Somewhere outside of Wall, South Dakota, a yearly gathering of Western artists and reenactors occurs on a gorgeous ranch teaming with cows and cowboys alike.
Western-themed paintings of cowboys, fur traders, Native Americans, and more from the 19th century are coveted by collectors world-wide, and Artist Ride is where the artists go to get their inspiration. Over the course of several days, historical reenactors from all over the country (and from all walks of life) come to stage scenes for the painters to compose and photograph for the paintings they will render later.
We received a rare invitation to film this exclusive and reclusive event, and spent several days on location interviewing artists and reenactors, and documenting many of the scenes that unfolded, staged or otherwise