Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce | September 3-14, 2025 | Jackson Hole, WY

Anchored in the West

The annual Fall Arts Festival transforms Jackson Hole into an epicenter of Western art.

By Sarah Gianelli

Each September, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce presents the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, a 12-day celebration of Western art. The town-wide festival includes over 50 events including gallery walks, artist demonstrations, and the popular Jackson Hole QuickDraw. The 2025 celebration, now in its 41st year, will take place September 3 through 14.

This year’s featured artist is Colt Idol. His dramatic Teton painting Grand Finale was selected to be the official artwork of the 2025 festival, and will be auctioned during the quickdraw event on September 13.

Colt Idol, Grande Finale, oil on canvas, 60 x 50 in.

Idol has been participating in the festival paint-out for five years and has been attending for 10. “It means the world to me,” says Idol about being the featured artist. “I believe it to be my highest honor and accolade in my 13-year career!” Idol saw the Grand Tetons for the first time less than a decade ago. “Like many people, the first time I saw them I couldn’t grasp the presence they had,” he says. “I had seen pictures and knew their shape but had no idea of their grandiosity. That feeling is one of the main aspects I wanted to attempt to capture in Grand Finale. Through color and light I hope to portray an inviting yet slightly intimidating, retrospective vision of these incredible mountains.”

Idol is one of hundreds of artists whose work will be showcased during the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival,and one of roughly 30 participating in the paint-out. Other notable Western artists include Amber Blazina, Troy Collins, Nicole Gaitan, Andrew Bolam, Amy Ringholz, Kay Stratman, Renso Tamse and many more.

The quickdraw auction. Photo: Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce / Steven Ashurst.

There are too many happenings during the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival to list them all here, but some of the highlights are the aforementioned paint-out, a fan-favorite where top artists create artwork on site in Town Square followed by a lively auction; the Western Visions Show & Sale at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which opens on September 6 with a fundraising gala on the evening of September 11; the Palates & Palettes Gallery Walk on September 5; and, new this year, Wallpaper, a one-day salon-style show featuring unframed pieces by regional and local artists. Galleries across town, many of them accessible on foot from the Town Square, will also be hosting openings and events, making for a truly robust art experience.

A painting is completed during the famous Jackson Hole QuickDraw. Photo: Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce /Steven Ashurst.

“The Fall Arts Festival is the ideal time for art collectors and enthusiasts to visit Jackson Hole because it uniquely blends high-caliber Western, wildlife and landscape art with an immersive cultural experience set against the breathtaking beauty of autumn in the Tetons,” says John Morgan, vice president of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. “Over 12 days, guests can interact directly with world-renowned and emerging artists, attend exclusive gallery openings, witness live art-making at the iconic quickdraw, and explore curated exhibitions…This isn’t just another art event. It’s a celebration of identity, creativity and connection—anchored in the heart of the West.”