A chance encounter between a Lake City artist and a former bull rider led to the creation of this year’s Williams Lake Stampede poster.
Tiffany Jorgensen said it all started when Bruce Myers came into her studio last April.
“There is a really interesting story behind this painting. Bruce Myers came into my studio in April and he commissioned me to paint two pieces for him. One was his daughter riding a horse in a river and the one of him riding a bull from a photo that he had brought in. He and his wife would come to the studio all of the time and they were so friendly and so excited about their paintings. When Bruce came by to pick up the finished paintings I asked him if I could enter the bull riding one in the Stampede Poster Contest and he was super pumped about it.” Jorgensen said.
She added that if she won the contest that she would give him the money he paid for it back
But the story doesn’t end there.
“On November 22nd, my friend messaged me asking if I was going to submit something for the contest and I told her, yes and then I sent her the picture.” Jorgensen said, “My friend asked who that was and I told her a man named Bruce Myers, then she told me he passed that morning.”
Jorgensen added that she was devastated to hear that news and asked the family if she won the contest is there a charity Bruce would like the winnings to be donated to.
“His wife thought that was a wonderful idea and it would be truly what he wanted” Jorgensen added, “It’s so crazy how everything lined up in the creation of this poster and I’m so happy he is going to be honored and remembered.”
This is the second time Jorgensen had won this contest having also created the Williams Lake Stampede poster for 2019.