Text
Artist, writer, and graphic novelist Alan Brooks hosts this conversation series that brings together artists from the Cowboy exhibition with scholars and other guests to unravel the complex history, stereotypes, and legends surrounding the American West through the intersection of contemporary art and American history.
Founded in 1910, Dearfield was the most significant Black homesteading settlement in Colorado, and at its peak, it was home to as many as 300 residents. Artist (and host) Alan Brooks unpacks the history of this community, which was the subject of his recent graphic novel, which is on view in Cowboy. He is joined by Amanda Hunt, former associate curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, whose 2016 exhibition Black Cowboy centered on specific African-American communities with long histories of keeping and training horses – and demonstrated how this tradition is alive and well today. Alan and Amanda will be joined by other surprise guests.
Text
About the Speakers
R. Alan Brooks writes an award-winning weekly comic for The Colorado Sun, “What’d I Miss?”. His TED Talk on the importance of art has reached 3 million views, and his graphic novel work is featured in the Denver Art Museum's renovated Western exhibit. He also hosts the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver’s podcast, "How Art Is Born."
Amanda Hunt is the Walker Art Center's Head of Public Engagement, Learning and Impact (PELI). She was previously at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, where she served as Director of Public Programs and Creative Practice until 2022. Hunt was also the Director of Education and Public Programs at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Co-Curator of the 2019 Desert X Biennial, Associate Curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Curator at the Los Angeles–based nonprofit LAXART.
Text
Are You an MCA Denver Member?
Use promo code MCAMEMBER at checkout for member pricing (and no need to login to your member account, just use the discount code). Membership will be verified at check-in. Not a member yet? Memberships start at just $5/month! Learn more here.
Your ticket to Cowboy Conversations includes admission to MCA Denver anytime before Cowboy closes on February 18. Simply show your confirmation email at the front desk of the museum.