Have you ever looked at your saddle and thought of it as a work of art? Or your boots? Or your spurs? Or any of the other functional tools you touch everyday in the course of ranching?
A group of women—ranchers, equestrians, and Western artists all—see these tools of the trade as the “functional art” of the West and as integral to ranching culture as the horse or cattle. Through Art of the Cowgirl, they seek to preserve and spread the practical artistry of saddle making, boot making, silver engraving and more.
“In the old days, I don’t know that as much time and effort was put into making them beautiful pieces of art as much as they just needed a bridle or a saddle, but it has evolved over time,” Tammy Pate, founder of the Art of the Cowgirl, told WLJ.
“There are so many amazing, talented people out there who have taken what used to be a functional tool and now, it’s not only functional, but amazingly beautiful and artistic.”
Art of the Cowgirl is both an event and an effort. The first event will be held Feb. 8-10, 2019 in Phoenix, AZ. It is going to include horse clinics, a horse sale, Western trade show, and a functional art auction of donated pieces by master artists.
The proceeds of the auction will go to fund the fellowships, which are the heart of the effort of Art of the Cowgirl.
The fellowships are something like apprenticeships, where someone—man or woman—will go to study under a master artist in the area of their interest. Currently, the saddle making fellowship under Nancy Martiny, a fourth generation Idaho rancher and master saddle maker of over 30 years, has been fully funded.
Other fellowships in the process of being funded include silver engraving and spur making under Amy Raymond of Oregon, boot making under Kelly Martin of Nevada, rawhide braiding under Teresa Black of Oregon, and several others.
A master saddle maker
Nancy Martiny first learned leatherworking from her father. She started small with belts and similar items for friends. She fell in love with carving leather, something she called “her thing” when talking to WLJ.
“That’s how I started out and I think I’m kind of known for that—I do most of my saddles with carving on them. I try to make them extremely functional, but I try to make them a little artistic. I think that’s why people notice my saddles.”
Martiny’s online gallery at MartinySaddle.com shows several examples of her hand-carved saddles. One stunning saddle is almost entirely covered in a Western rose pattern.
Though she characterized custom saddle making as something you do because you love it, not because of the money, she also said she’s stayed occupied.
“I feel like I’ve been busy since the first saddle I built,” she admitted, laughing.
According to her Art of the Cowgirl profile, she made her first saddle back in 1987 after her husband Jim gifted her a pair of saddle trees. She studied under Master Saddlemaker Dale Harwood and said she is looking forward to passing her decades of experience on to others.
“I’m hoping to get someone here, either a man or a woman, who isn’t a craftsman now,” she said of her ideal fellowship candidate.
“Ideally, the person would be in the trade or either a strong hobby that they produce belts or chaps or small items, and they want to learn to build a saddle. We’ll go through all the steps and build them a saddle. Hopefully, they’d go on and use those skills.”
Pate explained that the fellowships are on-site, intensive programs where the students will stay with and learn from their master artist.
“With the saddle making fellowship, when they get to Idaho, they will stay with Nancy Martiny,” she outlined, noting that the Art of the Cowgirl fundraising effort goes to pay the master artist for their time, the fellowship recipient’s housing, crafting materials, and so on.
“In [Martiny’s] case, one of the criteria for her recipient is they have to have some experience in leather work. They will bring that to the class, but she will start from the very beginning; from selecting the tree to fitting the tree, to building the ground seat, cutting the leather—just every piece of building a custom saddle.”
The fellowship recipient, who will be chosen and announced at the February 2019 Art of the Cowgirl event, will leave with their own handmade custom saddle that they built under Martiny’s guidance.
Preserving Western culture
When asked about her passion to preserve these crafting skills, Pate said Art of the Cowgirl is about extending opportunities to others.
“There are some amazing makers out there now, but just creating an opportunity for someone to go learn from a master is my goal. It can preserve our hands-on custom art.”
Pate herself began learning custom boot making over 25 years ago and described her experience in the ranching world as blessed. She wants to share that opportunity with others, both those who are already a part of ag, and those who aren’t.
“Our hearts are in ranching,” she said. “We’re really using the Art of the Cowgirl venue to promote ranching and agriculture, as well as the art.”
Fellowship applications are due Dec. 15, 2018. Fellowships are open to anyone over 18 years old. Potential recipients must be able to complete their fellowship residency (lengths may vary but estimate five to 10 days) before Dec. 31, 2019; must be able to present their work at the following Art of the Cowgirl event in 2020; and must meet minimum skill and experience requirements set by the masters.
Anyone interested in applying should email Sophi Davis, fellowship director of Art of the Cowgirl, at sophi@artofthecowgirl.com for more information on specific fellowships. Applicants must submit an application, letter describing experience and future goals, pictures of recent work, video demonstrating minimum skill requirements, signed releases; and proof of health insurance. — Kerry Halladay, WLJ editor
