Jackson, Wyoming, is a very busy place this September. The 39th annual edition of the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s key fundraiser is set to roll soon: the Western Visions Art Show + Sale draws wildlife artists and collectors from around the world, offering more than 175 works encompassing a wide range of media from paintings and sculpture to woodcuts, found objects, and cut feathers. The exhibition is on view September 5–27, but the real excitement occurs on September 17 with the ticketed auction and awards presentation. (The public will begin buying remaining pieces the next morning.)
Show director Madison Webb Stanko notes, “The exciting thing about Western Visions is that it ranges from established artists like Tucker Smith, Ken Carlson, and Dan Ostermiller to artists who are earlier in their careers and joining the show for the first time. This not only provides an important platform for artists, but it also gives collectors a unique opportunity to connect with longstanding favorites and potentially discover something new.”
All artists were required to include an element of nature or wildlife in their work, and those in the large-format category were asked to interpret the 2026 theme of curiosity. Stanko explains, “The museum’s vision statement is to inspire connections with wildlife and nature, and curiosity is often the first step in connection.”
Autumn is arguably this region’s most beautiful season thanks to all those golden-yellow cottonwood and aspen leaves, so scheduling Western Visions in September makes perfect sense. It is the most prominent, but hardly the only, event comprising the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, which draws crowds to more than 50 events over 12 days (September 9–20) and offers an array of receptions, panel discussions, studio tours, and music and poetry performances.
A Palates & Palettes gallery walk is set for September 11 and the Sunday Art Brunch for September 20. This massive initiative is managed by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, which also runs other events such as the rodeo and the shootout in Town Square. Another beloved component of the festival is the QuickDraw & Art Auction (September 19), during which 30 artists have just 90 minutes to create their works, all auctioned off immediately, often still wet.
The editorial above is part of a series that spotlights the work of an accomplished contemporary artist featured in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine.
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Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Fine Art Today
