Annual Cowboy Festival & Symposium Just Around the Corner!

For the eighth consecutive year, the Booth Western Art Museum will host the Southeastern Cowboy Festival & Symposium, October 21-24, 2010. A visitor favorite, the annual event offers a wide range of activities the entire family can enjoy including two concerts by Riders in the Sky, gunfight reenactments, children’s activities, living history encampments, Native American dancing, arts and crafts, pioneer demonstrations and so much more! Featured artist for this year’s event is sculptor John Coleman, who will present a lecture and a workshop.

Thursday, October 21, visitors can meet featured artist John Coleman, and listen to Doc Stovall and the Tumbleweed Cowboy Band perform in the Museum atrium from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Coleman, considered one of the leading sculptors of today, will present a lecture on his artistic style and career highlights in the Booth Theatre beginning at 7:00 p.m.

On Friday, October 22, the symposium portion of the event takes place with lectures on a variety of historical and artistic topics from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the Booth Theatre.

10:30 am – Karl Bodmer: An Artist’s Perspective
Andrew Peters, noted landscape artist, Omaha, NE

11:30 am – Ansel Adams and His Legacy
Shannon Perich, Associate Curator of Photography, Smithsonian National Museum of American History

12:30 pm – Lunch Break (Museum Café open)

1:30 pm – New Frontiers: Collecting the West in the East
Sheila K. Hoffman, Curator of Collections, Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY

2:30 pm – The Bison: Western Art Icon
Robert B. Pickering, PhD, Senior Curator, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK

Also on the 22nd, the Booth Art Academy will host a sculpture workshop for artists by featured artist John Coleman. For registration information and costs, please call 770-607-3686.

Friday evening, guests are invited to attend the Western Concert in the Booth Ballroom at 7:00 pm, featuring Belinda Gail and Jim Jones. Known as “America’s Western Sweetheart,” Gail has been honored by the Western Music Association and the Academy of Western Artists as female Performer of the Year and as Entertainer of the Year several times over the course of her career. Jim Jones is a gifted songwriter, instrumentalist and producer. He has been named the Western Music Association’s Male Vocalist of the Year and is in much demand at festivals and gatherings throughout the West. Tickets are $15 for not-yet members, $12 for Booth Museum members and $10 for students.

Two Saturday concerts at the Grand Theatre feature the internationally famous Riders in the Sky, who will be celebrating 6,000 career performances during the Festival & Symposium. Made up of Ranger Doug, Woody Paul, Too Slim and Joey, Riders in the Sky has been entertaining audiences since 1977. In 1982, they became the first exclusively Western music artist to join the Grand Ole Opry. The group has also provided music for several Walt Disney/Pixar albums, most notably “Woody’s Roundup Featuring Riders in the Sky” which was released as a companion album to “Toy Story 2."

Tickets for the 2:00 p.m. matinee are $25 for not-yet members, $20 for Booth Museum members and $5 for children 16 and younger. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. evening performance are $25 for not-yet members and $20 for Booth Museum members.

During the day Saturday, October 23, an array of events for the entire family will be offered in the Cowboy Festival and Western Marketplace on the museum grounds. Entertainment includes re-enactments of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Western music and poetry throughout the day on two stages, fast draw competitions, humorous Western skits, demonstrations of traditional Indian dances, chuck wagon cooking, children’s activities and a living history encampment with demonstrations of pioneer skills from bygone days.

Food vendors at the event will offer homemade root beer, barbecue, hot dogs and other favorite festival food items. Activities will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Admission to the festival grounds, including Booth Museum galleries, is $10 for not-yet members, $8 for seniors, $7 for students, $3 for children and free for active military and Booth members.

The weekend wraps up Sunday, October 24, beginning with Cowboy Church at 11:00 a.m. This non-denominational church service features cowboy prayers and Western spiritual music and is free for everyone. After the service, visit the Cowboy Festival and Western Marketplace between Noon and 5:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Museum, with the same activities as listed for Saturday taking place.

For more information about the 8th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Festival & Symposium call 770.387.1300 or visit http://www.boothmuseum.org/.

Ansel Adams Arrives!

