The Booth Western Art Museum

9^th Annual Georgia
Cowboy Poetry Gathering Schedule
March 10 - 13, 2005

Thursday, March 10^th - (Free for members, included with admission for not-yet-members.)
5:00 – 7:00 pm, Western Music and Dinner. Doc Stovall and Billy Puckett will be performing Western music in the Museum Atrium and the Museum Café will be open for dinner.

7:00 pm, Featured Artists Presentation in the Booth Theatre. Artists Fred and Deborah Fellows will discuss their careers and show examples of their work during a presentation they call “Two Artists in the Studio – Who’s Fixin’ Dinner?” Following the presentation, both will be available to sign copies of the official Gathering poster featuring their artwork in the Museum Store.

Friday, March 11^th9:00 am - 1:45 pm, School Programs. Several entertainers in town for the Gathering will perform at local schools. Call Doc Stovall at 770-387-1300 for availability.

9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Artists’ Workshop. Featured artists Fred and Deborah Fellows will conduct a sculpture seminar for local artists. Both beginning sculptors and experienced hands are encouraged to attend. Cost is $110 for members, $160 for not-yet-members, including lunch and materials. Class size is limited; call 770-607-3686 for reservations.

10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Art and History Presentations. Museum staff members, volunteers and regional historians will present their findings on a variety of art and historical topics throughout the day in the Booth Theatre.

7:00 pm, Western Concert at the Grand Theatre.

Saturday, March 12^th - (Events at the Museum are free for members and included with admission for not-yet-members.)
10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Children’s Saturday Activities, including a children’s poetry writing workshop, story time in the Museum Store and hands on activities where children can make their own Western art masterpieces at stations throughout the Museum. There will be a nominal fee to cover material costs for some activities.

10:30 - 11:30 am, Adult Cowboy Poetry and Song Writing Workshop in the Booth Member’s Lounge led by Doc Stovall and Jerry Warren.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Blacksmithing Demonstration, Vendors and Dutch Oven Cooking Contest on the North Side of the Museum. Watch members of the Alex Beeler Blacksmiths Guild blacksmiths fashion items just as they did in the old West. Meanwhile top cooks from around the region compete for cash and prizes. Visitors can also browse the items offered by a variety of vendors. After strolling the area, join us for a chuck wagon inspired meal in the Booth Café.
For more information on the Dutch Oven Cooking Contest or to register call Doc Stovall at 770-387-1265 or e-mail docs@boothmuseum.org.

11:00 am and 2:00 pm, Children’s Wild West Concerts, featuring Jim Dunham, Doc Stovall and friends. This fast-paced 45 minute show includes fancy gun and rope tricks, Western sing-a-longs, cowboy cartoons, and much more.

12:30 – 2:00 pm, Open Mike Cowboy Poetry and Music in the Booth Theatre. Participants should register in advance by calling Doc Stovall at 770-387-1300, or if space is still available on the day of the event, meet in the Booth Café at Noon.

3:00 – 5:00 pm, Open Fiddle Contest in the Booth Theatre. Top fiddlers from around the Southeast compete for cash prizes and bragging rites; participants should register in advance by calling Doc Stovall at 770-387-1300, or if space is still available on the day of the event, meet in the Booth Café at 2:00 pm.
For more information on the contest or to register, contact Doc Stovall at 770-387-1265, or e-mail docs@boothmuseum.org.

7:00 pm, Western Concert at the Grand Theatre.

Sunday, March 13^th
10:00 am, Cowboy Church in the Booth Theatre. A non-denominational church service with a Western flair; free for everyone.

11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Museum Open with Western Movies being shown continuously in the Booth Theatre.

FRIDAY PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

10:00 am - Booth Museum Executive Director Seth Hopkins will discuss Andy Warhol’s famous Cowboys and Indians Suite. This suite includes 14 images Warhol created in late 1985 and early 1986, it was one of the last major projects prior to his death in 1987. Among the classic images are John Wayne, Geronimo, Custer, and Annie Oakley.

11:00 am – Booth Museum “Poet Lariat” Doc Stovall will trace the history of cowboy poetry from the earliest story-telling traditions around Western campfires through the creation of modern cowboy poetry events like Elko, Nevada. Stovall will also highlight some of the most important cowboy poetry writers from earlier days.

12 Noon – lunch is available for purchase in the Booth Café.

1:00 pm - Historian and former legislator Roger Byrd will review the lives of several famous Westerners from Georgia. Byrd is currently working on a book on this topic, which is closely related to the Booth Museum’s occasional series “They Were From Georgia.”

2:00 pm - Horse trainer Gary Kimbrough will take a look at the most famous horses in the movies. During his discussion, Kimbrough will highlight some of the most well known horses, such as Trigger, Silver, and Scout; but he will also focus on some of the lesser-known but highly trained animals you may not have heard of.

