Cowboys: History and Hollywood

Now through September, De Pere’s Mulva Cultural Center is presenting a free exhibition allowing visitors to step into Western history and experience the legacy of the American cowboy.

According to the center’s website, the exhibition “blends true Western history with Hollywood mythmaking” while exploring the reputation and reality of life as a cowboy.

The exhibit includes line dancing, country music and real artifacts from American history, presented through a partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

“We reached out to venues, and the Reagan Museum was one of them,” said Marvin Wall, executive director at the Mulva Center. “They have traveling exhibits at their facility.”

Wall said that  Miriam and Jim Mulva reached out to the Reagan Museum to ask if they had ever had a cowboy exhibit before, which inspired them to pursue the idea.

“You could tell their wheels were spinning and they really wanted to have this exhibit,” Wall said. “They reached out to different museums and places in California for artifacts that they could get a loan on, and it just grew from there.”

The timing of the exhibition also lines up with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing the role of cowboys throughout American history and their portrayal in Hollywood and the media.

“We wondered how we could celebrate [this anniversary],”said Claudia Damiani, director of exhibits and education at the Mulva Center. “The American cowboy is a huge icon here. It really is part of the culture.”

Damiani added that the stereotype of cowboys shown in the media isn’t necessarily true, and the exhibition takes a more accurate approach.

“The exhibition shows that we have a perception of the cowboy that Hollywood gave us, but in reality, there’s a completely different version,” said Damiani. “Why not get to know the real version of the American icon?”

Tying in with the exhibit, the Mulva Center is presenting Western-themed films throughout the month of June.

These films include titles such as “True Grit,” “Horse Power” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.”

Like the exhibition, these movies are free to attend, with advance registration available on the Mulva Center’s website.

“All of our exhibits and most of our films have free admission. We want it to be accessible, and just get people in here to have that opportunity to learn,” Damiani said.

In addition to “Cowboys: History and Hollywood,” the Mulva Center provides a variety of programming for the community to enjoy throughout the summer.

“We provide lots of different events for all ages,” said Damiani. “We have arts classes going on through our Summer Makers series, and robotics classes for younger kids. We also have Screen and Scholar, an event pairing a film with a talk from an expert on the film, which is aimed more towards adults.”

To learn more about the Mulva Center or register for “Cowboys: History and Hollywood,” visit mulvacenter.org.