After much anticipation and excitement, Ansel Adams: A Legacy officially opened at the Booth Museum on Saturday, September 25. Occupying two galleries, this is the largest temporary exhibition ever held at the Museum, as well as the largest Ansel Adams collection ever displayed in Georgia.
The works in A Legacy, originally printed by the artist himself in his California darkroom, were given to his organization, The Friends of Photography, and initially displayed as an exhibition in China. The Booth Museum exhibition showcases these works in the intimate scale Adams intended, and also includes educational components unique to the Museum including a 20th Century darkroom replica, a walk-in camera structure with footage of Adams, and a baby grand player piano representing Adams' early career as a concert pianist.

To kick-off the exciting five months of Ansel Adams, award winning photographer John Mariana presented a lecture on Thursday, September 16. Speaking in the words of Adams, Mariana shared how Adams' childhood influenced the man he became, how he became interested in photography, and the process he went through in creating his photographs.

On the Opening Day, September 25, photo-historian and curator Susan Todd-Raque presented two lectures on the life and career of Ansel Adams.

Additional speakers will also share insights into the world of Ansel Adams throughout the run of the exhibition, including Shannon Perich, Associate Curator of Photography at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Perich will present Ansel Adams: Building the Legacy, during the Booth Museum's annual Cowboy Festival & Symposium on Friday, October 22, at 11:30 am.

Ansel Adams: A Legacy will be on display at the Booth Museum from now through February 20, 2011.

**Thanks to Howard Pousner at the Atlanta Journal Constitution for the great article he wrote about Ansel Adams: A Legacy**

Hopkins Receives Flourish Award

Booth Museum Executive Director Seth Hopkins recently received the Flourish Award as Arts Leader of the Year. Kennesaw State University College of the Arts presented Hopkins with his award at the Third Annual Flourish Luncheon at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Executive Director Seth Hopkins receives the Flourish Award as Arts Leader of the Year from Joseph Meeks, dean of the College of Arts at Kennesaw State University

The Flourish Awards honor those who have helped the arts flourish in Georgia, and Hopkins received Arts Leader of the Year for his many accomplishments over the past 10 years. When he assumed his position in 2000, he was hiring and training staff, developing operating procedures, consulting with the design team on building plans and construction, and directing the organization of the galleries and initial art installation. Hopkins then shifted his attention to fundraising, programs and exhibitions. In the past seven years, the Museum has mounted nearly 100 temporary art exhibitions, many of which were curated or co-curated by him. He has also served as an arts lecturer, writer, scholar and juror. His writings have appeared in several national art magazines.

Said Hopkins on receiving the award, "Winning this award was a great honor. While it is an individual award, I view it as recognition for all that the entire staff at the Booth Museum has accomplished over the past 10 years. It is like winning the Heisman trophy; you can’t win it unless you are on a great team with outstanding players at the other positions. It was also doubly nice to be recognized by the University where I first began studying art."

Congratulations to Seth Hopkins and this wonderful recognition!

What's the Story?

The Booth Western Art Museum offers an array of educational field trips for groups of all ages. Most recently, the education department, along with five contracted teachers, developed and implemented What's the Story? Connecting Art and Literacy. This program uses the artwork in the Museum's collection to help students in Kindergarten through 4th grade enhance their literacy skills.

The idea behind What's the Story was initiated based on statistics that an alarming number of Georgia students lack the basic literacy skills they need to succeed in life. The Workforce Investment Act defines literacy as "an individual's ability to read, write, and speak English, compute, and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family, and in society." The Booth Museum believes there is a natural correlation between language arts, literacy skills, and the Museum's collection of narrative works. Thus, formulation of What's the Story was developed with those beliefs in mind. Five classroom teachers were contracted to assist in writing the program and represented Cobb, Bartow and Cartersville City schools. These teachers, along with the Booth Museum's education department, met three times per month from April to July to create programs matched to the Georgia Performance Standards for each grade level.

If you are looking for a fun way to connect art and literacy, call today to book What's the Story? Connecting Art & Literacy at 770-387-3849.

A Special Painting and Its Inspiration

The inspiration to create art can come in a variety of ways. For James Ayers, the inspiration to create Prayers of the Shaman came when he learned his mother had cancer. The painting, which was an 8 year process, depicts a Lakota healer tending to a patient.

For over 10 years, James has researched Native American lifeways, including healing ceremonies. He has personally viewed both Hopi and Arapaho healing rites and has researched Lakota shaman traditions. All of these factors, including his own emotions, came into his development of Prayers of the Shaman. "One thing I noticed about healing ceremonies is the importance of family members in the process," says James. "Often, it would be the family member that takes the sick to the healer and they stay there to offer support. This struck me so profoundly, because we still do much of this in the modern day."

