Real West

The West is not a monolith. As much as we have homogenized the idea of the American West through legend and myth, the truth is far more diverse and nuanced than many realize. That’s one of the many reasons I’m so in love with the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

The Cowboy is dedicated to telling the real story of the American West through art and scholarship. That much is evident walking through the glass doors leading into the main gallery, but it’s even more pronounced by the four exhibitions planned for this September. Eric Singleton, curator of the Nations at War! exhibit, says the museum has many goals, but one definite focus is on bridging the gap between the myth of the American West and the reality.

“One thing we say a lot here is ‘Find Your West,’ which means, we want anyone to be able to come here and see themselves in this museum,” he says. “We talk about the depth and breadth of the West.”

Nations at War! Field Sketches of a Pawnee Warrior

Native American ledger artist Brummett Echohawk, a Pawnee soldier in the American 45th Infantry Division during World War II, drew soldiers from Germany, India, Japan, Algeria, and his own friends and allies from different tribes serving in the 45th as ledger art. Ledgers are exactly what they sound like—they were accounting books used as a source of paper for Plains Indians—and the art Natives created with them depicted scenes from battles fought to daily lives lived. Echohawk’s work covers the battles he fought with the 45th Infantry in Europe and the friends he lost along the way.

While this exhibition focuses on Echohawk’s wartime works, his art continued after returning to the U.S., where he studied at the prestigious Art Institue of Chicago and went on to a career as a newspaper artist and humorist.

Nations at War! Field Sketches of a Pawnee Warrior will be on exhibit at the museum from September 1, 2023 to January 21, 2024.

Women in Wyoming: Portraits and Interviews of Women Who Shape the West

Much as Oklahomans like to claim the cowboy as one of their own, other states have their fair share of cowboy history to draw from. Wyoming, for instance, is called “The Cowboy State,” so it's little wonder there’s so much art to go along with that designation. Women in Wyoming highlights the role of twenty-five women who made their mark in the state’s history and culture through photography and audio interviews.

Wyoming was the first state to adopt women’s suffrage and the right for women to hold office, making it the tip of the spear for the gender equality movement and home to many of the nation’s first women in government, including Nellie Ross, the first female governor in the U.S., who won despite refusing to campaign.

Women in Wyoming: Portraits and Interviews of Women Who Shape the West will be on exhibit from September 8, 2023 to January 2, 2024.

King Ranch: A Legacy in Art; Paintings by Noe Perez

Texas’ King Ranch is so famous you might not even realize you know it. Driving through Oklahoma, there are plenty of King Ranch Ford F-150 pickups with the iconic King logo. And while its origins are unknown, many mothers claimed the King Ranch chicken casserole as their own. Artist Noe Perez gained access to the historic ranch, home to some of the first cattle drives and currently larger than the state of Rhode Island by area, for a series of paintings showcasing landscapes, wildlife, and livestock.

And, not for nothing, the King Ranch was an early supporter of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, which would become the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

King Ranch: A Legacy in Art; Paintings by Noe Perez will be on exhibit from September 22, 2023 to January 2, 2024.

Black Cowboys: An American Story

The work of cowboys was never easy. Long, grueling hours on the trail, caring for massive herds of uncooperative animals, and at the mercy of both the elements and other forces that sought to claim the cattle for their own benefit. In Black Cowboys, the museum presents a realistic look at the men, women, and children—both free and enslaved—who worked the ranches and drove the cattle from before the Civil War and through the early twentieth century.

Using photos, documents, and artifacts, the exhibition shows the impact Black cowboys and their families had on the American West that resonates still today.

Black Cowboys: An American Story will be on exhibit from September 22, 2023 to January 2, 2024

While we’re champing at the bit to see the new exhibitions, if your September is packed full, there will be plenty of time to see the new displays with exhibitions running into the new year. That said, it’s worth grabbing a membership to the museum so you can stop by any time.