More than half of the artists represented at Gallery Wild in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are women. That’s not by happenstance. When owner and artist Carrie Wild was establishing the gallery back in the summer of 2018, she was already thinking about her dream roster of artists—most of them women she’d naturally admired for years, and many who weren’t yet represented in Jackson Hole.
Julie T. Chapman, Flying Gold, mixed media on panel, 36 x 24 in.
“I’ve always been drawn to work created by women,” Wild reflects. “What sets women’s work apart is a feminine touch, a connection or deeper observation into emotion that is communicated between subject and viewer. Women are more likely to push boundaries, sometimes into territory that hasn’t been experienced or fully accepted before. In my own experience, when I was stepping into the Western art market, I would often receive a sideways look at the exact same work I am painting today that is now in high demand.”
Amanda Markel, Mountain Heart, bronze, 21 x 30 x 8 in.
Most Western collectors will know Wild’s artwork: those signature repeating patterns of bison, horses, elk and cacti, often rendered in bright, deeply saturated acrylics. They feel, at once, distinctly Western and distinctly contemporary.
“When I was starting as an artist and trying to imagine what contemporary wildlife art could look like, before I even knew Jackson Hole existed, I found the work of Julie T. Chapman in a Western art magazine—wink wink—who was pushing the boundaries between realism and abstraction. It’s full circle that I now have the opportunity to represent artists whose work I once only got to admire,” says Wild.
Carrie Wild, Rendezvous Equine Twenty Four.2, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, 40 x 40 in.
In addition to Chapman, the gallery represents the likes of Bridgette Meinhold, Ally Morgan, Jenna Von Benedikt, Sandy Graves, Amber Blazina, Nicole Gaitan, Carrie Penley, Christy Stallop, Kristine Taylor and more. Collectors will find artists pushing the envelope in painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.
“Success comes with the strength of the connections you foster,” says gallery artist Patricia A. Griffin, who started her career as a plein air painter in 1989. “Carrie and I met [online] about 14 years ago. I was living on the East Coast and showing in Jackson. We would shoot each other pictures of what was in progress on the easel, mark each others’ work up with suggestions and send it back. We adventured together. In Jackson, we would go into the field and search for subjects, both clinging to the same thin tree to avoid being trampled by a rogue running moose. We traveled to New York City to scope out the art scene, and [to] Churchill, Manitoba, to photograph polar bears.”
Christy Stallop, Tumbleweed 2, oil on canvas, 24 x 48 in.
That back-and-forth dynamic of support and constructive critique became the foundation for Griffin and Wild’s friendship and business relationship moving forward.
“Carrie’s ability to identify and communicate that one little area that could be [improved] is always welcome and beneficial,” says Griffin, who joined as soon as the gallery opened in 2018. “She had a vision and created an approachable space that caters to a first-time collector as well as the seasoned one.”
Jenna Von Benedikt, Charming Little Trails, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Also represented by Gallery Wild is Taryn Boals, a contemporary Western and wildlife artist working out of Thayne, Wyoming. Highly gestural and brimming with energy, Boals’ work channels the raw emotion, movement and enduring spirit of the American West. She draws inspiration from sweeping Western landscapes, migratory wildlife and the resilient personalities of Rocky Mountain pioneers, creating compositions that feel both immediate and ancient.
“In my 20 years of working behind the scenes and selling my own art, I’ve seen incredible progress. There has never been a better time to be a woman in this industry. With that said, we have a long way to go. Women remain vastly underrepresented on gallery rosters, in top shows and on the covers of major art publications,” Boals says, adding that partnering with Gallery Wild was a turning point for her career.
Ally Morgan, I Dream About You Often, gouache on panel, 18 x 24 in.
A contemporary bronze sculptor based in Bozeman, Montana, Amanda Markel’s work explores themes of connection, resilience and wholeness through wildlife and figurative forms. “Animals serve as symbolic vessels within my sculptures, allowing me to tell stories about the human experience,” she says. “Negative space plays a central role in my work, becoming as important to the narrative as the bronze itself. Through these compositions, I hope to create pieces that invite reflection and remind us of the enduring truths that connect us to one another and to the natural world.”
Patricia A. Griffin, Oscar, oil on linen, 84 x 60 in.
Largely self-taught, Markel’s journey as an artist has been unconventional. “I spent years developing my skills while working other jobs before making the leap to sculpting full time,” she reflects. Today, the artist creates collectible bronze editions and large-scale public works, including Ridge Runners, a 14-foot monument installed in the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado.
“As a woman in the art world, I feel grateful to be part of a generation where opportunities continue to expand. While sculpture, particularly monumental bronze sculpture, has historically been a male-dominated field, my focus has never been on proving that I belong there,” Markel continues. “Instead, I have concentrated on creating meaningful work, continuing to learn and building relationships with mentors, collectors and fellow artists who share a passion for excellence. I hope that my career demonstrates to other women that there is space for their voice, their vision and their stories in every corner of the art world.”
Carrie Penley, Wonders of the New World and Old, mixed media on canvas, 48 x 36 in.
Chapman, whose earlier work caught the eye of Wild long before she became an art dealer, has now been with the gallery for nearly a decade. “As my work has moved from scratchboard into disrupted realism—a dramatic change in medium and direction—Carrie and her crew have been enthusiastic every step of the way,” Chapman says. “Being a woman in the Western art world means that I have felt like an outsider for much of my career. The big, prestigious shows were too male-dominated and representational to be a fit, so this has given me a certain freedom to pursue the development of my own unique voice.” That voice has steadily evolved into oils and mixed media works that are dynamic, painterly and decidedly bold.
“The creative, committed women that grace the gallery walls are a force,” Griffin says. “As Gallery Wild artists, our careers have expanded and each [of us]...has continued to push out of the safety zone of the expected into [the realm of] experimentation, where the transformation truly begins. Women in supportive relationships freely share their love and power, amplifying the qualities of the other.”
Some of the artists Wild approached to join her at the gallery were longtime friends, and some she’d never met before—but the goal has always been about representing stellar work. “As the gallery grew, women artists who complemented the collection continued to be the ones who grabbed my attention. I trust myself to find artists before they hit the market,” says Wild.
Taryn Boals, Little Red, mixed media on canvas, 48 x 36 in.
“In the case of several of my women artists, personal and family life came before their art, including my own. For a lot of women, the first part of life is family, and as their family matures, so does their career. Gallery Wild has a culture of deep support that all of our artists contribute to. It stems from the natural nurturing environment that women tend to create and promote. My hope is to create space for a more equal conversation about representation in both galleries and museum shows, where the only thing that matters is the caliber of the work.”
Gallery Wild hosts solo and group shows nearly every month throughout the year. Explore the full roster of artists on the gallery’s website. —
Gallery Wild
80 W. Broadway Avenue
Jackson Hole, WY 83001
(307) 203-2322
www.gallerywild.com
Powered by Froala Editor
