Miranda Lambert
There are some new faces in the National Cowgirl Museum's Hall of Fame.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame just announced five new inductees for 2021: artist Pop Chalee, roper Lari Dee Guy, equestrian Kathryn Kusner, cowboy hat designer Lavonna “Shorty” Koger, and country singer Miranda Lambert.
“We are honored to welcome this outstanding class of inductees and add their remarkable stories and accomplishments to the amazing group of honorees they are joining in the Museum’s Hall of Fame,” executive director Patricia Riley said in a statement. “Congratulations to all.”
Chalee, who's being honored posthumously (she died in 1993), was best known for her two-dimensional Native American paintings that depicted forest scenes and wildlife. Her work has been featured in places like the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Gallery of Living Artists in New York City.
Guy, another inductee, is the winningest female roper in the world with over 33 championship titles and more than $1.5 million in career earnings. An avid teacher, she also launched the Rope Like a Girl campaign in 2013 to help young, aspiring female ropers.
The third inductee is Kusner, one of the first women who rode for the United States Equestrian Team (USET) and the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in equestrian competition, among other accomplishments.
The fourth is Koger, who started Shorty’s Caboy Hattery in 1990 in the historic Stockyards City, Oklahoma — one of the few entirely woman-owned and operated custom hatteries in the U.S. Additionally, she helped fund Rein in Cancer, a nonprofit that raises money for cancer treatments and care for patients.
The fifth nominee is Lambert — one of the most decorated country musicians with 35 ACM Awards, two Grammy Awards, and 14 CMA Awards. She also founded the MuttNation Foundation with her mother, Bev Lambert; and since its inception in 2009, the organization has raised more than $4.5 million for rescue animals and shelters.
The inductees will be honored at the museum's 45th Annual Induction Luncheon and Ceremony, scheduled for April 27, 2021, at the Dickies Arena. More information is available at cowgirl.net/hall-of-fame.
