Bill Owen, CA (1942 - 2013)

Bill Owen, CA

(1942 – 2013)

Bill Owen, born and raised in Arizona, his mother an artist — his father a cowboy, it isn’t any wonder that he became a legendary member of the Cowboy Artists of America in 1973 and served as its President three times and earned numerous medals and awards.  A good day of leather, dust and a herd was all the inspiration he needed.  When he wasn’t in the saddle or mending fences, there was a paint brush in his hand.

Bill’s work was exhibited at the Whitney Museum in Cody, WY, the Grand Palais in Paris, France, and at the Western Art Show in Beijing, China. In 1993 he became a member and staff artist of Rancheros Visitadores and was awarded the Frederic Remington Award for Artistic Merit by the Cowboy Hall of Fame. By 1996, the prestigious Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, honored Bill as its Rendezvous Artist.  And, in 2003, at the Prix de West Invitational Exhibition & Sale he was honored as the first recipient of the “Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award.”

While practicing for a rodeo in 1989, Bill survived a freak accident which resulted in the loss of sight in his right eye.  It affected his depth perception and forced him to relinquish sculpting. He didn’t allow himself to consider the loss a handicap, but greatly missed the medium for thirteen years.  His grit and tenacity paid off, and he was able to successfully resume his craft in 2002.

For all of Bill’s artistic achievements, he was most proud of The Arizona Cowpuncher’s Scholarship Organization he founded in 1995 which provided educational scholarships for individuals from Arizona’s ranching communities.

Bill’s brand was his calling card… “the Cowboy Artist” …and he lived the life he painted.

Bill Owen, CA