About

“The confluence of past and present, of honoring history while honing new traditions, is a constant rhythm in the West and my work. I explore what Wallace Stegner called the Geography of Hope—the notion that the West is not a place on a map, but the promise of a life defined by strength, pride, awe and possibility.” – Maura Allen

The enduring spirit of the American West—both real and romanticized—is at the center of Maura Allen’s work.   

Her creative process begins on location at ranches and rodeos where she is drawn to the power of the silhouette. A photographer for nearly 50 years, Maura chronicles life in the West and has amassed a vast library of original black and white images that serve as her springboard for the stories she paints. In her Abiquiu, New Mexico studio, she weaves in “Old West” elements to infuse a sense the past is present—a bridge between the West today and yesterday.

Maura’s work is featured in numerous museum, corporate and private collections nationwide. Her paintings and glass were showcased by Double D Ranch, the #1 western lifestyle brand in the country, in its top-selling women’s clothing and jewelry collection. She is a 15-year participant in the Sigler Western Museum’s annual Cowgirl Up! exhibition, including the recipient of the Artist’s Choice Award and Museum Purchase Award. Cowboys & Indians Magazine dubbed Allen “the Warhol of the West.”

Maura Allen grew up in Northern California around the corner from Stanford University, where the iconic Eadweard Muybridge’s stop-action images of a running horse were taken and now displayed. She studied Latin/Classical Studies there, learning how iconic figures, myth and moments define a culture. When she began photographing the American West with ranchers and wranglers as her trusted guides, she realized many of the same cultural forces were at play.

An instructor at Santa Fe Workshops, Maura has received top honors for her images of the American West, including seven Julia Margaret Cameron Awards in a single year. She serves on the board of trustees of the Sigler Western Museum, and on the board of directors of Leica Society International (LSI) and photolucida, a global photography collective.