14th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering

For Immediate Release Press Contact: Tom Shinall, TMP Director of Marketing [email protected] 770-387-1300THE ORIGINAL FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL – SOUTHEASTERN CHUCK WAGON INVITATIONAL – RETURNS TO THE BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM 14th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering is scheduled for March 9–11, 2017CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA – The chuck wagon…the original food truck. Historically, the chuck wagonserved as a field kitchen – the storage and transportation of perishable foods and cooking equipment - forthe cowboys and settlers of the American West. As part of Booth Western Art Museum’s annual CowboyGathering, the Southeastern Chuck Wagon Invitational has been named one of the best and mostunique annual food festivals in Georgia by Georgia Eats, The Official State Culinary Guide.Round up the children and mosey on down to Booth Western Art Museum for the 14th AnnualSoutheastern Cowboy Gathering, March 9–11, 2017 in Cartersville, Georgia. Scheduled events includea gallery walk, exhibition opening reception, lecture, and sculpting demonstration with Featured ArtistChris Navarro; a concert by Featured Entertainers R.W. Hampton and Belinda Gail; the SoutheasternChuck Wagon Invitational; a Family Fun Day of art activities; announcement of winners for the HighSchool Writing Through Art Literary Competition; live entertainment; cowboy church; and so much more!The Gathering begins Thursday, March 9th at 4:30 pm as Featured Artist Chris Navarro leads a GalleryWalk through Embrace the Struggle: The Bronze Art of Chris Navarro in the Temporary ExhibitionGallery. This display of over 30 sculpture and large scale photographs of monumental projects around thecountry shows how Navarro overcame the struggles of evolving from bull rider to professional bronzeartist. At 5:30 pm an exhibition opening reception will be held in the Museum’s Atrium where attendeescan meet Navarro. Refreshments will be served from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Following the reception, BoothMuseum Members and guests are invited to the Featured Artist Evening Lecture to hear Navarro sharethe story of his work. Following his presentation, Navarro will be available to sign his book Chasing theWind: The Art of Chris Navarro in the Booth Museum Store. These activities are free for Booth MuseumMembers and included with general admission for not-yet members.Chris Navarro was raised in an Air Force family, spending his childhood moving across the United Statesand Europe. At the age of 16, Chris experienced the sport of rodeo and the pursuit of competingthroughout college led Chris to become a professional bull rider. Having retired professionally from thesport, Chris still competes in team roping events while splitting his time between Casper, Wyoming, andSedona, Arizona. Today, Navarro is best known for his large monumental sculptures, with more than 30 MORE

Page two, 2017 Cowboy Gatheringplaced throughout the country since he began sculpting professionally in 1986. Behind his self-proclaimeddriving passions of his family, horses, rodeo, and art, Chris Navarro was honored with the 2015 WyomingArts Council Governor’s Art Award.On Friday, March 10th from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, the Booth Artists’ Guild presents a SculptingDemonstration and Conversation with Featured Artist Chris Navarro in Bergman Theatre moderatedby Booth Museum Executive Director Seth Hopkins. A unique opportunity to witness and learn from oneof Western art’s great sculptors. Tickets are $30 for Booth Museum Members and $40 for not-yet-members. To register for the artist demonstration, call 770-387-3849.From 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday, March 10th, families are invited to enjoy an activity-packed afternoon.Explore current exhibits Howard Terpning: 70 Years of Art and Embrace the Struggle: The BronzeArt of Chris Navarro for inspiration and participate in a variety of art-related activities to create your ownmasterpieces. Reservations are suggested. Cost is $5 per student and $3 plus tax per adult. Call 770-387-3849 to schedule your group of 10 or more students.Throughout the day on Saturday, March 11th, there will be a variety of events for the entire family.Referred to as “the original food truck” by Georgia Eats, the Southeastern Chuck Wagon Invitational isthe largest chuck wagon gathering east of the Mississippi River. Teams of cooks will be provided thesame basic ingredients and instructed to prepare their own versions of beef stew, mashed potatoes,beans, cobbler, and their choice of biscuit or cornbread. The teams are encouraged to interact withattendees and educate the public on the importance of the chuck wagon during the cattle drives of the1800s. Lunch from the chuck wagons will be served at High Noon. Those interested are encouraged topurchase meal tickets in advance for $15 plus tax. Inside the Museum, the art will come to life withcharacters from artwork in the Booth Collection available for interaction, questions, and photographs.Other activities include Cowboy Church, announcement of winners for the High School Writing ThroughArt Literary Competition, Cowboy Poetry and Western music, and a performance by innovative bluegrassband Old Mill Road Band.On Saturday evening at 7:00 pm, join us for an evening of Western music with two of America’s leadingWestern entertainers, R.W. Hampton and Belinda Gail. R.W. was born to be a cowboy. After more thana decade as a dedicated cowboy enjoying the hard-working western ranch lifestyle, Hampton decided toexplore his other passion, music. Since 1984, he has released 16 albums, performed at The Grand OleOpry in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and has appeared inmore than a dozen movies including Wild Horses, The Tracker, and Gambler III. Hampton is a four-time MORE

Page three, 2017 Cowboy GatheringMale Vocalist of the Year recipient by the Academy of Western Artists and was inducted in the WesternMusic Association Hall of Fame in 2011. Today, R.W. Hampton is regarded as the voice of CowboyMusic. Belinda Gail is known as “America’s Western Sweetheart.” Raised on ranches in Nevada’s CarsonValley and in the California Sierra Nevada foothills near Sequoia National Park, Belinda’s rich ranchingheritage and love of the West runs deep in her music. In 2012 she was named to the top 50 Country andWestern Entertainers of all time by American Cowboy Magazine. As a seven-time Female Performer ofthe Year by the Western Music Association, Belinda is a vibrant and natural entertainer, and one of themost sought after women performing Western music today. Tickets are $20 plus tax for Booth MuseumMembers and $25 plus tax for not-yet-members. Ticket sales are non-refundable. Seating in the GrandTheatre is limited, so purchase your tickets today by calling the Museum at 770-387-1300, the GrandTheatre Box Office at 770-386-7343, or online at www.thegrandtheatre.org.The Southeastern Cowboy Gathering is designed to celebrate our rich Western heritage and is aunique opportunity for residents of the Southeast to explore the West without leaving the South. Eventadmission, including entry to the Museum, is as follows: Adults – $10 plus tax; Seniors (65 and over) – $8plus tax; Students – $7 plus tax; Children 12 & Under – FREE; Booth Museum Members – FREE; ActiveMilitary with I.D. – FREE. To purchase tickets for any of the weekend’s events, simply call the Museum at770-387-1300 or visit the Museum’s front desk.About Booth Western Art MuseumBooth Western Art Museum, an Affiliate to the Smithsonian Institution, is a 120,000 square foot museumlocated in Cartersville, Georgia, Open since 2003, guests are invited to explore the West without leavingthe South by Seeing America’s Story through contemporary Western artwork, a Presidential Gallery –featuring an original hand-signed letter from EVERY U.S. President, Civil War art gallery, and SagebrushRanch – an interactive children’s gallery. Booth Museum is the only museum of its kind in the Southeastand in 2016 earned the Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year from the SoutheastTourism Society and Best Western Museum in America by the Readers of True West magazine. To learnmore about Booth Western Art Museum, visit www.boothmuseum.org. ###