In 1998, a group of cowboy master craftsmen and enthusiasts founded the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) to uphold and protect the American Western traditions of silversmithing, saddle making, rawhide braiding, and bit and spur making. Anyone can apply to join the TCAA, even international masters of the cowboy crafts, but they must be proficient in making American Western-style works.
A big part of the TCAA mission is to show the brilliance of Western craftsmanship and for bona fide experts to teach the trades.
For 24 years, TCAA members have exhibited their work in the “Traditional Cowboy Arts Exhibition & Sale” at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The show is a chance for exhibition visitors, collectors, and young aspiring craftspeople alike to see the beauty and elegance of Western craftsmanship, and it also enables TCAA’s members to demonstrate the level of expertise needed to transform these functional cowboy works into fine art. This year’s show features 50 pieces in steel, silver, leather, and rawhide—including encore pieces, which are selected works from previous shows that demonstrate the progress of the craftsmen.
