This Labor Day weekend at Evanston Cowboy Days, we are holding a workshop for local students to learn silversmithing. Around 15 students will learn from local silversmiths Samantha Krieger and Traci Beckstead. Visitors are welcome to walk in, ask questions, and watch the students as they work.

This project was supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

…

The Cowboy Trades Association (CTA) is a coalition of master artisans, cultural advocates, and heritage organizations working to preserve the living traditions of the American West—while building new opportunities for the future.

Our Roots

• Founded in 2023 under the fiscal sponsorship of Vista 360° (Jackson, WY)
• Born from a partnership with the Jackson Hole History Museum
• Created by artisans featured in the inaugural Saddle Up! exhibit

What We Do

• Exhibitions – Touring Saddle Up! Western Handmade Art & Gear to museums and cultural centers, featuring 60+ artisans across Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado
• Education – Hosting hands-on workshops with masters like:
  • Keith Seidel – Saddlemaking (Cody, WY)
  • Christy Sing Robertson – Hatmaking (Jackson, WY)
  • Amy Erickson – Silversmithing (Evanston, WY)
• Preservation & Innovation – Documenting artisan techniques through video and oral histories, and creating new pathways for apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and rural job growth
• Equity in Opportunity – Supporting apprentices from all walks of life—ranch kids, veterans, recent graduates, and career changers—so that the trades are open to anyone with the passion to learn

…

The Wyoming Arts Council envisions a Wyoming where the arts are a driving force in the social, economic, educational, and everyday life of its citizens. Through grants, partnerships, programs and unique opportunities, the Wyoming Arts Council provides funding and support statewide for projects big and small. The WAC plays an important role in the economic and social development of every community by investing in the arts. It awards almost 150 grants and fellowships each year, funding programs and projects from every county, thereby serving more than a million participants throughout the state.

The Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program identifies, documents, supports, and celebrates the cultural traditions that shape the state’s diverse communities. These art forms are expressions of shared identity—passed down through families, neighborhoods, faiths, tribes, occupations, and social groups. Rooted in community experience, these arts preserve heritage, tell stories, and evolve to meet the needs of today’s practitioners. Whether it’s saddlemaking, beadwork, powwow dancing, quilting, or hoop dancing, Wyoming’s traditional arts represent a vital and living history. Through grants, partnerships, and public programming, the Arts Council ensures these traditions continue to thrive across generations.

…