He began sketching ideas for the painting when he first learned the news of his mother's illness as a way to work through the flood of emotions he felt. He wanted to capture the intensity of his feelings and also touch on the concepts of healing, hope, and family ties that he learned from studying the Native American way of living. James put the sketch away for a few years until he learned that his mother's cancer had returned, when he felt compelled to take the work from sketch to finished painting.

"You know how when someone gets ill, you say 'You are in my thoughts and prayers'?" James says. "For me, this painting was the ultimate expression of that sentiment. With every brushstroke, I thought about and prayed for my mother."

James' mother has now been in remission for several years.


The Booth Museum is honored to have Prayers of the Shaman on permanent display. Being such a personal piece, it was important to James that the painting have a special display.

Said James, "The Booth Western Art Museum was the perfect choice for this painting. The Museum has a remarkable collection of fine art by prominent and emerging artists and the staff is so knowledgeable, that I felt proud having Prayers of the Shaman in the Booth's permanent collection."



(James Ayers with his painting, Prayers of the Shaman, 24" x 30", oil on canvas)

For more information about James Ayers and his Western artwork, please click here.

Exciting Things at the Booth Museum

It has been some time since the last post.... There has just been so much going on at the Museum it has been difficult to catch you all up!

In May, we opened Four Seasons in Yellowstone: Photographs by Tom Murphy which is on display until September 12. It has been a very popular exhibit - we have seen guests come back two and three times to view the exquisite images captured by master photographer Murphy. There are over 40 images which capture the free, roaming wildlife, as well as the flora, fauna and geological wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Even those who have visited Yellowstone before have seen images they would have never experienced on their own. We were also lucky enough to have Murphy here in person for two special evening lectures and a photography workshop.

June kicked-off the first ever Dinner Theatre series at the Booth Museum. Held the third Thursday in June, July and August, Dinner Theatre was held in the Booth Ballroom and featured live entertainment and a delicious dinner prepared by our Food & Beverage Staff. All three Dinner Theatre events were well attended and featured some familiar Booth Museum staff - Jim Dunham and Doc Stovall - performing favorites: An Evening With Mark Twain, Bullets & Ballads and Trails Plowed Under. We hope to grow our Dinner Theatre series next summer and offer new and exciting live entertainment for our guests!

The first ever Backyard BBQ was held on the Booth Museum lawn in early July. In conjunction with the Downtown Development Authority's Summer Concert and the Bartow History Museum, the Booth Museum invited guests to tour the Museum as well as enjoy a delicious dinner provided by Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse. Also in July, the 4th Biennial Member, Staff & Volunteer Art Exhibition opened in the Borderlands Gallery. It is amazing to see the talented artists we have in our Museum family! Be sure to stop by and see the great work on display through October 3.

August wasn't much different than the previous three months - busy, busy, busy! The second annual Journey West Gala was held on August 21. The black tie optional event featured live and silent auctions, a cocktail reception, live music, delicious gourmet dinner, and the presentation of the Booth Museum Lifetime Achievement Award to artist Ken Riley. It was a wonderful evening for all those in attendance.

(Honored artist Ken Riley, Maria Riley, and Kelly and Seth Hopkins)

As we enter September, things don't appear to be slowing down too much... It is with great excitement that we prepare for the largest exhibition ever held at the Booth Museum - Ansel Adams: A Legacy. This very special exhibition - occupying two galleries of the Museum - will open on Saturday, September 25. We have several great guest speakers and events scheduled to coincide with the exhibition which will run through February 20, 2011. Be sure to check the Museum website and keep tuned into the Booth Blog for further details.

Booth Hosts Elementary School Art Exhibition

For the second year in a row, the Booth Western Art Museum is hosting the Elementary School Art Exhibition in the Borderlands Gallery. Student's artwork is selected from each of the Bartow County Elementary schools as well as Cartersville City Primary and Elementary school to be on display in the exhibition.

An Opening Reception was held for the Elementary School Art Exhibition on Thursday, April 15. The young artists and their teachers, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and more visited the Museum to view their artwork on display.

The exhibition is open now through May 15. Check out a few photographs of the talented artists and their proud teachers and parents:
(<--) Carli Clymer of Euarhlee Elementary School and her parents.

