The Booth Museum of Western Art, located in Cartersville, will celebrate its 5th birthday Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Maybe you are like the skeptical visitor who said, “SURELY YOU JEST? I am from the REAL AMERICAN SOUTHWEST - cowboys & Indians, cactus & diamondbacks, mesas & O'Keeffe, mountains & green chile . . . . what in heavens name would make you think I would enjoy a visit to a two-bit-beside-the-road-tin-horn-pretend western museum?” But after seeing the Booth, she took it all back, “I was totally blown away by the quality, quantity and western beauty…. You could plop this place down in Santa Fe or Albuquerque or Phoenix and you would be none the wiser.” Via I-75, exit for Main Street, Cartersville. Signs downtown point the way. I promise; this is the real deal. Beautiful bronze sculptures. Powerful paintings of Indians and horses, buffalo and buffalo soldiers, cowboys and cowgirls. My favorite is “Her Father’s Daughter,” painted by her mother.
I can not draw a recognizable stick figure, and of my many hours in classrooms, none has been to study art, art history, or art appreciation. I am like the avid sports fan who lives for the Olympics, Word Series, and Superbowl but who personally never competed on the field or in the gym. I love art museums and have been fortunate enough to have visited some of the best, in Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, London, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., as well as the special treasures like the Picassos in Barcelona, the Dalis in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Remingtons at the Richardson Collection on Sundance Square in Ft. Worth, Tx., and the Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, Ga.
Regular hours for the Booth are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday 1 - 5 p.m., and closed Monday. Admission is FREE on the first Thursday of each month 4 - 7 p.m. and always free for children 12 and under, active duty military personnel, and museum members. Otherwise, $8 is the adult admission charge, $6 for seniors, $5 for students and groups of 15 or more. There is no bigger bang for your entertainment buck. A guided tour of the permanent collection is offered daily at 1:30 p.m.
The Store in the Museum offers books and prints. Sandwiches, salads, and deserts are available in The Café.
Copyright 2008 by William C. Cotter
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