The 15th Anniversary of the SLOPOKE Art of the West Exhibition and Sale will take place on the weekend of November 1st, 2025 at the Octagon Barn Center in San Luis Obispo, California.
10/31 - FRIDAY - 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM: Opening Reception
11/1 - SATURDAY - 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
11/2 - SUNDAY - 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
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The Opening Reception is on Halloween: Friday evening Oct. 31st from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm and it will be very special and lots of fun as we encourage folks to come in costume as their favorite western movie star or their favorite historic artist. All ticket holders are invited. SLOPOKE 2025 is then also open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1st & 2nd from 11 am until 6 pm.
The Octagon Barn is one of only 60 such surviving barns in the United States. Unique to San Luis Obispo, historically the design was cheaper to build than a traditional rectangular barn because a larger area could be covered using less material. Known as The Octagon Barn Center, it was recently restored by the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo as a regional event center. Located on the southern edge of the city close to the 101 freeway, hotels, and restaurants, it provides 5000 square feet of exhibit space, modern restrooms, and parking for 120 vehicles.
SLOPOKE is an annual juried art show that promotes the culture and spirit of the American West.
Historic imagery is integrated with scenes of the 21st Century west to tell the on-going story of the individuality, creativity, and grit of all American people. Nominally 35 artists are juried into the show based on their artistic skill, imagination, and the marketability of their work whether painting, sculpture, photography or other media. All genres from realism to unidentifiable are considered based on these merits. Original art competes for Best of Show, Best Painting, Best Sculpture, Best Animal/Wildlife Art, Best Figurative Art, Best Depiction of the 21st Century West, and People’s Choice awards determined by an independent Featured Artist/Awards Jurist. Generally, a good mix of experienced and emerging artists are presented to art collectors at reasonable prices and without the need to travel to a large metropolitan area to see new art.
