Jessie Veeder to Participate in 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Jessie Veeder has been invited to participate in the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 27 to February 1, 2014 in Elko, Nevada. Jessie Veeder is appearing for the first time at the Elko Gathering.

 For its 30th Anniversary, the nation's greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions, will turn its focus to the future of the region. Produced by the Western Folklife Center, the 30th Gathering will present poetry, music, fine western gear, films, workshops, dances and discussions with a clear focus on encouraging the next generation and working together to ensure sustainability of the occupational and artistic traditions of the rural West.

 The theme of the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, is Expressing the Rural West-Into the Future! Through performances of poetry, music, thought-provoking films and fruitful discourse, artists and audiences of all ages will share their art and their opinions on meeting the challenges of rural life in the modern West. In particular, the next generation of cowboy artists will present their work and discuss their brand of ranch life-with one hand on the reins and the other on the cell phone.

 Jessie Veeder is an accomplished area singer/songwriter, writer and photographer who writes and sings about the badlands of Western North Dakota, where she grew up on the family ranch. After releasing her first original album at only sixteen, Jessie went on to tour nationally and release three more albums, including several featuring her father and his hometown band. Blending western, rock, blues and heartfelt honest lyrics, Jessie sings about the buttes and creeks of her family's working cattle ranch and what it's like living in the middle of a huge oil mining boom. Since 2010, Jessie and her husband have worked alongside her father as the fourth generation stewards of the Veeder Ranch. When not ranching or touring, she chronicles life on the land on her blog "Meanwhile, back at the ranch...", as well as through a weekly column in the Fargo Forum and as a commentator on Prairie Public Radio.

 Jessie Veeder will join more than 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S. and Canada performing on seven stages at four different venues. Special guests include renowned animal welfare advocate, professor and author Temple Grandin, who will deliver the keynote address. A special exhibition will celebrate the new renaissance of western artistry among gearmakers and visual artists.

The Gathering also features hands-on workshops in traditional western arts such as rawhide braiding, cinch-making, hat-making, silverwork, Dutch-oven cooking and more. It also offers three western dances, film screenings, panel discussions and open-mic poetry and music sessions. Tickets to the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering can be purchased at http://www.westernfolklife.org or by calling 775-738-7508, toll free 888-880-5885.