Museum showing rodeo queen art

    Rodeo queens have been around as long as rodeos.
    Rodeo Girl: Photographs by Lisa Eisner, the National Cowgirl Museum's newest exhibit running through July 20, pays tribute to rodeo's royalty. Wyoming native Eisner's works include photographs of the rodeo queens and their costumes.
    Eisner's interest began when she was a teenage tomboy. The photographer said seeing these women dressed up made her "want to be a girl and not a tomboy any longer."
    The photographer started concentrating on the rodeo queens when she began a seven-year adventure in 1991. Eisner was drawn to their unique sisterhood and grassroot style.
    The photographs feature imagery exploring the lives of the queens and their commitment.
    Eisner features rodeo queen's clothing such as dresses and chaps.
    The costumes feature changes from 1970s to the present.
    In early days of queen competitions, the queen's purpose varied. Some were professional rodeo cowgirls while others were beauty queens.
    While rodeos became more consistent, so did the queen competitions.
    Organizations such as Miss Rodeo USA, Miss Indian Rodeo and Miss Rodeo America have created competitions including factors such as personality, horsemanship and appearance.
    A rodeo queen represents a western way of life.
    This includes being intelligent as a spokeswoman and having a warm and approachable personality. She must also be dedicated to knowing the history and culture of the Wild West.
    The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth is the only museum dedicated to honoring women of the American West. Museum displays honor various women from the past to the present.
    The archives display 163 Cowgirl Hall of Fame honorees and information and artifacts from over 500 women. Enid Justin, founder of the Nacona Boot Company; Annie Oakley, sharp shooter, and Georgia O'Keefe, painter, are among the women of the past honored.
    Present-day honorees include Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Hollywood film icon Dale Evans and her stunt double Alice Van Springsteen.