As part of the ongoing Nevada Humanities Exhibition Series, a new exhibition, “Colors of the West: Youth Art from the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering,” opened online June 4 at nevadahumanities.org and will be on display as a virtual gallery indefinitely.
“Colors of the West” normally would be on display to the public at the Nevada Humanities Program Gallery in Las Vegas, but it will be hosted virtually because of pandemic restrictions. A curator’s talk will take place virtually at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 2 on the Nevada Humanities Facebook page, facebook.com/nevadahumanities. The exhibition will be on continuous display on the Nevada Humanities website.
“Colors of the West: Youth Art from the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering” is a sampling of the works that are on display each year at the Western Folklife Center’s G Three Bar Theater during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. The exhibition was curated by Western Folklife Center staff, including Meg Glaser, artistic director; Jan Petersen, youth education coordinator; and Brad McMullen, programs and National Cowboy Poetry Gathering manager, and is part of their educational programs for Elko County students. Art teachers are given the theme each year, and students create works in a wide range of media and techniques.
“The students in the Elko County School District are very fortunate that the arts are taught in all levels, they are exposed to different mediums, learn to present difficult concepts visually, and these students become an integral part of the gathering,” said Jan Petersen, youth education coordinator for the Western Folklife Center. “We have great kids who jump in and use their incredible minds to create art.”
“When I see the artworks created by Elko County school children each year at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, I am reminded of how our western roots run deep in Nevada,” said Christina Barr, executive director of Nevada Humanities. “Each child finds unique ways to express their own personality and talent through their class art project. From expressive sheep to patterned cowboy boots to beautiful Nevada mountain landscapes, each child renders their creative vision in meaningful ways that resonate with people from across the world.”
The Western Folklife Center gives voice to the traditional and dynamic cultures of the American West. For 36 years the world has come to Elko for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering to share poems, music, art and stories. The education programming is funded by the Nevada Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Nevada Gold Mines, Wrangler and other donors. Visit westernfolklife.org for more information.
Nevada Humanities is one of 56 independent, nonprofit state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities creates public programs and supports public projects that define the Nevada experience and facilitate the exploration of issues that matter to the people of Nevada. Visit nevadahumanities.org for more information.