JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County and Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) have selected an artist for the public art installation that will be placed at the Justice Center.
A Tuesday announcement from JHPA stated that Seattle-based artist John Grade was chosen after a nationwide call for artists that yielded over 120 applications from artists across the country. Three finalists were invited to design site-specific proposals informed by the architecture, mission and public function of the Justice Center. The three finalists were John Grade Studio, Ben Butler Studio and Franziska Agrawal Studio.
Two local trees and the interconnected forest ecosystems served as inspiration for Grade’s selected design. The sculpture will be suspended above the stairs and upper landing within the interior of the Justice Center, and it will continue into the covered exterior space above the building’s entry.
“The work examines the interior life of two individual trees through their growth rings, inviting viewers to consider the passage of time, periods of adversity and abundance, and the ways individual trees exist within a larger network,” JHPA said in the statement. “The forms evoke the surrounding mountains and landscape of Teton County while also exploring the unseen systems that connect trees to one another through intertwined roots and symbiotic fungal networks.”
Grade has installed his sculptures at sites across the world, though many of them can be found in the Pacific Northwest. His pieces can be found as far away as Guatemala, Italy and France. According to JHPA, Grade’s art frequently invites viewers to consider their relationship to natural systems and the passage of time. In June, JHPA selected Grade as the artist for the upcoming outdoor art installation in The Center Park at Center for the Arts.
“Mr. Grade’s use of local trees really reflects our community’s deep connection to the environment and to one another,” Teton County Board of County Commissioners Chair Mark Newcomb said in a statement. “It’s a fitting addition to the Justice Center, reminding us that we’re all connected through a shared foundation of public safety and access to justice.”
