What's New in the Borderlands Gallery

Come see what the Borderlands Gallery has to offer!

The Borderlands Gallery, located on the lower level of the Booth Museum, houses a variety of exhibitions by Southern and Eastern artists whose work reflects the American West. This 800 square foot gallery is hosting three exciting exhibits for you to explore from now until February.

Letter Paintings: Illustrated Envelopes and Letters by Al Napoletano

For more than 10 years artist Al Napoletano and collector Bill Zigrang have traded letters and small gifts. Many of the envelopes and letters sent by Napoletano have included small drawings or paintings, done in a style similar to the famous letters of artist Charlie Russell. This exhibition showcases more than 20 examples drawn from Zigrang’s private collection.

Al Martin Napoletano, a native of San Francisco Calif., is an illustrator who’s talents have have contributed much to our knowledge, images and interpretations of the Old West down through the years.

As Mother Earth Spins, She Speaks: Pueblo Pottery by Alvina Yepa


This exhibit features pottery by Alvina Yepa, who hails from the Jemez Pueblo, just west of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. She employs traditional coiling and firing methods to create pottery that ranges from simple melon bowls to elaborately polished and engraved wedding vases. Known for its symmetry and fluidity, Yepa’s work reflects the centuries-old traditions of the Jemez people.

Alvina Yepa was born in 1954 and grew up at Jemez Pueblo. Her mother, Felipita Yepa, taught her pottery, using traditional methods of forming and firing the local clays. Known for her redware with intricate sgraffito designs, Alvina has been an active potter since about 1982. She has exhibited and won awards at shows including Santa Fe Indian Market, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Show and the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market.

Please join us for a meet the artist reception with Alvina Yepa on Saturday, January 12, 2008, from 5-9 p.m.

Dancing Ground of the Sun: Paintings of New Mexico by Lynne Friedman


This exhibit features vibrant Southwestern landscapes by artist Lynne Friedman. Utilizing vivid color and rich texture, Friedman saturates her canvases with the light and warmth of the desert sun. Her use of intense colors creates emotionally charged paintings full of vivacity and expressiveness.

Artist Statement:
Friedman seeks the dramatic and poetic grandeur of nature in paintings inspired by the Hudson Valley and such varied terrains such as the Arizona desert, coast of Cornwall, England and the High Sierras. Her process incorporates exacting essence from a location by seeking to explore its emotive properties, personal responses and exploring the formal concerns of light, color, and the tactility of paint.

Please join us for a meet the artist reception with Lynne Friedman on Satuday, January 12, 2008, from 5-9 p.m.For more information on the work of Lynne Friedman, visit http://www.mountaincloud.com/.

© Alvina Yepa, Flat pot with sgraffito design
© Lynne Friedman, Wild River I , oil on panel, 8 x 10"

Come See 21st Century Regionalists: Art of the New West

The Booth Museum invites you to see our newest temporary exhibition“21st Century Regionalists: Art of the New West” which will be on display until April 13. The exhibition features 70 pieces of art by more than a dozen of today’s most well known Western artists who use a variety of mediums and artistic styles to portray the modern West of today.

“21st Century Regionalists: Art of the New West” is the Booth Museum’s first invitational art exhibition. After requesting and reviewing the portfolios of nearly 100 artists, 14 men and women were chosen to be featured in the exhibition. The artists include sculptors Rebecca Tobey, Mark Yale Harris and Josh Tobey, as well as painters Trish Booth, Josh Elliott, Woody Gwyn, Elaine Holien, Tricia Higgins Hurt, Louisa McElwain, Howard Post, Ed Sandoval, Doug Smith, Gary Earnest Smith, and Jim Vogel.

The artists highlighted in the exhibition have their roots in regionalist tradition, but also have created their own distinctive works using a modernistic style. Like the regionalists of the mid-20th century, they celebrate rural life, ordinary people, and simplicity.

“The exhibit is organized around a central theme, it questions who is a Western artist, what is Western art, and what do the terms regionalism and contemporary mean for us today,” said Booth Museum Executive Director Seth Hopkins. “It highlights artists whose work has its roots in the Regionalist traditions of the 1930s but also employ a contemporary style.”

For more information on the “21st Century Regionalists: Art of the New West” exhibit, please contact the Booth Museum at 770-387-1300 or visit http://www.boothmuseum.org/.

