TN Cowboy
Summer 2026
Series Preview!
June 2-Sept 1, 2026
Hayes House ( MAP)
Visiting Hours:
TUES, THURS: 12pm-2pm
This summer, Tennessee artist Dane Howard presents TN COWBOY, a new body of work exploring the forgotten origins of cowboy culture in Tennessee and the enduring spirit of the Tennessee landscape. Presented in partnership with Friends of Franklin Parks, the exhibition will be on view for three months inside the historic Hayes House at Harlinsdale Farm, coinciding with the celebrated Harlinsdale Roundup Rodeo.
Part historical reflection and part visual preservation, TN COWBOY serves as a preview of Howard’s larger forthcoming collection, which will debut later this year during the reopening of the second-floor gallery at John Henry’s new downtown Franklin location at 110 3rd Avenue South. The exhibition will also feature an immersive audio experience, allowing guests to engage directly with the stories, landscapes, and inspirations behind the work.
Long before the myth of the cowboy rode westward, Tennessee was already a frontier. Its rolling hills, river valleys, and rugged plateaus shaped a unique kind of horseman - part farmer, part herdsman, part wanderer. The Tennessee cowboy was not born from cattle drives and open plains alone, but from the meeting of frontier grit, Southern hospitality, and deep respect for land and labor.​​
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The Tennessee cowboy is not a relic but a rhythm - a rhythm of soil, hoofbeat, and humility. Through painting, one can honor that lineage: the resilience of the working rider, the texture of red clay and grass, and the enduring relationship between people, place, and purpose.
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This body of work seeks to capture that intersection - where land becomes legacy and the cowboy becomes a keeper of Tennessee’s soul.
