40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering: Full Schedule

The 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering—Be the Poem. Be the Song.
#cowboypoetrygathering #westernfolklifecenter #ncpg2025

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Schedule is subject to change. We recommend double-checking Sched regularly for the latest updates.

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2:45pm PST

Here's a Story for You

Friday January 31, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Artists & Special Guests

Dick Gibford

Dick Gibford is still working horseback on the Walking R Ranch in south Central California. He has cowboyed around the West for 30 years, with the past 20 spent on this rough and rugged chunk of real estate that has become his adopted home. With a string of four mountain-raised horses... Read More →

Ross Knox

Ross Knox first aspired to be a cowboy as a little boy, when he watched his father work their ranch in central Oregon. At 16, he quit school and moved to Nevada to buckaroo, where he also began writing poetry to occupy his time alone. He has worked at both the Grand Canyon and Saguaro... Read More →

Bill Lowman

Bill Lowman and his wife JoAnn and family own and operate a 20,000-acre generational ranch in the remote North Dakota Badlands, where they are widely known for their love of and respect for the well-being of their livestock and pets. As a multi-talented visual, literary, and performing... Read More →

Friday January 31, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Storytelling, Day or Deluxe Pass

Ticket Type Day or Deluxe Pass

4:00pm PST

The Stories Behind the Art

Friday January 31, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PST

Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Join Native American artists Kevin Jones, Jack Malotte, R. James Shoshone, and Chief Phillip Whiteman Jr. as they talk about their art and discuss the importance of creativity in their lives. They’ll reminisce and swap stories, revealing insights into their artistic inspirations and how their cultural backgrounds inform their work. As they share stories of personal experiences that have shaped their creative journeys, they explore the role of art in expressing identity and connecting with community.

Artists & Special Guests

Kevin Jones

M. Kevin Jones, of Washoe/Pima ancestry, specializes in acrylic painting, pen and ink, and traditional crafts as well as creating silver jewelry. His designs are featured on the Alpine County flag, the Diamond Valley Elementary School mascot, and various Washoe tribal logos, including... Read More →

Jack Malotte

Jack Malotte, a Western Shoshone and Washoe artist, combines wry humor with serious subjects, rethinking historical narratives and myths of the American West. His work explores the landscapes of the Great Basin and contemporary Native political issues, focusing on environmental and... Read More →

James Shoshone

R. James Shoshone, Jr. was raised Washoe and is a member of the Timbisha Shoshone, based in Owyhee, Nevada, on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. A renowned buckaroo, James has worked on many of the Great Basin’s legendary ranches, including the 25, Cross Ranch, IL Ranch, Spanish... Read More →

Chief Phillip Whiteman Jr.

Friday January 31, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PST
Elko Convention Center - Turquoise Room

Storytelling, Day or Deluxe Pass

Ticket Type Day or Deluxe Pass