Published Issue 129, September 2024

A divine peek into one of the biggest installations at the upcoming Meow Wolf Houston.

The iconography of cowboy culture unfolds into vast vistas of possibility and freedom … Plus some pretty excellent boots. Western style and its corresponding hats, spurs and chaps are experiencing a moment in pop culture: Beyoncé released her wildly popular Cowboy Carter album, and artists like Orville Peck have been breathing new life into the classic Western archetype for some years.

Being a lonesome cowboy can come with a lot of heartbreak, and not just the kind when your woman leaves you and your truck dies. It’s the kind of heartbreak of growing up in a culture that you love that doesn’t love you back. Maybe you’re artistic, indoorsy, sensitive, neurodivergent, queer, or just plain strange. Meow Wolf senior artist Cole Bee Wilson understands this push and pull. A fifth generation Texan, he grew up between San Antonio and Bandera, TX doing idyllic cowboy things on his grandparents’ cattle ranch: driving trucks, riding horses and working side-by-side with his grandpa. He now regularly volunteers on a cattle ranch in the Galisteo Basin outside Santa Fe, NM and still loves everything that comes with the lifestyle, including its culture and music. I met with him at Citizens Of Montrose, a welcoming coffee spot in Houston’s hip, artistic, queer neighborhood to learn more about the installation. Over breakfast Wilson told me, “Country music is one of the only types of music where you can be poetic and corny and tragic and funny all at the same time in the span of two minutes and 30 seconds.”

The mythos of the honky tonk watering hole is like an oasis in the desert of the soul … and Wilson wants to create one where everyone is welcome. That’s where Cowboix Hevvven, “a liminal, afterlife, purgatory, honky tonk, dive bar for angels, demons, aliens, space/time travelers and various other weirdos of the cowboix variety,” comes in (pulled from a concept statement by the artist). Wilson is Lead Artist and Creative Director on this immersive and interactive art installation, which will feature a functioning bar and restaurant in the upcoming Houston Meow Wolf exhibition. 

Wilson continued in the statement, “Cowboix Hevvven is an inter-dimensional pocket where the divine and profane coexist and fluctuate with ease. Cowboix Hevvven is an ACTUAL FUNCTIONING bar that serves tasty dive bar food and beverages, based on the hole-in-the-wall honky tonk dives and dance halls of Central Texas such as Sam’s Town Point, Longhorn Tavern, The Lonesome Rose, and Lola’s Depot. Batsy is the owner of this notable pitstop for queer weirdo free ramblin’ rodeo heads of the afterlife and beyond. Each colorful character has a rich, long and sometimes lonesome tale to tell: devilish days of glitz and glamour, and the dizzying heights of honky tonk angels. There’s a seat at the bar for all y’all here in Cowboix Hevvven.”

“Cowboix” is spelled as such so that anyone can be a cowboix. And everyone, I mean every type of being in every type of existence, is here. The colorful cast of interdimensional angels and demons each have involved backstories revealing trysts, gambling debts and polycules. Batsy, an ancient and powerful demi-god, has transitioned from being worshiped as one of the most powerful beings in the universe to a relaxed bar owner. Together with her partner, Angel, they’ve turned a rundown Texas tavern into a lively haven for all manner of beings, making every night an unforgettable celebration for the past 37 years. Recently, they’ve welcomed Cisco into their joyous companionship. Angel is an ageless, genderless divine being of light, capable of taking many forms, but often appears as a translucent, glowing humanoid. In Cowboix Hevvven, being trans goes beyond gender, but also time and space — a multidimensional spectrum of existence. Angel is a fifth-dimensional entity whose magical pedal steel playing has enchanted audiences since they met Batsy in the ‘70s, creating a perfect balance of dark and light in their eternal love. 

There are also depression demons that represent the sadness in country music and our own hearts (the character Eloc, a portrait of Wilson’s grief that cries into its beer); old timer Humanoid armadillos, a half Human half Glitzian adjoined entity, a sentient clod of unlucky mud, a literal pool shark that will talk smack about your shoddy pool playing, and a fiery mega country superstar who had everything in the world but walked offstage one day to return to the simplicity of the dive bar. 

Most poignantly, there is a rainbow angel that represents the beloved late co-founder of Meow Wolf, Matt King. Wilson was close to King — and like many Meow Wolf artists, he wanted to immortalize his friend in this hauntingly striking statue that radiates with glowing light.

None of the characters are on one side of a strict binary between good and evil; all of them are somewhere on the spectrum, just figuring things out. Wilson described the scene, “every day is the same Friday night, one stroke ‘til midnight.” It begs the question, even if you’re stuck in an endless party, does it feel like a trap? 

Cowboix Hevvven’s otherworldly qualities are balanced by its real dive bar charms, as it features an interactive pool table, a photo booth and a jukebox that plays music created by Wilson as well as 30 songs licensed by Texas musicians. It will open with the rest of the Houston exhibition with a full menu, and entry will only be available to those purchasing Meow Wolf tickets. 

The collaborative work of many artists went into this installation, including a dedicated team of production managers, fabricators, tech installers, CAD designers and more. Lead artists who worked on Cowboix Hevvven include Jaelah Kuehmichel, Max Cohn, Sofia Howard, Caity Kennedy, Karen Lembke, Cat Mills-Flegal, Emilio Pincheira, Elana Schwartz, Wylla Skye, Zach Sawan, Charlotte Thurman, Enoch Mcpherson, Chris Hilson and Jess Webb.

There’s an expected curiosity around Texans’ reception towards this playful exploration of the cowboy archetype. Certainly there will be many folks for whom this welcoming space is sorely needed. Wilson joyfully explained, “For every person, the invitation stands … and we will be there at Cowboix Hevvven to greet you with love and grace.”  

This feature was produced in partnership with Meow Wolf.

Stay tuned for the opening of Meow Wolf Houston, TX where you can see Cowboix Hevvven & more.

Get tickets to Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station in Denver, CO; House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, NM; Omega Mart in Las Vegas, NV; and The Real Unreal in Grapevine, TX. And keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Meow Wolf Los Angeles.

Cole Bee Wilson is a sound, installation and performance artist based in Santa Fe, NM and a core member of artist collective Meow Wolf.

Erin Barnes is “A born writer… she’s also a synesthete, whose mixed-up senses serve as a gateway to multiple creative mediums.” – Westword. Check out more of her work on her site | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter.

Kate Russell is a photographer and creative director in the realms of architecture, brand, commercial, editorial, fine art and portraiture.

Check out Erin’s last Birdy install, Meow Wolf’s Encyclopedia of Weird Wellness, and Kate’s gorgeous snaps in Meow Wolf August’s piece, Shelley The Shrimp Strikes Again … With Advice, or head to our Explore section to see more from these talented creatives.