Montana poets Paul Zarzyski and Wally McRae would probably not be best friends were it not for the Western Folklife Center and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. They want to thank all of you who donated to the Pony Up! campaign for supporting an organization that has made such an important contribution to their lives.

 

Gratitude

By Paul Zarzyski

In the height of this poetry moment,
Right people, right place, and right time,
The Universe stirs to chevrons of words
While The Zenith Cathedral bells chime.

In the heat of this poetry moment,
Hoist your grails to Beauty and Truth—
Through fire and smoke, wild not broke,
One more round from The Geyser of Youth.

In the heart of this poetry moment,
To your tempo, your rhythm, your flow—
With ink from my veins, Three Cheers! in quatrains
For the spirit you’ve brought to this show.

As we wrap up this campaign, we are pleased to announce that more than 254 people contributed a total of $67,767 to help us get through this financial crisis. Recent house concerts in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas have been very successful and we have more scheduled. We are so grateful for all of your support during this difficult time. If you haven't yet given, it is not too late to support the Western Folklife Center and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering through this campaign or by becoming a Western Folklife Center member or stakeholder. To donate, click on the blue Pony Up! Here button, call 888-880-5885 or send a check to the Western Folklife Center, 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada 89801. Read the details of the campaign below.

Everyone at the Western Folklife Center would like to express our sincere gratitude to Paul and Wally, Stephanie Davis, Michael Martin Murphey, Waddie Mitchell and Baxter Black for making these fantastic videos for our campaign.

See a list of everyone who contributed to the Pony Up! campaign here.

What is Pony Up?

Across the nation, the arts are in crisis. Americans for the Arts, a national arts advocacy organization, estimates conservatively that the recession could wipe out a minimum of 10,000 arts organizations in 2009 alone. The Western Folklife Center has not been spared. Just like so many nonprofit organizations, the Folklife Center is experiencing serious financial setbacks. Donations and project grants have simply dried up and the value of our endowment is down 25 percent in the last year, giving us less interest income to spend on operations.

We know we will get through these hard times and, in true cowboy and cowgirl fashion, we've cinched up our belts and done as much as we can to cut expenses without crippling our organization over the long term. We've cut our staff by one-third and required mandatory furloughs for those who remain. We've eliminated some of our programs and reduced the size and scope of the 2010 Gathering to cut costs.

But, unfortunately, these efforts are not enough to get us through. We need you and all those who believe in the mission of the Western Folklife Center to help us. We've launched a new fundraising campaign that we're calling Pony Up! We've wrangled some of your favorite performers, including Baxter Black, Paul Zarzyski and Wally McRae, Waddie Mitchell, Michael Martin Murphey and Stephanie Davis, and roped them into shooting some video appeals. These performers understand deeply what the Western Folklife Center and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering have meant for the preservation of western culture and they want to help in whatever way they can.

The contributions, large or small, of each member of the Western Folklife Center family is critical to the sustainability of our programs and our continued ability to fulfill our mission. Donations of any amount in this important appeal will be greatly appreciated. If you have an extra $10 it will help. And, all donations are tax deductable.

All donations over $50 in this Pony Up! campaign will receive a copy of our wonderful new CD, Celebrating 25 Years of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. To donate, just click on the Pony Up! button above to make a donation. If you'd prefer, you can call us at 888-880-5885, ext. 222, or send a check to The Western Folklife Center Pony Up!, 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada 89801. As we continue our important work in this uneasy time, we are secure in knowing that we have an incredibly dedicated and loyal family of supporters who believe in our mission and will help get us through. Many you have given to us in the past and we are truly grateful for your generosity, then and now. Thank you from all of us at the Western Folklife Center.

If you are interested in hosting a house concert for all your friends to benefit the Western Folklife Center, click here for more information.

Watch Our Other Pony Up! Videos

Stephanie Davis

 

 

Michael Martin Murphey

 

Waddie Mitchell

Baxter Black