Booth Western Art Museum Honors Relevance Of Cowboy Poetry

WABE

April 22nd, 2020

The Booth Western Art Museum first opened its doors in 2003. Its collection includes a wide range of subjects ranging from presidential portraits, to Civil War letters, to abstract Western art.

Booth Western Art Museum

The Booth Western Art Museum is the world’s largest permanent exhibition space dedicated to all things Western.

And it’s located right here in Cartersville, Georgia.

The museum first opened its doors in 2003. Its collection includes a wide range of subjects ranging from presidential portraits, to Civil War letters, to abstract Western art.

In keeping with tradition, the museum has recruited Western poet aficionado and collector “Cowboy” James Edwards to share virtual readings of his favorite cowboy poetry.

He has spent many years studying and collecting these poems. Many of the themes of cowboy poetry are particularly relevant during these difficult times.

One poem he read is “Rain on the Range” by S. Omar Barker. A stanza from that poem is as follows:

The rain just beats you to it and sun comes busting out
And that’s how it is with cowboys when a rainy spell is hit
They just hang on ‘til it’s over then they ain’t no need to quit!

Cowboy James, and Seth Hopkins, director of the museum, joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes earlier in the week. Hopkins began by explaining why the museum is located in Cartersville.