Hudson River Museum Presents "Black Cowboys in America".
Photographs by Ron Tarver and Robert Peterson: Journeys
Yonkers, NY, April 27, 2026—The Hudson River Museum is proud to present two groundbreaking exhibitions opening to the public on Friday, May 29 that celebrate the often overlooked aspects of Black life and culture. Black Cowboys in America: Photographs by Ron Tarver—the first museum exhibition of this series—illuminates a rich visual narrative of Black cowboy life on ranches, at rodeos, and in urban streetscapes, documented by Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Ron Tarver. In Robert Peterson: Journeys, Oklahoma-based artistRobert Peterson elevates everyday figures into inspiring, heroic archetypes—hardworking mothers, protective fathers, loyal siblings—in the process, expanding the thematic parameters of classical portraiture. The exhibitions will be on view from May 29–August 30, 2026.
Bull Rider by Ron Tarver
Masha Turchinsky, Anita K. Hersh Director and CEO states, “Through stunning photography and portraiture, these exhibitions illuminate the depth and diversity of Black life across geographies and generations of the United States. They underscore the Hudson River Museum’s commitment to elevating underrepresented voices and broadening the narratives that shape our understanding of American art and culture. We are thrilled and honored to share the exquisite work of Ron Tarver and Robert Peterson with new audiences.”
Black Cowboys in America: Photographs by Ron Tarver
Worn Felt Hat by Ron Tarver
From before the Civil War, Black cowboys played an active role in the building of the American West working alongside white and brown cowboys wrangling horses, branding cattle, and steering herds long distances on cattle drives. They lived a nomadic and often lonely life—one that helped shape the myth of the American cowboy in popular culture as a symbol of this country’s individualism and freedom. Yet, until recently, when Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and Pharrell Williams’s Louis Vuitton collection shined a spotlight on the proud history of Black cowboys, their existence has seldom been acknowledged.
Black Cowboys in America highlights more than forty photographs from Tarver’s 1990s series, when he was photojournalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, that documented the rich visual narrative of Black cowboy life. Together, the photographs affirm the thriving culture of Black-owned ranches, rodeo operations, parades, inner-city riders, and retired cowhands—and invites deeper conversation about what it means to be an American cowboy. Tarver’s photographs are a tribute to a way of life both old and evolving. They capture the beauty, romance, and visual poetry of cowboy culture while reflecting a renewed interest within the Black community in reclaiming its Western roots. Though quick to point out that he is not a cowboy, Tarver was born in Oklahoma and his grandfather was a cowboy, so he worked on farms and ranches as a teenager, even rounding up cattle on a dirtbike.
Horse Whisperer by Ron Tarver
“This project has allowed me to reflect on my personal heritage of growing up in the west,” states Ron Tarver. “While I do not consider myself a cowboy, I have a deep respect and admiration for those in the Black community who live out their western heritage every day. It is my hope that this exhibition affirms today’s thriving culture of Black-owned ranches, rodeo operations, and inner-city cowboys, and inspires further conversation about what it means to be a cowboy–as well as what it means to be an American. Cowboys come in many colors. It's time Black cowboys get their due.”
A Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer, Ron Tarver distinguished himself in the fields of photojournalism and fine-art photography on the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer for thirty-two years. Tarver’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in over thirty solo and fifty group exhibitions. It is included in many private, corporate, and museum collections, including Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Studio Museum in Harlem; the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg and many other corporate and private collections. Tarver is the recipient of a John S. Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Currently, he is an associate professor of art at Swarthmore College.
The exhibition is accompanied by the catalog, The Long Ride Home: The Black Cowboy Experience in America (George F. Thompson Publishing, 2024) by Ron Tarver with an essay by Art T. Burton, an expert on the history of Black cowboys. This 160-page, fully illustrated book features more than one hundred photographs from Tarver’s series. The book has won a number of awards, including the 2025 Gold IPPY Award for Photography, the 2025 Next Generation Indy Book Award Winner in the African American (non-fiction) category and best cover design (non-fiction); and Foreword’s Indies Silver Medal for Best Book of Photography.
This exhibition is sponsored by Peter French, DeWayne N. Phillips and Caroline A. Wamsler, PhD, Nicholas C. Pierce and Donna Peterson, and Elizabeth Wedemeyer and John Gunther-Mohr. Additional sponsorship provided by Clare Bell, Cheryl Calegari, and Brian Dore.
Support provided by New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.
Exhibitions are made possible in part by assistance provided by the County of Westchester and the City of Yonkers.
Robert Peterson: Journeys
Robert Peterson’s monumental yet deeply intimate portraits are luminous love letters to contemporary Black life. His sitters catch our gaze with striking immediacy, asserting their identity, dignity, and power while inviting our sustained contemplation.
Building on an early interest in fashion illustration, the Oklahoma-based artist first gained recognition on social media for celebrity portraits that resonate with lifelike energy and expressive brushwork. This initial success emboldened a shift toward subjects rooted in personal experience, leading to the creation of portraits that celebrate the grace and dignity found within familial bonds and community.
