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Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: In-person and virtual via YouTube
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join us on Tuesday, November 12 for our Speaker Sessions with artist and bootmaker Lisa Sorrell as she explores “From the Saddle to the Stage: Country Music and the Evolution of Cowboy Boots.” This program is in-person at the museum and can also be enjoyed virtually via YouTube.
Cowboy boots have long been the standard footwear of country music, both for the performers and their fans. Exploring the history of the cowboy boot, examining how they evolved from plain black boots the cowboys of trail drives wore, to the brightly colored, high-heeled, pointed-toe footwear we recognize today, this talk will explore how this evolution happened alongside, and for the benefit of, entertainment. Given that there is little academic research on cowboy boots, and that the craft of cowboy boot making is traditionally passed along orally from master to student, primary sources are limited to historical photos, vintage boot catalogs, and the memories of aging boot makers. With over 30 years of experience as a cowboy boot maker, Lisa has access to the craft and its embedded knowledge, giving her unique perspectives into its history and traditions. This Speaker Sessions will highlight how cowboy boots, the most universal staple of country music fashion, contributed visually and aesthetically to country music from its beginnings to today.
Please note: For those attending virtually via YouTube, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST. If you load the channel page before 6:50pm, and the live stream does not automatically appear, please refresh the page after 6:50pm.
About Lisa Sorrell
Lisa Sorrell (@sorrellcustomboots) is an award-winning artist working in the medium of leather. She makes shoes, cowboy boots, and leather art pieces in her shop in Oklahoma, working from flat pieces of leather and the client’s measurements, and using hand tools and vintage machinery. She maintains a portfolio of original designs and is well-known in the boot making world for her design skills. Sorrell enjoys speaking and writing about cowboy boots and cowboy boot making; her book The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay is a textbook on the topic of creating art with leather