age of 15. He passed away in June of 2008leaving a rich body of work unrivaled by many artists. Today, Freeman’s paintings hang in museums, galleries and private collections around the world including The Library of Congress American Legacy Collection, The Booth Western Art Museum and the family of President Herbert Hoover.

Adams will present a lecture on Freeman’s artistic career at a Members Only Reception tomorrow, January 16, at the Booth Western Art Museum.

Booth Museum to Appear on This is Atlanta

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! The Booth Museum will appear on This is Atlanta with Alicia Steele several times from January 17 through March 31. This is Atlanta, an Emmy-nominated and Telly-winning magazine program, visits one-of-a-kind locations in the metro area, dives into unusual hobbies, and brings you performances by some of the city’s most compelling artists. Each segment of the show is a mini-documentary that offers a fascinating look at the people who make Atlanta an exciting place to live.

Alicia Steele and the producer of This is Atlanta recently filmed the various intros of the current program at the Museum. In addition to the segment featuring the Booth Museum, viewers will catch glimpses of much of the new expansion as Steele introduces upcoming segments throughout the program. Be sure to check out the first showing this Sunday, January 17, at 8 p.m. on PBA 30 (channel 16 on most cable providers). Visit pba.org for information on additional showings of the program.

In addition to the Booth Museum, the episode will feature:
The 48 Hour Film Project
The Atlanta Balalaika Society
Brook Run Skate Park
The Great Speckled Bird
The Artaxi
The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum
The Atlanta Jugglers Association
The New York Corned Beef Society of Atlanta

Historical Evening on the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864

The Booth Western Art Museum will unveil Craig Bergsgaard’s sculpture Memorare, Sand Creek 1864, and screen an abridged version of Don Vasicek’s film covering the 1864 skirmish between the United States and Native Americans on Sand Creek in Colorado on Thursday, January 21. The educational lecture, sculpture unveiling and film screening will begin at 7 p.m. in the Booth Theatre.

Many people are unaware of this skirmish in which 700 American soldiers killed 400 mostly unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women and children. The massacre took place during the Civil War, and so there was never much mention of the event. Both pieces – the sculpture and film – were created by the artists to not only make people aware of this horrific tragedy in American history, but to engage people in conversation on why it is so important to understand others in order to prevent something similar from happening in the future.

Bergsgaard's sculputre, Memorare, Sand Creek 1864 depicts a Native American man with his wife’s lifeless body laid over him as he clutches two arrows and a fragment of the American flag. After the unveiling of Memorare, an abridged version of Vasicek's film, "Ghosts of Sand Creek," will be shown which includes Cheyenne and Arapaho descendants of the Sand Creek Massacre telling their story.

The evening should be very informative and educational. Regular Museum admission is required. For more information about this historical evening lecture, sculpture unveiling or film screening, call 770-387-1300 or visit www.boothmuseum.org.

Winter Wonderland in the Wild West

Things got a bit chilly in the Wild West yesterday. With the dusting of snow that surrounded the Museum, a couple of Western snowmen rode in to take a peek at the artwork and sculptures of the Booth Western Art Museum. For those of you who have kids home from school today or who are off work yourselves, come warm up inside the 120,000 square foot Booth Museum. Don't forget to take the youngsters down to Sagebrush Ranch, or use some of the remaining snow outside to make their own Western snowmen!

Booth Art Academy Open House

Join us on Tuesday, February 9, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. for an Open House and Artist Demonstration at the Booth Art Academy. Highlighting a few of the upcoming classes offered by BAA, art instructors will demonstrate their skills in oil painting, pottery, calligraphy and glass fusing – all classes scheduled for the Spring semester at BAA.

Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments and take advantage of the opportunity to ask instructor Licha Nicholson about her glass fusing class or Joe Head about the highly anticipated calligraphy class, among others. Booth Art Academy Manager Natalie Goodwin will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the academy, classes offered, or how you or a young family member can get involved.

Look forward to seeing you, Tuesday, February 9 at 5:00 p.m. for an evening of artistic fun and refreshments!

The Booth Art Academy is located in the Teacher Resource Center at 1 North Gilmer Street in Cartersville.

Cowboy Poetry Workshop

The Booth Western Art Museum is pleased to announce the 6th Annual Georgia Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest. Students in grades five through twelve are eligible to participate in the annual contest which is held in conjunction with the Booth Museum’s Southeastern Cowboy Gathering.

For students who may be unsure about cowboy poetry, a free writing workshop for home-school students will be held on Wednesday, January 6, from 2-4 p.m. at the Museum. Participants will learn about the history and techniques involved in writing cowboy poetry, and will have the opportunity to explore the Museum’s galleries to gain inspiration for their writing. Reservations can be made by calling 770-387-3849.

After composing an original poem, students (whether participants in the workshop or not) are encouraged to submit their work by February 15, 2010, for the Annual Georgia Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest. The contest is open to all students in four grade level designations: grades five and six, grades seven and eight, grades nine and ten, and grades eleven and twelve. The top 10 finalists in each age group will compete at the Booth Western Art Museum on Sunday, March 14, 2010 as part of the 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place.

For more information about the free cowboy poetry writing workshop, or the contest including rules and guidelines, visit http://www.boothmuseum.org/ and click on Education, then Poetry Contest.