Cowboy Artists of America
The Cowboy Artists of America (often referred to as the CA, or sometimes the CAA) was founded in 1965 by four prominent western artists, Joe Beeler, Charlie Dye, John Hampton and George Phippen, who have all since died. Since its inception, the exclusive organization of artists has always been dedicated to portraying the lifestyles of the cowboy and the American West, both as it was and as it endures. The CAA was founded in 1965 in Sedona, Arizona and held its first art show in 1966 at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1973, the annual event moved to the Phoenix Art Museum. In April 2011, the museum announced that it would no longer host the event.[1]
Former presidents of the CAA, in addition to the founding members, include:
- Tom Ryan
- Gordon Snidow
- William Moyers
- U. Grant Speed
- James Boren
- Fred Fellows
- James Reynolds
- Harvey W. Johnson
- Bill Owen
- Howard Terpning
- Gary Carter
- Gary Niblett
The artists' works, highly sought after by western collectors, often fetch high prices. As an example, Terpning's Cooling Off the Hard Way sold for $305,000 at the 2003 Santa Fe Art Auction.