08/18/2026
The Shufelt family expresses profound gratitude for the love from fans, friends, and family celebrating Shoofly's wonderful life.
Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt (1935–2026)
Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt, an acclaimed New Mexico artist whose finely detailed graphite drawings documented the lives of modern-day cowboys and the ranching culture of the American Southwest, passed away on August 13, 2026. He was 91.
Shufelt was born in Champaign, Illinois. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest College, and the University of Illinois before beginning a career as a commercial illustrator.
His life and artistic direction changed in 1976… after he moved west and began living on a cattle ranch near Wickenburg, Arizona. Immersed in ranch life, Shufelt found the subjects that would define his career… working cowboys, horses, cattle, and the quiet routines of life on the range. He later moved to New Mexico, where the family has lived since 1991.
Widely known by the nickname “Shoofly,” Shufelt became recognized for graphite pencil drawings that captured the people, animals, equipment, and landscapes of contemporary ranching. His work reflects close observation of the cowboy way of life and was frequently reproduced in limited-edition lithographs. Galleries in Scottsdale, Tucson, Santa Fe, and Jackson, Wyoming represented his artwork.
His drawings are exhibited at museums across the United States, including the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, to which the Shufelts gifted their complete Shoofly print collection.
Shufelt received numerous awards, including the Great American Cowboy Award and the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, one of the state’s highest honors.
He also documented his experiences and artistic approach through several books. His published works included “Shoofly: Drawing from Experience,” released in 1995; “Raised on Good Pasture,” created with Audrey Hankins and released in 1997; and “The Point of My Pencil,” released in 2002.
Shufelt will be remembered for preserving the character of the modern American cowboy. An accepted "Hand" working alongside his subjects…he never staged his vision with a camera, but rather from his heart, with patience and an intimate knowledge of his medium and ranch life. He recorded a culture built around hard work, horsemanship, and the relationship between humans, animals, and the land.