Elaina Northrop with her mother and art teacher at Cartersville Primary School, Linn Dreisbach. (-->)

(<--) Some three dimensional pieces of artwork in the exhibition)

Cloverleaf Elementary School art teacher Cindy Collar and her student, Erika Berger. (-->)

Booth Artists' Guild Off to a Great Start

The Booth Artists’ Guild (BAG) held its first meeting last Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at the Booth Art Academy located in the Teacher Resource Center. In addition to learning more about the purpose and function of BAG, the 50 people in attendance heard from Elaine Elder of A New Dimension who presented a program on how to properly photograph one’s artwork and the process of making giclees.

“We were thrilled with the attendance and interest in the BAG and look forward to more opportunities to network with artists representing different mediums and styles,” commented Booth Museum Scheduling & Volunteer Coordinator, Marcia Dillard.

BAG is intended for artists of all levels and experience to continue art education, have the opportunity for their work to be displayed in yearly exhibitions at the Booth Museum, and meet and network with fellow artists. In addition to networking opportunities, the intent is to have a guest speaker at each meeting share something unique and beneficial with the members.

Continued Dillard, “Though we already had a few programs scheduled for upcoming meetings, some ideas for future programs were suggested by several in attendance and included: color mixing and matching in both oils and acrylics; figurative painting and drawing; using Corel and/or Photoshop; calibrating cameras, computers and printers for color printing; setting up personal websites to showcase artwork; marketing artwork during a recession; color in landscapes; pottery demonstrations and how to varnish one’s work successfully.”

Booth Art Academy Manager Natalie Goodwin added, “The vast number of suggestions we received and the wide range of topics prove to me that networking and continuing art education opportunities are a welcome addition to the artists’ lives right now.”

Of the 50 people who attended the first BAG meeting on April 6, more than half paid dues and officially joined the group.

The next meeting of the BAG will be Tuesday, May 4 at 6:00 pm at The Teacher Resource Center. Atlanta artist Henry Patton will present a program on his “Blue Horse” artwork. Membership in the BAG is $24 per year and runs concurrently with a Booth membership. For more information, contact Marcia Dillard at 770-387-3849.

New Twist on Art for Lunch

Many people have come to expect a great lecture or presentation the first Wednesday of every month as part of Art for Lunch. However, things will be slightly different for tomorrow's Art for Lunch....

Booth staff members Robert Hyde and Leonard Gandy, along with Tommy Culpepper and Gary Turner, will present “Civil War Camp Life” in the Booth Ballroom - - instead of the typical Booth Theatre location.

The four gentlemen will dress in Civil War uniforms and will have original artifacts from the Civil War as well as authentic equipment and supplies soldiers in camp would have had. The program will highlight what went on in camp during the Civil War – including the boredom and hardships which were endured. The program will also tie into several art pieces we have in our permanent collection at the Booth Museum.

Also new to the typical Art for Lunch, we will offer lunch for purchase in the Booth Ballroom. For $7, visitors can have an all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar with a drink, or have a sandwich (turkey, ham or chicken salad) with chips, cookie and a drink.

We are expecting a large crowd due to the topic and great lunch selection being offered, so be sure to get here in plenty of time to make it to the 12:15 pm Art for Lunch.

Hope to see you there!

Great Gathering!

It has been longer than intended since the last post. To say things were rather exciting around the Booth Museum during the Gathering would be an understatement! Slowly but surely, things are returning to normal around the Museum as we prepare for some wonderful upcoming exhibitions as well as the second annual Gala which will be held in August and the Festival & Symposium the third weekend in October.

But before we get to all the upcoming events and exhibitions, lets recap the great 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering we had a couple of weekends ago!

To start things off, Featured Artist Nelson Boren gave an entertaining, enlightening and humorous lecture on Thursday evening to a packed Booth Theatre. Boren is an incredibly humble man, and his presentation was absolutely top-notch. Boren and his wife were able to take a tour of the Museum with Executive Director Seth Hopkins while they were here, and Boren said in his lecture the Booth was the finest Western art Museum he had ever seen! Quite a compliment coming from such a successful and accomplished artist.

The following day, Friday, Boren presented an artist workshop to a sold out class. Though it was the first workshop he had ever given, those taking his class commented what a phenomenal instructor he was. We hope he will come back to visit the Booth Museum again very soon!

