Gordon Snidow (b. 1936, Paris, MO) currently resides in Ruidoso, NM. Known for his precise realism, Snidow has portrayed the evolving face of Western Americana for over 50 years, expanding his subjects to include American women, Vietnam veterans, the homeless, wildlife, and graffiti—always with unvarnished honesty. His work reflects a deep commitment to portraying the West as it is, not as it was mythologized. After earning his B.A. in Art from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in 1959, Snidow made a defining choice: instead of pursuing a career in advertising, he followed his dream of becoming a painter. At a time when realism was out of fashion and Western art had no market, he chose to become an eyewitness chronicler—painting not legends, but the lived experiences of working cowboys and rural life. As one catalog noted, “He is a historian who records his time in pictures rather than words.” A founding member and three-time president of the Cowboy Artists of America, Gordon Snidow has received 27 gold and silver medals, including three Best of Show awards. His legacy includes the Coors Cowboy Collectors Series, several published books, and a BBC documentary. He has been honored with the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and recognized by the state legislature as a leading Artist of the American West. Gordon Snidow’s work has been included in major exhibitions across the United States, as well as in Russia, France, England, China, and Germany. Retrospective shows of his work have been held in museums throughout New Mexico and Texas, including the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.