Hal Cannon (producer), Taki Telonidis (producer) 58 min | 2002
A cowboy’s job has always been low paying, dangerous, lonely, dusty, and gory. One would think this wouldn’t be much to sing about, yet sing the cowboy does. Journey to four remote ranches in the middle of winter, and explore the inspiration behind the music and poetry that accompany ranch life, with Stephanie Davis, Glenn Ohrlin, Henry Real Bird, and Larry and Toni Schutte, along with cameos by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Wallace McRae, and Waddie Mitchell.
Produced by Western Folklife Center Media in collaboration with KUED-Channel 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah, with support from the Dick Burton Foundation, Wes and Sue Dixon, and Anne Pattee.
Bill Jersey (producer), Kim Shelton (producer) 53 min | 1988
Although cowboys had been writing poetry for more than a century, in the 1980s, for many Americans, cowboy poetry was something new and unexpected. This film focuses on three working cowboys and poets from Arizona, Montana, and Nevada, examining the sources of inspiration for their artistry. It features Slim Kite, Wallace McRae, and Waddie Mitchell, who each represent different facets of the cowboy poetry tradition.
Produced in collaboration with the Western Folklife Center with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Arizona Humanities, Humanities Montana, Nevada Humanities, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities; Levi’s Western Wear, Charles Redd Foundation, and George Gund.
Hal Cannon (producer), Taki Telonidis (producer) 58 min · 2002
From 2000-2019, the Western Folklife Center collaborated with people across the rural West to produce short videos that captured their experiences living and working the land. These homemade productions are simple yet elegant—they are not glossy or commercial, but from the heart. Revisit a curated selection of these short films that tell the stories of those living deep in the heart of the West.
Produced by Western Folklife Center Media and the many filmmakers, in collaboration with Edge of Discovery, the Owyhee Combined School on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Dave Baker, Carol Dalrymple, Karem Orrego, Colene Paradise, and Taki Telonidis. Made possible with support from the R. Harold Burton Foundation, the Golden Rule Foundation, and the John Ben Snow Foundation.
