The enduring spirit of the American West — both real and romanticized — is at the center of Maura Allen’s work.
Maura’s creative process begins on location at ranches and rodeos where she photographs silhouettes against the sun to create striking, iconic imagery that serves as the basis for her mixed media paintings and glass sculpture. By masterfully weaving contemporary moments with “Old West” motifs including vintage wallpaper, vintage postcard notes home, typography and symbols, her work evokes a timeless quality that bridges past and present.
Her artwork has been widely exhibited in museums and top galleries across the country, is included in numerous museum, corporate and private collections, and has been featured extensively in art publications. Double D Ranch, the top western lifestyle brand, selected Maura’s paintings as the feature of its 2025/2026 Holiday Collection line of women’s clothing.
Maura serves on the board of trustees at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Arizona, and board of directors of Leica Society International and the photography nonprofit Photolucida. She speaks frequently about her artistic process and the role of women in the West and teaches at Santa Fe Workshops. Maura resides in Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Education:
Stanford University – BA Classical Studies/Latin
Gallery Representation
Ann Korologos Gallery | Basalt, CO
Gallery Mar | Park City, UT
Grace Renee Gallery | Carefree, AZ
Dick Idol Signature Gallery | Whitefish, MT
LA Design | Missoula, MT
Mountain Trails Gallery | Jackson Hole, WY
Sorrel Sky Gallery | Santa Fe, NM & Durango, CO
exhibit | Tulsa, OK
Xanadu Gallery | Scottsdale, AZ
Museum & Corporate Collections:
CoBank, Denver, CO
Corum, Denver, CO
Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
Hilton Hotels (Tucson and various locations)
Inverness Hotel, Denver, CO
Pearce Museum, Corsicana, TX
Rally Hotel, Denver, CO
Ritz-Carlton Hotels (Beaver Creek and various locations)
Sage Inn, Santa Fe, NM
Viking Cruise Ships (various vessels)
Yellowstone Club, Big Sky, MT
Exhibitions:
Coors Western Art Show & Sale | Denver, CO (2024 – 2026)
Cowgirl Up! Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ (2012 – 2026)
Women’s Work | A. R. Mitchell Museum | Trinidad, CO | August 2025
Stories In Bronze & Paint | Sorrel Sky Gallery | Santa Fe, NM | July 2025
This Is the West | Grace Renee Gallery | Carefree, AZ | March 2025
Stephanie Breitbard Gallery | San Francisco | 2016 – 2024
Adventure West | Dick Idol Gallery | Whitefish MT | July 2023
New Frontier. Curtis Arts & Humanities Center – Greenwood Village/Denver | 2017
Western Heroes of Pulp Fiction. Tucson Museum of Art | 2015 – 2016
Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show. Old West Museum, Cody WY | 2015 – 2017
Corps of Discovery: On the Trail with Lewis & Clark (solo show). Pearce Museum, Corsicana, TX | 2014
The New West. Denver Arts Commission, Denver, CO | 2014
A New Look at the West. Pearce Museum, Corsicana, TX | 2014
Collecting the West. Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ | 2011
Press
John Wayne Journal | Image & Myth | July 2024 Article Link
PORTFOLIO Magazine | Feb/March Article Link
Western Art Collector | Ridin’ High | July 2023
Southwest Art Magazine | Feb/March 2023
Southwest Art Magazine | “No Limits” | February 2022 Article Link
Black & White Magazine | UK May 2022 Article Link
Images Arizona | Maura Allen – Layers of Time | January 2022 Article Link
Western Art & Architecture | “The Next West” | Oct/Nov 2019 Article Link
Western Art Collector | “Art from the Other Half of the West” | March 2018
SouthwestArt Magazine | “Geography of Hope” | June 2017
Cowboys & Indians | “The Contemporary Works of Maura Allen | April 2017 Article Link
Dorado | “At Home: The Wild, Wild West” | March 2017 Article Link
Denver Post | “New Frontier” | January 2017 | Article Link
SouthwestArt Magazine | “The Santa Fe Trail” | 2015
Western Art Collector Magazine | “Art from the Other Half of the West” | 2015
SouthwestArt Magazine | “Today’s West” | Cover + Feature | 2014
SouthwestArt Magazine | “Celebrating Women” | 2014
SouthwestArt Magazine | “Cowgirl Up! Show Preview” | 2014
SouthwestArt Magazine | “Spotlight” | 2012
Juried Shows / Awards
B&W Magazine | 2023 Portfolios Portfolio of Merit 2023
Women by Women | 2023 | SE Center for Photography
Juror – Laurie Klein – Photographer, Author, Educator Catalog
Black, White & Monochrome | 2023 | SE Center for Photography Catalog
Shapes | 2nd Place Honors | 2022 | AAP Magazine AAP Magazine #26 | Shapes
“Women” | 3rd Place Honors | 2022 | All About Photo AAP Magazine #23 | Women
#1 Mobile Photographer of the Year | 2021 (#5 in the world) | One Eyeland Portfolio
“A Woman’s View” – 2021 | SE Center for Photography Catalog
SE Center Open 2021 | SE Center for Photography Catalog
Chico Review 2021 | Jury Selection
B&W Magazine | 2021 Smartphone Annual Juried Competition
“Portraits” – 2019 | Center for Fine Art Photography
Cheyenne Frontier Days | Show Poster (2016)
Museum Purchase Award | Desert Caballeros Western (2014)
Tin Star Award | Pearce Museum New Look at the West (2014)
Artists’ Choice Award | Cowgirl Up! (2013)
Rene di Rosa Award of Merit
Hearts of San Francisco | Artist Grant
