21 Nov Cowgirls with a Camera Sale and Exhibition Returns to Desert Caballeros Western Museum

In its 5th year, Cowgirls with a Camera returns to Desert Caballeros Western Museum (DCWM) in Wickenburg, Arizona. DCWM embraces the broad spectrum of Western American art and strives to showcase the talent of artists beyond the genres of painting and sculpture. The success of the Museum’s annual “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” exhibition and sale, which showcases drawing, painting and sculpture by Western women artists, provided the initial inspiration for Cowgirls with a Camera as an event to feature fine art photography by the West’s best women photographers, and the exhibition and sale increases in popularity each year.

This year's event showcases the work of 10 of the most talented women photographers in North America working in the Western genre who span the continent from Sasketchewan to Texas, and Rhode Island to Arizona. The 2016 artists include Megan Blakely, Jenny Gummersall, Susan Kordish, Mia Larocque, Nadine Levin, Kathy McCraine, Bev Pettit, Edlynne Sillman, Jodie Sinclair and Pamela Steege. Their work is widely published and included in private and public collections, both nationally and internationally. Three of this years’ artists are new to the exhibition.

These women photographers come from diverse backgrounds. Some grew up with ranching and the West in their blood; others discovered the West later in life. A few are classically trained; others are self-taught. They were all drawn to the American West and work to preserve the traditions and lifestyle of the region through the fresh ways they unveil their subjects, liberating viewers to do the same, and eliciting emotional responses in the process. Whether on film or in digital format, these women capture iconic images of the West: rodeo cowboys, ranch life, wide-open spaces, cowgirls, working horses, and wild mustangs. Through their work they express the intellectual, physical and emotional bonds that form our connection to the West.

A new feature this year will be online sales. Each piece in the exhibition is currently available for viewing on the Museum’s website, and beginning November 12, will be available for purchase online. For more information or to purchase art, visit westernmuseum.org.

About DCWM
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is an accredited museum by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is known as Arizona’s Most Western Museum, and serves nearly 75,000 visitors a year. The Museum preserves and exhibits the art and history of the Southwest and the desert frontier, and is well-known for its innovative exhibitions and programming. Its world-renowned collection of American Western fine art, American Indian art and artifacts, and captivating interactive exhibits, together, create an unforgettable experience for visitors. The Museum’s entire lower level is devoted to a re-creation of life in Late Territorial Wickenburg, including a fascinating permanent exhibit geared for children called Out on the Ranch. The Museum further enhances the visitor experience by offering a free audio guide tour system.The Museum also has two stores, The Museum Store and Ranch Dressing.