FEATURING: William Matthews

Western artist William Matthews has spent many years exploring the buckaroo community of Elko County. He has driven, ridden, and camped with many of the cowboys in this area, and his watercolors have documented their world. Join Willy, well known for his lucid and accurate portrayals of the
working men and women of the West, on a visual voyage with those inhabitants of that great sagebrush sea, the Owyhee Desert.

Hosted by Kristin Windbigler.

From the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

.....

ABOUT THE ARTIST

William Matthews
Denver, CO
Best known for his depictions of the American West, William Matthews has
had a long and prolific career. He has designed albums, painted book covers,
traveled the world, and documented it all in beautiful watercolor paintings.
Willy’s fine art career has now spanned the better part of five decades of studio and plein-air watercolors and mixed media, earning him recognition
across North America, Europe, and Asia. His representational style can be either tightly disciplined or more loosely rendered, with a remarkable command of demanding subjects such as water, light, weather, and atmosphere. He serves on the Western Folklife Center’s National Advisory Council.

.....

Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center’s Laurena Moren Theater on Jan. 29, 2026.

Made possible by Maggie Creek Ranch and by the multitude of staff, artists, volunteers, and community members working behind the scenes to make this show happen.

Brought to you by the Western Folklife Center, using story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
www.westernfolklife.org

.....