The annual SLOPOKE event is often considered a bit “different” than other Western shows, as owners Tom and Sherie Burgher designed it to be. While it’s modeled after and inspired by high-quality museum shows such as the Masters of the American West hosted by the Autry Museum of the American West, the Burgher’s set out with a mission to “encourage contemporary artists to depict the 20th and 21st-century West rather than the 19th century, which is what most paint,” says Tom.
SLOPOKE 2020 entrance.
It’s believed that artists are beginning to reach out in this new direction, which the Burghers think they must in order for the next generation of collectors to be interested in this genre. Therefore, SLOPOKE is meant to be seen as more of a Western-themed art event rather than a Western art show, because the organizers want the public to see that there is “much more to the American West both historically and in the present day,” and that it’s not all cowboys and Indians.
Christopher Slatoff at work in his studio.
Tom Burgher’s initial inspiration, stemming from a visit to the Masters of the American West, has now blossomed into a stunning and exciting Western event now its 11th year. The show is limited to 25 to 30 juried artists and every year one artist is chosen as a guest jury for awards. This year’s jurist selection is Christopher Slatoff from Southern California, and he will be SLOPOKE’s first sculpture artist to jury.
Kasia Kaznocha, The Middle of Time, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, 36 x 48”
Painter Kasia Kaznocha, is “very happy and excited to take part in this great art show, [along with] meeting other great artists on the beautiful Montego Roberts farm,” she says. Her piece In the Middle of Time, depicting a white horse against a background of gold and an array of fronds, explores themes of time and eternity. “On the one hand,” says the artist, “[there’s] the still eternity of the picture, on the other, [there’s] fluid temporal time. I wish to show this freezing in God’s timelessness. The golden background is a symbol of eternity. Stop time and at the same time create the illusion of its liquidity.”
Carol Hartman, Sage, oil, 48 x 24”
Phyllis Waltman, Primary Colors, acrylic, 18 x 24”
For show artist Carol Hartman, “exchanging ideas with other artists of the same genre is always inspiring,” she says. “My style and technique is constantly developing! Being in the company of such accomplished artists brings out the best artwork in me.” Hartman was born and raised on a Montana ranch and has always been “intrigued by those settlers who worked the land before me,” she explains. “After teaching at Fresno State and exhibiting nationally, I returned to Montana in 2009 to research those early homesteads and the Western trails our ancestors bravely endured. I now paint the images with a recognition of the changes to the land, of the impact those early years have had upon that land, thereby revealing the land as it appears today.”
Teresa Lynn Johnson, Be Still and Know, oil on canvas, 16 x 20”
Growing up on a small ranch in Western Colorado gave SLOPOKE artist Phyllis Waltman her love for horses. “My hard-working parents told me if I wanted to ride, I had to catch up my horse, put on a bridle and ride bareback since I was not big enough to put on a saddle. I loved to draw as well as ride and focused on the horse. While I was attending Colorado State University, I married my husband, Jim, and after a number of years...I decided to try my hand at art. I worked in pencil at the beginning, then added acrylic for color…The horse is an inspiration to me because of its strength, beauty and willingness to work with mankind.”
Teresa Lynn Johnson, Standing in the Spotlight, oil on canvas, 24 x 48”
Nature is Teresa Lynn Johnson’s inspiration, especially her home in the Four Corners region of the Unite States. “I love the wide-open spaces and unspoiled nature,” she says. “I’m always in awe of the life and harmony within the landscape...” For her piece Standing in the Spotlight, Johnson was inspired by the way the light fell, creating a spot-like effect on a stand of beautiful trees last fall while traveling on a mountain road. Summer meadows and meandering creeks are also peaceful inspiration for Johnson, and provided her inspiration for Be Still and Know.
SLOPOKE will run from September 24 through 26 at the thoroughbred horse ranch, Flag Is Up Farms, owned by Monty and Pat Roberts. The ranch is in Solvang, California.
SLOPOKE Fine Art of the West
September 24-26, 2021
Flag Is Up Farms
901 E. Highway 246, Solvang, CA 93463
www.the-slopoke.com
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