Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Vela.
The Museum was started in 1975 in the panhandle town of Hereford, Texas. It was moved to Fort Worth in 1994, after multiple cities made a bid. In 2002, the Museum then moved into its current 33,000 square feet (3,100 m2) permanent location in the Cultural District of Fort Worth.
The Museum is not only about cowgirls – but rather about any female who somehow shaped the American West. Some of the Honorees include Retired U.S. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Georgia O’Keeffe, Annie Oakley – and many modern day competitors, authors, ranchers and artists.
The Museum’s second floor examines the role of the horse and how the horse has intersected with the lives of women – in ranching, competing, therapy, business and inspiration. The unifying theme of the second floor is the exploration of how – It’s Never Just a Horse.
The first floor was renovated a year ago in collaboration with a team of architects from Paris, France. Included in the renovation is a life-sized hologram of Annie Oakley – the only one of its kind in the nation. Additionally, there are over 6,000 items in the Museum’s collection.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The Museum is fortunate in that it has a board of directors who are thoroughly engaged in not only fundraising, but also in redesign, and messaging. The only struggle has been the same one that all women have: getting the recognition for the things they have done. Consider that history books often tell the history of the West through the perspective of wars or land disputes. The female rancher or traveler is generally to a side-note in a history book, or a fun fact. Bringing women, and their accomplishments and legacy, to the main table is a mission that will continue for the Museum. Our tag line: “Women Who Shape the West… Change the World,” is demonstrated in our galleries on a daily basis.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is known for being the only institution in the nation that honors those women who came West and made a difference. We are the only museum in the nation that continues to seek out those women who continue to make a difference in any number of western fields and honor them. We are the only museum in the nation with artifacts that are unique to the stories we tell: Temple Grandin’s hand decorated shirt, Annie Oakley’s wedding ring and traveling trunk – and a host of other artifacts unique to our mission.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We begin our second floor renovation in Winter of 2017. It will be a ground-breaking renovation for the Museum, incorporating technologies and design from the architecture firm, Projectiles, in Paris, France who completed our first floor.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1720 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107 - Website: http://www.cowgirl.net/
- Phone: 817.336.4475
- Email: info@cowgirl.net
- Instagram: cowgirlmuseum
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCMHOF/?ref=br_rs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cowgirlmuseum?lang=en
Image Credit:
Craig Kuhner
Rhonda Hole
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