“I grew up on a farm/ranch and loved it! As I’ve developed as an artist I am always drawn to things that reflect my appreciation for the Western Cowboy lifestyle. I have a Bachelors in Fine Arts and love to paint and draw, but when I started leatherwork, it became a passion. It’s so exciting that I can make something beautiful and functional! I am a wife and the mother to a very active family of 4 boys and one girl. I live in Star Valley Wyoming next to the Bridger Teton National Forest. God and family come first in my life. As a family, we work hard and play hard and spend any extra time on horseback, motorcycle or hiking in the mountains we love so much. I am so grateful to The Rodear for providing the opportunity to learn from and work with one of my favorite leather artists! I look forward to progressing in my trade and becoming a part of this community of inspiring and unique Western artists.”

Cheyenne will be doing a mentorship in leather with Sarah Garvey, at her studio in Arizona

“Growing up, I was constantly drawing and making art of one kind or another. Looking back, I was also slowly falling in love with the western lifestyle and agriculture through books, stories, and school. I had wanted to try my hand at leatherwork for years before finally making the dive my sophomore year of college. What started out as making things for myself and friends, turned into custom pieces for friends of friends and then for people I had never met. So J Bar Leather was born. 

These days I still take some custom orders, but also love to let my creativity flow and make whatever I can think up. I pull inspiration from the high desert around where we live as well as from silver engraving and traditional scroll work. I’m constantly tweaking my designs to accomplish a combination of functionality and beauty.”

Julia will be attending a saddle program with Pedro Pedrini in Nevada.

Kilee Sofich is a recent full time western silversmith who currently resides in Prineville, Oregon. Her appreciation for the industry was found through growing up around livestock and her involvement in the rodeo community. After graduating with a Bachelors in Elementary Education from Colorado Mesa University, earning a Masters in Trauma Informed Education, and teaching in Colorado and Oregon, Kilee decided to pursue a creative outlet. She says, “I’ve always had an appreciation for hand crafted things, it’s something my mom and I share,” and claims that silversmithing just felt natural to her. She recently decided to pursue silversmithing full time and step away from her career in education. Kilee explained, “God was asking me to take a leap of faith and where He guides, He provides.” While passionate about all aspects of her projects, her favorite part is being able to design and create one of a kind pieces that will be passed down for generations. Very excited for the scholarship opportunity, she will be adding engraving to her current skill set. She said that she is very grateful for the opportunity and knows how special it is. 

Kilee will be doing an engraving class at GRS in Kansas.

I grew up as the sixth generation on my family’s cow/calf operation in south central Montana. Growing up, my dad always kept my sister and I on good horses and using nice tack, which I know I took for granted at the time. My upbringing sparked a deep love for agriculture and western life. This last summer I worked on the C-J ranch in Two Dot Montana, where my managers and co-ranch-hands showed me all of the amazing saddles, bits, and braiding they were building. Watching them, I developed a deep appreciation for the creativity and craftsmanship that built the tack I use and grew up using. I was eager to build something of my own. I was riding a colt for my dad that summer, and was convinced by my manager to start him out in a hackamore. I loved the feel of a hackamore and became intrigued with the workings of bosals and braiding. And so I was hooked! I started processing my own hides that summer, and took them with me to school in Wyoming in the fall. My gracious roommates never blinked when I transformed our mudroom into a storage room for my hides and strings, and commandeered our dining room table as my new work bench. I am working hard toward building functional, yet beautiful, pieces that will carry on the tradition of braiding and last a lifetime. It is truly an honor to have an opportunity to take up this age-old art form. I am glad to have found this way to express my creativity in building functional useful tack.

Morgan will be doing a mentorship with Bill Black in rawhide braiding.

View past SKJ scholarship recipients here!