Artists of the Great Western Divide takes a look at three artists - Paul Buxman, Matthew Rangel, and John Spivey - and their creative response to the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. The film was a collaborative project with the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, a non-profit Central California land trust. Paul Buxman is a native to the San Joaquin Valley and has dedicated himself full-time to painting and farming since 1980. He studied plein air painting in Illinois. His son developed leukemia which sent Buxman on an environmental quest to clean up the San Joaquin Valley’s water, soil, and air quality. He pioneered clean farming techniques which led to many sustainable practices used today. His artwork hangs in our nation’s capitol as “a reminder to our leaders of what we must preserve.” Matthew Rangel is a printmaker whose featured work was inspired by a pilgrimage he made from the valley floor to the highest reaches of the Great Western Divide of the Sierra Nevada. His print series, A Transect - Due East, is the result of this journey. During his travels, Rangel became acquainted with many knowledgeable and unique individuals throughout the Kaweah River Watershed that influenced his artwork and experience with the land. John Spivey is a poet, writer, and avid photographer born in Exeter, CA. His family were early pioneers in the San Joaquin Valley. Spivey’s work includes the book, The Great Western Divide: A History with Crow, Coyote, Chaos and God, and digital photographs that document the color-saturated beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Director: Diran Lyons Producer: Janice Ledgerwood Writer: Janice Ledgerwood and Diran Lyons