Ron Tarver: The Long Ride Home, Black Cowboys in America, on view at The Print Center from September 11 to November 14, 2026, features color photographs made by the Philadelphia artist that challenge the whitewashed myth of the all-American cowboy and deconstruct ideas of Black identity. Taken in the 1990s, Tarver's images offer testimony to the lived experiences of a thriving community, offering insightful glimpses into the lives of Black people embodying their Western cultural heritage. The exhibition opens with a gallery talk on Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 pm, followed by a reception from 6 to 7:30 pm that includes horseback rides with the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Tarver was surrounded by a vibrant Black cowboy culture. When he moved to Philadelphia in 1983, he found that this culture was virtually unknown on the East Coast. This revelation inspired a photo series for The Philadelphia Inquirer that began in 1992 and eventually became a cover story for their Sunday Magazine. An outpouring of reader support spurred the series on. He has been correcting the American cowboy narrative with his photographs ever since. Set against the recent ascent of Black Western culture and the nation's Semiquincentennial, Tarver's color photographs celebrate this heritage as a foundational part of American history and contemporary culture. All shot in the 1990s, these 40 images bear witness to the lived experiences of Black cowboys and cowgirls across the U.S., from rural ranches to big city riding clubs.
Tarver is a Pulitzer Prize, Pew Fellowship, and Guggenheim Fellowship-winning photographer. For 32 years, he worked as a photojournalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and his striking images have been widely exhibited nationally and internationally. In 2012, he earned a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as part of a team reporting on racialized school violence in the Philadelphia public school system. His award-winning book, The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America, published by George F. Thompson Publishing in 2024, has received significant critical and popular acclaim, with the first printing selling out within 30 days of its release. His dedication to photographing Black cowboys has inspired artists, filmmakers, and photographers like Ivan McClellan, who calls Tarver the North Star as far as where the work can go.
The Print Center, located at 1614 Latimer Street in Philadelphia, serves as the fiscal sponsor for this award-winning book and exhibition project. Elizabeth Spungen, Executive Director, notes that seeing Tarver's work receive the recognition and accolades it deserves, especially after so much time, is deeply gratifying. The exhibition will travel around the country, sharing Tarver's love letter to this culture with a wide audience. All of The Print Center's exhibitions and onsite programs are free and open to the public. The show remains on view through November 14, offering visitors a chance to encounter work that celebrates beauty, romance, and the majesty of the Black West.
Images: © Ron Tarver
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