To celebrate the current, and if we do say so, exquisite, exhibit, The Western Sights of Jo Mora, we did everything up Mora-style the first weekend in October.

Between gallery tours led by Mora experts, a live acoustic show by musician (and Mora fan) Mike Beck, book signings by Mora scholar Peter Hiller, and swigs from Mora-adorned limited run beer bottles, there was an homage to Mora everywhere we turned. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of Mora left to imbibe! The Western Sights of Jo Mora exhibit in our Weigand Gallery will be on view through May 14, 2022. And, you can still catch the livestream of Mike Beck’s show.

This month’s question is one I think we’ve all wanted to ask the poets we’ve seen perform at one point or another over the years. It gives us all a unique opportunity to remember why we come to the Gather year after year to watch these artists and others perform their craft, what it means to them, and how it translates back to us in our lives. Our friends at Buckaroo Bling submitted their question through Instagram:

“I'd like to ask your advisors how/why they became poets. Is it to make the hard ranching life easier by putting their feelings down on paper? Or is it to prove that country folk are as articulate and talented as anybody else? Or for some entirely different reason?" - @buckaroobling

One of the gems of the Western Folklife Center is our permanent contemporary gear collection. And it just got even better! We’re beyond thrilled with the most recent acquisition to the collection, a custom Jeremiah Watt saddle.

Commissioned in 1993, the saddle made its way from Watt’s workshop to the Western Folklife Center this September. Using skills and expertise (and inspiration) that came to fruition over the years, Watt has made a truly one-of-a-kind museum piece that exemplifies the artistry of Western gearmaking.

This month the poets try their best to give a lesson in love poetry to a lonesome wrangler out of Lovelock. It’s an age old art that many can attest is hard to master, but with a little help from our friends here we have plenty of faith that this cowpoke can pull it off. We hope it sparks some inspiration in all of you.

“Dear Cowboy Poets, I'm currently dealing with a long distance relationship scenario, and I was thinking a good way to bridge the gap was with some good, old-fashioned love poetry. Do you have any favorites that you'd recommend sending to a loved one? Or any tips for trying to write some of my own? Thanks for the help!” - Lovesick in Lovelock

It is understood that the poets and other artists who have become regulars at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada are masterful storytellers, wordsmiths, and musicians but rumor has it there are quite a few who have made a quite a name for themselves as jokesters. In this month’s edition of “Ask a Cowboy Poet,” a few of our poet panelists were willing to share a little of this behind the scenes, good-humored jesting that has turned into legend and lore of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

“What was the best prank you ever pulled, participated in or witnessed on a fellow artist at the Poetry Gathering?” - John Breternitz

Here at the Western Folklife Center we’ve been fortunate enough to forge relationships with wise wordsmiths and performers from all over the world. What better time to reach out and tap into this wealth of insight, wit, and humor than now! You send in your big (or small) questions and we put them up to the pros. We hope that our columnists, including Dick Gibford, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Bill Lowman, Waddie Mitchell, Gwen Petersen, and more, can help you find the answers you’re looking for.

“Greetings all, What was the toughest drought you faced, in what year did it happen, and what did you do to get through it? If you faced the same drought again would you do anything differently?” - Jonathan Odermann

Through the Ian Tyson Legacy Fund, individuals from ranching communities will be eligible to apply to participate in any of the exciting workshops hosted during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering for only $50, no matter the original cost. They will also receive a yearlong membership at the Western Folklife Center. The Ian Tyson Legacy Fund will also go toward supporting specialized workshops that focus on navigating both the creative and business side of performing cowboy music and poetry.

The Ian Tyson Legacy Fund has been seeded by longtime friend and supporter of the Gathering, Vickie Mullen, and is sustained by the continued giving of other generous donors and friends. We hope you will join us in supporting this effort.

We may not be able to gather in Elko, but we’re not going to let that stop us! In ranching, a rodear happens when cattle are gathered together and held in a circle, typically in a remote location where there are no corrals available. This allows the cowboys to perform their work. We find ourselves in a similar position this year—unable to hold our beloved event at headquarters. In the spirit of rodear, that just means we're going to have to ride out into the landscape and improvise. The event, poster and pin will be free for Western Folklife Center members!

The Western Folklife Center is honored to host The Art of Jack Malotte, a major retrospective exhibition showcasing the breadth of Malotte’s career, organized by the Nevada Museum of Art, opening July 11 in Western Folklife Center’s E. L. Wiegand Gallery, 501 Railroad Street, Elko.

An enrolled member of the South Fork Band of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, Jack Malotte makes artworks that celebrate the Great Basin with a unique focus on contemporary political issues faced by Native people seeking to protect and preserve access to their lands.

The Elko County Commissioners published a letter to our board recently in the local Elko Daily Free Press expressing their wish for us to reconsider the cancellation of the 2021 in-person Gathering. We are so grateful for all the positive notes we've received from you in support of our decision and want to share with you our board's response.

We’re happy to announce the re-opening of the Western Folklife Center’s Gift Shop and Wiegand Gallery with Black Box Theater! These areas have been reconfigured to provide a safe environment for our visitors. Other areas of the historic Pioneer Building - business offices, Pioneer Saloon, G Three Bar Theater, and lower level including restrooms - remain closed at this time. Forgot your mask? We've got plenty of bandanas and are happy to share!

Due to continuing health concerns, we remain taking precautionary measures to maximize social distancing and minimize the potential spread of COVID-19. Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, the Western Folklife Center Gift Shop, Wiegand Gallery, and administrative offices will temporarily close until further notice. The Western Folklife Center staff will be periodically checking phone and email messages.

We invite you to join us online for music, poetry and other interesting and entertaining programs of the Western Folklife Center. Watch videos on Vimeo and YouTube, listen to interesting and entertaining audio pieces, explore through online exhibitions, join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.

Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe!

"This was A++! Enlightening,
Informative - interesting
with good humor;
the hospitality was A+
and the food was A++.
Our bus leader for the day was
So! Interesting and knowledgeable."
                - tour workshop participant

Michael Martin Murphey presents a special performance of songs from his over 40 years of performing…all with his stellar Rio Grande Band featuring Gary Roller, Ollie O’Shea, Ryan Murphey, and rising star Carin Mari.

The 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering delivers again with a line-up of exciting, thought provoking, and educational special discussions and compelling speakers. There will be something for everyone in the scope and number of discussions and special sessions presented January 30-February 1, 2020.

For 36 years during the heart of winter, thousands have traveled to Elko, Nevada to listen, learn, and share stories of ranching and the rural West through poetry, music, and stories. People of all backgrounds identify with the beauty and challenges of the cowboy lifestyle, from the Mississippi Delta bayou to Buckaroo country, Oklahoma rodeo grounds to the streets of Oakland and Los Angeles. This year the Gathering will feature men and women from these ranching and horseback communities to explore and celebrate the often under-represented historic contributions and contemporary culture of Black cowboys, from bull-doggin' to blue-yodellin.'

The Western Folklife Center is pleased to announce the artist line-up for the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 27-February 1, 2020. Check out the Spotify playlist of featured artists below and remember, tickets go on sale October 3 to the General Public.

You may have seen the weathered faces, shadowed in black and white, staring you down from posters in storefront windows around Elko. Listen closely – with the help of your smartphone – and they each have something to share about the life and work of a cowboy. 

On July 18, 2019, acclaimed contemporary cowboy singer/songwriter Mike Beck returns to Elko and the Western Folklife Center stage for a one-night concert of acoustic music and stories. Add even more fun to your evening before the concert with a free docent-led walking tour of our downtown Elko storefront exhibition, Portraits of the Gathering!