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The word “cowboy” invokes images of the indomitable man on horseback. But what do we know of the cowgirl? COWGIRLS: Contemporary Portraits of the American West features 30 photographs accompanied by narrative quotes that reveal the complex, unglamorous—yet often inspiring—reality of women in the modern West.

Photographer Ronnie Farley spent three years documenting the lives of two very different kinds of cowgirls: women ranchers and rodeo contestants. From the high country of Wyoming to the national Professional Women’s Rodeo circuit, the resulting black-and-white images capture the everyday reality and resolute strength of the women who call these settings home.

The accompanying text is equally compelling. As Farley writes, “Through every story runs a common thread of hardship, determination, and independence.” Whether a bull rider, calf roper, or rancher, each subject displays resiliency in the face of injuries, isolation, natural disasters, alcoholism, and industrial expansion, accepting challenges and misfortune, “with equal grace and reserve.”

COWGIRLS documents the daily challenges, professional triumphs, and personal tenacity shared by the women who run cattle or ride broncs and bulls. From the competitive grit of the rodeo circuit and the exhausting demands of cattle ranching to the intimate bond they share with their animals, modern cowgirls call to mind the independence, fortitude, and incomparable vigor demonstrated by women who endured the hardships and challenges of life on the American frontier.

During the three years she spent capturing these evocative portraits, Farley found the cowgirls to be “distinct, impressive, and unforgettable.” Working side by side with these women, she came to realize that “they loved what they did, where they lived, how hard they worked. They shared a strength in will, the dignity of people who overcome life’s difficulties and turn them into joys. In an age of self-consuming greed, their attitude seemed to set them apart from the rest of the world. In their own right, they are a traditional people, carrying on a way of life—a way of thinking—that may be only glimpsed at today.”

COWGIRLS: Contemporary Portraits of the American West, based on Farley’s 1995 book of the same title, is curated by Patricia O’Connor, a veteran gallery professional currently working for the New York State Council on the Arts and the Tri-County Arts Council. Additional commentary will be provided by Evelyne Pickett, PhD, author of Ranchwomen in the Empty Quarter (Texas A&M University Press, 2006).