That evening, Sweethearts in Carhartts performed in the Booth Ballroom. Comprised of Western singers, songwriters and poets Liz Masterson, Yvonne Hollenbeck and Jean Prescott, Sweethearts in Carharrts showcases the talent of these three amazing musicians while also paying tribute to the women of the west. They collaborated together on a few songs, did a few solos, and also made the crowd laugh! They were all very entertaining and humble ladies.

They even did a special performance at the Boys & Girls Club in Cartersville that Friday afternoon.

The kids really seemed to enjoy the special entertainment, and we were grateful the ladies were able to pay a visit.

Things really got busy on Saturday both in the Museum and on the museum festival grounds. Open fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo contests were held in the Booth Ballroom throughout the day, while the Southeastern Chuck Wagon Cook Off was held on the festival grounds. There was also an adult cowboy poetry workshop and children's activities. That evening, Red Steagall performed at the Grand Theatre in downtown Cartersville.

Here are just a few photos from the activities on Saturday of the Cowboy Gathering:

Sunday was nearly as eventful as Saturday. Dutch oven cooking was taking place on the festival grounds while Cowboy Church and the Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest Finals were being held in the Booth Ballroom.

All-in-all, it was a jam packed weekend and was actually our best attended Cowboy Gathering to date! If you missed it this year, be sure to join us the second weekend in March next year!

The Gathering is Here!

Today officially marks the beginning of our four-day celebration of the West. The 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering starts tonight. Our own Doc Stovall will lead The Tumbleweed Cowboy Band in the Museum Atrium beginning at 5 pm. Guests may listen to music and also meet featured artist Nelson Boren. At 7 pm, Boren will present a lecture in the Booth Theatre, and will be available afterwards to sign copies of the official Gathering poster in the Museum Store.


If you are still undecided as to whether or not you should attend the Cowboy Gathering this weekend, hopefully this will help convince you:



We gonna listen to fiddles, taste some great food;
All this and more, will set ya in the mood.

Make a water color and recite poetry,
At the Grand, at the Booth and the TRC.

Yeah that’s right, it’s the Cowboy Gathering –
The annual event that’ll sure make ya scream!

For joy that is, excitement no doubt,
Fun for all, you’re not gonna want to pout!

Thursday hear the Tumbleweed Cowboy Band;
Our own Doc leads the group, that’s the finest in the land.

We’ll also have a guest – Nelson Boren in the house!
He’ll be speakin’ in the Theatre, so be quiet as a mouse.

Friday things pick up with a workshop and some music;
Sweethearts in Carhartts gonna make ya want to lose it!

Reciting that poetry, strummin’ that guitar;
Will be awesome no doubt, so don’t wander too far.

Things get wild Saturday on the hill;
Some entertainment, chuck wagons, ya can’t stay still!

Gonna want to taste the food, and meet the chefs fo’ sho’;
But don’t over do it - don’t want to miss the Grand show.

Yeah that’s right, Red Steagall gonna perform;
A Western god in his own right, so good you’ll want to mourn.

For not being so good, you can’t sing like he;
But definitely see his show – only cost ya a small fee.

Wake up early for Church Sunday at eleven;
Cowboy Church that is, we even got a cowboy reverend.

That afternoon we’ll have some Dutch oven cookin;
Gonna want to sample it all after takin’ a good lookin’.

There’ll be poetry, fiddles, guitars and more;
A crazy weekend lies ahead, so fun it make ya sore!

Be sure to visit the Booth Museum Web site for additional information, or call 770-387-1300. See you this weekend!

7th Annual Cowboy Gathering is Almost Here!

Next Thursday, March 11, marks the beginning of our four-day festival of the West. The Booth Museum's 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering will feature artist Nelson Boren; singer, songwriter and poet Red Steagall; musical guests Sweethearts in Carhartts; chuck wagon and Dutch oven cooking contests; cowboy poetry; activities for the kids and so much more!

Check out the video for sneak peek at what you can expect:


Be sure to check out the Booth Museum Web site for a complete schedule of events. And don't forget to purchase your tickets for the Friday and Saturday evening concerts, as well as the chuck wagon cook-off. See you there!

Docent Class Treated to a Special Tour at Tellus

Members of the Booth Museum's latest docent class were recently treated to a tour of Tellus: Northwest Georgia Science Museum here in Cartersville. A bit of a surprise, two Booth docents were the tour guides for the group that day.

