2024 Fellowship Recipients

Hellen Holloway

2024 Horsehair Hitching Fellowship Recipient

Helen Holloway is a wife, mother, and fourth-generation rancher who has found a passion for rawhide braiding. She resides in Dewey, OK, on the Scudder Ranch, a preconditioning oper...Read More

Cassie Waggoner

2024 Fine Art Fellowship Recipient

Cassie was raised on a desert cow outfit north of Globe Arizona. Her early days were filled with long cattle drives through rough country, big brandings with mesquite smoke and bur...Read More

Hailey Fancher

2024 Silversmithing Fellowship Recipient

My name is Hailey Fancher, I am 18 years old and have always called Arizona home. I am lucky enough to have lived in some of the neatest country I have seen and have spent many of ...Read More

Cailin Messer

2024 Horsemanship Fellowship Recipient

Cailin Messer grew up horseback in Glen Carbon, Illinois where she and her family own and operate a working horse farm today. Inspired by her experiences helping horses and people,...Read More

Peyton Kottwitz

2024 Ranching Fellowship Recipient

Raised on a ranch outside of Lusk, Wyoming, hard work and responsibility are ingrained in my DNA. I take pride in carrying on the ranching tradition while tackling the next challen...Read More

Kristen Allen

2024 Saddle Making Fellowship Recipient

I was born and raised in a small mountain community in southwest Colorado where I was raised by a healthy mix of ranching folk and hippies. This eclectic group of people showed me ...Read More

2024 Master Artists

Terry Forst

2024 Master Rancher

A fifth generation Oklahoman, Forst is the general manager of the Stuart Ranch – Oklahoma's oldest ranch under continuous family ownership. With more than 45,000 acres spanning f...Read More

Shawn Cameron

2024 Master Artist

Shawn captures moments in the lives of those who live and work on ranches today.

From a young age she absorbed life around her filled with talk of cattle, weather, the smell of ...Read More

Nevada Miller

2024 Master Silversmith

Nevada Miller is a maker, wife to a rancher, mom to a fierce little girl, Jesus believer, and ultra runner! She founded and currently manages an online school to learn the Wester...Read More

Barbra Schulte

2024 Master Horsewoman

A singular desire drives Barbra Schulte – to help others grow their potential inside and outside the arena. She is a High-Performance Coach, cutting horse trainer, the author of ...Read More

Teresa Black

2024 Master Rawhide Braiding

Teresa Black of Plush, Oregon, is an expert in rawhide braiding and horse hair hitching.

Originally exposed to leather work, Teresa discovered rawhide braiding in 2000 when ...Read More

Nancy Martiny

2024 Master Saddle Maker

Nancy is an Idaho girl with roots in California. As a fourth generation rancher, she lives in May, Idaho with her husband on his family's 134 year old ranch. Together they run cows...Read More

How to Apply for a Fellowship

The Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship Program will encourage, promote and invest in the development of emerging artists and makers engaged in the unique arts, trades, and horsemanship of the western lifestyle while celebrating tradition and inspiring innovation through mentorship from established leaders in their fields. Through this program, Art of the Cowgirl will foster creativity and will work to preserve traditional art techniques and functional gear.

The Fellowship Program is Tammy Pate’s original dream of providing an opportunity for western artists to work with masters — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn or refine their passion with some of the most talented makers in the business. Whether it be a fine art, functional trade or horsemanship, these fellowships will enrich, empower and educate while honoring our western heritage. The fellowship seeks to remove obstacles such as funding and access for up and coming artists, without restriction of age or location.

Applications will be reviewed until March 31, 2024.

Guidelines

Art of the Cowgirl provides the following for each Fellowship Recipient:

Teaching fees
Materials and supplies
Room and board (if provided by the Master)
Travel
Housing

Recipients must be 18 years of age or older and must be able to complete their fellowship before December 31st of their award year.

While individuals may apply for fellowships more than once, selected recipients may not be awarded fellowship more than once.

Recipient Requirements

18 years of age or older

Able to complete fellowship before Dec. 31st of 2024.
Able to attend and present work at Art of the Cowgirl event in 2025.
Meet minimum skill and experience requirement as determined by Master.
Applications will require: Art of the Cowgirl fellowship application, pictures of recent work and/or video demonstrating minimum skill requirements
Recipient awarded will be required to have signed releases and proof of health insurance

Program Details

Recipient will receive: supplies and materials, travel, room and board at Master’s location, travel expenses to Art of the Cowgirl event for presentation 2025.
Each recipient will have a completed piece of work or agreed upon task at conclusion of fellowship period
Recipients will be required to complete fellowships in the 2024 calendar year and present work at the 2025 Art of the Cowgirl event
Recipients will be required to donate a completed piece for the 2025 Fellowship Auction
Recipients will be required to sign contracts and releases before funds will be released
Recipients will be chosen by Fellowship Selection committee