An Evening of Cowboy Songsters, Storytellers, & Makers.
Proposed for One&Only Moonlight Basin — Big Sky, Montana
The Living West is an intimate, immersive evening celebrating the living traditions, artistry, and storytelling of the American West.
As the fire burns and cocktails flow, guests will gather with an eclectic group of Montana cowboys, Native artists, musicians, horsemen, artists, poets, and craftspeople. The evening will blend live Western music, poetry, and storytelling, with artists sharing original and traditional cowboy songs, personal stories, and the traditions that shape their lives.
The cabin will become a living gallery, featuring curated collections of Western paintings, custom cowboy hats, silverwork and jewelry, leather goods, and other handmade pieces. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists behind the work, hear the stories and traditions that inspire them, and experience each collection through the people who created it.
Throughout the evening, live Western music, poetry, and storytelling will weave through the gathering, creating an atmosphere that feels more like an evening among friends than a formal performance. Guests can move throughout the space, enjoy a drink by the fire, talk with the artists, and discover the people and traditions behind the work.
At its heart, The Living West is a celebration of the artists, makers, and working cowboys who continue to shape Western culture today. Set within a private mountain cabin in Big Sky, the experience offers One&Only guests an intimate and authentic window into a world that is rarely accessible in this way.
Meet the Artists
Sterling Drake
Songwriter/Horsemen
Montana cowboy songwriter Sterling Drake has a penchant for honest storytelling, weaving his own perspective into the American songbook and rooting it in the landscapes and traditions that shaped him. His music carries the character of the rural West, often speaking directly to the people, places, and working cultures that define it. In recent years, Drake and his band have become fixtures at cornerstone gatherings such as the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Under the Big Sky, AmericanaFest and more, further cementing their place in the country & roots community.
Tristan Many Horses
Silversmith/ Actor/ Leatherworker
Tristan Many Horses is a Navajo horseman, actor, silversmith, musician, and leather craftsman whose work is rooted in the traditions of the American West. Tristan brings a lifetime of Western knowledge and Native craftsmanship to everything he does.
His horsemanship and acting has taken him from the ranch to the screen, with stunt and riding work in Yellowstone, Horizon: An American Saga with Kevin Costner, 1923, Dark Winds, Rez Ball, News of the World, and numerous other film and television productions. He has also worked as a wrangler and gang boss and continues to be sought after for his authentic knowledge of horses and the Western lifestyle.
Away from film, Tristan is a working artist and musician, creating handcrafted silver and leather pieces inspired by Native and Western traditions. His work has found its way onto notable musicians, celebrities, and into the world of Yellowstone. His artistry, horsemanship, and music reflect a deep connection to culture, craftsmanship, and the enduring spirit of the American West.
Dea James
Custom Hat Maker
Born and raised in Billings, Montana, Darren left his hometown to pursue a passion for music. After living across the country, coming home to Montana reignited his passion for the West. His love for western hats started in Texas, and he pursued the craft upon his return to his home state. Darren apprenticed with two master hatters, with experience totaling more than 90 years, before setting out his own shingle. Since then, he’s slowly trained his wife, Lea in the process. Together, they craft every hat by hand.
Building upon the great tradition of western hats, we set out to create a shop that creates heirloom quality hats with a luxury experience to match.
Chris Chapman (Northland Studios)
Wet-Plate Photographer/Tin-Type Artist
Chris Chapman is a Missoula-based photographer and the artist behind Northland Studio, specializing in large-format wet-plate collodion photography. Using vintage cameras and an 1850s photographic process, Chapman hand-develops one-of-a-kind tintypes on silver-coated metal plates, creating tangible, heirloom portraits that celebrate the character and craftsmanship of traditional photography.
For The Living West, Chapman would bring his mobile tintype wet-plate studio to Big Sky, creating one-of-a-kind portraits of guests throughout the evening. Each photograph would be developed by hand and presented as a tangible keepsake for guests to take home—a personal memento of their evening in the American West.
Brigid Reedy
Musician/ Painter/ Leatherworker
Brigid Reedy is a nationally-acclaimed musician, poet, leatherworker, and Illustrator artist from Southwest Montana who has spent her life immersed in the music, arts, and culture of the rural American West. Over the last two decades, Reedy has been recognized as a vital force representing her beloved home state of Montana.
She has appeared at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall and The Grand Ole Opry, as well as being a featured teller at The International Storytelling Center and a long time staple at The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
Brigid Reedy is recognized for her distinctive musicianship and dedication to Montana’s cowboy music, poetry, and fiddle traditions. Her work has been featured in books by Aaron Parrett and Charlie Seeman, as well as Western Horseman, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and Alta Magazine.
Kelsey Rae Morris
Painter/ Illustrator
Kelsey Rae Morris is a Montana artist and outdoors enthusiast based in Three Forks. Working primarily in oil and graphite, her art is inspired by wildlife, Western landscapes, and the beauty of Montana’s backcountry, with a particular talent for capturing animals and canine portraits. Since launching her art business in 2018, Kelsey has gained recognition as an emerging Western artist, including being named one of Southwest Art Magazine’s “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Collect Now.”
Her work has earned multiple Best in Show honors and has been featured in prominent Western art exhibitions, including the C.M. Russell Museum’s Russell Live Auction. When she’s not painting, Kelsey can usually be found exploring Montana with her camera and her dog, looking for the next fleeting moment of Western beauty to capture.
Proposed Cost & Event Scale
The Living West is designed as a flexible, curated experience that can be tailored to the size, character, and needs of each gathering. The number of participating musicians, artists, makers, and storytellers will scale with the size of the guest list and the desired scope of the evening.
Estimated investment per evening:
- Intimate Gathering — Up to 30 guests: $6,500
- Mid-Size Gathering — Up to 50 guests: $8,000
- Full Experience — 50–80 guests: $11,000
These estimates include the participating artists, musicians, makers, and storytellers, with programming and participation scaled appropriately to create an engaging and intimate experience at each level.
We are happy to work collaboratively with the One&Only team to adjust pricing, programming, and participating artists to best suit the resort’s needs, guest profile, and desired scale. Our goal is to create an experience that feels thoughtfully curated rather than formulaic, with the flexibility to emphasize music, storytelling, Western art, craftsmanship, horsemanship, or a combination of these elements depending on the occasion.
Sterling Drake 