Posts Tagged ‘Yellowstone’
Jackson photographer Jeff Diener will teach a Fall Photo Workshop in Grand Teton National Park, September 28-October 2, 2011.
“We’ll be using the best light of the day, sunrises and sunsets, and visit some great, and lesser known locations,” notes Diener. “I’ve been exploring and shooting in GTNP for the past 15 yrs. We’ll help participants get comfortable adjusting to changing conditions and sites and create dramatic high-end images. Location scouting, assessing locations and weather, helping participants get to know their cameras, practice with functions and new techniques will be covered. We’ll also spend time each day discussing post-processing computer workflow.” Cost is $875 per person.
Wild West Photos will sponsor the workshop–check the agency’s website here. Contact Diener for more information. 307-734-4450 jeff@jeffdiener.com
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The Jackson Hole Historical Society offers free children’s art classes for kids in grades 1-4, Tuesday mornings, 9:30-11:00 a.m., during 
August. Classes will include storytelling, museum exploring, craft making, and the all important snack. Class sizes are limited to 15 children. Here’s the calendar:
August 2: “Pots, Paper, and Pouches” has fun with stories of Indians, explorers, and settlers. Build a fort and make pemmican to carry in your own handmade pouch.
August 9: ”Rod, Reel, and Rifle” explores the important roles that hunting and fishing activities have had in the valley. Includes storytelling, the creation of a “story” hide and a hanging three-dimensional fish.
August 16: “Awe Inspiring Art” discovers the role of artists and photographers in preserving the beauty of Jackson Hole. Includes storytelling, plein air painting, cookie decorating activities and more.
August 23: “Laughs and Lariats” explores the questions “Does the cowboy wear his tools?” and “Does a rodeo have clowns?” Kids make their own chaps and ride into history with a real cowboy to discover the answers.
For more information, contact Mindy Barnett at 307.733.9605. jhhsmeducation@wyom.net
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Wyoming Gallery, upstairs at Jack Dennis Sports, holds an artists’ reception for Derek DeYoung, Jeff Currier and Jim Berkenfield on Friday, August 5, 4-7:30 pm.
Berkenfield says he has been fly fishing for eighteen years and guiding in the Greater Yellowstone area for the past twelve. “I have continuously photographed my fishing exploits,” he says. “I have recently begun to focus on new perspectives of trout…fish in hand, and during the moments of release.”
Currier’s work is published in fly fishing magazines, catalogs, brochures, and books. He is the author of Currier’s Quick and Easy
Guide to Saltwater Fly Fishing and Currier’s Quick and Easy Guide to Warmwater Fly Fishing guide books.
DeYoung’s work has “veered off from the traditional fish illustration style.” His contemporary paintings focus on style and color rather than rendering realistic images of fish.
The store and gallery are noted fortheir fly fishing equipment, guiding and expertise. A.D. Maddox also calls Wyoming Gallery home. www.jdwyominggallery.com 307.733.7548.
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What is this? That’s what my Facebook friend Steve Mooney (SVP, Jack Morton Global Brand Experience!) would ask.
Answer is, it’s a detail (I think!) of one of two walls, each displaying 40 fused glass bricks. The wall is part of the new Home Ranch project, and will be designed and created by Jackson glass artist (and Facebook friend!) John Frechette. The shuffled, stacked stained glass resembles bison and grizzly DNA.
What do you say to that, Facebook friend “Grizzly 399?”
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.
There is a long list of reasons why Vertical Harvest’s garage garden project merits a green light. Its value as public art lies near the top.
The proposed vertical garden is more than a green project (see this link for an April, 2009 post on vertical gardens). Vertical gardens are one form of public art, and creating a good plan to incorporate public art into town planning would be a very smart move for Jackson. As Americans for the Arts notes, it’s important to clarify the difference between public art and art placed in public spaces. ArtSpot is an example of the latter; a vertical greenhouse an example of the former. ArtSpot offers art to everyone; one needn’t visit a museum or gallery. That is benefit in itself.
Public art incorporates planning around a specific site, considers how it will affect the public, how environmental conditions will figure in, evaluates what the art says about the site and community it inhabits. Vertical Harvest’s garden will provide healthy food, cleaner air, jobs (engineers, food growers, architects, designers, solar scientists…) and add welcome beauty to an unremarkable structure.
Successful public art is a powerful tourism tool. It builds cultural appeal. It builds recognition of place; it interprets place. All these elements stimulate economy. Well positioned public art draws people through urban spaces. Public art would engage visitors who don’t make it more than a block south, north, east and west of the Square and encourage them to venture further.
Often, public art is not fully appreciated until years after its installation. But you need only consider your favorite public art landmarks. Can you imagine the cities and spaces they inhabit without them? Over time, dynamic public art becomes an enduring symbol of place.
