1 Bob Boze Bell The longtime editor of True West magazine has authored and illustrated biographies of such iconic Westerners as Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok and Doc Holliday. Bell is a gifted artist known for his surreal gouache paintings. “I’m just a cartoonist,” he says, “with strong opinions.”
2 Nocona Burgess Immensely proud of his heritage, this great-great-grandson of Quanah Parker, the last Comanche war chief, is known for his bold acrylic paintings of Indian figures and culture and has moved into sculpture. “My dad always said, ‘Every morning when I wake up, I thank God I’m a Comanche,’” the artist recalls.
3 Curtis Fort Born and raised on a working ranch in New Mexico, Fort might be as close to a modern-day Charles M. Russell as we’ll find, right down to his realistic bronze sculptures and cowboy drawl. Most of his works elicit a smile.
4 Dennis Hogan An Indiana native, Gunsmoke fan and excellent worker of leather, silver and turquoise, Santa Fe–based Hogan pays homage to the past with a contemporary spin.
Another Santa Fe–based silver-smith, he creates high-end jewelry with a modern look and designs that evoke the past. In his “spare time” he dabbles as a photographer, videographer, plein air painter, etc.
