This issue's opinion There's one store I don't mind going to with my wife while she shops. The Walmart Superstore in my neighborhood here in the outskirts of Las Vegas is indeed a most interesting place. Not only because of the huge inventory it carries, but because of its customers. You see, while my wife shops, I sit on bench near the front of the store and enjoy that most popular entertainment - people watching. And watching the women walk past me is a real interesting advocation - not because of their beauty (unfortunately, the image of the "Vegas showgirl type" is not the normal look), but because there is a virtual mobile art show going on, with the ladies the leading canvasses. Aside from some body piercing, the number of women with tatoos always amazes me. Legs, ankles, thighs, upper and lower back, abdomen - you name it, and a picture is there. Some of the work is real art - some of the work is hard to figure out, but one thing is for sure, it's all art. Once in a while I see a bull (however, mostly on men), but western and cowboy motifs have been pretty rare*. Like any other art form, there's good and bad tatoo art - too much work that must mean something to the wearer but which has no eye catching appeal to the casual observer; non-imaginative, repetitious, boring. Once in a while you can come across something pretty interesting. Does this description sound familiar? There's not much difference in the real art world. A lot of artists have the same story to tell, and they tell this same story the same way. This is true in all subject matter - it's the artist who can tell that story with a different twist to his or her work who makes life more interesting for us as a viewer and for the artists themselves. Joe Chernicoff, CAPA Exec. Director Real cowboy stories at cowboyartshow.com Read cowboyartshow.com's featured cowboy writer, Bob Kinford's cowboy stories are listed on the story directory page. Steve From , a former bull rider who's had his share of breaks and bruises, turned bull fighter, has written a story that every rodeo fan, and especially, bull riding fans, are gonna really enjoy. To read more about this book, enter here Art for your Interest "Big Valley Station" Neil Hulley - acrylic- 15"x30" from the Western Art Auction catalog - 23rd annual Calgary Stampede Rodeo Schedules and Other Events of Interest For rodeo schedules and information - including barrel racing schedules, visite: Cowboyway.com BarrelRider.com The National Senior Pro Rodeo Association Schedule: 07/11/2003 Twin Bridges, MT 07/12/2003 Twin Bridges, MT 07/12/2003 Taber, AB 07/13/2003 Taber, AB 07/23/2003 Thorsby, AB 07/24/2003 Wetaskiwin, AB 07/25/2003 Wetaskiwin, AB 07/26/2003 Elkpoint, AB 07/27/2003 Elkpoint, AB 08/01-02/2003 Longmont, CO 08/09/2003 Crawford, NE 08/09/2003 Claresholm, AB * 08/10/2003 Crawford, NE 08/10/2003 Claresholm, AB 08/16/2003 Beaverlodge, AB The following artists and organizations are active in supporting and promoting cowboy and western art and photography. CA&R appreciates their efforts at keeping this art form in front of the public eye:  Mandy Schiesser Shooting Stars Photography  Joe Ortiz Studio  Kathy Squiers' Judge's Choice  Donna Weber KHC Gallery  Elizabeth Clark, CAPA - photographic artist  Tanners Rodeo Art Mal Luber - Fine art- cowboy and rodeo paintings Marti Nelson - equine , cowboys, ranch life art Elizabeth Carr - wood carvings, cowboy and western prints Mick Harrison - Cowboy oils - political cartooniost and caricaturist Western and More.com online store Southwest and More.com online store Western States Horse Expo Horses in Art - a pictorial history of horses in art throughout tiime D. G Guenther - western art and portraits Annie's Western Art Richard Pahl Studio Southwest Artists Association Equine Vision Magazine - for subscription information, e-mail or call toll free at 866-6399-8107  Your News in important to us! Send your local cowboy art news, rodeo schedules, personalities facts - all information we may be able to use here. Use this form.

Western Art Show & Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering Cowboy Artists and Photographers of America is a co-sponsor of the 4th Annual Big Bear Valley, CA, Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering which will be held in Big bear Lake, July 17-20, 2003. This juried event includes the annual Western art Show, featuring the work of cowboy and western artists - paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, and design art. Margo Petterson's painting "The Cowboy Way", is the painting used on this year's poster along with a new poem from Curly Musgrave titled "The Cowboy Way". Current and Future Events of Interest For those of you in PA, NJ, DEL, NY & CT Peter Campbell is coming to Willow Brook Farms in October. Information CAPA Member News Margo Petterson, WAOW, CAPA current show schedule: July 17-20 Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering, Big Bear Lake, CA Sept. 6 CM Russell Benefit Auction, Great Falls, MT Sept 15-21 WAOW Show in Dubois, WY Gail Guenther sends us this art show information. Gail, who showed in the event, suggests artists should be interested in contacting the show for entry in futire exhibits: You are invited to submit an application to be an exhibitor at the Florida Western and Equine Arts and Crafts Festival, to be held on Sat. March 27 and Sun. March 28, 2004, at beautiful Amik Run Equestrian Center in Morriston, Florida (20 minutes from Ocala/Marion County, the Horse Capital of the World) This exciting one-of-a-kind event will be a highlight of the 1st Annual Florida Western Festival, featuring 2 Western Horse Shows, a Cowboy Music Festival, Cowboy Poets, a Western Fashion Show, Tack Market, Western Travel Expo, Chuckwagon Food Festival and of course the Arts and Crafts Festival. Send all application materials to: Jim Russell,General Manager, Amik Run Equestrian Center 2561 SE 168th Ave Morriston, FL 32668 (352) 528-5298 Visit the Amerik Run web site" or ontact via e-mail 81st Annual Days of '76 Rodeo Poster The "Days Of '76" 81st annual outdoor rodeo is from July 22 - 27 in Deadwood, South Dakota. CAPA member and director, Mick B. Harrison has designed the poster for this event for the third year in a row. This year's poster design has a "wild west" quality to it featuring the bareback event and is billed as a "1st in a Series" poster with the collector in mind. Future posters will follow the theme, changing the prominent rodeo event each year. Anyone interested in purchasing a signed poster by the artist should contact Mick at mickart@mato.com. These are in limited supply. For interested collectors, Deadwood is famous for the burial place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane and near the discovery of one of America's longest running gold mines (1876-2001), the Homestake Mine. The rodeo has been named the PRCA Small Outdoor Rodeo Of THe Year 1998,1999,2000 & 2001 and is attended by fans from around the world. Jack Walker, Rimrock, Arizona bronze artist, has been elected a board member of Academy of Western Artists Region 2 (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado & Nevada) Shari Van Alsburg writes:" The new book " Ty Murray, King of the Cowboys" - Gotta say I think it is pretty well done! Is definitely a book that the younger generation (like my grandson, age 13) will or can relate too...( A)lso, he used 6 of my photos...2 are pretty yucky but showed something he wanted to show....and the other 4 I'm at least proud of! New CAPA Members JK Dooley An associate member of Woman Artists of the West, JK's work can be found in corporate and private collections across the United States and in Europe. She currently pursues her craft by attending rodeos throughout Arizona and the West, where she is continually inspired by the dramatic plays of light and shadow on saddles, boots, chaps and other cowboy array.JK's studio, where she paints original watercolors and also publishes her giclee reproductions, is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The historic location is an artist's dream, and contributes to JK's creativity.