HEART OF THE WEST ART EXHIBITION AND SALE TO BE HELD OCTOBER 1 – DECEMBER 5, 2010

Fort Worth, Texas (July 27, 2010) – The National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame announced today the sixth annual Heart of the West Art Exhibition will be held October 1—December 5, 2010. The Sale will be held October 27^th, the evening before the thirty-fifth annual National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon.

Established in 2004 to honor women who embody the Western spirit and express their passion for the American West through art, the Heart of the West Art Exhibition and Sale is the premiere all-female Western art show and sale in the country, and features themes of the West as captured through bronze, sculpture, oil, watercolor, pencil and other fine art media. The event will feature 49 outstanding artists including 2003 Hall of Fame Honoree, Glenna Goodacre, 2007 Hall of Fame Honoree, Donna Howell-Sickles, and 2009 Hall of Fame Honoree, Deborah Copenhaver Fellows.  New artists for 2010 include Shelley Muzylowski Allen, Mary Buchholz, Jenny Forge-Schmalstieg, Moni Heil, Barbara Ivey, Jan Mapes and Deborah Oropallo.

“Through this exhibition, we want to recognize the contributions of contemporary women in the arts; women who interpret the American West through a variety of viewpoints, styles and media,” said Pat Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame. “These women have contributed to the fabric of American culture and their insights and perspectives bring new life to the art of the West.”

Works of art will be sold at the fixed-price sale on October 27 during a gala reception at the Museum beginning at 6:00 p.m. Works of art not purchased that evening will be available for sale to any interested party through December 5, 2010 at the Museum.  A portion of each sale of artwork from the Heart of the West benefits the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, and purchases on October 27 are sales tax-deductible. Tickets to the Heart of the West Art Reception and Sale are available now for $60 per person.  The commemorative catalogue will be available on October 1.  For more information or to purchase tickets or catalogues contact Emmy Lou Prescott at 817-509-8965.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience, and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire. Open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is $10 for adults ages 13 and up and $8 for children ages 3 to 12 and senior citizens.  Group rates and docent tours are available.  For more information please call (817) 336-4475 or (800) 476-FAME, or visit www.cowgirl.net.