Echo Taste & Sound hosts Black Cowboy event featuring art and food

Las Vegas artist Brent Holmes and chef Natalie Young will present a joint event called The Black Cowboy on November 5 at Echo Taste & Sound. The gathering combines Holmes's visual artwork with a prepared meal, offering attendees a sensory experience centered on African American history in the American West. The event is free and scheduled for 6 p.m. at the restaurant located in the Las Vegas Strip district.

The collaboration began when Nicole Holt of The Process Studio suggested a format that went beyond a standard wine and cheese reception. Holt advised that the exhibition, known as Jones Ranch Egypt, would benefit from an immersive approach that engages all senses. Young, who operates Echo Taste & Sound, agreed to partner with Holmes to create this multi sensory presentation. The show will remain at Echo for one week before moving to The Process Studio.

Holmes has refined the Jones Ranch Egypt series for approximately five years. The collection consists of ink and paper images that blend African iconography with Western themes. Holmes describes the style as Afro-Western, a term he uses to acknowledge the erasure of Black cowboys from popular history. He notes that Bass Reeves, a 19th century lawman who made more than 3,000 arrests, inspired the fictional Lone Ranger despite never having the name or face of the character. Reeves worked alone because he lacked the support of his white peers.

Young learned about the history of Black cowboys about ten years ago while living in Houston. She attended a parade featuring Black cowboys and chuck wagons, an experience that changed her understanding of the profession. Growing up in Colorado, she had not been taught about this demographic in Western culture. Now, she uses her culinary skills to honor their legacy by preparing a specific menu for the event.

The menu includes biscuits, beef jerky, mushroom jerky, collard greens, and mustard greens. Young will also serve chicken and speak about the influence of Black cowboys on American food traditions. She argues that the term cowboy originally referred to enslaved people who watched cattle for ranchers. Young states that the event aims to give recognition where it is due by acknowledging this historical reality.

Holmes will display his artwork, which features deceptively simple designs that speak to stolen histories. He views both African artifacts and the presence of African Americans in cowboy culture as subjects that have been obscured over the last 500 years. The exhibition serves as a celebration of these two narratives.

Attendees can find more information on echotastesound.com. The event takes place on November 5, and the exhibition will transfer to The Process Studio after its initial week at Echo.