National Cowboy Museum to celebrate new exhibit with fiesta
This charro suit, c. 1940s, courtesy of Gabriel Cabello Martinez, is included in the exhibit ”Arte en la Charrería” at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will celebrate Sunday the opening of its new exhibit “Arte en la Charrería: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture.”
The Museum Fiesta!, featuring a mariachi band, Mexican folk dancers, guided exhibit tours, children’s activities and more, is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the museum, 1700 NE 63.
The bilingual exhibit, which runs through Jan. 3, showcases ornate silverwork, elaborate embroidery and majestic saddles and focuses on the rich traditions associated with Mexican equestrian culture.
The “charro,” or Mexican cowboy, plays an important role in North American history. Men and women in La Charrería participate in events similar to those in American rodeo, but beyond the fancy riding, the pageantry of their costumes and accessories is noteworthy.
Many traditions date back to the 16th century, when Spanish settlers brought their ranching practices to the colonies. The gathering of cattle and horses often ended with celebrations attracting people from miles around. At these festivities, charros showed off their skills and competed against one another. The competitive horse events are called the “charreada,” but the term “charrería” encompasses the entire culture of those events, including the regalia, music and food.
The exhibit highlights the detailed craftsmanship found in the sombreros, clothing, saddles, bits and spurs. Many of the items have never before been displayed and were borrowed specifically for this limited tour, organized by International Arts & Artists of Washington, D.C. The National Cowboy Museum is the third stop on the traveling exhibition’s schedule, which includes seven North American destinations.
Along with Sunday’s Museum Fiesta!, the museum is planning several special events to coincide with the exhibit:
Tuesdays At Sundown — “Mexican Influences on the American West,” 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20 Tuesday. Learn about the history of the Mexican cowboy and his influences on the American West from Daniel Neill, noted collector of Mexican spurs, saddles, chaps and other clothing items for more than 35 years.
Family Fun Activity: Piñata-Making Demonstration, 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 1. See a demonstration of the art of piñata making from Anita Martinez, representing the Oklahoma Folklife Council.
Sarape Weaving Appraisals and Lecture by William Wroth, 2 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 15. Attend the lecture “Untangling the Thread of History: Mexican Serapes from the Spanish Conquest to the 20th Century” by William Wroth, a curator and cultural historian who specializes in the Hispanic and Native American cultures of the Southwest and Mexico.
Family Fun Activity: Making Tissue Paper Flowers, 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 13. Celebrate the final month of “Arte en la Charrería” with a free hands-on activity suitable for even preschool and elementary-aged children. Anita Martinez, representing the Oklahoma Folklife Council, will lead visitors in crafting tissue paper flowers.
For more information, call 478-2250 or go to www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Museum Fiesta! Schedule
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will celebrate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday the opening of the new exhibit “Arte en la Charrería: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture.”
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Flower making.
10 to 10:30 a.m.: Guided tour of “Arte en la Charrería” with Don Reeves.
10:30 to 11 a.m.: Rodrigo Gaona talk on the history of charro.
11 to 11:30 a.m.: La Compania Folklorica Alegria Mexicana.
11:30 a.m. to noon: Mariachi Orgullo de America.
Noon: Pinata breaking.
12:30 to 1 p.m.: Mariachi Orgullo de America.
1 to 1:30 p.m.: La Compania Folklorica Alegria Mexicana.
1:30 to 2 p.m.: Rodrigo Gaona talk on the history of charro.
2 to 2:30 p.m.: Guided tour of “Arte en la Charrería” with Don Reeves.
3 p.m.: End of activities.
-BAM
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