Vertical Harvest’s project design leaves most of the garage accessible for parking. If its building specs permit, the newly green space could be rented out for public functions, fund raisers, weddings, bat
mitzvahs, etc. All generating revenue. The Town of Jackson’s identity, going forward, seems up in the air. Adding significant amounts of public art to available spaces (planning for and creating an open sculpture garden adjacent to the Center for the Arts, for example) will help Jackson move into an identity clearly different from that of Teton Village and Shooting Star. It is a very difficult course to try and match their status as luxury ski resorts.
Jackson’s 2010 Fall Arts Festival’s resounding economic success indicates that arts are the Town of Jackson’s trump card. Let’s play it.
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Eco-landscape designer Patricia Johanson sends this video made for a NYC art exhbition; the clip profiles the Petaluma Water Recycling Facility and Salt Lake City, “finally in construction after large cash settlements and other concessions to a developer who owned an easement across our trail.” Good public gardens and public art also increase real estate values, says Johanson.
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Wyoming’s Olive Fell (1896-1980) will be the focus of Cayuse’s attention on Thursday, February 17. Stop by Jackson’s best Western and National Parks Americana gallery from 5-8 pm that day, and see how Fell’s work “presents a reflection
of the beauty in stillness, the peaceful wonder, and the fun and humor that still compose the American West.”
Cayuse’s Mary Schmidt shares Fell’s history:
“Born in Big Timber, Mt in 1896 (Fell) spent her early childhood in the remote areas of the northern part of the state….Her natural relationship with the wilderness drew her to move to the 1800 acre Four Bear Ranch after her schooling, and this is where she remained for the duration of her life. The Four Bear Ranch, 25 miles west of Cody, was close to both Yellowstone and the protected game refuge of the Absaroka Range; thus allowing her to track and observe animals. From the beginning Fell’s works were highly regarded on a national level. In 1934 her etching For Minds to Know was selected as one of best 100 prints of the year. Her works were seen at the International Etchers show in LA; the Northwest Printmakers show in Seattle; and at The National Art Exhibition in Chicago in 1939. It was a natural that Fell would develop a long relationship with Yellowstone. In the 20s through the 40s Fell created postcards, posters, and letters for park visitors. Locally she also began loaning works to the Buffalo Bill Museum, later renamed The Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Her works hung in the museum for years and they, along with the Montana Historical Society, still have the largest collections.”
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Meet photographer John Richter during during Thursday, February 17th’s Gallery Walk.
Remember wildflowers?
Richter Photography is located at 30 King Street, across from Shades Cafe. Stop by to visit Richter and see his work 5-8:00 pm. For information, phone 307.733.8880 or email sales@johnrichterphoto.com.
“I had never seen a truly iconic image of lightning hitting the high peaks of the Tetons and had envisioned this photo for at least a couple years. With patience and a little luck, the perfect storm finally pushed into the mountains, and I watched the intense clouds brew for several hours before deciding I had a chance of making the shot. It was 2 a.m. and I was the only one around…driving through GTNP was both exhilarating and daunting as all I could see was a wall of blackness fronted by a veil of occasional lightning strikes. These powerful stabs of light were my only gauge of the storm’s progress as it slowly engulfed the Teton Range and headed [straight] toward me.” ~Jeff Diener
There’s another photog in town.
In truth, Jeff Diener has been around Jackson and the Greater Yellowstone region for 12 years, doing very well for himself shooting outdoor and adventure shots for corporate sports clients like Cloudveil, Patagonia and Title Nine, and popular sports journals like Outside, Mens Journal and Backpacker. The work’s been lucrative, but now Diener wants to bond a little more with the world of fine art. And to that end, he’s built a new website, www.jacksonholegallery.com. (On this blog, you’ll find a link to his site under Arts Links.)
There’s something in the water…I’ve not researched it, but if anyone can point to a Jackson Hole sector exercising more entrepreneurial gumption than the arts, I’d like to hear about it.
Diener says his new site offers over 3,000 hand-picked images of Jackson, the Western U.S. and several international destinations. The site is the most recent venue to offer a way for photography lovers to search for new images. Featured galleries and photos guide visitors, and Diener has supplied ways to search for images via keywords and browsing. It’s a full-service photography and social-media connected site.
Diener talks about the inspirations for his work.
“The site has a high-end, well edited collection of landscapes available for fine art print purchase as well as outdoor adventure & active lifestyle pics on tap for stock photo licensing. The locations represented span the western U.S. and the world with a focus on Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. (The collection) is growing….national parks, national forest lands and outdoor sports including skiing, trail running, backpacking, snowshoeing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, fly fishing, mountain climbing….everything under the sun including walking the dog, horse grooming, cruiser biking and tons of fun lifestyle images.
Conceiving and capturing powerful and soulful moments has been the driving force for my photography and provides the fuel for new work. I’ve spent the past fifteen years traveling the western U.S. and the world making iconic adventure sport and active lifestyle images for commercial clients.
Allan Bard once wrote that ‘there is a lure to the backcountry, to the unexplored, that is like the magnetic draw of the Promised Land to a wandering pilgrim.’ Whether deep in a wilderness river canyon or
planning locations for an upcoming shoot in the jungles of Thailand, I’ve always felt that draw. My hope is that the images I create give a window into the incredible beauty of wild places, my “Promised Land”, and that this imagery gives the inspiration for others to pursue stunning locales and memorable moments whenever possible.”
