Cowboy Artists of America is an organization devoted, in the words of the founders:
To perpetuate the memory and culture of the Old West as typified by the late Frederic Remington, Charles Russell and others;
To insure authentic representations of the life os the West, as it was and is;
To maintain standards of quality in contemporary Western art;
To help guide collectors of Western art;
To give mutual assistance in protection of artists’ rights;
To conduct a trail ride and campout in some locality of special interest once a year;
To hold an annual joint exhibition of the works of active members.
It is in the section of the organization’s web site devoted to the latter that you will find images of their work, in oil, water media and drawings, as well as dimensional works. Here is a link to the 2008 Awards, others are listed in the sidebar.
There are also selected works, usually one or two, shown with the members’ bios.
In my quick tour of the site, I found a number of artists that bear further investigation individually, but here is a nice opportunity to see them as a group.
This year’s 44th Annual Show will be at the Phoenix Art Museum in October.
(Images above: John Moyers, Fred Fellows, Bill Owen, R.S. Riddick, Martin Grelle)
[Via Don Coker]
There is so much great western art out there – I have always loved that style & the amazing images these artists capture. I recently picked up a book on the art of Tom Lovell, fantastic.
This is wonderful, you have so much talented painters in America !
I am not sure if you are aware that women are specifically excluded from the annual cowboy artist of america shows here at the Phoenix Art Museum. There are many many fine women artist/illustrators that are shut out from exhibiting and selling at this venue. It is even shown at a public museum without any consequence for their discrimination.
Their little clique should be dissolved and reformed to allow all artists of competency to be considered.
I have never figured out how having a penis was some sort of prerequisite for painting cowboy art – most of these guys are illustrators out of New York anyway.
George Caramanna
Scottsdale, AZ
Thanks for the comment, George.
No I wasn’t aware of the unfortunate flaw in the organization. I care less about the geographic or professional background of the artists. “Cowboy authenticity” is beyond my concern, but limiting the group to male artists is their loss, and doesn’t speak well of the current membership. They may come around, however. The Philadelphia Sketch Club, for over a hundred years a male only club, opened their membership to women in the 1990’s, much to the benefit and lively character of the organization. Perhaps it’s not too late for old Cowboys (real or not) to learn new attitudes.