JAZZ – SPIRIT TOTEMS – WILDLIFE WYOMING

A must-see in Jackson Hole

On a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I discovered a remarkable secret that few know but many would want to see. Wyoming in and of itself is spectacular. The wildlife, mountains, rivers, vistas and sunsets are something to be reckoned with. But I found something so incredible that it resonated thru my being.

Jackson is a historic cowboy town with world-class skiing near two of the most visited parks in North America. Now known as a ‘Millionaires Playground’, the area boasts first class accommodations, fabulous dining, shops and galleries.

VELVET CURTAIN REVEAL:

But just north of Jackson, on the way to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, lies a hidden gem that could possibly change your soul. A combination of unrivaled scenery and art aching to be explored is the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Perched on a hill overlooking the National Elk Refuge and the Gros Ventre mountain range, the Museum is housed in a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque building that blends seamlessly into the landscape. It is also home to a magnificent Sculpture Trail that most miss as they speed towards Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

UNWAVERING STRENGTH

Created by well-known Landscape Architect Walter Hood, the Sculpture Trail is just a 3/4 mile walk along the edge of a butte. You may recognize Walter Hood as the Designer behind the gardens at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. It was this trivia that sparked my initial interest in visiting the Sculpture Trail.

Once there, as you roam along the Trail breathing in the exhilarating Wyoming air, soaring vistas are at your every turn. Peppered along the way are is a full-scale replica of a herd of Buffalo, a massive Bald Eagle and an Elk that masterfully takes you to the brink of the unwavering strength of wildlife.

SPIRIT TOTEMS

But along the edge, on the precipice of the cliff, are these awe-inspiring sculptures in swirling, twirling shapes that reach for the heavens above, thrusting their way towards the universe. These powerful sculptures will tug at your emotions and pull at your energy hidden within. While every sculpture on the trail was stunning in its own right, it was these soaring Totems, reminding me of Native American Totem Poles, that captivated my attention. These are the Spirit Totems.

JAZZ MEETS SCULPTURE

Herb Albert, the legendary Jazz Musician is the Artist behind these awe-inspiring totems. From trumpet to sculpture, the discovery of this famous Jazz Artist also creating these incredible Spirit Totems captivated my imagination and I yearned to discover more. After enjoying the Trail until every last ounce of sunlight faded away, I made a note to learn more about Herb Alpert the Sculptor. That led me to a video called “Music For Your Eyes”. In it, Herb says, “painting and sculpting is very much like music in the sense that I’m looking for composition, I’m looking for harmony, I’m looking for transpositions.”

Tammi Hanawalt, Ph.D, Curator of Art for the National Museum of Wildlife, recalled that Herb Alpert himself was fascinated and influenced by the Native Art he saw in British Columbia. “I think it’s wonderful when other artists such as Herb Alpert are inspired by other artists’ genres – that interaction and change is interesting.”

With her studies in Native Arts and Modernism, Tammi noted that “I like to look at them, it’s like they are wildlife trying to get out. I think they wonderfully capture the idea of wildlife – every bit of our art doesn’t have to be realistic. The landscape here is such a dramatic landscape and with the black patina, you really get the full effect of the Elk Refuge and the snow-capped mountains. The shapes are so lovely. They look surreal.”

She went on to say that “wildlife art doesn’t always have to be realism, and we don’t have taxidermy here. We are trying to open that up a lot.” The Spirit Totems are a reflection of that mindset.