Morgan Buckert, custom cowboy boot maker, will explain some of the over 300 steps required to build custom cowboy boots out of at least 58 pieces, including measuring points, last alteration, patterning, vamp crimping, inseaming, and more. She will have a variety of tools specific to cowboy boot making as well as boots in multiple stages of construction to illustrate the complexity of construction that is hidden from the wearer.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Morgan Buckert, proprietor of Morgan Buckert Custom Boots, builds custom cowboy boots with bespoke patterns, traditional construction techniques, and vintage machinery in Hailey, Idaho. She is 7th generation of a Texan ranch family and the influence of cowboy culture is evident in all her work.

Hailing from Goliad, Texas, Morgan was born in 1983, and has degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and The University of New Mexico.

Morgan studied footwear at Penland School of Crafts and apprenticed with a master cowboy boot maker in Idaho. Idaho Commission on the Arts has awarded her with four grants, and she participated in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.

Morgan says “ I'm thrilled to come to Elko for Big Skies, New Visions to build relationships and learn from fellow artists producing beautiful work across the West. Also, many people describe our work as dying arts, but we want to show the world that not only are our arts not dying, but they are revitalized as a new generation commits ourselves to carry on and build upon the work of those who came before us.”