Jackson Hole, Wyo.-If the wolves don’t get ya’, the ducks and buffaloes will. 

About 100 kids and a couple of adults (myself included) painted the animals, now mounted on fences along Highway 22, over the last few weeks at Colter Elementary, the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Art Association Art Bazaar. The silhouettes were cut from recycled construction waste lumber.

The project is the first in a series of public art projects that Bland Hoke Jr. will organize over the next few months as the public art ambassador for the Center of Wonder. 

Hoke had the initial idea to create the Artspot on the old Chevron sign on Broadway Ave., after the service station was demolished. Now that the Artspot Sign has been temporarily removed for the construction of a new Rocky Mountain Bank (RMB) branch office, the Center for Wonder and RMB have given Hoke the resources to create other public art in Jackson. 

Hoke, a graduate of Jackson Hole High School, returned to Jackson for the public art effort. Hoke graduated from the New York State College of Ceramics in the spring of 07. There, he focused on making public art, specifically art made from recovered or re-purposed materials.

The owners of Puzzleface, who have already hosted a charred wood sculpture of a soldier by Peter von Tiesenhausen, were very excited to host art by kids, Hoke said. He also said the project has been invaluable for the kids involved, who get a lot of excitement (one can only imagine) from seeing their artwork in such a public art space. Hoke will do more projects with kids over the next few months, but this animal project was only a prelude for more public art to come. 

Hoke will also function as a sort of crusader to bring more public art to Jackson, which he says brings art to the masses of people who usually don’t take the time to go to a gallery or a museum.

“The most practical benefit of putting it out there is getting people acquainted with art in public spaces,” Hoke said. “So that if we pitched a permanent public art program in the future … this would have already engendered acceptance and support for public art.” 

Hoke said that public art can serve a lot of benefits for the local community.

“It livens up public spaces and awakens your sense of discovery,” Hoke said. There is an economic benefit to public art, because it makes the town more attractive to tourists, he said, and it will generally help make Jackson more of an art town.

Hoke said other communities have public art programs funded by public construction projects, but he hopes to work with private developers to bring public art along with their developments.

“It’d be sweet to work through private developers because public construction projects happen here and there, but private developments are always going to be springing up, and that’d be a consistent source of projects for artists,” Hoke said. “That way developers are providing this product for the valley, but also supporting the creative culture, so all these creative people here don’t dry up and disappear.”

The public art projects will bring in participants of all ages, in all capacities. Many of the projects will use recycled construction materials, and will be displayed in construction areas, and those spots that get lots of people passing through. PJH

Keep your eyes peeled in public places and around construction sites for more art from Hoke and the Center of Wonder.

Courtesy photo

Wolves howl and keep watch on the bottom of Teton Pass.