The Western Art and Craft Show was at the Winnemucca Convention Center east hall while Superior Livestock Auction XXV was at the Winnemucca Convention Center west hall.
Organizers Maryann Enochson and Debbie Hummel said the show was easier than ever to organize and very successful this year — the fifth year it has been held.
Everyone in town for the livestock auction, as well as locals and other visitors, know the show is held the same week as the livestock auction and they know what amazing things are offered.
It’s hard to decide whether it’s more fun to shop the beautiful art and incredibly varied craft items for sale or hear the stories of the people who create them. What follows is not all — but only a sampling of what there was to see and choose from at the Western Art and Craft Show.
SLWestern Art
Three talented women from three generations of the same family create paintings that showcase the heritage of the western land and lifestyle they love. Sabra, Sabrina and Serina are grandmother, mother, and daughter. They paint together and now they travel together to show and share their art with people who share their love of ranching and its culture .
Cindy Murdock
Murdock is from Winnemucca and though she’s moved from the community now, she brings back her beautiful denim creations every year, including, but not limited to, quilts, pillows, bags and bibs.
She pretty much sells out every year at the Boy Scout Craft Fair and was doing the same at the Western Arts and Craft show last week.
Iva and Paul Heitz
This husband and wife have very different artistic talents and show them in neighboring booths at the Western Art and Craft Show. Iva Heitz makes a myriad of beautiful pieces of stained glass art ranging from dragons and fairies to peacocks and flowers. Her husband Paul makes custom wooden spoons and rolling pins from beautiful wood.
It’s hard to imagine dipping works of art into spaghetti sauce, but he assures they are treated with butcher block oil that will block stains and flavor transfers.
Lovely Valley Wool
Gini Dufurrena manned the booth for her daughter Megan’s business idea to have beautiful wool items made from the wool produced by the sheep on her family’s ranch in Denio. Dufurrena’s Merino and Rambouillet sheep. Megan named her product Lovely Valley Wool for the beautiful valley where her family’s ranch is located.
A silhouette of her grandfather Buster with his sheep is the background on the label hand-sewn on every piece of Lovely Valley Wool and on her business cards.
Cindy Anderson
Cindy Anderson makes Anderson Silver — incredibly intricate custom silver engraved pieces. The Idaho resident used to live in Unionville and enjoys seeing local friends when she comes back to the Western Art and Craft Show.
Dano Pottery
Delia and Danny Nuffer were selling distinctively-painted Dano pottery. They explained that a friend, Joyce Ostrom, named her pottery line for her late son Danny. Proceeds from the sale of the beautiful and distinctively painted pottery go to fund an outdoor experience camp for young people from age 13-16.
Denise Smith
Denise Smith lived in Harney County near the Nevada/Oregon border for 40 years. “A lot of the people in my photos are people my husband and I ranched with,” she said. Art was always her hobby, from painting to photography, to jewelery-making. Now that she’s retired, she enjoys creating full-time.
Bullhorn Hat Company
Bullhorn Hat Company sells quality hats that are custom-shaped to each owner’s preference. The afford ably -priced hats are a favorite at the Western Art and Craft Show.
High Desert Creations
Kathy Turner’s metal and bead jewelery designs have won her wide acclaim. One of her truly unique offerings is a custom-made necklace incorporating three different designs that are significant to her customer’s life.
She’s an artist, a rancher, wife, mother, sister, daughter — and each role is reflected in her jewelery art. She learned to do intricate beadwork from elder women of the Yakima Indian Tribe.
There was the saddle maker, the seller of gently used western shirts, the maker of woven cinches and riattas, the importer who sold metal art including beautiful window frames with intricate metal work.
There was even jewelery made of silver spoons. Those who missed this year’s Western Art and Craft Show will have an opportunity to shop from several of the vendors who were at the show.
They will be part of two separate local stores soon to open with art and craft items.
