Saddlemaker Eddie Brooks is a transplanted Texan whose roots have grown deep into the buckaroo country around Elko. Brooks started working with leather as a boy, apprenticed in the saddle making trade, and was working in a Texas shop in 1964 when he was hired to run the saddle shop at Capriola's in Elko. He says that Nevada buckaroos "went everywhere horseback," so they really needed and appreciated well-made saddles. Working with them helped him develop his skills to a high art.

Artown is an annual monthlong festival of the arts held in Reno every July. The celebration includes hundreds of performances of music, dance, and theater, visual arts exhibitions, films, and activities for children and families. The Artown organization, a nonprofit entity, books most of the larger national touring acts, but over 90 percent of the presenters are local organizations using local artists.