By Lauren Feldman | Article from Winter 2025 Ranch Record
The four men bellied up to a worn wooden table by the fireplace of the famed Oak Creek Tavern in Sedona, Arizona, their conversation animated and impassioned. They were continuing a discussion that had begun some six months earlier around a very different fire – a cattle drive campfire in a primitive cow camp in the high chaparral of Sonora, Mexico.
On June 23, 1965, Joe Beeler, Charlie Dye, John Hampton, and George Phippen gathered at the Oak Creek Tavern in Sedona, AZ, to create the Cowboy Artists of America.
On that frigid November night in 1964, inspired by their shared experience on the drive, cowboy artists Joe Beeler, John Hampton and Charlie Dye envisioned a fraternity of fellow Western artists – a social club where professional support, artistic advice and camaraderie would go hand in hand with branding pens, chuckwagon dinners and nights under open skies.
On June 23, 1965, the three reconvened at the Oak Creek Tavern, this time joined by friend George Phippen, to further develop the idea. Over a few beers, their vision took shape: an organization dedicated to preserving the integrity of Western art for generations to come. That night, the Cowboy Artisits of America (CAA) was born, founded on a simple but powerful mission: “To authentically preserve and perpetuate the culture of Western life in fine art.”
Despite their different upbringings and artistic approaches, the four founders were united by a reverence for cowboy culture, and each had spent years capturing the American West they knew firsthand – the awe-inspiring landscapes, the humble rhythms of working ranches and the unspoken code of character and values that guided life in the West. The subject matter of their work wasn’t imagined; it was lived.
But the art world, they felt, was drifting away from the truth. The conceptual and pop art movements that dominated the 1960s stood in stark contrast to the detailed realism of Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington. Modern art’s embrace of commercialism and neon, of plastic and ironic detachment, was antithetical to the spirit of authenticity in traditional Western art. The founders of CAA aw their mission as not just artistic, but cultural – a responsibility to ensure that the cowboy way of life remained faithfully portrayed.
The first non-founding member to join the CAA’s ranks was Fred Harman, the cowboy cartoonist best known as the pen behind the long-running Red Ryder comic strip. Membership in the CAA was – and remains – by invitation only, ensuring each artist is deeply committed to the organization’s objectives. During the 60 years since its inception, more than 80 artists have carried on the tradition, with 20 active members today.
The CAA’s formation significantly contributed to establishing Western art as a respected genre. At the time the organization was formed, Western art was largely dismissed as provincial and prosaic, but the group’s body of work– held to rigorous standards of technical excellence– challenged that perception.
“At the time, Western art wasn’t seen as legitimate,” said Brandon Bailey, a CAA artist and president of the organization’s non-profit branch, the Joe Beeler Foundation. “There was really no avenue for artists to showcase their work. The CAA helped change that.”
Over the years, the CAA’s annual art shows became premier events, driving prices higher and attracting serious collectors who previously had little exposure to the genre. Today, the impact of the CAA is evident with works by its members in galleries, museums and private collections around the world, including the National Ranching Heritage Center.
CAA member Jack Sorenson talks shop with the next generation of Western artists.
Yet the significance of the CAA extends far beyond museum walls and sale prices. Perhaps its most meaningful contribution is ensuring the Western way of life endures through fine arts by capturing moments and traditions that might otherwise fade into history.
The CAA champions the utmost fidelity in representing its subjects. You won’t find a barrel saddle on a stock horse or rodeo caps in a branding pen. Even the smallest details– regional flora, concho styles, rope material– aren’t overlooked.
“Accuracy is very important to what we do, ” said Bailey. “It’s important to faithfully represent the cultures we portray, whether that’s modern cowboys, native culture or cowboy culture from the 1920s. We actually have a screening committee that will look at works to make sure the details are correct.”
Outside the art studio, CAA members immerse themselves in the Western lifestyle they depict. One of the organization’s most cherished traditions is its annual trail rides, where artists gather for several days of riding on some of the most renowned ranches in the country. The Four Sixes, Haythorn Land & Cattle and Hawaii’s Parker Ranch have all hosted the artists, providing firsthand inspiration.
Recognizing the needs to pass the mantle on to future generations, the CAA established the Joe Beeler Foundation in honor of its founding member. As the educational, non-profit arm of the organization, the foundation nurtures young talent through workshops, mentorship programs and scholarships for emerging artists.
“We want Western art to be accessible for all sorts of people from different walks of life,” Bailey said. “We want to share this history, these skills and traditions – especially with those who aren’t necessarily exposed to this way of life – all while giving back and educating.”
As society becomes increasingly digital, organizations like the CAA feel more vital than ever.
“There come periods of time where plastic and screens dominate,” honorary CAA member Red Steagall remarked in a 2022 podcast interview with Mountain & Prairie. “We get too used to it, and then we want to feel leather and oak wood again.”
In a time where artificial intelligence can generate images with a few keystrokes and life online supersedes life outside, Western art offers something rare. And when the cultural pendulum swings away from digital artifice and screen-weary eyes seek something genuine, the Cowboy Artists of America will be there – preserving the past, inspiring the future and ensuring that the spirit of the American West remains alive on canvas, in bronze and in the talents of those who refuse to let it fade.”
Current CAA members include: back row L to R: Brandon Bailey, Dustin Payne, Todd Connor, Chad Poppleton; middle row: Teal Blake, Jack Sorenson, Tyler Crow, Grant Redden, Alvin Marshall, Albin eselka, Mikel Donahue, Dave Santillanes; front row: Bill Nebeker, Martin Grelle, Wayne Baize, Bruce Greene, Phil Epp; not pictured: Michael Dudash and Clark Kelley Price.
CAA Artists Wayne Baize, Teal Blake, Tyler Crow, Mikel Donahue, Bruce Greene and T.D. Kelsey will have art available for purchase at the 2025 Summer Stampede Western Art & Gear Show Presented by Capital Farm Credit on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
View art, purchase tickets and learn more at summerstampede.com
