Each year the California Rodeo Salinas produces a
commemorative poster, the content of which is driven by the President. The new
President, Mike Scarr, had a vision of a poster featuring a traditional rodeo
event and showcasing the famous Salinas arena. The President works with the Rodeo’s
Marketing Manager to solidify an idea and secure an artist, artwork is then produced
and scanned and a poster including the California Rodeo logos and dates is
created. The 2016 commemorative poster was debuted at the annual Stockholders Dinner
on Thursday October 15
th.
The poster was painted by Dani Griffith-Traweek, the Event
Marketing and Sponsorship Director at the Colorado State Fair, who interned at the
California Rodeo Salinas and also painted the 2002 and 2007 commemorative
posters for the association. Dani’s oil paintings take an average of 40 hours
to complete and her goal is to bring out as much action and feeling in the painting
as possible. This particular painting was comprised of four different photos
taken in 2014 by Richard Field Levine. Richard is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association card holding photographer who has been working in Salinas for over
20 years. The poster showcases 7-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier
Steven Peebles, who was born in Salinas and raised here until he was 14, during
his championship ride aboard Four Star Rodeo’s horse Black Ice.
The posters are available for purchase for $15 at the
California Rodeo Office, 1034 N. Main Street, Salinas, from Monday-Friday between
9am and 5pm and online at
www.carodeo.com.