Gordon Snidow

After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Art from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in 1959, Gordon faced a pivotal decision: pursue a career in advertising art or follow his dream of painting the American West. At the time, there was no real market for realism—especially not Western Art—but Gordon chose to follow his dream.

Another important decision followed: should he paint the Old West, a time he had not experienced firsthand, or depict the Contemporary West, which he could observe and document himself? He chose the Contemporary West.

Gordon believed that by painting the people and experiences he encountered while visiting working ranches, the stories in his paintings would be authentic and genuinely his. He felt a responsibility to record the American West as he saw it—portraying real cowboys living and working on real ranches. Their story didn’t end with the Old West, and Gordon was determined to continue telling it.

Over time, his vision of the West expanded beyond cowboys and ranching. He began painting a broader view of Western Americana, including subjects such as American women, graffiti, the homeless, Vietnam veterans, and wildlife—while still honoring the American cowboy. Because of this, he has come to be known as a painter of Western Americana.

To Gordon, Western Americana represents the unromanticized, Contemporary West—a living, evolving culture that is very much real. He chose realism as his style because he was painting real people and animals. He believed that only by showing their diverse experiences could he fully express his artistic ideas. For over fifty years, Gordon has captured the American West as it is—raw, honest, and unfiltered.

As noted in the 1997 Prix de West catalog from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center:

“He is a historian who records his time in pictures rather than words. Just as Russell and other ‘contemporary’ chroniclers of their time are now seen as painters of the historic West, so Snidow will be seen in the future. As his philosophical outlook and place within Western Art has evolved, so too have the subjects of his paintings. Although still focused on the cowboy life that brought him acclaim, Snidow now also records many other aspects of his time.”

A charter member of the Cowboy Artists of America, Gordon served in every office—including three terms as President. During his 25 years as an active member, he exhibited alongside artists such as Clymer, Lockheed, Lovell, Warren, Reynolds, Terpning, McGrew, Riley, and Ryan. Upon retiring from competition and becoming a Member Emeritus, Gordon held the distinction of being CA’s top medal winner, with 27 Gold and Silver Medals, including three Best of Show awards. He also co-founded and served on the first board of directors for the CAA Museum in Kerrville, Texas. He is no longer a member.

Coors Brewery recognized his contributions by creating the famous Coors Cowboy Collectors Series, which has been featured in films such as Rain Man and Winter’s Bone. Gordon is the subject of three books and a BBC documentary. In 1998, he received the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and in 2003 the New Mexico Legislature named him “Artist of the American West.” He was most recently honored as the guest artist at the C.M. Russell Show in Great Falls, Montana, and invited to exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Corning, NY.

His artwork has been exhibited around the world—in Russia, France, England, China, Germany, and more. In the U.S., his paintings are part of many major exhibitions and permanent museum collections. Retrospective shows of his work have appeared in museums in New Mexico, Texas, and even the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Gordon Snidow was born in Paris, Missouri, in 1936. He now resides in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

"It Takes More Than A Hat To Make A Cowboy"