Exhibit: La Charreada: Fotos de ¡Los Charros Magnificos! November 6, 2008

Photographer David Shaw happened on a procession of pick-up trucks and horse trailers traveling down a dusty road in Encinitas, California, and on impulse followed them. This lead to Shaw’s discovery of the world of La Charreada, the Mexican Horse Rodeo. An exhibit of silver gelatin prints celebrating the people, Los Charros, and the event, La Charreada, is the culmination of three years of travel into this centuries old competition and exhibition of horsemanship. The exhibit opens on Friday, November 7, 2008 with an artist reception from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces. “La Charreada: Fotos de ¡Los Charros Magnificos!” remains on display through December 27, 2008.

Supplementing the photography will be information panels providing the history of La Charreada and describing the various events and feats. The panels will be presented in both English and Spanish.

David Shaw has been involved in photography for over forty years. Inspired by Edward Weston’s Daybooks, he began working in black and white using a 4x5 view camera. For the Charreada series, Shaw used a twin lens Mamiya camera. Now settled in Las Cruces, he has established Estudio Azul and continues exploring new subjects with his camera.

The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the downtown mall in Las Cruces. The exhibit and reception is free and open to the public. Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about exhibits, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at http://museums.las-cruces.org.