Paul West, "Key West Pier," copyright 2007
“The Photography” is here, and Edward Riddell brought it. Riddell’s affinity for European flair — particularly Italy’s culture and language—inspired him to title his new collection of curated fine prints Le Fotographie.
Photographers represented on the site are long-standing friends of Riddell’s, and he’s taught the craft alongside many of them. Knowing Riddell’s penchant for professionalism and perfection, colleagues were more than willing to test the idea. A ringing response to a challenging economy and a boon to photography collectors challenged by high prices, Le Fotographie offers the opportunity to purchase great photographic prints. Riddell calls photography one of America’s truly original contributions to the art world, and it just seems appropriate to make photography—a medium that can be replicated almost infinitely—available to anyone.
At this writing, Riddell has just re-structured his pricing. Prints are available beginning at $24.95 plus shipping and handling. Periodically the new business will offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount. Prints are delivered in special boxes containing an embossed portfolio folder for the print, and a transparent, embossed protective tissue.
If Riddell is successful, his new resource stands to create solid competition for galleries charging much higher prices for limited edition prints. Le Fotographie is the second major innovative Jackson-based arts marketing project in as many months.
(These dynamic initiatives are at the core of what the Town of Jackson needs to incorporate as we plan for the future. We need to be in the business of creating a distinct identity, instead of trying to replicate Teton Village and Shooting Star aprés ski ambience. We don’t have the location, and we need to diversify our economic base. If you had $500/night to spend at a ski resort, where would you stay? In town, or at Teton Village/Shooting Star/Amangani?)
Riddell says Ansel Adams’ Yosemite portfolio is really responsible for the creation of Le Fotographie. In 1958, Adams made affordable prints of some of his most famous images. His will stipulated that those prints would continue to be made
Matt Mallams, "Purse Snatcher," copyright 2006
after his death; he reserved the other negatives, which will never be available for sale.
“As Ansel told the story he believed tourists and visitors to Yosemite ought to be able to have a really beautiful souvenir, something other than “rubber tomahawks” sold in so many of the shops. So to this day the prints are available for only $225, which is incredibly inexpensive for a real Adams print,” explains Riddell. “They are unsigned and stamped ‘Ansel Adams Special Edition Print.’ A signed version of any of those prints would be worth many thousands of dollars.”
Limited supplies are pricier, but few editions of any photogrpaher’s work sell out.
“The concept of limited editions is inherently ‘unphotographic.’ After all, photography is virtually the only art form with the ability to produce infinite original prints from a single image,” explains Riddell. Le Fotographie offers unlimited images of every image cataloged.
Riddell’s expertise, love of the medium and, frankly, exquisite taste, curated the collection; but he offers a “democratic” product. Riddell thinks Adams would have championed the concept, and he has stamped “Le Fotografie Authorized Special Edition Print” with a copyright notice for the photographer on each order.
Using the highest quality archival paper and pigment inks, each print is made after the photographer has approved a master print of each image on the site. Riddell will add more images–change things up–monthly. The site offers a newsletter, reviews, and (GASP!) a blog that will cover topics relating to photography and the website.
“This way photographers can continue to sell signed editions of their prints to collectors willing to pay a premium for the signature. But for those who just enjoy a beautiful photograph they can afford to buy it and enjoy looking at a beautiful print every day,” says Riddell. Much more information is available on the website: www.lefotographie.com.
Photo Credits: Top, left: Paul Adams, “Key West,” © 2006; Middle, right: Matt Mallams, “Purse Snatcher,” © 2006; Below, center: Jon Stuart, “Backstop at la Taos Church,” © 2007.
Jon Stuart, "Backstop at la Taos Church," copyright 2007
Buy five, get one free. That’s the simple and sound model for a new brochure-ticket created by five regional museums in the Greater Yellowstone area. Wyoming’s Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC) in Cody, WY; the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY; the Carbon County Historical Society and Museum in Red Lodge, MT; the Yellowstone Historic Center in West Yellowstone; and the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, Livingston, MT are offering families a chance at a free family membership.
All you have to do is visit each of these museums before December 31, 2011. With each visit you will receive a passport-like “stamp.” Once the fifth and final museum is visited and your passport is full, a free family membership to the to the
final museum is awarded. Hence, if you have a hankering for a BBHC family membership—good for a year—make that museum your fifth stop.
A query as to whether passport owners may request the reward of a family membership to be gifted to another family has not been answered; but it seems a good way to get even more people to visit the great consortium of museums surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. For now, go with the assumption that the gift is non-transferable.
Questions? Contact Marguerite House (307.578.4137/margueriteh@bbhc.org ) OR Lee Haines ( leeh@bbhc.org/ 307.578.4014) at the BBHC.
The BBHC released the announcement, and you can visit their website at www.bbhc.org.
