Art in Jackson Hole
Before the settlers, fur trappers, cowboys, ranchers, mountain men, poachers and surveyors came to the Rocky Mountains, Native American tribes made an annual migration through the surrounding mountains to hunt the wildlife-rich area. The story of Jackson Hole has always been told through the oldest art form of storytelling.
John Colter split off from the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1807 and traveled around the unexplored West now known as Yellowstone. Colter's first reports of the natural wonders, geysers, waterfalls and boiling fountains were initially considered as fantasies.
During 1871, the famous Hayden Expedition explored the Northwest of Wyoming. The team included the renowned photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran, who brought the majestic beauty of the Tetons to the attention of the world. The splendor reflected in the photographs and paintings helped to create the world's first National Park, called Yellowstone.
Over the last decades, Jackson Hole has become a mecca of art with a vibrant art community. Many of the nation's most respected artists, John Clymer, Conrad Schwiering, Archie Teater, Leland Curtis, Olaus Murie, Roy Kerswill, Greg McHuron, Jim Wilcox, Carl Roters and Joanne Hennes made their home in the valley. Art is everywhere in Jackson. Next to museums and galleries, many lodges, hotels and restaurants are repositories of fine art.
