By: Tibby Plasse
JAckson’s voices & venues
In Jackson, art is closely tied to the landscape, wildlife, and mythology of the West. It is also shaped by the artists, galleries, and collectors who continue to bring new ideas to the region.
In this section, WHJ explores that evolving visual language. At Gold Mountain Gallery, David Yarrow’s cinematic photography anchors a collection that moves between fine art, regional Americana, sculptural furniture, and one-of-a-kind objects. The result is a layered visual of the West—polished, playful, and supported by extraordinary craftsmanship.
Amy Ringholz approaches the region through wildlife. Her vibrant, textured portraits turn bears, foxes, bison, and other animals into something deeply expressive. Her new private art-concierge service also brings her work directly into collectors’ homes. For Ringholz, art isn’t just decoration; it’s a way to give a home character and a sense of belonging.
Susan Wechsler’s mixed-media mosaics offer another form of transformation. Built from shards of glass, jewelry, metal, porcelain, and other objects, her compositions blur the line between painting, sculpture, and assemblage.
Together, these artists and spaces reveal how the West continues to be interpreted, collected, and brought into the home.
Right at home through bold wildlife art
Known for vibrant, textured portraits, Amy Ringholz finds intimacy in the wildest subject matter. Her attention to detail fortifies the emotional depth of her canvas, where every brushstroke is meant to provoke connection. Be it majestic or untamed, a bear or a fox, Ringholz has secured a following in the Tetons and beyond since opening her gallery, Ringholz Studios, in 2013.
“If you choose to reside in the West, sharing space with wildlife is a way of life,” Ringholz says. “These portraits not only help bring the outside in and give your home a sense of place and belonging, but they have such life and personality that it helps bring heart and soul into the house to help make it feel more like a home.”
For Ringholz, artwork reflects “the personality, preference, and voice of the collector,” but her art also reflects her inescapable and insatiable love for the West.
“IF YOU CHOOSE TO RESIDE IN THE WEST, SHARING WITH WILDLIFE IS A WAY OF LIFE. THESE PORTRAITS NOT ONLY HELP BRING THE OUTSIDE IN AND GIVE YOUR HOME A SENSE OF PLACE AND BELONGING, BUT THEY HAVE LIFE AND PERSONALITY THAT IT HELPS BRING HEART AND SOUL INTO THE HOUSE TO HELP MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE A HOME.”
When she flew out for her first job interview in Jackson in 2002 to work as a graphic designer for a real estate agent in her early 20s from Ohio, one of her first destinations in town was the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
“During that interview process, they took me for a quick tour at the museum, and the minute my eyes landed on Donna Howell-Sickles’ Legends, everything in my mind and heart clicked—this was the type of art I wanted to create and the family of artists I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to belong to the contemporary Western Art family,” she shares.
Twenty-four years later, Ringholz, who has participated in the Fall Arts Festival QuickDraw, solo shows at the museum, and its annual Western Visions for years, now has a piece in the museum’s permanent collection.
-The Place You Are | Mixed media on panel | 40″ x 40″
-Into the Deep | Ink on oil on canvas | 50″ x 40″
“I’ve taught classes, I’ve read books, I’ve been a part of the museum shop, and served on panels—and there is massive satisfaction, to not only achieve this career milestone, but to show among the greats, and to be recognized and honored for my contribution as a western contemporary artist,” says Ringholz.
Her two-dimensional art also went three-dimensional at the new Jackson Hole Children’s Museum. Ringholz’s drawings were made with marker on board, and then photographed into giant seven-foot-tall vinyl stickers placed across three sliding window panes.
This season, Ringholz will host three solo shows at her gallery. Living the Dream, in May, will feature another side of the artist, showcasing her landscape paintings.
“SINCE OPENING MY OWN SPACE, I’VE WANTED TO MAKE ACQUIRING ART EXPERIENCE, AND HAVE IT BE EXTREMELY AUTHENTIC, EXCITING, AND SPECIAL.”
In July, the Light to Heat exhibition will spotlight Ringholz’s larger works with a full display of color and drama. Then, timed with the Fall Arts Festival, Ringholz will present a more traditional, “rounded-out show” that displays the range of her mediums and more classic pieces. Ringholz’s work is also in this year’s Western Visions.
Ringholz is also offering a new service this year through her gallery, called Ringholz in Residence: Private Art Concierge.
“Since opening my own space, I’ve wanted to make acquiring art an experience, and have it be extremely authentic, exciting, and special,” she says.
-The Tie that Binds | Mixed media on panel | 60″ x 48″
-Love Damaged | Mixed media on canvas | 60″ x 48″
-Harmony | Ink on oil on canvas | 48″ x 48″
That rings true for one of her collectors, who says that Ringholz’s “rich textures and the vibrant colors bring such a powerful presence into the room.”
Taking a different approach to a traditional gallery relationship, where a buyer walks into a gallery, Ringholz and her gallery director, Nicole Trychon, are bringing art into one’s home.
“Coming to the home and bringing a few paintings that we feel match the home’s look and energy, we can actually sit down and have a conversation about the client and what they’re interested in, while simultaneously seeing how the art functions in the home,” Ringholz explains.
“WITH A SKETCHBOOK AND A COMPUTER AS MY TOOLS, I CAN DRAW OUT THE PERFECT COMMISSION THAT ONE MAY NEED FOR THEIR WALL. I CAN HELP WITH TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT TYPE OF ARTWORK IN THE RIGHT LOCATIONS IN THE HOME.”
“With a sketchbook and a computer as my tools, I can draw out the perfect commission that one may need for their wall. I can help with talking about the right type of artwork in the right locations in the home,” she adds.
For Ringholz, it’s a uniquely creative experience that “can be unforgettable.”
“Meeting with the actual artist in the home where a future painting will reside matches my mission of making art collecting fun, memorable, and working with true professionals who love what they do,” she says.
–Jackson Hole Children’s Museum
-Artist Amy Ringholz & Gallery Director Nicole Trychon
-Ringholz Studio Gallery, in Jackson Wyoming
Art enthusiasts interested in catching Ringholz in action can observe the painter at the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Plein Aire in June. And then in September, Ringholz will take to the Town Square for the Fall Arts Festival QuickDraw.
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