Latest Displays
By Joi Harris
Skiff Staff

Living in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas provides a lifestyle that may be unmatched by any other place in the United States. Citizens can experience the life of a city slicker and one of a small community simultaneously.

Downtown’s large buildings provide evidence of an emerging Dallas/Fort Worth area while the cultural district and stockyards preserve the life of the city's history dating back 20, 30 or 50 years. This part of town is so important that Fort Worth has maintained the alias of “Cowtown.” However, too much emphasis is placed on the role of the cowboy in developing the town while the cowgirl is often over shadowed.

That all changed June 6, 2002 with the opening of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Not being from a city rich in such a history, one might have misconceptions of what this lifestyle truly entails. With limited exposure in rodeos and on television, the cowgirl has been depicted as rough and rugged, maybe even dirty. But walking through the entrance of the cowgirl museum quickly dispels that notion.

Marvelous architecture, created by the same contractor who built the Bass Hall in downtown, fills the cowgirl museum proving that under the surface this lifestyle provides more than meets the eye.

Susan Fine, director of development and marketing of the cowgirl museum, said museum visitors are often caught off guard by the sheer beauty of the building.

“A lot of people who come in are often surprised because it’s not what they expected,” Fine said.

Bob Wade, an Austin native, has devoted 25 years to creating artwork portraying the life of a cowgirl. Since Jan. 11, an exhibit named My Heroes Have Always Been Cowgirls: 25 Years of Cowgirl Photoworks by Bob Wade has been on display at the museum.

This exhibit renounces any idea of the cowgirl as being masculine and ugly as it represents the true spirit of the cowgirl: her flamboyance, her merriment and her triumphs.

“It just shows that women had a lot of fun,” Fine said.

The works, although not initially created by Wade, are a reinvention. Wade takes both rare and famous photos and prints them on photo linen.

He then delicately hand-tints them using transparent layers of acrylic paint. The work is then completed when he brings out some finer details with oil paint.

This attention to detail keeps the photo in its pure state, allowing it to speak for itself. As the paint sets, vibrant colors emerge illustrating the uniqueness and beauty of this often forgotten time.

Wade said the women depicted in his art have revitalized the role of the cowgirl for good.

“Those great hard core contestants came to life on that canvas and caused quite a stir at auctions and shows around the country,” he said. “The early rodeo cowgirls laid the groundwork for a lot of attitudes today. Obviously the spirit is back and here to stay.”

Do not miss the opportunity to see first hand the foundation of Fort Worth and its lifestyle. Wade’s exhibit will be on display until April 13. For museum times and admission prices go to (www.cowgirl.net.)

Joi Harris
j.s.harris@tcu.edu