There always seems to be something exciting going on at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas. One of the most recent events was an exhibit of Edward H. Bohlin silver saddles, which ran for three months and closed at the end of January. While saddles might seem to be an unlikely focus for a museum, it wasn’t for this one. “We treat them as art, even though they’re utilitarian,” says Darrell Beauchamp, the museum’s executive director. “We gathered 11 of them and exhibited them along with old movie posters. We painted the walls black so they would shimmer and shine.
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    Aaron Blaise spent three years creating a short, hand-drawn, animated film he titled “Snow Bear,” which was released last year. The film has earned approximately 40 awards at film festivals throughout the world. It’s been nominated for two Annie Awards, including Best Animated Short Film, and has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Academy Award nominations will be announced January 22. The Annie Awards will be conducted February 21, and the Oscars will take place March 15. Blaise is justifiably proud of the accolades he’s earned for “Snow Bear,” but what means much more for him
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  Chris Navarro is an award-winning artist who thinks outside the box. Best known for his bronze sculptures that feature everything from cowboys to T-Rex. His latest project is a wind fence constructed from vintage wind turbine blades at the entrance to the 355-acre Wyoming Rescue Missions Recovery Ranch in Esterbrook, Wyoming. Navarro calls the sculpture “Wall of Renewal”, an appropriate title because it will keep a wind turbine out of a landfill by giving it a new purpose, which mirrors the stories of many people who come through the mission’s doors as they struggle with homelessness, joblessness, and drug addiction. The wind
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  “What began as a simple email turned into a journey of creativity, courage, and connection,” says Wisconsin watercolorist Caitlin Leline Hatch. It certainly did—but she almost missed it. Hatch says she considered deleting the email she found in her inbox five months ago, but when she saw that it was from someone connected with Coors Banquet and Wrangler, she opened it. The senders said they were looking for an artist to create a series of original, Western-inspired prints and that they immediately thought of her, mentioning that the tone, texture, and spirit of her paintings reflect the storytelling and sense of American
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