What was your favorite Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival event?

People watching? Always interesting people to watch. Suddenly, Jackson is a teensy more diverse.

A few brunettes come to town!

Palates and Palettes: Several galleries were packed, but that is a change from last year’s party; in 2009, every inch of town was crowded.  Age demographics have shifted;  P&P is no longer an age 40+ event.  Many young (20′s) people out and about, but I saw very few of this group looking at art. Food and beverages are 50% of the evening’s draw—Ok, more like 90%—but when a gallery becomes so jammed with kids out for a good time and din is epically loud it’s time to head on out the door.  Even a caterer expressed concern over the lack of interest in the art by younger attendees.

Would providing only one (free) alcohol drink ticket per visitor keep the crowds moving?

Mike Piggott, Tayloe Piggott Gallery:  Great to catch up with you and talk about old California’s landscape and funky times.  Those eucalyptus, red roads, trails in the hills…(the colors in a certain stupendous Kahn).  The best Kahns sold. Thank you (and Camille) for bringing this lovely exhibition to Jackson.  I know it was a show many put on their “must see” list. And see they did.  They saw, they talked about it.  A lot.

Galleries West Fine Art:   Ms. Hoffman, always a pleasure;  Galleries West exudes such warmth. I remain committed to my feeling that your landscapes are some of the loveliest around.   Go get those headlines you deserve!  The gallery is so inviting, and thank you for supporting the great tradition of landscape painting.

Mr. Tarrant and Company:   Altamira is an artist epicenter.  And, you have the best space in town for viewing the work you carry.  Congrats on a successful year, and thank you for setting Jackson’s gallery bar high. Altamira’s artists complement one another, and the gallery’s “enclaves” vary the energy.  In other words, in a single trip to the gallery visitors enjoy multiple art barometrics.

David Brookover raised $2,400 for his canine charities—his entry fee was $10 a head, so you do the math.  David also has some brilliant new platinums of Yellowstone wildlife, particularly wolves.   Gorgeous work and 100% different from all the other wildlife photography I’ve seen in town.  More on that later.  (Santa Fe is not as happening as Jackson Hole, says Brookover—-he’s coming up on the last month or two of his year lease on Canyon Road.  All efforts will be re-directed back to Jackson.)

Astoria’s Ewoud De Groot, a Dutch wildlife artist known particularly for his sparkling portrayals of bird species, says that he sells a huge majority of his work in the States.  Holland’s art market is sleepy.  The vision for arts depicting nature is here, says he.   De Groot is young, blond, cosmopolitan.  Extremely self assured, finely tailored wardrobe.  He likes Astoria’s mix of artists.  Word has it Astoria sold 11 De Groots!

Heather James:  I’m not getting to spend as much time with you as I’d like, but that will change soon.  Incredible art.  Worldly presence.  Great knowledge, ever-changing art “trips” to be had.  Lyndsay’s imagination and passion.  Far out gallery events.  The gallery is doing a notable job combining its world-wide knowledge with being involved locally.  Applause!

Diehl Gallery: So eclectic and really a fine example of providing for local non-profit organizations while doing what the gallery is meant to do, sell art.  Ashley Collins has certainly had her profile raised because of your huge marketing efforts.   Collins had works hanging everywhere at the Western Design Conference.

Trailside: Trailside is where you can find Greenwood Design creations—in case that doesn’t ring a bell, Greenwood’s “Yellowstone Desk” won the Western Design Conference’s “Best in Show.” I spent 30 minutes looking for that desk’s secret compartment. Horton Spitzer is a fan.  Loved Western Design Conference. Thought I’d spend 20 minutes; spent two hours. Made some awesome discoveries.

Western Visions/NMWA :   “The Grizzly Claw Necklace” by artist Z.S. Liang was the top-selling artwork, going for $42,500. Press releases note that while final income figures for the event aren’t yet available….all three 2010 top sellers (sold) for higher prices than 2009’s.  “With so many excellent artist submissions, it’s no surprise we attracted significant bids and generated so much interest,” says Curator of Art Adam Harris.  (Come on, NMWA, comp me at least ONE ticket for ONE event…)   I’ve heard many positive reports on the art up for sale at this year’s Western Visions—and I hope most of it remains up for a little while, so I can see it.    Need to renew my membership as well, and check out progress on the new sculpture trail.   Adam, your book Wildlife in American Art, Masterworks from the National Museum of Wildlife Art is gorgeous.  So nice to see you, and the book, last Saturday.

Trio Fine Art:  The feminine gallery, but boys like it too. Visiting Trio is like taking a walk through a soothing forest glen.  Civility reigns, as does tea. And margs. The women artists of Trio have, over the course of a few years, achieved what not many can in Jackson: transformed a slightly hexed location into a sought out destination.  It’s rare to visit that gallery and not learn something.  It’s light, it’s Zen. The gallery is a good friend to Artists in the Environment/Parks.

Cayuse: Did not get over to you during the Festival, but I know what you are doing;  keeping a focus on the Parks art history is extremely important—those pioneers got us all here, created the aura of the West, established the Parks.  And with the Historical Museum’s losing out on the SPET vote, your passions are even more important.  Can’t wait to stop in.

Art Association & Teton Art Lab:  Another good year on the Streets! Would like to see more exciting new artists participating. Kudos on your continuing expanded visions and efforts—Chuck Close & Co. was neat and I understand Spence’s photographs represent a new and exciting vision for our favorite celeb attorney-photog.  During Palates and Palettes word on the street was, “Have you been to the Art Association?  I’m headed over, there’s way interesting work there!”

Jackson Hole Art Auction: What can we say?  The auction, which takes place at the Center for the Arts, and is a joint production between Gerald Peters Gallery and Trailside, has stood Jackson’s art scene on its ear. With buyer premiums figured in, more than $6 million dollars worth of Western Art was sold this year.  ”With over 230 phones bids, 75 absentee bids and more than 200 registered bidders in the audience, the atmosphere in the auditorium was palpable.  As the hammer fell on the final lot, sales for the 4 ½ hour session totalled more than $6,225,000, sending a clear message that collectors are actively purchasing and are very enthusiastic about the western representational art market,” says the Auction’s Emma Zanetti.

Mian Situ’s “A New Beginning, San Francisco, 1910,” estimated at $275,000 to $375,000, sold for $402,500. Eanger Irving Couse’s “The Pottery Decorator” reached a hammer price of $253,000.  Prices include buyer’s premium.

Good strategies, great organization, superb curating and outreach, and ever-growing word-of-mouth is making this annual live auction a huge success for Jackson.   To attend, all you have to do is register. Registration is free. This year, Auction catalogs were priced at $45. See all the auction results at www.jacksonholeartauction.com.