Untitled by Robert Peterson
“My work begins with a desire to honor people I know and the experiences that have shaped me,” states Robert Peterson. “Through these portraits, I’m exploring what it means to be seen, to carry strength quietly, and to exist with dignity in a world that doesn’t always make space for it.”
Peterson’s creative process often begins with a personal memory or a desire to honor a specific friend or family member. He then seeks out models for a photoshoot to find the perfect pose and expression. Working from black-and-white photographs, the artist then intuitively introduces a rich palette into the work, lavishing attention on the beauty of Black skin with sensual touches of blues and golds.
Two Sisters by Robert Peterson
The impact and accessibility of Peterson’s work has earned him national recognition. In 2017, he won a Spotlight Artist award for a painting of President Barack and Michele Obama at the Spectrum Miami art show. The United States Postal Service commissioned him to portray iconic author Ernest J. Gaines for the Black Heritage stamp series. His paintings are in private and public collections across the country, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Wichita Art Museum in Kansas, and the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis.
Support for the exhibition is generously provided by Art Bridges.
This exhibition is sponsored by Peter French, DeWayne N. Phillips and Caroline A. Wamsler, PhD, Nicholas C. Pierce and Donna Peterson, and Elizabeth Wedemeyer and John Gunther-Mohr. Additional sponsorship provided by Clare Bell, Cheryl Calegari, and Brian Dore.
Support provided by New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.
Exhibitions are made possible in part by assistance provided by the County of Westchester and the City of Yonkers.
Related Programs:
Sunday, May 31, 2pm
Curator Tour of Black Cowboys in America and Journeys
Join Laura Vookles, Chair of the Curatorial Department, and Shilpi Chandra, Assistant Curator, as they discuss Black Cowboys in America: Photographs by Ron Tarver and Robert Peterson: Journeys.
Sunday, June 14, 2pm
Artist Conversation: The Roots of Ron Tarver's Black Cowboys in America
Join Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Ron Tarver and Philadelphia-based racehorse trainer Jordan Bullock for an in-depth conversation about the origins of this groundbreaking exhibition.
Friday, July 17, 8pm
Amphitheater Show: Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys (The Bronze Buckaroo Film & Songster Show)
“The American Songster®" Don Flemons presents a live performance of songs from his Grammy-nominated album, interwoven with scenes from the iconic 1939 film, "The Bronze Buckaroo.”
Saturday, July 18, 2pm
Talk and Tour with Ron Tarver and Robert Peterson: Cowboy Culture and the Human-Horse Connection
Peterson and Tarver will lead a gallery walk-through and conversation exploring Black cowboy heritage from historical and contemporary perspectives.
Sunday, July 19. 1:30-4pm
Portraiture Workshops with Artists Ron Tarver & Robert Peterson
Examine the emotional, social, and historical relationships between humans and horses in art with a special portraiture workshop—combining approaches from photography and painting.
Saturday, July 25, 2pm
A Natural Pairing: People and Horses
Explore the historical, cultural, and therapeutic connections between humans and horses in an illustrated talk by Patricia E. Kelly, President and CEO of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. (EHI), Equestrian and Therapeutic Center in Hartford, CT.
Fridays in July, 3pm
Museum Highlights Tour
Join a docent-led Highlights Tour focusing on Black Cowboys in America: Photographs by Ron Tarver and Robert Peterson: Journeys.
Saturday, August 1, 11am–5pm
Family Day: Horsing Around!
Inspired by our special exhibitions, this fun family day will feature pony rides (ticketed) in the Museum's courtyard!
Images: Left: Ron Tarver (b. 1957). Worn Felt Hat (Multicultural Western Heritage Trail, Brackettville to San Antonio, TX), 1994. Pigment ink print. Courtesy of Ron Tarver. Right: Robert Peterson (b. 1981). Untitled (White Horse), 2024. Oil and silver leaf on canvas. Art Bridges. © Robert Peterson / Licensed by Gavlak.
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About the Hudson River Museum
The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. The Museum is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, with a mission to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The HRM offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The campus, which recently expanded to include a West Wing with exhibition galleries and sweeping views of the Hudson River, features Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor amphitheater. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), an honor awarded to only 3% of museums nationwide.
Hours and Admission: The Hudson River Museum is open to the public Wednesday–Friday, from 12–5pm, and Saturday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. On Free First Fridays, the Museum is open and free of charge on the first Friday of the month, from 5–8pm. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $15; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). New! free general admission for all Westchester County high school students on Saturdays and Sundays. Planetarium Tickets: Adults $8; Youth (3–18) $6; Seniors (65+) $7; Students (with valid ID) $7; Veterans $7; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview Tours: Adults $8; Youth (3–18) $6; Seniors (65+) $7; Students (with valid ID) $7; Veterans $7; Children (under 3) Free.
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