Elko, Nevada—The 32nd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 25-30, 2016, in Elko, Nevada, spotlights the flowing grasslands, vast open spaces and indigo skies of the Northern Plains. From the Rocky Mountains to the Dakotas, from the sandhills of Nebraska to the grasslands of Saskatchewan, this expansive land of prairie and woodlands is one of the top cattle producing regions in the world. It is famous for short summers and punishing winters, but also for hardy people, excellent cattle, and fine bucking horses and bronc riders. Join us in Elko, as nearly 50 performers, including 16 ranchers, poets, musicians and artists from the Northern Plains of the U.S. and Canada, share and celebrate this land of enveloping horizons and expansive hearts.

“The Northern Plains are a “hot spot” for cowboy poetry;” says Yvonne Hollenbeck, a rancher and poet living near Winner, South Dakota, and a regular performer at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, “from the many drovers who penned rhymes about their cowboying days with thousands of head of cattle grazing on the lush green pastures, to the beloved early 20th century poet Badger Clark, to modern-day poets such as Wally McRae and Elizabeth Ebert.”

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is an international arts and cultural festival that celebrates what it means to be connected to earth, land and big sky country of the American West. Montana cowboy poet Wally McRae called it “Cowpoke Woodstock,” the coming together of folks united in their passion for all things Western. And, after 31 years, the Elko Gathering still sets the standard for artistic quality, seamless production and big-hearted joyfulness. At the 32nd Gathering, nearly 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S. and Canada will perform on seven stages at four different venues. The line-up includes Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Michael Martin Murphey, Waddie Mitchell, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Dave Stamey, Stephanie Davis, Wally McRae, Paul Zarzyski, Elizabeth Ebert, Hot Club of Cowtown, Wylie Gustafson and many more! Visit www.westernfolklife.org for a full list of artists, bios and audio samples.

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering also features hands-on workshops in traditional Western arts including hatmaking, leather carving and traditional foodways, as well as Western dances, films, open-mic sessions, and discussions about topics of importance to the rural West. A special exhibition will present an artful view of the Northern Plains through photography, illustrations, paintings and handcrafted work.

The keynote address at the 32nd Gathering will be delivered by Dan Flores, a cultural and environmental historian of the plains. In his work, Flores takes a longue duree approach, accounting for both history and the present, so that today's Westerners can more effectively make decisions that are best for the long-term health of the land.

The poster artwork for the 32nd Gathering is from Comes Back, by Donald F. Montileaux, an Oglala Lakota ledger artist. Ledger art is a Northern Plains Indian art form that refers to the accounting ledger books that were a common source of paper for the Plains Indians from the 1860s to the 1940s. Montileaux has rekindled ledger art with a collection of striking images that capture the unique Lakota ways of life.

Tickets to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be purchased online at www.westernfolklife.org, or by calling 888-880-5885. Western Folklife Center members can purchase tickets beginning September 8, 2015, and non-members can purchase tickets beginning October 8. Press passes to the Gathering are available. Please contact Darcy Minter at dminter@westernfolklife.org for more information.

The 32nd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is supported by NV Energy, Newmont Gold Corporation, Barrick Gold of North America, Frontier Communications, Nevada Humanities, Nevada Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Elko Convention and Visitors Authority, the City of Elko, the Elko County Recreation Board and many more foundations, businesses and individuals.

The Western Folklife Center is dedicated to exploring, presenting and preserving the diverse and dynamic cultural heritage of the American West. We celebrate the wisdom, artistry and ingenuity of Western folkways through exhibitions, educational programs, national radio and television programs, research and preservation projects, our website, and our premier event, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We nurture connections among rural and ranching cultures globally, exploring universal themes in working traditions and artistic expression, which we believe are vital links to the past, present and future of the American West.