Posts from ‘Western Contemporary Art’
Jackson artist Travis Walker (yes, Teton Art Lab’s and Factory Studios’ Travis Walker!) is the next National Museum of Wildlife (NMWA) Art Lanford Monroe Memorial Artist-in-Residence! I love this.
Friday, August 5, 10:00 am-2:00 pm, Walker will demonstrate his painting techniques and make some fun art at the Museum, setting up in the Museum’s expanisive lobby area, across from the admissions desk. From 2:30-3:00 pm, spend time with Walker as he leads a tour of the Museum’s Rungius Drypoints exhibit.
Walker is a satellite, zooming in and out of our landscapes, freezing vast spaces and solitary formations. We’re light years away from a moment just
captured. Flaxen parachutes float forever. Still purple evening shadows never give way to night. These landscapes are our ideal; they’re uninhabited, but histories are embedded. Deserted cabins hold the energy and sadness of generations. Blank windows and headlights, eyes of the universe. Beneath Walker’s surfaces is an extraterrestrial glow he never quite paints down, a light peeking out from behind closed doors.
Walker has moved his studio space into town. He’s painting his giant trailer paintings upstairs from Jackson eatery E Leaven. And he’s the artist-of-choice for Jackson’s newest “Glamping” grounds, Fireside Resort. For information, phone (307) 732-5438.
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Altamira Fine Art winds up its summer show series with two “Best of the West” artists—perpetual cowgirl Donna Howell-Sickles and iconic contemporary cowboy artist Duke Beardsley. Open Range is on exhibit August 2-15, with an artists’ reception on Thursday, August 4, 6-8 pm.
Howell-Sickles’ heroic cowgirl images were among the first contemporary Western Art works to catch my eye. What gal wouldn’t want to feel the way her Cowgirl does? Howell-Sickles looks a lot like her muse, a figure inspired by the image on a c. 1935 postcard. “Greetings from a Real Cowgirl from the Ole Southwest,” said the card, which depicted a cowgirl on her horse.
“The image spoke to me and I had no idea why,” says Howell-Sickles. “I surrendered to the attraction, and as I used the Cowgirl in my art I slowly filled in the blanks about my fascination with the imagery.” All manner of Western critter are in love with this Cowgirl, and she returns the affection. Paintings are banners of zestful primary color; this Cowgirl is mythical, often encircled by a Resistol’s round white brim.
I’ll have what she’s having!
Beardsley “has been drawing and painting images of the American West most of his life,” says the gallery. “Duke’s work blends modern
artistic elements with the traditional icons of the west. The result has made him a consistently popular favorite among fans of contemporary western art.” Iconic and romantic, Beardsley’s contemporary paintings of cowboys and their horses harken back to the West’s earliest pride-of-place and sense of purpose. These guys are independent and strong; so are their horses. Trust them, ride with them.
Beardsley also paints landscapes. Check them out. Beautiful.
Walter Hood’s name is now familiar in Jackson; the Oakland, California landscape architect is the creative visionary man-with-a-sculpture-trail-plan. And that plan will soon materialize at the National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA).
Hood will materialize July 26 and 27; Tuesday, July 26, 7:00-8:00 pm, Hood will talk about design projects he considers his best (count public spaces at San Francisco’s De Young Museum among them), share his philosophy and ideas about art in public spaces, and generally electrify the audience. Hood is a professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. The talk is free and takes place in the museum’s Cook Auditorium.
Wednesday, July 27, Hood will lead museum members on a hard-hat trail tour. Two years ago Hood discussed the idea of the trail with NMWA, but it was not clear the project would happen.
“The Museum is doing the project, the funding came through and it’s taken hold,” Hood says. He describes NMWA’s landscape as “emerging,” taking precedence over what had been a a parking space focused expanse.
“This is a divine process, it took place slowly—but the we are transforming the landscape, making it more useful. I refer to the idea of sociability of space. Society has been building for cars, we are used to getting in our cars. That’s the antithesis of nature, and Jackson is all about nature! So taking the trail is a no-brainer. We’re a ways from finishing the trail, but I’ve already seen so many people walking the area and using those bike paths.”
Hood knows that change can be hard. But once we’ve changed, we embrace and adapt to better systems put into place. “We think things are more complex than they are. Even New York City
is implementing Portland-like planning. You can now bike on Broadway, it’s so much more pedestrian friendly! The same thing is happening in Jackson.”
