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Bill Owen
Bill Owen was born in 1942 in Gila Bend, Arizona, to a mother who was an artist and a father who had been a cowboy throughout the early 1900s. These early influences shaped his desire to be an artist, and cultivated his interest in the cowboy lifestyle.
A self-taught artist, Owen was accepted into a gallery in the late 1960s, developing his talent through years of hard work, being observant, and learning from other artists. Two whom he credits with being most helpful throughout his career are Joe Beeler and Tom Ryan.
In 1973, he was invited to join the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA). Since that time, Owen has earned 28 medals and awards at the annual Cowboy Artists of America Show held annually in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2003, his 30th year with CAA, and in 2005, the 40th anniversary of CAA, Owen received the CAA Award. This highly coveted award is decided by a vote of active CAA members for the best overall exhibition, making these recent nods of approval from his peers especially meaningful.
In 1989, while practicing team roping, Owen survived a freak accident resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye. For many years he didn't sculpt due to loss of depth perception. In 2002, he presented his first sculpture in fourteen years, overcoming any previous limitation.
Owen has exhibited in many notable exhibitions including the Whitney Museum in Cody, Wyoming, the Grand Palais in Paris, France, and the Western Art Show in Beijing, China. In 1991, he was voted into the National Academy of Western Artists, and in 1993 became a member and staff artist of Rancheros Visitadores. That same year he was awarded the Frederic Remington Award for Artistic Merit and in 2003 became the first recipient of Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award presented at the Prix de West Invitational both at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1995, Owen formed The Arizona Cowpuncher's Scholarship Organization, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization which awards college scholarships to young people of Arizona ranching families. The success of this organization is a great personal reward. Bill Owen and his wife, Valerie reside in their dream home in Kirkland, Arizona. He believes he has been blessed with a piece of both worlds he cares so deeply about – ranching and art.
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