2023 Oklahoma Arts Conference

"Promise in the Road Ahead"

Jay Snider
Jay Snider of Cyril, Oklahoma, was appointed by Governor J. Kevin Stitt in December 2022 to serve as the 2023-2024 Oklahoma State Poet Laureate. Snider is an award-winning cowboy poet and recording artist who has appeared at national and regional events. He is widely recognized in the Oklahoma cowboy poetry community and is a frequent contributor to programs presented by the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan and other museums and cultural centers across the state. Among national and regional events featuring Snider, he has appeared at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Nevada, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, and the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering. Snider was a featured poet at the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering for many years. In 2001, he was chosen by CowboyPoetry.com as their fifth Lariat Laureate—awarded to poets whose work celebrates and preserves stories honoring Western heritage and the work of ranching and rural life. In 2006, Snider earned Cowboy Poetry Recording of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists for his CD, “Of Horses and Men.” In 2008, he was recognized as Cowboy Poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. His latest album, “The Old Tried and True,” is a compilation of his favorite poems written by cowboy poets of the past. Born and raised in a ranching and rodeo family in southwestern Oklahoma, Snider rodeoed as a young man. He currently stays busy raising ranch horses and cattle and taking part in team roping.

Jay Snider's Schedule

General Session Luncheon
Date: Wednesday – October, 18 2023 Time: 11:30am - 1:15pm Room: Great Plains Ballroom A&B
The general session luncheon program will feature a special keynote presentation by distinguished National Heritage Fellow Vanessa Jennings who has been called a "living national treasure" by two U.S. presidents for her deep knowledge of Kiowa culture. Along with Jennings' presentation, attendees will enjoy performances by pianist Hyunsoon Whang and Oklahoma State Poet Laureate Jay Snider. A legislative citation recognizing Oklahoma as Arts and Humanities Month in Oklahoma will be presented by State Representative Daniel Pae and State Representative Rande Worthen.

The Art of Cowboy Poetry
Date: Wednesday – October, 18 2023 Time: 3:15pm - 4:30pm Room: Great Plains Ballroom E
Join Oklahoma State Poet Laureate Jay Snider and Wallace Charles Moore, Sr. to learn more about the art of cowboy poetry. Whether told through song or story, with humor or rhyme, cowboy poetry is a unique expression of life in the American West. Often reflective of everyday life back at the ranch or wild adventures on the Western frontier, cowboy poetry is a traditional art form that continues to evolve in contemporary times. Participants will be given some basic prompts to write their own cowboy poem.

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Questions?
For more information contact our Director of Community Arts and Workforce Development.