“As the trail takes shape it is very exciting to see what a great space it is going to be for people and for sculpture,” says NMWA Curator of Education Jane Lavino. “Walter has given us a fabulous design. Because this feature will be free and open to the public it will be a great way for the Museum to reach out. We’ve already seen ways in which this project has paved the way for new partnerships. Plans are underway for an artist-in-residence who will work with community members to create a sculptural piece for the trail. There are also plans for some “behind the scenes” sculpture installation viewing opportunities.”
For information, contact Jane Lavino (jlavino@wildlifeart.org) or call 307.732.5417 www.wildlifeart.org
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Edward Riddell & Lee Carlman Riddell’s joint show, Gratitude, is on exhibit July 27-August 13, 2011 at Trio Fine Art, in Jackson. The show features paintings and black & white photographs depicting Tuscany. An opening reception takes place Thursday, July 28 from 5-8 pm. The Riddells will talk about their work from 6:30-7:00 pm.
A few years ago, the couple began a love affair with Italy, a country known for its romantic cities, landscapes, art and people. As they tell it, Ed Riddell took Lee to see Florence, Italy where he’d studied as a Stanford University art student. They have returned every year since, and earlier this year Ed’s photographs of the Tuscany region were featured in a show at Montalcino, Italy’s Caffe Alla Loggia.
When such an offer is extended to Americans, it’s a great honor. Tuscany has embraced the couple, and they consider Tuscany a spiritual home.
Tuscan doorways, flowers’ shadows cast against simple white windowsills, city skylines, wheat fields and wildflowers, laundry hung out to dry; these are the subjects of Lee’s sunwashed and delicate
oil paintings. Lee composes her paintings—ranging in size from 6″ square to 12″ x 24″—from memory, field sketches and photographs. She has fashioned her own painterly combination of oil and watercolor techniques.
Ed Riddell’s new photographic process eliminates glare by eliminating glass. His 21”x28” black and white prints are laminate coated, staving off moisture and adding image longevity by protecting the photographs from ultra-violet light. The photographer frames his images of Italy’s cultural and pastoral beauty with contemporary, hand-rubbed aluminum panels.
The artists’ work is also included in Wyoming’s Ucross Foundation Art Gallery’s exhibit, In The Presence Of Trees, June 30 – September 6, 2011.
www.triofineart.com 307.734.4444.
Excellent news that Teton County commissioners approved a contract with Wisconsin sculptor Don Rambadt to design and install a pathways public art project. The work will be part of the pathways system on North Highway 89, adjacent to the National Elk Refuge and National Museum of Wildlife Art. Local sculptor Ben Roth’s design for a series of bicycle racks will complement Rambadt’s installation.
Roth and Rambadt’s styles are similar and should mix extremely well. Both artists are minimalists, both use crisp geometric forms in their portrayals of wildlife and other creatures. Clean, contemporary and realistic enough to be recognizable by all, the art should be broadly appealing.
I visited Rambadt’s website and discovered another one of his projects: Magnetic Migration. Rambadt is placing a series of magnetic nuthatch sculptures on various steel structures he finds around the country. He’s asking the public to keep their eyes peeled for these little metal birds. If you find one, Rambadt asks you to move the sculpture to another steel building or site and take a photo. Post your photo, along with place, time and date. If Rambadt likes your site and story, he’ll send you your own little bird. Some folks decide to keep the birds they find–which would be tempting–and that’s o.k. with Rambadt. Check out the project here.
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A batch of new works at Heather James Fine Art includes new sculptures by Diego Giacometti. The gallery is a little secretive with its art collection backstories; the Giacometti name is world
famous, but most people think of Diego’s brother Alberto. Diego and his brother were very close, and for much of his career Diego served as Alberto’s senior assistant. Diego’s artistry manifested as furniture and artful objects and he established himself as a noted artist in his own right. Diego designed the Picasso Museum’s interior, but did not live to see the museum open. It’s a privilege to have Diego Giacometti’s work in Jackson Hole.
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The sub-headline in July 13th’s Jackson Hole News & Guide read: “Town mulls restrictions on ground-floor businesses as method to revitalize, generate revenue.”
“Restrictions” and “revitalize.” Opposites. See the problem? It’s not the paper’s fault. Town government thinks a prohibition strategy will help transform our economy. Targeting art galleries, in order to solve Jackson’s dearth of tax revenue is, to put it politely, very poor judgement.
