Cowboy Poetry, Music and Art Show, Oct. 7

Renewing friendships and encouraging community spirit while working to raise funds to maintain the Alzada Community Hall built in 1929 has prompted the organizers of the 29th Annual Alzada Cowboy Poetry, Music and Art Show to select the theme "Why we do this... ?". The show will be Sunday, October 7 at the Alzada Community Hall. The building opens at 10 a.m. for viewing of the artwork which may include paintings of all mediums, photographs, beadwork, quilts, leatherwork and sculptures of stone and wood.

The free program of music and cowboy poetry begins at 1 p.m. and traditionally continues until about 5 p.m. Many people will be featured along with over 50 other performers and artists. Musicians featured are Pam Nisley, Broadus, MT and The Amigas, Sundance, WY. Featured artists are Slim and Darlene McNaught, New Underwood, SD, Angeli Coover, Hulett, WY and Kathy Thompson, Whitewood, SD. Poets highlighted will be Kevin Adams, Casper, WY and Karen Stockett, Mildred, MT.

Teri Rae McInerney will emcee the show. Gay Arpan and Chris Maupin have co-chaired the show since it began. Lunch will be served all day by community helpers. The Alzada Community Club raises money to support the yearly expenses and upkeep on the hall. It is used for funerals, community meetings, school reunions, elections and many other activities each year. The annual event was started in 1989 to mark the Montana Centennial and has been likened to a huge family reunion where people gather to reminisce and enjoy the talents of many local folks.

The Amigas is a musical group from Sundance, WY. Members of the group are Susan Rice, lead guitarist, Peggy Howard, guitar and lead vocalist, Pat Leibsack, playing mandolin, guitar and banjo, and Jean Quaal, pianist. The group started when Susan Rice came to Peggy Howard's home and invited her to sing and play guitar with her. They started playing at the nursing home and assisted living facility and still do today. They discovered that Leibsack was a very good mandolin player as well as other instruments, so they invited her to join them. Jean Quaal, who is one of the directors of the Sundance assisted living, facility plays piano superbly, so they asked her to join the group. The name "The Amigas" is Spanish for women friends. The Alzada audience is in for a real treat with this featured group.

Pam Nisley started writing poetry and putting it to music in 1995. She was raised on a ranch north of Powderville, MT and lives on a ranch with her husband, David at Broadus, MT. She speaks and shares music at area women's groups as well as poetry gatherings. She gleams her ideas from the rural lifestyle she lives and is blessed with a very positive response wherever she goes.

Slim and Darlene McNaught, as featured artists, will show some of their beautiful handcrafted leather goods. Slim McNaught grew up near Long Valley, SD and married Darlene Brodkorb in 1954. They continued to live on the ranch where they raised their four children. In 1975, after selling the ranch, they opened Slim's Custom Leather and boot repair in Kadoka, SD. Slim specialized in saddle repair and restoration and also did boot repair and hand crafted leather goods. Darlene assisted. In 1990, they moved to New Underwood and continued their leather craft. They have displayed leather goods at the Alzada show for many years. Slim also enjoys doing cowboy poetry.

Angeli Petrocco-Coover was born and raised in Colorado but currently lives in Hulett, WY. Petrocco-Coover says, "My story is like most artists... I have always sketched, painted and had a desire to create and express myself at a very young age. It is something God gives you as a gift. It's a use it or lose it deal." About fifteen years ago, she took an art class and was introduced to pastels. She instantly was in love with this medium. She generally paints floral and landscapes. Travels to Italy have inspired her work but she admits to only framing about half of what she creates.

Kathy Thompson has exhibited her artwork at the Alzada show for many years. She loves to paint the western way of life, but always surprises the organizers with her selections. It may be various mediums, portraits, scenery or a modern take on ranch life. Thompson grew up in the Cheyenne River breaks of South Dakota loving horses, big country and cattle. She studied art in Minneapolis and at Black Hills State University. She lives in Whitewood, SD where she has her own Purple Sage Studio. Kathy and her husband, Ted, are very involved with the Miss Rodeo South Dakota committee.

Featured poet, Kevin Adams grew up in southern Colorado where he started training horses and working cattle at an early age. After graduating high school in Westcliffe, he studied horse training and management at Lamar Community College. He then moved to Hugoton, Kansas where he worked for a working cow horse trainer, and started building bits and spurs. He has always enjoyed cowboy poetry and recites it at small gatherings and around campfires. He lives with his wife, Cathy, just south of Casper, Wyoming in Bates Hole where he works on a ranch.

Kathy Stockett was born and raised on a ranch outside Mildred, MT. She started writing poetry while very young. She went to college and got a degree to teach. Stockett taught in Montana, Oregon and Texas while also working on different ranches and met some really neat people. She and her husband moved back from Texas onto the home place which she still operates with her daughter, Jess. Stockett states, "I thank God for the way of life we all get to share," and that sentiment is reflected in her beautifully written and recited poems about horses, cows, good people and faith in God.

For more information about the show, contact Gay Arpan (406-828-4517) or Chris Maupin (307-467-5260). The artists and performers will have books, tapes and artwork available for purchase at the show.