I remember growing up here and there were two times a year that were completely dead. Even about five or so years ago we had what we called "off-season," where the tourists left and our little town shut down. Restaurants closed down, the streets were dead and even the gorgeous weather seemed to turn dull for a month or so. Now, it's not the case. Jackson Hoel is busy no matter what season it is... and with that bustle, there is always something going on.

This week brings the kick off for the Fall Arts Festival. September has always been known as the "Newly Weds and Nearly Deads" season, but since the Fall Arts Festival has come to town, town is just as busy as July 4th. 

The kick off is always the Western Design Conference.It starts this evening from 6-10PM. 

From their site: 

The Western Design Conference (WDC) brings together artists, scholars, collectors, interior designers, architects, and fashion designers with a passion for the West. From documented American craft, to home design, to fashion, the show is expanding to encompass all aspects of the best of Western design. This event celebrates functional museum-quality creations capturing the spirit of the West.

During the Exhibit + Sale you’ll meet the artists whose handcrafted works in leather, metal, home accents, woodworking, mixed media, jewelry, and fashion will be showcased and available for purchase at our spectacular location in beautiful Jackson Hole. Over $19,000 worth of cash awards are given out annually. The energy generated by tourists, artists, local businesses, and residents promises to make the WDC unforgettable—for both exhibitors and attendees.

Western Design Conference Exhibit + Sale – Snow King Center – 100 E. Snow King Ave.
Tickets: in advance online and at the door

Opening Preview Party + Fashion Show
Thursday, September 7
6 – 10pm

The next big "Kick Off Event" for the Fall Arts is the Palates & Palettes Gallery Walk
This event happens Friday and shouldn't be missed! More than 30 art galleries open their doors to showcase magnificent art with food, wine and music! 5-8pm | Open to the public | See the list of participating galleries along with their partners. These pairings are subject to change.

Some of my work will be shown at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, so if you're in the area, make sure to stop by! 

And finally, you can't miss Old Bill's Fun Run this weekend! Not only will it be held in conjunction with a Taste of the Tetons, it will be ending right where I will have a full Art Booth at the Town Square for Takin' it to the Streets! Come see me in Booth A5 on Broadway.

"So early in my life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise." Malcom X

Ahhhhh... finally, it's done! Nothing beats that feeling of accomplishment -- of looking back and being able to see the late nights, hours on your hands and knees, and excruciating back aches all coming to a close. If you've driven down Broadway in Jackson Hole recently, you may have noticed a new addition to the Orvis building -- 50 feet of nearly fluorescent colored trout. In my oh-so-typical fashion of making waves, with bright colors and bold lines, my 50 feet, or five fish spanning ten feet each, were installed this past Tuesday on the South side of the Orvis building.

Back Story

This past Spring, I was working on a  mural project with Jackson Hole Public Art and Friends of Pathways at Summit High School when Carrie Geraci, the director of Public Art, sent me an email proposing that I apply for the Orvis commission. About 5 artists were asked to apply with a proposal of what they would install on the exterior South facing wall of the building. Over the next few weeks I drew up a proposal using previous paintings that I manipulated in Photoshop and sketched out on a drawing board and my proposal was chosen.

The Process

Once my proposal was selected, the work began. I now had to figure out how to create this monster of a piece! What kind of metal was I going to use? How was I going to get the metal cut into the shapes I needed? Jackson Hole Public Art was a huge help in guiding me on this journey and I'm grateful for all of the people that helped me along the way.

The first step was manipulating the design. I must have changed it about three or four times in Photoshop and we finally settled on the five trout swimming to the water. The cutouts were taken from two different original paintings of mine, Waterway and Cutty, that sold a few years back.

The second was driving out to Rexburg, ID to meet with Premier Powdercoating to discuss my options for metal, feeling the different metals and deciding how much detail I wanted when the metal was laser cut. These guys were awesome, I'm really looking forward to working with them again in the future.

From there, once the fish were approved and cut, I had to travel with five ten feet fish strapped in the back of my pickup truck over Teton Pass -- that was fun... and scary... and I soooo wish I had a photo of that, but I was just really happy to get those suckers out of the truck and into the two car garage that I laid them out in to paint over the next month.

Then came the painting. I had to first prime them. Then I painted them. Then came the multiple layers of sculptor's UV, chemical and weather protectant. Then the Z-Bars to hang them. AND ALL THE COFFEE for the late nights -- let's not forget the coffee.

Now that they're installed, I'm speechless. They look incredible! I'm grateful for the entire team. It really does take a village, as cheesy as it sounds!