Hello! How many non-profits do we have in Jackson? Snow King Resort, financed by wealthy, shrewd business leaders, courted being bailed out by a non-profit; the owners have since rejected the non-profit’s offer. I don’t know the mountain’s chances of ever becoming a viable business, but the last thing we should do is bypass testing the market and hurtle towards providing non-profit status to what SHOULD be one of the biggest retail operations in the valley! How will we ever know what the market can bear? Instead of renovating its main facility, Snow King built too many spec units and failed. So put it up for sale. That’s what failed businesses do! Snow King may sit on the block a long time, but it’s in good company.
Raise the Town’s sales tax. Continue to lobby for a real estate transfer tax. Use some of the revenue to help Wyomingites who are isolated, impoverished, abused, mentally ill, and/or hungry. Use the rest to boost town revenues.
I value and respect the missions of our non-profits, and I support (to the extent of my ability) those I feel are most crucial to the valley. We need them, and so many good people give their hearts 24/7 to causes that make our valley a better place. But we simply cannot figure out our unemployment and sales tax revenue issues in a pro-active way. We give the hospital $11,000,000 without reviewing their accounts! SPET tax rules
should be overhauled; I don’t believe the population at large truly understands what they are voting for. We’re economically co-dependent. At the very least, non-profits should have to provide a full accounting of their expenditures to prove they deserve public money.
The Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival spikes Jackson’s lodging stats every year. That means the event brings more visitors, spending money, every year. I’m sure Santa Fe or Scottsdale would welcome our best galleries, if Jackson’s business environment becomes too hostile. This is a grasping-at-straws measure. Shipping works out of state has always been integral to the gallery business. Art is international, and we are a tourist town, counting heavily on out-of-state buyers. We’re damn lucky that Jackson is, truly, becoming an arts destination. It could all change on a dime.
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Good to hear from Legacy!
Legacy Gallery in Jackson Hole (there is also a Scottsdale, AZ branch) presents artist Kenny McKenna, in a One Man Show, July 21-August 11, 2011. An opening reception takes place Thursday, July 21, 6-8 pm, at the Jackson gallery.
McKenna is a landscapist. His striking, traditional works present views of some of our most memorable panoramas: Mt. Moran, Taggart Lake, Cascade Canyon, the Cathedral Group, Mormon Row, Sleeping Indian and more. McKenna also paints the smaller landscapes—check out his gentle portrayals of lily pads, meadows and willows. Summer and Fall views prevail.
Native New Yorker and artist Jane Rosen’s exhibition Two Natures opens at the Tayloe Piggott Gallery this month. On exhibition through August 23, 2011, the show opens with a reception on Thursday, July 14th, 5-8 pm at the gallery.
Visiting any great museum’s ancient collections of Egyptian, Greek, or Native American artifacts, I’m cloaked in hushed reverence. I expect Two Natures elicits similar response. Winds of time have worn these sculptures down to their souls. What’s left is an exquisite silent truth.
Though born on the East Coast, Rosen “found herself captivated by the accessibility of nature on a visit to the West Coast.” Rosen’s work channels ancient world cultures; she has said that 
Eskimo, Native American and Egyptian art histories inspire her. She’s also influenced by daVinci and Michelangelo. A chapel, a graveyard. Rosen’s sculptures stand like Stonehenge’s rock pillars, full of mystery and great powers. These animal forms are not sex specific; but they recall the Acropolis Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion.
“Rosen’s drawings act as her journal where she studies and understands the form before chiseling a limestone sculpture or hand blowing a glass bird,” the gallery says. She relishes process,
the “alchemy.” Works reach their final form after Rosen scratches away and adds layers of sumi-e ink, paint, coffee, beeswax, Korean water color and marble mix.
Gallery owner Tayloe Piggott likens seeing Rosen’s studio to “witnessing the flash of spirit that Brancusi sought to capture.”
“With this perspective framing my vision I capture the profound essence of nature and art seen through the animal life. It was our reciprocal vision of the life force that instinctually and immediately connected me to Jane’s work. Her art, whether bird, fish or fowl, resonates with the fundamentality of the being’s spirit. The word “essence” is defined as “the permanent as contrasted with the temporary element of being.” Her sculpture is essence,” Piggott says.
The gallery has also collected several stunning Dale Chihuly glass vessels. Transluscent and fluid, they provide sparkling juxtaposition to Rosen’s avian sculptures.
For more information, email art@tayloepiggottgallery.com.
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Wyoming Gallery, upstairs at Jack Dennis Sports, welcomes artists Meredith Campbell, Ruth Rawhouser, and Teri Billingham at an opening reception Friday, July 15, 4-7:30 pm.
