About the artist Ted Wright

The Spirit of the

American West

Born in St. Louis in 1958 and raised in Fredericktown, Missouri, Ted Wright grew up dreaming of being a cowboy just like his grandad. Surrounded by horses, mules, and the rhythms of rural life, he found inspiration early. His grandfather often brought home ponies for Ted, his brother David, and the other grandkids—gifts that shaped a lifelong connection to the western way of life. Ted credits his grandad for sparking his passion for art. From the moment he could hold a pencil or brush, he was encouraged to draw horses, cowboys, and the world he loved. “I always tell people that when I was a little boy I dreamed of being a cowboy,” Ted says, “but through a little bit of twisted fate, I became an artist.”

Ted’s creative journey expanded when his grandfather gave him his first camera—a Brownie Hawkeye film box camera. After his grandparents showed him how to load the film, he immediately began photographing life around what his grandpa called the “Old Plug Ranch.” Those early snapshots, paired with the excitement of seeing developed prints from the local drugstore, ignited a lifelong love for photography.

For more than 55 years, Ted built a successful career as a graphic illustrator and designer. Today, he begins a new chapter as a fine art western photographer, dedicated to creating work that reflects his unique vision and deep roots in cowboy heritage. His dream is to share his imagery in art galleries and venues across the country. Ted’s six grandsons often join him in his cowboy adventures, providing youthful inspiration that reminds him of the legacy passed down from his own grandpa. It’s for them that he donates the proceeds of his work to for their future  and paying it forward as they say.

As Ted sets out on this next stretch of his creative journey, he invites viewers to ride along with him down the long, rugged and dusty trail ahead.