A quick lesson in Wyoming's art history reveals that Conrad Schwering, Thomas Moran and Archie Teater, among others, all lived and painted here. Teater came to Jackson Hole in a covered wagon in 1928 and was one of the few Western artists to enjoy fame during his lifetime. Since then, his studio/shop has moved around Jackson's Town Square several times. It's now JC Jewelers, where you can stop by for a look and imagine Teater sitting inside, painting away.
For those who are curious to see where art is created today, there are plenty of modern-day studios to visit in the state. Here is a sampling of area studios – enough to keep you busy for a few days. Day 1: Wilson
Let's start close to where Teater did so much of his painting. Painter, sculptor and furniture maker John Mortensen has a creek-side studio/barn at the base of Teton Pass in Wilson. The 600-square-foot studio is nestled in a corner of the lot behind Mortensen's immaculately restored 1912 house. Walking in on a summer morning, the studio smells of fresh pine and the wood stove is cranking. (Even though it is summer, the 12-foot ceilings keep the building cool.) Like his sculptures, the walls and ceiling are larger than life and pleasingly crowded with detail: various Native American antiques, kachinas and textiles and a miscellaneous assortment of cowboy gear. In addition to being an artist, Mortensen is a collector and keeps many of his best pieces in his studio; he both enjoys looking at these works and uses them for reference in
Laurie Thal at work courtesy of Laurie Thal
his work.
A visit to Mortensen's studio is interesting because you never know what to expect. Since he paints, sculpts, designs and fabricates Western-style furniture, you can catch him doing just about anything … or, if you're really lucky, a little of everything. Whatever Mortensen happens to be doing on the day of your visit, know that there will be a swallowingly soft chair – of his own design, no doubt – and ready conversation waiting for you. Mortensen thoroughly enjoys meeting the people who like and collect his work. "On any given summer day, we'll have a few people poking around the studio. It's wonderful," he says.
Day 2: Jackson
South of the town of Jackson, landscape and wildlife painter Kathy Wipfler's new studio looks out at the southern end of the Teton Range. Before moving into this home-based studio, Wipfler worked in a comfortably cramped space closer to town. Now her studio is elegant and spacious, warmed by cherry floors and wainscoting that just happens to provide the perfect place to perch her studies. Like Mortensen's, Wipfler's studio is 600 square-feet, but since Wipfler doesn't do monumental-sized sculptures, her space is even more versatile. Reference books and photographs are neatly stored in a number of bookshelves found throughout the studio. Wipfler is a plein air painter – meaning she does much of her work outside, with her subject matter directly in front of her – but still uses her studio to put the finishing touches on pieces.
Day 3: Teton Village
Our second day
A piece of Thal's work courtesy of Laurie Thal
in Jackson Hole is reserved for the studio of glass blower Laurie Thal. Off of Teton Village Road, between Jackson and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Thal's studio is hidden at the end of a maze of long, bumpy driveways. Crashing through the puddles and pulling to a stop, chances are a cat will greet you before you make it to the studio's purple front door. Once inside, more bright colors greet you, but your eyes will go right to Thal's "finishing room," where dozens of her smooth and classically elegant glasses, bowls, vases and centerpieces line shelves. The main room, which isn't quite as pretty, is burdened by the cumbersome equipment required for melting and blowing glass. "As a glassblower, there are some very specific considerations when building a studio," explains Thal. That's because glass must be heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to melt. Windows high up in the 16-foot ceiling can open and are perpendicular to the prevailing wind, to vent heat generated during the creative process. Wall windows open to allow even the smallest of breezes in. The floor is a sturdy and practicable cement. The walls are spartan. The only adornment in the room is whatever piece of glass Thal is working on at the time. But really, once you see what her pieces look like, you'll see that that's enough.
More info:
Mortensen, Wipfler and Thal all welcome visitors to their studios, but reservations must be made in advance. Mortensen and Wipfler work year 'round. Thal blows glass for two to three months at a time before breaking. She almost always takes a break during the hot summer months of July and August.
Mortensen, 307-733-1519, www.mortensenstudios.com
Wipfler, 307-733-5181.
Thal: 307-733-5096, www.thalglass.com.
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