© Gary Ernest Smith, Tractor with Purple Barn, oil on linen, 2006, 24x36"

© Howard Post, Outbound, oil on canvas, 2006, 18x36"

© Josh Elliott, Wilsall Highrise, oil on canvas, 2007, 24x30"

4th Annual Kids Cowboy Up Art Exhibition, Nov. 20-Dec. 16

Visit the Booth Museum now through December 16 to see the 4th Annual Kids Cowboy Up Art Exhibition on display in the Borderlands Gallery. Artwork by members of the Cartersville Boys and Girls Club and the Hands of Christ after school program are currently being displayed. Come see artwork ranging from paintings to sculptures created by the children.

On November 29, the museum will host these young artists for a Meet the Artists Reception from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Come to meet and speak with the children as they present their artwork. Refreshments will be served adjacent to the Borderlands Gallery.

Come see Native American violinist Arvel Bird perform with the band One Nation!

The Booth Western Art Museum will host famed Native American violinist Arvel Bird with the band One Nation as well as traditional Native American dancers, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Theatre in downtown Cartersville. Drawing on his mixed heritage, Arvel uses lively Celtic fiddle tunes to honor his Scottish ancestry, creating a truly multi-cultural experience for all audiences. Tickets are $12 for Booth members, $15 for non-members and $10 for students.

Bird, raised in Utah and Arizona, began his 11 years of classical violin training when he was nine years old. He attended Arizona State University and the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana where he learned to compose and improvise, learning to play bluegrass, Celtic, folk, country and old-time music.

He is undoubtedly the best-known Native American violinist touring today and was named Artist of the Year at the 2007 Native American Music Awards. Bird has shared the stage with other big names in mainstream music such as the Gatlin Brothers, Shenandoah, and Highway 101. For many years, Bird toured with Glen Campbell, Louise Mandrell, Tom T. Hall, Loretta Lynn and other. Today, he regularly tours the country with drummer John LoneEagle and the band One Nation, all of whom will be part of his show.

The One Nation Band includes the traditional Native American percussionist, John LoneEagle, popular Omaha guitarist, Vlasis, and keyboardist / vocalist Chris James. Together, One Nation creates music that reflects their multi-cultural background: Native American, Scottish, Greek, and Irish.

The show will also feature a four-member traditional Native American dance troupe that includes Bronson Haywahe, Georgena Haywahe, Mike Ziegler, and Jackie Ross. Dressed in traditional regalia, the group will be interpreting traditional dances to contemporary music.

To reserve tickets, call the Booth Museum at 770-387-1300.

**Make sure to check out Arvel Bird's November 15 interview with Wes Sarginson at the Booth on the 11 Alive News Web site: http://www.11alive.com/news/local/wes_side/

It’s a Day at the Movies…Booth Style!

Join us for this month’s Western Movie Day! Saturday, November 11, the Booth Museum will host November’s Western Movie Day featuring The Sons of Katie Elder at 1:00 p.m. and Comes a Horseman at 3:00 p.m.

The movies will be shown in the Booth Museum Theatre and is included with Museum admission.

The Sons of Katie Elder is a 1965 western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin. Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons are determined to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother in this action-packed film.

In Comes a Horseman, Jane Fonda stars as Ella Connors, a widow who gets pressured to sell her failing cattle farm to her corrupt ex, Jacob Ewing. She asks for help from her neighbor, Frank Athearn. As Ella and Frank fight back through stampedes, jealousy, betrayal, and sabotage...they eventually find love. The film, directed by Alan J. Pakula, also stars Jason Robards and James Caan.

For more information on Western Movie Day, contact the Booth Museum at 770-387-1300.

Come celebrate election month with the Booth!

On November 10, the Booth Museum will host its monthly Children’s Saturday in honor of election month, so come out for a Saturday afternoon of fun!

How many Presidents have served our country? Which one kept a pet alligator in the East Room of the White House? Which President donated his presidential salary to charity? Visit the Booth Museum to find the answers to these questions and more. Pick your favorite President and make a campaign button to take home!
Children's Saturday is an educational program for children ages 4 to 12 and their parents, and is usually offered the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. Programs relate to the Museum's permanent and traveling collection and focus on teaching children about the American West through art, literature, entertainment, teaching and hands-on activities.

5th Annual Cowboy Festival and Symposium a Success!

The Booth Museum celebrated another successful Cowboy Festival and Symposium last weekend that drew over 4,000 visitors!
The weekend kicked-off early with a Thursday night talk by featured artist William Matthews and continued with a Friday night concert featuring KG and the Ranger, and a Saturday night concert featuring Riders in the Sky.

Saturday and Sunday showcased a marketplace that included handcrafted jewelry, art and even homemade root beer. Crowds gathered around the main stage to see Native American dances, re-enactments of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and much more!

The weekend proved to be an event for the whole family and The Booth Museum would like to thank all visitors, sponsors and volunteers for helping make this year’s Festival and Symposium a memorable one.