JACKSON, Wyo. — A first-of-its-kind exhibit will debut in February featuring the work of five Jackson Hole artists. The exhibition will feature more than 35 new paintings by Jackson Hole artists Amy Lay, Amy Ringholz, Kathryn Mapes Turner, September Vhay and Kathy Wipfler. It will mark the first time these five artists have shown together as a group.
The showing will take place at the 120,000-sf Booth Western Art Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) in Cartersville, Georgia. The works explore the close connections the artists share with the physical beauty and abundant wildlife of Jackson Hole, and how each of them communicates those connections through their unique artistic styles.
“We are excited to be hosting the Jackson Five exhibition. The opportunity to put five terrific painters together in a group show like this, representing a specific geographic area does not come along very often,” said Seth Hopkins, Booth Museum executive director. “While all five of them happen to be women artists we will be focused on the quality of their work and the nature of the geography and wildlife which surrounds their homes and studios that is the common theme in their art much more than their gender.”
As far as the artists themselves, the pursuit of art has been a lifelong ambition. Each of the featured artists say they knew they wanted to pursue art as a career at a young age; some as early as age five. Some were inspired by family members who passed down their creative genes, or by artistic friends of their families. Others claim it was simply the amazing beauty of the land and the wildlife they were constantly exposed to while growing up that fueled a desire to share those scenes with an audience.
One of the things that initially attracted Booth Museum curator Lisa Wheeler to the five artists was the perseverance they demonstrated in pursuit of art and art career.
“It became apparent from the start that these artists have worked extremely hard to carve out the successful careers they have today. All five of them are experienced around horses, farms or ranches,” Wheeler said. “One had a career as a surgical technician, another as an architect, while the rest worked at a variety of odd jobs before becoming full time, fine-art painters.”
Meet the artists
While each artist has taken their own winding path to achieve recognition in the art world, there are also some universal truths the artists share and often had to learn the hard way.
Amy Lay commented, “There’s no ‘how-to’ book on being an artist.” Lay is known for her stunning wildlife paintings she described as “almost wildlife impressionism with a lot of line and movement.”
She credits being accepted into the juried Art Fair Jackson Hole, as an early career highlight. Through hard work and determination, she has established a reputation for quality work. Lay is now represented by Mountain Trails Gallery and others around the country. Just recently she relocated to the family ranch in Oregon, but still dreams of Jackson Hole and the surrounding area.
Meeting deadlines and staying organized might not be two qualities that immediately come to mind when describing artists dripping with creativity. But Amy Ringholz is what a gallery might call the ‘total package.’ A highlight of her career was being named the featured artist at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival in 2016. At the time, she was only 36 years old and was both the first female and the first contemporary style artist to be selected in a decade.
Growing up in Jackson Hole, Kathryn Mapes Turner says she, “always felt an impulse to create visually as a way of expressing gratitude for the natural beauty that surrounded me.”
Turner expresses openly her appreciation for her mentors, Skip Whitcomb, Ned Jacobs and John Felsing for making the biggest difference in her growth as an artist. She was the 2018 Featured Artist at the Southeastern Wildlife Art Show in Charleston, South Carolina, and the 2019 Jackson Fall Arts Festival Featured Artist.
As a child, September Vhay, remembers watching her grandfather paint large watercolor washes, as well as family friend Craig Sheppard draw animals for her and her siblings. The experiences ignited her passion for art.
Vhay pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and spent eight years in the field before turning to painting full time. Her training in architecture taught her a lot about structure, light and composition, which gives her paintings a sense of three-dimensional form.
After working first as a surgical technician, Kathy Wipfler moved to Jackson Hole in 1979 to pursue her dream of making a living as a painter. To support her early painting years, she worked at a variety of jobs including window washer, polo horse groom, cowboy, house painter, waitress, UPS delivery helper, and property caretaker.
Wipfler generally depicts wildlife and figures in the landscape, working primarily in oil, and outdoors on location, in the wonderful surroundings in the Teton Valley.
The exhibition opens to the public on February 13. Booth Museum Circle Members will have the opportunity to attend an exclusive meet and greet with the artists on March 27. All five artists look forward to being at the Booth Museum for the opening events, meeting their Southern fans and sharing the wonder of their art and Jackson Hole.
The exhibition will be on view through June 7, 2020.
