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De Peres Mulva Cultural Center Opens Free Cowboys: History and Hollywood Exhibit in Partnership with Ronald Reagan Library
A fresh taste of the American West has landed in De Pere, Wisconsin. From June 13 to September 7, 2026, the Mulva Cultural Center will host the traveling show Cowboys: History and Hollywood, a blend of genuine Western artifacts and the mythic cowboy image that has long dominated film and popular culture.
The exhibit is a joint effort between the Mulva Center and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The partnership brings a range of loaned items—saddles, spurs, and other ranch gear that illustrate the everyday work of 19th‑century cowboys—into the De Pere venue. Visitors will also encounter interactive line‑dancing stations and a small stage for country‑music performances, turning the museum into a sensory playground of Western life.
Executive director Marvin Wall explained the project’s genesis. "We reached out to venues, and the Reagan Museum was one of them. They have traveling exhibits at their facility," he said. Wall added that a Reagan Museum representative had asked the Mulva family whether they had ever hosted a cowboy exhibit before, sparking the collaboration. "They reached out to different museums and places in California for artifacts that they could get a loan on, and it just grew from there," Wall recounted.
The timing of the show coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Claudia Damiani, director of exhibits and education at the Mulva Center, said the anniversary provided a broader context for the cowboy’s place in American history. "We wondered how we could celebrate this anniversary," Damiani said. "The American cowboy is a huge icon here. It really is part of the culture." She added that the exhibit aims to correct common misconceptions by presenting a more accurate view of cowboy life.
In addition to the exhibit, the Mulva Center is offering a series of free Western‑themed film screenings throughout June, featuring titles such as True Grit, Horse Power, and Once Upon a Time in the West. According to the center’s website, advance registration is required for the film events, but admission remains free. Damiani emphasized the educational mission behind the programming: "All of our exhibits and most of our films have free admission. We want it to be accessible, and just get people in here to have that opportunity to learn."
The center’s broader summer schedule includes a variety of community‑focused activities. Arts classes run through the Summer Makers series, while younger visitors can participate in robotics workshops. Adults can attend the Screen and Scholar series, which pairs a film screening with a discussion led by an expert on the subject.
Situated on the banks of the Fox River, the Mulva Cultural Center has long served as a hub for creative arts in the Midwest. Its partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library underscores a growing trend of regional museums collaborating with national institutions to bring traveling exhibits to local audiences.
As the exhibit enters its third month, the Mulva Center continues to promote free access to cultural programming. Visitors can learn more about the Cowboys: History and Hollywood exhibit or register for the upcoming film screenings by visiting mulvacenter.org. The center’s schedule for the remainder of the summer remains open, with additional workshops and film events slated for July and August.
The exhibition’s focus on the real history of the cowboy, coupled with its free admission policy, positions it as a significant cultural event for De Pere residents and visitors alike. By aligning the show with a national anniversary and partnering with a major presidential library, the Mulva Cultural Center has created a platform that both educates and entertains, ensuring that the legacy of the American cowboy continues to be explored in a nuanced and accessible way.
The exhibit is a joint effort between the Mulva Center and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The partnership brings a range of loaned items—saddles, spurs, and other ranch gear that illustrate the everyday work of 19th‑century cowboys—into the De Pere venue. Visitors will also encounter interactive line‑dancing stations and a small stage for country‑music performances, turning the museum into a sensory playground of Western life.
Executive director Marvin Wall explained the project’s genesis. "We reached out to venues, and the Reagan Museum was one of them. They have traveling exhibits at their facility," he said. Wall added that a Reagan Museum representative had asked the Mulva family whether they had ever hosted a cowboy exhibit before, sparking the collaboration. "They reached out to different museums and places in California for artifacts that they could get a loan on, and it just grew from there," Wall recounted.
The timing of the show coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Claudia Damiani, director of exhibits and education at the Mulva Center, said the anniversary provided a broader context for the cowboy’s place in American history. "We wondered how we could celebrate this anniversary," Damiani said. "The American cowboy is a huge icon here. It really is part of the culture." She added that the exhibit aims to correct common misconceptions by presenting a more accurate view of cowboy life.
In addition to the exhibit, the Mulva Center is offering a series of free Western‑themed film screenings throughout June, featuring titles such as True Grit, Horse Power, and Once Upon a Time in the West. According to the center’s website, advance registration is required for the film events, but admission remains free. Damiani emphasized the educational mission behind the programming: "All of our exhibits and most of our films have free admission. We want it to be accessible, and just get people in here to have that opportunity to learn."
The center’s broader summer schedule includes a variety of community‑focused activities. Arts classes run through the Summer Makers series, while younger visitors can participate in robotics workshops. Adults can attend the Screen and Scholar series, which pairs a film screening with a discussion led by an expert on the subject.
Situated on the banks of the Fox River, the Mulva Cultural Center has long served as a hub for creative arts in the Midwest. Its partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library underscores a growing trend of regional museums collaborating with national institutions to bring traveling exhibits to local audiences.
As the exhibit enters its third month, the Mulva Center continues to promote free access to cultural programming. Visitors can learn more about the Cowboys: History and Hollywood exhibit or register for the upcoming film screenings by visiting mulvacenter.org. The center’s schedule for the remainder of the summer remains open, with additional workshops and film events slated for July and August.
The exhibition’s focus on the real history of the cowboy, coupled with its free admission policy, positions it as a significant cultural event for De Pere residents and visitors alike. By aligning the show with a national anniversary and partnering with a major presidential library, the Mulva Cultural Center has created a platform that both educates and entertains, ensuring that the legacy of the American cowboy continues to be explored in a nuanced and accessible way.
