I Am Only a Craftsman | Trailer | 2024 Documentary

I AM ONLY A CRAFTSMAN
A Documentary Film by Sheridan County Travel & Tourism
Leather craft is inextricably linked to the culture of Wyoming and is woven into the very fabric of Sheridan’s identity. There have been saddle makers and leather toolers in Bighorn Mountain Country for as long as there have been cowboys chasing sunsets across the frontier, yet leather craft as art is something of a modern phenomenon, one born of the fusion of rangeland utility and upcountry escapism.
King’s Saddlery, established by cowboy and leather crafter Don King in 1947, remains an iconic cowboy emporium and the foremost tack and leather shop in the west, and has become a major destination for visitors - indeed, King’s Ropes hats have become something of a ubiquitous hallmark of a trip to Sheridan County. King himself is considered one of the finest leather crafters to ever ply his trade in Wyoming, and his namesake museum, located at the saddlery, features some of his most spectacular pieces - along with work by masters Bill Gardner and Chester Hape. When Queen Elizabeth visited Sheridan in 1989, she made a trip to King’s: what she saw there then was what you will find today; handmade ropes, utilitarian tack, bits, spurs, belt knives and hats set out alongside some of the most spectacularly carved saddles ever made - not to mention hand-tooled wallets, belts, bags, vases, and much more.
Stamping, tooling, and carving traditions are upheld today by the likes of Barry and Ryan King (Don King’s grandsons), as well as James F Jackson of the Brinton Museum. James Jackson, known in the leather trade as Jim, was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2019, and was awarded a Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award the same year. The son of saddle maker Edward Jackson, Jim was stamping leather in Ernst’s Saddlery by the age of 14. He began hand-stamping belts at King’s in 1974, later earned degrees in Fine Art at the University of Wyoming and began taking custom orders at the shop in 1989. Jackson spent 43 years epitomizing Sheridan craftsmanship at King’s Saddlery before transitioning to the leather shop at the Brinton Museum where he continues to work.
Jackson’s art is celebrated globally; he is an icon not only in the USA, but in countries like Japan, a nation known for its own robust history of leather craft. Artists like Seiichi Koyashiki, considered one of the finest artists in the world, have built upon American carving traditions in their work; Akiko Okada, winner of the prestigious Al Stohlman Award for Excellent in Leather Craft, have studied under and been inspired by Jackson; others, like Taka Otsuka, who gave up a career at Wrangler to chase his dream of becoming a master carver, have made the "Sheridan Style" synonymous with leather carving across Japan.
“I Am Only a Craftsman” is an examination of the surprising power of Wyoming’s art and history; most of the world is unaware of the scope and prestige of Sheridan’s artistic and cultural exports, and the strong connections they have forged with art communities across the globe. This documentary traces the history of Wyoming leather craft back to its roots and follows Jim Jackson and Taka Otsuka on a journey across Japan to explore the cultural exchange between western and eastern leather artists. Perhaps the most surprising discovery on this international journey is that these artists, known universally as the very finest in their field of work, remain as humble as their cowboy forbearers and frequently refer to themselves as “only craftsmen.”
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“I Am Only a Craftsman” has been made possible through support from Wyoming Humanities, the Wyoming Arts Council, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Brand USA, the Brinton Museum, and our teams in Wyoming and in Japan - James Jackson, Taka Otsuka, executive producer Shawn Parker, director Max Brown, cinematographers Michael Ormiston, Lance Roth, audio engineer Kerek Ford, fixer John Fox and the many other hands that helped bring this project to life.
#ThatsWY #VisitSheridan #TheBackyard #LeatherCraft

[@larrycumba2741]

Can’t wait to see it.