FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06/19/2024
Ellensburg, WA – The Ellensburg Rodeo is proud to announce the release of the official 2024 commemorative poster showcasing the work of the incomparable John Clymer. This year’s poster is the culmination of a joint effort of the Ellensburg Rodeo and Clymer Foundation that features a classic ranch scene created by Clymer for a national automobile advertising campaign in the late 1940’s.
“We are truly honored to feature John Clymer’s legendary artwork on our 2024 poster,” said Brock Alderman, Merchandise Director of the Ellensburg Rodeo. “John Clymer and the Ellensburg Rodeo are iconic in their own niche of western culture and to be able to create a collaboration of the two is beyond exciting. To use a piece of his that so perfectly captures authentic, vintage cowboying is just icing on the cake.”
This year’s poster harkens back not only to the earlier days of life on the American ranch, but also Ellensburg Rodeo posters of the past. The typefaces used are a tribute to the classic posters of the 1990’s and complimenting colors are a salute to posters produced in the 1980’s when the Rodeo began collaborating closely with the Western Art Show held annually in Ellensburg.
The 2024 poster features an oil on canvas work by Clymer titled “Teamwork” that was part of a series commissioned in 1948 for automobile advertisements. It depicts a cowboy dismounting his horse after roping a calf carefully woven into a grand western landscape. The artwork is exceptionally detailed and a perfect representation of Clymer’s ability to bring the essence of the American West to life.
“We really wanted to create a poster for our fans that immediately gave the viewer a sense of nostalgia as well as excitement and it was imperative that we did the very best we could to honor the legacy of John Clymer” noted Alderman. “I believe we ended up with a poster that is a perfect nod to the past and a great start to the next century of rodeo in Ellensburg.”
John Ford Clymer, born and brought up in Ellensburg, is well known among artists and historians for his accurate depictions of historic events and people on canvas. His subjects include the Lewis and Clark expedition, the frontier and fur trade, gold seekers, cattlemen, pioneers, and Native Americans from the Plains and Plateau tribes. He was renowned for his artistry and attention to detail that transformed his canvasses into virtual history lessons.
The 2024 Ellensburg Rodeo poster is expected to become a collector’s item for rodeo enthusiasts and Clymer fans alike, so don’t wait to pick up your copy. The poster will be available for purchase in the official rodeo office at 609 N Main Street in Ellensburg, online at ellensburgrodeo.com, and at the Clymer Museum of Art at 416 N Pearl Street in Ellensburg.
The 101st Ellensburg Rodeo runs August 30 – September 2, 2024. Attendees can look forward to experiencing the excitement of the rodeo and admiring the iconic poster that celebrates this year’s event. For more information about the action-packed Labor Day Weekend or to purchase the official poster, please visit www.ellensburgrodeo.com.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Buddy Stanavich
Director
Ellensburg Rodeo
BuddyStanavich@EllensburgRodeo.com
About the Ellensburg Rodeo: The Ellensburg Rodeo is one of the “old rodeos” and has earned its place as one of America’s Top 10 professional rodeos. The Ellensburg Rodeo also hosts a stop on the PRCA’s Xtreme Bulls Tour. Started in 1923 with the same volunteer spirit that still “fuels the fire” of today’s volunteers, the rodeo has grown from a local competition among ranch hands to the Professional event of today with over 600 contestants and prize money in excess of $700,000!
Today’s best riders, ropers, and wrestlers compete in what many consider to be the best rodeo arena in the nation. The Friday night opening performance starts in the evening and ends under the stars. The Saturday and Sunday afternoon “perfs” feel electrically charged by the brilliant blue sky. It all leads up to the Labor Day Monday Championship Finals… The best of the best dueling in the dirt!
Surround all this with the fun of the Kittitas County Fair, the old-west hospitality of the City of Ellensburg, and you can understand why in Ellensburg, it’s More than just your average rodeo.
About The Clymer Museum of Art
In 1988, members of the Western Art Association of Ellensburg, Washington, proposed the idea to create a Clymer Museum of Art to honor John Ford Clymer and his work. The grand opening was August 1991. The museum is located at 416 North Pearl, in the historic Ramsay Building in downtown Ellensburg, Washington. It is open seven days a week (January-April, closed Sundays). People from all over the world enjoy the collection of John Clymer’s originals and prints. John expressed a desire to promote other artists. Therefore, the museum changes the exhibit every two months and sometimes for a one month period of time. The exhibits feature a variety of artists with a variety of mediums and styles of artwork. Please visit clymermuseum.org