"We have a couple of docents at the Booth Museum who also volunteer at Tellus, so it was an added bonus for us when we found out that our Tellus tour would be led by two Booth docents, Muriel Pittaluga and Pat Scully," said Marcia Dillard, volunteer coordinator at the Booth Museum. "It's great to have volunteers who are so passionate about the great museums we have here in Cartersville, and we were thrilled to see a couple of our own lead a great tour at Tellus."

Muriel treated the docent class to a tour of the Solar House that sits on the Tellus grounds while Pat toured them through the different galleries inside.

Visitors at the Booth often inquire about other places of interest in the county, and our docents always refer them to Tellus and the Bartow History Museum, two other gems in our community. By taking the most recent Booth docents to Tellus, they will be better equipped at explaining to visitors of the Booth exactly what Tellus has to offer.

Word of mouth is a great advertising avenue for all the museums in Cartersville, so please be sure to tell everyone YOU know about the Booth Museum and our other fabulous museums in Cartersville!

Staff Chili Cook-Off

The Booth Museum "spiced" things up a bit this week with a friendly chili competition for the staff. Overall, we had seven different chilies entered in the competition with over 30 votes submitted. It came down to a mere ONE vote, but in the end, the Booth Cafe came away victorious!

The Cafe Staff is pictured here: Manager Debra Abernathy, Manesa Short, Juana Clark and Amy Ong.


The winning chili: (well, what was left!)

Several people on staff commented how interesting it was that each chili could taste SO very different! Though they were all delicious, we had quite the variety: cinnamon spiced, ground beef and kielbasa, vegetarian, hot and spicy, and more. It was a wonderful variation of chilies and we even had some delicious side items and desserts to go along. Here are a few snap shots:

Tickets Now on Sale for Sweethearts in Carhartts and Red Steagall

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! Tickets are now on sale for the Friday and Saturday night concerts of the 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering.

On the evening of Friday, March 12, guests are invited to a special concert in the Booth Ballroom with musical guests Sweethearts in Carhartts. Comprised of Western poets, singers and songwriters Jean Prescott, Yvonne Hollenbeck and Liz Masterson, Sweethearts in Carhartts showcases the talent of these three amazing musicians while also paying tribute to the women of the West. Tickets are $15 for Booth members and $18 for not-yet-members.

Saturday evening’s concert, held at the Grand Theatre, features famed Western singer, songwriter, poet, and guitarist Red Steagall. A native of Texas, Steagall has entertained audiences all around the world and has been called “a singing scholar of the old West” by James Earl Jones and “the best of the best” by Rex Allen. In 2006, Steagall was named Poet Laureate for the state of Texas making him the first “cowboy” poet laureate for the state. Tickets for Steagall’s performance are $25 for not-yet-members, $20 for Booth members and $10 for students.

Each performance will allow guests to experience a taste of the Western way of living. Sweethearts in Carharrts and Steagall intertwine their poetic lyrics with Western musical instruments – each reminiscent of gathering ‘round the Chuck wagon after a long day. Be sure to purchase your tickets before it's too late!

In addition to the concerts on Friday and Saturday night, the 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering will include chuck wagon and Dutch oven cooking contests; mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo contests; children’s activities; and an evening lecture with featured artist Nelson Boren.

For more information on the 7th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering, or to purchase tickets, call 770-387-1300.

Boys & Girls Club Tour the Modern West

Throughout the year, children from the local Boys & Girls Club and Hands of Christ After School Programs frequent the Booth Western Art Museum. Staff members from the Museum provide guided tours for the children and use the Museum’s collection to inspire them both about art and the American West.

This week, the outreach program brought students from the Boys & Girls Club to the Booth Museum. The students participated in the Cowboys, Indians and Art tour, which mostly took place in the new Modern West gallery. Designed for young art lovers, this hands-on program introduces children to basic art concepts such as line, shape and color while enhancing their observation skills through developmentally appropriate activities designed around the Museum’s collection.

Snow Day at the Booth Museum

While we have yet to see our Western snowmen friends ride in, the staff and visitors of the Booth Museum are enjoying the beautiful snow falling on the museum grounds today.

Booth Art Academy Open House a Great Success!

