Cowboy Culture Was Always an Immigrant Culture: Duke Beardsley on Reimagining Western Art
- huerfanodems
- Aug 7
- 1 min read
"In our current weird world, we have lost sight of the fact that cowboy culture was always an immigrant culture.” Beardsley allows for tradition in his works, but he also challenges the past, imagines the present and constantly questions the romanticization of the West.
Walking into Duke Beardsley’s Denver studio, two things quickly become clear: This is the home of an artist and of a cowboy. Both are identities that Beardsley inhabits with equal parts pride and uncertainty.
Beardsley says that ranching culture has always been a part of his life and his work, but his spin on the genre of Western art isn't nostalgic – it is a contemporary take on life between ranch and urban spaces. Beardsley allows for tradition in his work, but he also challenges the past, imagines the present and constantly questions the romanticization of the West.
Although Beardsley is very modest about his many achievements, his work has earned recognition across Colorado, the West and internationally. A recipient of the Colorado Governor’s Art Award, his art has appeared in numerous regional and national exhibitions, including the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, where he was the featured artist in 2025.
Read the article and listen to the interview here:
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