The first half of Day 4 is in this blog post. It’s the destination at the end of Day 4 that was the incentive for planning the first Road Trip we’ve taken since 2019!

That destination was Trinidad, Colorado.

The reason for going to Trinidad was the opening of a show Called Women’s Work put on by the Cowgirl Artists of America. From the website: “Celebrating the true contributions of Women in the American West…Much Western art is an ode to the work and contributions of men, while often limiting women to a single sphere, or pretty face. “Women’s Work,” a groundbreaking exhibition that teams artists up with women on working ranches, turns that notion on its head. By showcasing Western women as multi-faceted contributors to the Western way of life. Furthermore, Women’s Work aims to provide a platform for Indigenous women to authentically share their own stories, rooted in their intimate connections to culture and heritage. Traditional and fine artists are included, with all work on the theme of “Women’s Work.”

I was not one of the juried artists but was contacted last summer and asked if I’d like to be a farm partner. That sounded like fun so Amy Hanley visited in the summer and we talked about sheep farming and the other things I do. It turns out that Amy is not only a ceramic artist but a weaver. She bought some yarn and told me about the piece she planned for this show.

The show was held at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art.

This is a view of the two levels of the gallery. The Woman’s Work show took up the whole second level. What a gorgeous place for this show!

There were 56 artists represented. I took photos of a small number of pieces. You can see all of the work and descriptions in the catalog here on the Cowgirl Artists of America website. The descriptions below each piece in this blog post are taken from the catalog.

This is the piece by Amy. It’s hard to tell from this photo but look at the next photo to see that the design is made by weaving in her ceramic button shaped beads.

The views from different angles give unique patterns of color. Very impressive!

Laura Petrovich-Cheney makes fabulous “quilts” from salvaged wood. She contacted the ranch/farm partners last year to find out if we wanted to send wood scraps for her work. I asked if she’d like fabric scraps instead, partly thinking of shipping to the east coast, but also that my fabric scraps are better than any wood scraps around here. So all the fabric pieces in the work above are from me.

This piece is glass mosaic by Lauretta Newby-Coker.

I spent some time talking with these ladies, the artist on the left and the partner on the right. Barbara Meikle donates a percentage of each sale to support horse, donkey and wildlife rescues.

Beverly Moran, of Lakota heritage, creates stunning beadwork, wearable by horses and people. Visit her website to see more.

Morgan Buckert builds custom boots.

Emily Boksenbaum is another boot maker but she made these chaps for the show. Mejo Okon painted the piece to the left of the chaps and also the artwork on the poster (below) that was in the window of the gallery.

I didn’t do a very good job with this photo because of the glare on the glass. Great painting though. I am considering entering this show again, partly as a farm partner, but also with my own weaving. I need to make start weaving some samples of the idea that Dan gave me for this entry!