Campbell paints wildlife scenes on wood; she began painting functional pieces, but her work evolved into the fine art arena. Not long ago she began creating oil-on-canvas animal portraits. Rawhouser paints en plein air, relishing the
world as it is in any given moment. Interestlingly, she never paints in fences or other signs of humananity’s presence in the Wyoming landscapes she loves. Jackson native Teri Billingham’s stained glass panels reflect the artist’s love of the Tetons and surrounding landscapes, its wildlife and inspiring childhood memories.
For information, contact Mindy at jdwyominggallery.com. www.jdwyominggallery.com
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Here it comes again….the Art Fair Rap!
Dude, it’s July, so it’s time to share
‘Bout that annual gig, the Jackson Hole Art Fair!
Or, “Art Fair Jackson Hole” as it prefers to be called;
Nobody asked me. I’m not involved.
Hey man, don’t be bored!
Sometimes Harrison Ford
Comes to check out the art, and he brings Flockhart.
Buy ceramics, toys, fibers – this poem’s the town crier
For an Art Fair Weekend, come rain or come shine-er.
Paintings, baskets, jewels, tents
Sunscreen, beer & fivers
All make for a day art lovers could die for!
See the Fair! Have Fun! This rap is all done.
The Jackson Hole Art Association Art Fair 2011 dates are July 15 – 17 & August 19 – 21. The fun happens at Miller Park, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Daily entrance fee is $3. www.artassociation.org
The Grand Teton Association’s Artists in the Environment series continues when Idaho-based artist Greta Gretzinger paints en plein air at Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park, on Saturday, July 9, 2-5:00 pm. The event is free, and open to the public.
Greta Gretzinger is known for her large scale murals depicting wilderness landscapes and wildlife. She has painted in Jackson Hole and Idaho for more than 18 years, and is one of the area’s most beloved artists. Gretzinger’s lively and illustrative portraits of Western life appear in public spaces and local parks
across Idaho and Teton County. Gretzinger relishes painting on non-traditional surfaces. Trailers, garage doors, automobiles, and many an exterior wall have found new life as a result of her whimsical creativity. Gretzinger’s work leaves everyone smiling; her style is unmistakable. Incorporating a gentle joke and local personalities into her paintings is a hallmark.
“I particularly like to add a twist on traditional themes and subjects,” says the artist. Gretzinger’s “twists” are sparkling threads of color woven into Jackson’s fabric. Her vivid, celebratory murals adorn a variety of landmarks; many of her fans consider Gretzinger’s alley-length landscape mural behind Jackson’s Sundance Inn her masterpiece.
“I want to do a painting of Mormon Row as being populated by wildlife pioneers and homesteaders. The location is real, but the figures will be whimsical. I can’t wait! This demonstration will be lots of fun,” says Gretzinger.
“Artists in the Environment” is funded by the Grand Teton Association, an organization whose purpose is to promote appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Area. Free to all, viewers are invited to bring a chair and a snack; those who would like to are welcome to paint alongside the artist. Look for the “Artist Demonstration” banner!
Upcoming “Artists in the Environment” dates:
- Scott Christensen paints at The Cathedral Group on August 13, 2011
- Erin C. O’Connor paints at String Lake on September 10, 2011.
For more information, contact me, Tammy Christel, via email: tammy@jacksonholearttours.com. http://www.grandtetonpark.org
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September Vhay’s new collection of paintings, Alacrity, opens with an artist’s reception at Trio Fine Art on July 7th, 5 – 8:00 pm. Vhay will speak about the work 6:30-7:00 pm, and the exhibition remains on display through July 23,2011. Paintings and sketches are included in this show, and subject matter includes Georgia O’Keeffe inspired paintings and studies of orchids. And might Lee Carlman Riddell’s hummingbird studies have inspired Vhay’s own sketches of those zipping, capitvating birds? Look through her on-line sketchbook and you will see Vhay’s renderings of horses, orchids, dogs, otters, hummingbirds and more.
Trio Fine Art: 307.734.4444
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Factory Studios Open House Alert: The public is invited to an evening of art and music at Factory Headquarters, down on Gregory Lane. July 8 is the date, and the time is 6-9:00 pm. Good music by the Deadlocks, good mingling–hang out and meet Factory artist residents Abbie Miller, Aaron Wallis, Tony Birkholz, Peggy Prugh, Mark and Wade Dunstan, Camille Davis, XOWYO, Alissa Davies, and David Gonzalez (TreeFight!).
Jenny Meyer and other artists will exhibit work in the main gallery. Barring major rain delays Wimbleton will be over, but the Factory says attendees have the chance to play a little Wimbleton-style ping pong. Facebook Event page here.