High-end silver and leather have long been part of fine art in the West, and routinely turn up in collections because of how these items complement paintings and sculptures in depictions of the American West. This is the basis for the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum’s annual 2025 Bit, Spur & Rawhide Reins Contest, which returns to the Elko, Nevada, museum on January 31.
Larry Lorang, bitThe show, which will be held in tandem with the museum’s Shadow Riders exhibition, will feature a contest and sale, both which will culminate on January 31, when the museum awards prizes for the winning pieces and sells the works in a live sale.
This year’s theme is Sinners & Saints, which includes a “lady leg” design motif in every piece. All of the participating makers were given the same leg piece and they then added or removed material to make the blank piece their own. Techniques seen in the pieces include overlay, inlay, engraving and more. The pieces are fully functional, although they are at such a high quality and design that most collectors will hang them in their collections.
Amy Erickson, spurs
Jeremiah Watt, bit
Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. on January 31. Visit the museum’s website for a complete schedule. —
2025 Bit, Spur & Rawhide Reins Contest
January 31, 2025
Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum
542 Commercial Street, Elko, NV 89801
(775) 389-1713, www.cowboyartsandgearmuseum.org
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