From 7 – 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, the Chiricahua Gallery is sponsoring Cowboy Poetry in Rodeo. Eight performers join for a two-hour program of poetry, storytelling and music.
“What I love about cowboy poetry is the heart felt stories, the truth and honesty shared,” Mary Abbott, from Rodeo, and the gallery’s cultural events chair writes. “Ranching and the cowboy way of life is portrayed by different artists, painting the oral picture. If you laugh, chuckle, smile or cry, then we have done our job. We are all like family and offer the gifts of our stories.”
The event will be held at the Rodeo Community Center, located at 16 Hickory Street in Rodeo. Admission is free. The Chiricahua Gallery, located at 5 Pine Street in Rodeo, will be open until 6 p.m.
The Chiricahua Gallery is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) cooperative art gallery. Its mission includes enriching the cultural and educational opportunities for the residents of Rodeo, Portal, Arizona and surrounding areas through cultural programs, scholarships and art workshops.
The gallery, managed and operated by an all-volunteer staff, has strong community support with over 40 Showing Artists and draws returning visitors from across the country and around the world.
The gallery’s adobe building was built in 1910 and served as a saloon and brothel for many years and then as a general store. A church took over the building in the 1930s, and it served the religious needs of the community for over 40 years before declining attendance and much needed maintenance resulted in the church being taken over by the local historical society, which arranged for the transfer of ownership to the Chiricahua Gallery. The gallery is now a designated New Mexico Historic and Cultural Site.
