| 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering |
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2006 Contact: Darcy Minter
501 Railroad Street Elko, Nevada 89801 phone: 775.738.7508 fax: 775.738.2900 www.westernfolklife.org 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Celebrates Ranching Culture Elko – The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering a week-long celebration of life and art in the rural West observes its 23rd year beginning Saturday, January 27 and running through Saturday, February 3, 2007 in Elko, Nevada. The Elko Gathering is the first and largest of hundreds of cowboy poetry gatherings across the country. Produced by the Western Folklife Center, its purpose is to present and preserve the contemporary and traditional arts created by people living close to the land in the American West. Poetry, music, stories, handcrafted gear, film, photography, food – all contribute to the texture of an event that has become an annual ritual for thousands of people who value and practice the artistic traditions of the region, and are concerned about the present and future of the West. The theme for the 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is The Ranch. By deliberately celebrating ranching culture in this way we hope to honor the placed people whose commitment helps sustain open spaces in the West through responsible land stewardship, and to celebrate the age-old tradition of producing food. In recognition of this theme, the 2007 Gathering will include tours of area ranches, cooking workshops by ranching families, and a panel discussion among top writers in the West on critical issues, including sustainable land stewardship and husbandry practices. In recent years the Western Folklife Center has invited cowboys from other parts of the world to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering to share their culture with us. In 2007, we welcome Patrick and Estelle Laurent, fourth generation ranchers from the Camargue region of southern France. Horsemen from the Camargue are called gardians. Accompanying them will be the Gitano Family, gypsy musicians from the Camargue whose music is an integral part of gardian life and culture. The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was conceived in 1985 by a small group of folklorists, poets and musicians, and quickly became the go-to event celebrating the contemporary West. Over the last 22 years, the Elko Gathering has reinvigorated a tradition that never ceased to be a part of the lives of cowboys, ranchers and rural westerners. In 2000, the U.S. Senate recognized the cultural value of this tradition and the event responsible for its renaissance when it passed a resolution naming the Elko Gathering the “National” Cowboy Poetry Gathering. As always, the Gathering will feature performances by more than 60 poets, musicians and musical groups, including new faces and returning favorites (see attached list). Special exhibits, workshops, films, lectures, ranch dances and late-night jam sessions, all contribute to the depth, richness and authenticity of this one-of-a-kind event. Highlights of the 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering include: 1 - Workshops: Cooking, Writing, Gearmaking, Music, Discussions, Horsemanship and More The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering features more than a dozen workshops for youth and adults on traditional arts, cooking, gearmaking, contemporary ranch issues, writing, horsemanship, poetry, music and more. We offer these hands-on sessions to provide a richer and deeper experience for those that make the trip to Elko. The workshops are excellent opportunities to be taught new skills, meet master artists and performers, and explore meaningful and interesting topics.2 - Distinguished Speakers on Significant Issues in the West Each year the Western Folklife Center invites leading western writers and scholars to speak at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on issues critical to our region. This year’s Keynote Speaker is journalist Richard Louv, whose book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder discusses the effect of exposure to nature (and lack thereof) on the human psyche, particularly that of children.3 - Performers From 15 Western States, Canada, Australia and France The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering brings together more than 60 poets, musicians and musical groups from 15 western states, two Canadian provinces, and from as far away as France and Australia. These authentic western voices present both classic cowboy material as well as new creative work that paints a realistic portrait of life in the rural West. Performers include NPR commentator and syndicated columnist Baxter Black, Canadian songwriting legend Ian Tyson, Texas troubadour Don Edwards, and National Heritage Award winners: Montana poet and rancher Wallace McRae and legendary cowboy musician Glenn Ohrlin. Attached is a complete list of this year’s performers and their current hometowns.For more information about ticketed shows and workshops at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, please refer to the enclosed brochure or our website at www.westernfolklife.org. If you are interested in applying for press credentials, complete the enclosed Media Credential Application Form and send it to Darcy Minter, Western Folklife Center, 898 Swiss Farm Circle, Midway, UT 84049 or fax it to 435-654-7493. You may also complete and submit the form online through our website. Just click on Press Kit in the 2007 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering section of our website. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Darcy Minter at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 435-657-3086. Some of our major sponsors of the Gathering are: The Wallace Foundation, National Council for the Traditional Arts, Nevada Commission on Tourism, E. L. Wiegand Foundation, International Game Technology, Nevada Arts Council, National Endowment of the Arts, R. Harold Burton Foundation, Elko County Recreation Board. The mission of the Western Folklife Center is to enhance the vitality of American life through the experience, understanding, and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the American West. 2007 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Performers Oscar Auker, Clarendon, TX Bar J Wranglers, Driggs, ID Virginia Bennett, Paso Robles, CA Baxter Black, Benson, AZ Jerry Brooks, Sevier, UT Dave Bourne, Agoura, CA Bimbo Cheney, Spring Creek, NV Ken Cook, Martin, SD Doris Daley, Alberta, Canada Stephanie Davis, Columbus, MT John Dofflemyer, Lemon Cove, CA Don Edwards, Hico, TX Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Marshall, CA Trudy Fair, Weatherford, TX Leon Flick, Plush, OR Dennis Gaines, Kerrville, TX Johnny Gimble, Austin, TX The Gitano Family, Arles, France Frank Gleeson, British Columbia, Canada Skip Gorman and Connie Dover, Grafton, NH D.W. Groethe, Bainville, MT Alice Hancock, Lakeview, OR Yvonne Hollenbeck, Clearfield, SD Linda Hussa, Cedarville, CA Jill Jones and the Lone Star Chorale, Driftwood, TX Ross Knox, Tucson, AZ Stephen Lindsey, Elgin, AZ Lowell Long, Granby, MO Gary McMahan, Bellvue, CO Wallace McRae, Forsyth, MT Waddie Mitchell, Elko, NV Dawn and Michael Moon, Rowe, NM Clark Morris, Likely, CA Michael Martin Murphey , Westbury, WI Joel Nelson, Alpine, TX Rodney Nelson, Almont, ND Glenn Ohrlin, Mountain View, AR J. Parson, Bakersfield, CA Bob Petermann, Wibaux, MT Lorraine Rawls, Talent, OR Henry Real Bird, Garyowen, MT Pat Richardson, Merced, CA Randy Rieman, Lamy, NM Ringling 5, Wilsall, MT Sandy Seaton, Emigrant, MT Georgie Sicking, Kaycee, MT Jesse Smith, Cora, WY Jay Snider, Cyril, OK Dave Stamey, Nipomo, CA Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns, Newcastle, WY Gail Steiger, Prescott, AZ Colen Sweeten Jr., Springville, UT Milton Taylor, New South Wales, Australia Ian Tyson, Alberta, Canada Jack Walther, Lamoille, NV Wylie and the Wild West, LaCrosse, WA Paul Zarzyski, Great Falls, MT |
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