JACKSON, Wyo. — Jackson’s downtown streets will be home to two new permanent murals this year, along with nine temporary murals, in JH Public Art’s annual WildWalls event.
Local artists were selected for three different opportunities for this year’s WildWalls, during which the art and science communities join forces to raise awareness on the region’s ecological stories.
“Blank alley walls are transformed into an open-air gallery from May through September, in a highly visual, interactive and educational event without the confines of a traditional venue, making it accessible to thousands of people daily,” says JH Public Art.
For this year’s two large-scale, permanent murals, local artists Kika Macfarlane and Helen Seay were selected. Macfarlane is a visual designer & illustrator based in the Tetons, and she will be painting a 50’-long mural sponsored by Dave Hansen Whitewater and the Snake River Fund, and inspired by the wild and scenic Snake River on the northside of Dave Hansen Whitewater’s Broadway headquarters.
Helen Seay, a visual artist living and creating on the west-side of the Tetons, will depict recreating responsibly in bear country in her mural for Shirt Off My Back (on the Pearl Street alley), in partnership with Grand Teton National Park Foundation. The additional temporary, wheat-paste mural artists are: Natalie Connell, Susan Marsh, Nicolette Maw, Mae Orm and Sarah Wadas.
The WildWalls community mural walk will take place on Tuesday, July 19 starting at the Snake River Brew Pub.
WildWalls 2022 will again combine murals with augmented reality (AR) features to promote an understanding and awareness of the region’s ecosystem through contemporary scientific research. WildWalls AR features will be hosted on the Hoverlay app, available for free on all smartphones. JH Public Art is working with the selected artists and collaborating organizations to generate educational content that brings each mural alive. This year’s AR animations will be created by Kika Macfarlane and Tala Schlossberg.