3:00 pm – Booth Museum resident gunslinger Jim Dunham, will wrap up the day by exploring the cultural offerings that were available in notable Old West towns. During this discussion you might be surprised at the high level of entertainment that was offered in many frontier towns, including opera, Shakespearian theatre, and burlesque shows. Dunham will also take a look at some of the gourmet food served at several fancy frontier hotels.

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT INFORMATION

Master of Ceremonies: Doc Stovall, Georgia’s Official Cowboy Balladeer, the Booth Museum’s Poet Lariat, and a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame, from Lithia Springs, Georgia.

The Rockin’ M Wranglers – Jim and Jeannie Martin from Montrose, Colorado. Their act includes the full range of cowboy and Western music, from the silver screen classics of the singing cowboys to the traditional trail songs of the working cowboy. They have won the Western Music Association (WMA) Harmony Yodeling Championship several times. Their voices blend in perfect harmony and when they add their brand of cowboy humor the result is an entertaining show for all ages.

Joel Hayes is a co-founder of the Georgia Cowboy Poets Association and the Georgia Cowboy Poetry Gathering. He has performed all over the West, blending humorous material with thought-provoking poems. Hayes is dedicated to his craft and to the promotion of cowboy poetry, often volunteering his time to perform at area schools. Hayes and his family live in Douglasville, Georgia.

Featured Artists Fred and Deborah Fellows, from Sonoita, Arizona, are not only talented with painting and sculpture, they are also highly skilled at handling a bullwhip. In this highly entertaining presentation Fred will discuss the history of this important tool and display his skill by hitting a variety of objects held by his lovely assistant, Deborah. The tricks performed in this act are very dangerous and should not be attempted at home.

Ray Barker is originally from Louisiana, leading some to call him the Cajun Cowboy Poet. While his humorous stories about life on the bayou will keep you in stitches, he is equally adept at performing traditional cowboy material. He enjoys writing his own poems as well as performing ones by some of today’s best known cowboy poets. Barker and his family live in Villa Rica, Georgia.

Horace Hudson divides his time between ranches he owns in Colbert, Georgia, and Estabrook, Wyoming. He holds two annual gatherings on his Georgia ranch, which are open to the public. These events help educate people about the cowboy way of life. Dr. Hudson is the former Director of the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and continues to coach the University of Georgia Rodeo Team. He performs both classic cowboy poetry as well as his original material.

Concert Tickets: $15 per night for adults, $12 for Booth members and $10 for students; or both nights for $25 for adults, $20 for Booth members. Tickets can be purchased at the Booth Museum, Grand Theatre box office or by calling 770-607-3686. A CD and poster signing will follow the performance.

SATURDAY NIGHT CONCERT INFORMATION

Master of Ceremonies: Doc Stovall, Georgia’s Official Cowboy Balladeer, the Booth Museum’s Poet Lariat, and a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame, from Lithia Springs, Georgia.

Belinda Gail and Curly Musgrave – This duo combines the talents of two outstanding musicians. Belinda Gail is a four time winner of the Western Music Association (WMA) Female Performer of the Year Award and a two time winner of the Academy of Western Artists (AWA) Female Vocalist of the Year Award. Curly Musgrave is also a multiple award winner, having twice been named Male Performer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year by the WMA. In 2003, he was also the winner of the AWA Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year awards. Together they entertain audiences with a mix of traditional songs and their original compositions.

Jerry Warren was named Georgia’s Official Cowboy Poet in 2002, and in 2004, he was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. These are just the latest in a long line of honors for this cowboy poet from Clarkesville, Georgia. He is a fourth generation rancher and refers to Tennessee's Cumberland foothills as home. Warren is famous for his poignant, heartfelt cowboy poetry, drawing on his experiences as a ranch hand and rodeo circuit veteran to support his writings.

Featured Artists Fred and Deborah Fellows, from Sonoita, Arizona, are not only talented with painting and sculpture, they are also highly skilled at handling a bullwhip. In this highly entertaining presentation Fred will discuss the history of this important tool and display his skill by hitting a variety of objects held by his lovely assistant Deborah. The tricks performed in this act are very dangerous and should not be attempted at home.

John Joyner has practiced law in Decatur, Georgia for the past 38 years, but honors his family ties to the West by writing and performing cowboy poetry. His ancestors were early pioneers of central Montana, where Joyner spent his early childhood. He has participated in cowboy poetry gatherings in the Montana cities of Missoula, Lewistown and Miles City.

The Booth Western Art Museum will award a $150 cash prize to the winner of the Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest, who will recite their poem for the audience. We appreciate the support provided by several of the performers in this year’s Gathering, along with the Optimist Clubs of Cartersville, for assisting with publicizing this contest, providing workshops for students and judging the entries.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

C&C Electrical Supply Company Inc.