Southeastern Cowboy Gathering at the Booth

Booth Western Art Museum will host its ninth-annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering from March 8 to 11. Scheduled events include the opening of two new art exhibitions; a concert by featured entertainer Marty Stuart; chuck wagon and Dutch oven cooking contests; mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo contests; finals of the Writing Through Art Literary Contest; horseshoe tournament, children’s activities; and an evening lecture by featured artist Tom Gilleon.

The event will take place at Booth Western Art Museum and the Grand Theatre. Here are the details:

Thursday, March 8

10 am — 8 pm
Museum Open

1 pm – 4 pm: Home School Day at Booth Museum
Tours will be offered several times throughout the afternoon, art activities will be located at different stations around the museum, free audio tours will be offered that day and there will be a special 10 percent discount for you and your family in the store and café. Call 770-387-3849 to schedule your group. Click here for more information.

4 pm: Gallery walk with Tom Gilleon in the Temporary Exhibition Gallery

5 – 7 pm: Exhibit Openings & Meet the Artist Reception. View American Legacy: Our National Parks, On Location with the Plein-Air Painters of America in the Special Exhibition Gallery and The Iconic West of R. Tom Gilleon in the Temporary exhibition gallery. Meet featured artist Tom Gilleon and enjoy refreshments available in the Ballroom.

7 pm: Featured Artist Presentation: Tom Gilleon will present a lecture on his artistic style and career highlights in the Booth Theatre. Gilleon will be available to sign copies of the official Cowboy Gathering poster in the Museum Store following the lecture.

Friday, March 9

9 am – 4 pm: Artist Workshop with Tom Gilleon. All skill levels are welcome to participate in this workshop. Cost is $125 for Booth members and $150 for not-yet-members. Call 770-387-3849 for reservations.

11 am: Lecture and Movie Clips from films depicting Native Americans in the West with Jim Dunham in the Booth Theatre.1:30 pm: Western Movie in the Booth Theatre featuring Little Big Man.

5 – 7 pm: Cowboy Music and Poetry at Fairplay Cattle Co.’s chuck wagon on the Museum festival grounds. Coffee, hot chocolate and dessert will be available for a nominal fee. Saturday, March 10, 2012

8 am – noon: Southeastern Chuck Wagon Cook-off on the Museum festival grounds. Teams of cooks will prepare beans, meat, potatoes, bread and desserts just as they did on the cattle drives of the 1800s. Ticket holders will be served at Noon. Tickets are $12 and should be purchased in advance at the Museum or by calling 770-387-1300. Winners will be announced at 2:00 pm. Click here for Chuck Wagon Rules and Entry Application.

10 am – 4:30 pm: Open Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, and Banjo Contests in the Booth Ballroom. Top musicians from around the Southeast compete for cash prizes and bragging rights; mandolin begins at 10:00 am, banjo at 11:00 am, guitar (flat-picking) at noon, junior fiddle division (under 18) at 1:00 pm, and open fiddle division at 2:30 pm. Participation is limited; contestants should register in advance by calling Doc Stovall at 770-387-1265. Regular Museum admission will be charged to the public for this event. Click here for Contest Rules and Application.

10:30 am – noon: Adult Cowboy Poetry Workshop in the borderlands Conference Room.

11 am – 4 pm: Children’s Saturday Activities, hands-on activities where children can make their own Western art masterpieces offered at stations throughout the Museum.

7 pm: Western Concert with Marty Stuart at the Grand Theatre.
Tickets are $25 for Booth members and $30 for not-yet-members. Call 770-387-1300 to purchase tickets.

Sunday, March 11

11 am – 5 pm: Museum Open

11 am: Cowboy Church in the Booth Ballroom – A non-denominational church service with a Western flair.

Noon – 4 pm: Dutch Oven Cooking Contest on the Museum festival grounds. Top cooks will compete for prizes and bragging rights in three categories: bread, main dish and dessert. Teams will turn food into the judges beginning at 1:00 pm and serve samples to the public. Winners will be announced at 4:00 p.m. Click here for Dutch Oven Rules and Entry Application.

Noon – 4 pm: Children’s Activities, hands-on activities where children can make their own Western art masterpieces offered at stations throughout the Museum.

Noon - 4 pm: Writing Through Art Literary Contest Finals in the Booth Ballroom