Barbara Van Cleve: Women of the West

Barbara Van Cleve: Women of the West consists of 78 black and white photographs taken from 1986 – 2014 as Barbara travelled to ranches across the West. 

This exhibition explores ranch life through the work of women, and serves to show that no task was kept from them, as all hands are needed — from sewing to branding, a women’s work on a ranch is simply what needed to be done. By featuring the work of women ranchers, Van Cleve wishes to share their stories and add to the story of the West, which sometimes centers on the men. 

Van Cleve has published several books on ranch life, including “All This Way for the Short Ride” (1997) with poet Paul Zarzyski. Barbara was inducted into the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas in 1996 following her publication of “Hard Twist: Western Ranch Women.”

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website