COWGIRLS: Contemporary Portraits of the American West
RONNIE FARLEY
The Howland Cultural Center
477 Main Street, Beacon, New York
until January 28th.
845-831-4988
HOWLAND CENTER RUSTLES UP COWGIRL PHOTO EXHIBIT
By Goldee Greene Beacon Free Press 1.11.12
Glowing campfire excitement of the West, cowgirl-style came to Beacon on Saturday as Cowgirls: Contemporary Portaits of the American West opened at the Howland Cultural Center. Thirty-one stunning black and white photos depicting the hardscrabble yet beloved cowgirl lifestyle by Ronnie Farley, are on display through January 29th. The well attended event was serenaded by a spirited, country-western guitar and fiddle duet on the upper gallery.
Farley’s lens captured romantic settings like Shamrock Ranch and Fish Creek Ranch, Wyoming, as well as Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and South Dakota.
Farley, a Beaconite, is author of ‘Women of the Native Struggle.’ She is a photographer and a painter dedicated to today’s Native American culture and the American West. Her photos have been published in USA Today and the Village Voice. The New York Times acclaimed her work, which “both rescues cowgirls from rhinestone studded stereotypes and documents the gritty realities of Western life.”
These day to day activities run the gamut from thrilling bronc and bull riding, to feeding and caring for horses, cows, and even moose. Women of diverse backgrounds either are born into or choose to be cowgirls. Their lot is not easy but very much beloved.
“In American culture, the cowgirl figure is archetypical, and these women were inspirational to me,” said Farley, a native New Yorker, who traveled from Manhattan to Hereford, Texas in the nineteen nineties. She was introduced to cattle drives, sheep ranches, and the rodeo circuit. These included the Professional Women’s Rodeo Association and the Bill Pickett Invitational Black Rodeo.
“I was really impressed with these women because they worked so hard,” she said. “They make the food and served it, take care of the kids, mend clothes and do other things around the house. Are there as many cowgirls as cowboys? Yes, because they’re all married to each other and work together. and there are solo female ranchers. All in all, these are some pretty tough ladies!"
