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| 'Chief' by Robert Bateman |
By Andrea Downing
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| 'Buffalo Trail' by Richard Loffler |
Set
up on a ridge overlooking a wide expanse of the high plains, including the
National Elk Refuge, and backing into the Teton front range, The National
Museum of Wildlife Art blends into its setting so well, one might think the bronzes
of various animals outside the main building are actually the animals
themselves.
The
museum houses a collection of over five
thousand artworks from more than five-hundred-fifty artists, spanning three
centuries, and depicting worldwide wildlife.
The main attraction of the museum seems to be artist, hunter, and
conservationist Carl Rungius, for whom the main road leading to the museum is
named, and who is blessed with a separate gallery.
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| A Rungius I liked! |
I cannot say I’m a big Rungius fan; I find
some of his works very much better than others, which to me appear flat and
lifeless.
But that’s my personal
opinion. There are certainly enough works by other artists to hold anyone’s
interest, including such varied names as Audubon, Bierstadt, George Catlin,
Edward Hicks, Georgia O’Keeffe, C.M. Russell, Thomas Moran, N.C. Wyeth, and
(believe it or not!) Andy Warhol, along with pottery by native artists. There
are also classrooms, a children’s gallery, conference rooms, a shop, and a
restaurant.
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| Catlin |
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| O'Keeffe |
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| Native Pottery depicting animals |
To
me the highlight of the visit was the outdoor sculpture trail, currently
featuring twenty-one works of art with more expected to be added. One rather
upsetting piece on the trail was ‘Lost Birds’ by Todd McGrain. This features
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| 'Lost Birds' |
an
arrangement of several species now extinct, one from as early as 1878—the
Labrador Duck.
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| 'How Many Millions, One Can Only Guess' by N.C. Wyeth, a statement on the near-extinction of American Bison |
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| One of 61 Peaceable Kingdoms by Hicks |
While
I enjoyed my visit and walk along the sculpture
trail on a bright beautiful day, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of incongruity—looking at artwork of
various animals when an ark-load of them are just down the road in the Grand
Teton National Park. Perhaps the answer
for tourists is to combine the two visits, and get the most out of a stay in or
near Jackson WY.
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Thomas Moran
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"Presidential Eagle' by Sandy Scott
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| 'Black Timber Bugler' by Tim Shinabarger |
http://andreadowning.com
All photos author's own