This past Tuesday, February 9, Booth Art Academy hosted an Open House and Artist Demonstrations for those interested in learning more about BAA and the classes scheduled for the Spring semester. Approximately 45 people braced the cold and rainy weather to meet artists Licha Nicholson, who demonstrated techniques on glass fusing, Connie Haralson, who made and displayed her beautiful pottery, and Joe Head, who provided samples of his calligraphy for visitors. The first class offered this semester at BAA is Head's calligraphy class scheduled for February 20. Nicholson's glass fusing class will be offered February 23 and 25, and Haralson's pottery class will be offered four Tuesdays in March beginning on March 9. For more information about these classes or other upcoming classes including price, call 770-387-3849, or visit http://www.boothmuseum.org/artacademy/index.htm.

Here are a few snapshots from the Open House:

Glass Fusing instructor Licha Nicholson gives Lana and Sasha Startseva a piece of her artwork as a raffle prize for the two lucky winners.

Joe Head demonstrates his calligraphy techniques:

Visitors of the Booth Art Academy watch a demonstration given by one of the guest artists.

Connie Harlson poses with Ollene Kordecki, who won a pottery piece of Harlson's in a raffle drawing.

Highlights Tour Offered Daily

If you have never been to the Booth Western Art Museum, or haven’t been since the 40,000 square foot addition, you must visit soon! And what better way to become acclimated to the new pieces of art than to take advantage of the Highlights Tour offered daily to Museum guests.

The Highlights Tour takes place at 1:30 p.m. every day the Museum is open. Additionally, groups of 15 or more can call in advance to arrange a Highlight’s Tour at another time. It lasts up to an hour and a half, and introduces visitors to each gallery theme with some in-depth discussion of one or two works in each gallery.


To become a docent, individuals must attend an 18-week course at the Booth Museum. Here, veteran docent Spencer Dillard leads a training session for the docent class.


Beginning in the Museum Atrium, the docent leading the tour will point out the two Harry Jackson murals located on either end of the Great Hall. From there, the docent leads tour participants into the Enduring Traditions Gallery – a new gallery which allows guests to experience a 100 year overview of early Western art with examples of work by George Catlin, Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington and more. The docent will then take guests through the First Peoples, Colliding Cultures, and Wild, Wooly & Wicked? galleries before leading the group upstairs.

On the second floor, docents highlight the American Cowboy, Faces, and Heading West galleries before moving into the new wing and pointing out some notable sculptures in the two-story sculpture court, and works in the new Modern West gallery which also includes more than 200 Native American artifacts.

While the tour gives a great overview of the Museum, guests are encouraged to go back into each gallery as well as explore the Civil War Gallery, Presidential Gallery, and lower level of the Museum. So what are you waiting for?! Come enjoy a delicious lunch in the Museum Café and then take advantage of our Highlights Tour at 1:30 p.m.

As always, call 770-387-1300 or visit http://www.boothmuseum.org/ for more information.

Exhibit Depicts Contributions of African Americans

In correlation with Black History Month, the Booth Western Art Museum is pleased to announce Acworth artist Ernest Varner and his current exhibit, The Longest Mile, now on display.

(In this photo, Ernest Varner shows his piece Commander-in-Chief, and explains the long road that African Americans have taken from Buffalo Soldier to the highest military rank there is – Commander in Chief.)

Drawing on his experience in the military and his passion for art, Varner created The Longest Mile to pay tribute to the Buffalo Soldier and show just how far African Americans have come in military ranking. Sergeant Major was generally the highest rank a Buffalo Soldier could earn, and through the years African Americans have moved higher and higher. General Colin Powell held the highest U.S. government rank of all African Americans when he was appointed Secretary of State under the Bush Administration, until President Obama became Commander in Chief.

Varner’s work celebrates a diversity of heroes to encourage Americans to celebrate their ethnic heritage and inspire the next generation of Americans regarding the journey ahead. His work will be on display in the Theatre Lobby Gallery until March 14.


(A Noble Past, which is part of the Booth Museum’s permanent collection, is one of the paintings in The Longest Mile exhibition. It depicts a Buffalo Soldier standing alongside an African tribesman; a piece which reflects a proud African heritage.)

Evening Lecture at the Booth Museum:
Using the images from his exhibition, Varner will present an Evening Lecture in the Booth Theatre on Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 p.m., and will describe why he became interested in portraying the history of African Americans in the West. He will be joined on the program by Jim “Hank” Scott a long-time researcher and Buffalo Soldier re-enactor. Scott will describe the heroic efforts of the Buffalo Soldiers.