Jackson Art & GTNP Park News
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Annual Astronomy Day to ‘Focus’ on Constellations and Galaxies at GTNP
Hosted by Grand Teton National Park & Jackson Hole Astronomy Club
MOOSE, WY — Grand Teton National Park will join the Jackson Hole Astronomy Club to host the annual Grand Teton Astronomy Day this Sunday, August 11. Family-oriented activities are on tap which offer fun and educational opportunities to identify and appreciate galactic bodies such as constellations, star clusters, nebulae, sunspots, and much more.
Throughout the day, astronomy themed videos will be shown in the Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium, including an 11:30 a.m. showing of the award winning documentary, The City Dark: A Search for Night on a Planet that Never Sleeps. Outdoor events begin at 2 p.m. at the Colter Bay Visitor Center and end with a late-night star-gazing session on Jackson Lake.
To highlight Grand Teton Astronomy Day, specially filtered telescopes will be available to safely view sunspots and other solar features from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. on the back deck of the Colter Bay Visitor Center. During the same time frame, children and adults can discover fun and fascinating information at exhibits and information tables.
At 9 p.m. Bob Hoyle, current park ranger naturalist and former professor of astronomy, will present an evening program at the Colter Bay amphitheater titled, “Watchers of the Sky.” This presentation focuses on the cultural history of astronomy and how early sky-watching evolved into the sciences of astronomy and astrophysics.
As a finale, several large telescopes will be set up from 10 p.m. to midnight along the shore of Colter Bay for participants to view stars, galaxies, nebulae and other celestial objects. Anyone planning to attend the evening program and telescope observation session should dress warmly as evening temperatures at Colter Bay can be quite chilly, even in August.
More information about Astronomy Day is available by calling the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307.739.3594.
Amazing Animals at Museum’s August Mix’d Media
Printmaking, live music, and local beer featured at outdoor event
Jackson Hole, Wyoming – August 5, 2013 – Create your own Warhol-style image at the National Museum of Wildlife Art as part of the museum’s monthly Mix’d Media. The final Mix’d Media of the season to be offered outdoors on the museum’s sculpture trail, the August event connects to the “Amazing Animals: John James Audubon to Andy Warhol” exhibition, on display through August 18. Featuring portfolios of American wildlife from the early hand-colored engravings produced by John James Audubon and George Catlin to modern versions by Andy Warhol and Walton Ford, the show will provide inspiration for Mix’d Media’s hands-on art project.
The “Amazing Animals” themed Mix’d Media event will take place August 8 from 6-9 p.m. and is open to the public for a $5 cover charge; free for members. In addition to enjoying live music by Whiskey Mornin’ and beer from Roadhouse Brewing Company, guests can try their hands at printmaking with Teton Art Lab as guest artists Aaron Wallis and Scott Craighead provide instruction – or use the sculpture trail pathways as canvas in a sidewalk chalk drawing activity. Dinner and a specialty libation will be themed to the event.
Mix’d Media is sponsored by Home Health for Pets, First Interstate Bank, and Spring Creek Ranch.
In addition to its busy art exhibition schedule, the National Museum of Wildlife Art offers a full schedule of year-round community programming, with some 100 free events including art-making activities, films, lectures, “edutainment,” Art in Action guest artists workshops, cultural fun on the museum’s new Sculpture Trail and much more. The museum also provides free high-quality educational enrichment for school children, from online and onsite curriculum for teachers to student art contests and thematic school tours. And the museum becomes a vibrant community gathering space during popular social happenings like its monthly First Sundays and Mix’d Media events.
A member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the museum, officially designated the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States by an act of Congress in 2008, provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook and on Twitter at @WildlifeArtJH.
Rangers Use Road Spikes to Stop Fleeing Vehicle for Second Time This Summer
MOOSE, WY — A 57-year-old Victorville, California man led a Grand Teton National Park ranger on a fast-moving pursuit on U.S. Highway 26/89/191 north of Moose Junction late Sunday night, August 4. The ranger attempted to stop the vehicle for crossing the centerline several times, but the driver did not yield and increased his speed instead.
At 11:06 p.m., the park ranger contacted Teton Interagency Dispatch Center to request back up as she tried to pull over the driver of a 2002 Ford pickup traveling northbound on Highway 89. The driver refused to stop and gradually increased his speed from 40 to 60 mph. The nighttime speed limit on Highway 89 is 45 mph. Two North District rangers responded to the call for assistance, and they placed road spikes across the highway near Triangle X Ranch. The spike strips were successful in slowing the fleeing vehicle, although the driver continued traveling on flat tires before coming to a stop near Cunningham Cabin nearly one mile beyond the road spikes.
While in pursuit, the ranger also saw the driver toss something from the truck window just before the vehicle came to a stop. An additional ranger and drug dog responded to search for the tossed item, which turned out to be a controlled substance.
The driver was arrested for interference with agency functions, and charged with several additional violations: operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs; refusing to submit to a blood alcohol/drug test; and possession of a controlled substance. While the California man has no current warrants, he has a lengthy criminal history. He was taken into custody and placed in the Teton County jail pending an appearance before the federal magistrate.
This arrest marks the second time within the last month that park rangers have resorted to the use of spike strips to stop a fleeing vehicle. The first incident occurred July 15 when Jackson Police Department requested the park’s assistance in stopping a driver suspected of drunk driving. The 19-year-old female driver of that vehicle reached speeds of 90 mph before crossing a spike strip near the Jackson Hole Airport Junction on Highway 89. She was taken into custody by Jackson police officers and remains in jail on multiple federal charges.
Using spike strips can be an effective way to stop vehicles involved in a fast-moving or high-speed pursuit before they endanger others. Neither incident resulted in any injuries.
“All one Breath” — An Artist Exhibits Paintings Inspired by the Spirit of Unity
Trio Fine Art hosts an unprecedented exhibition of paintings by Kathryn Mapes Turner.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Nationally celebrated artist, Kathryn Mapes Turner has spent the majority of her young life in a majestic mountain valley that has profoundly influences her work. Her powerful yet sensitively rendered landscapes communicate the life-long relationship she has developed with this grand scenery. With skilled use of light, harmonious color, and layers of texture, Turner explores the her connection with the natural world. The result is enduring imagery that evokes the intensely emotional association she has with the landscape of this valley since her childhood.
- August 21- September 7th, 2013
- Artist Reception August 22th 5-8 p.m. Turner will lead a Conversation on Creative Collaboration at 6:30 p.m. FREE and open to the public.
- Gallery hours Wednesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m.
- Exhibition can be viewed online at www.triofineart.com after August 20th
Painting — A Co-Creative Process
The title of this exhibition relates to Turner’s awareness of the interconnectedness of all things. This past year, she has explored the concepts of collaboration. For Turner’s work, the initial spark of inspiration is derived from the dynamic complexities of the natural world – all of which are interdependent. Once a connection is made between the artist and subject matter, the scenes are carefully edited and purposely distilled to reveal the subject’s true essence. Turner says, “A painting is a conversation between the land and canvas. I have the privilege of being the translator between the two!”
Kathryn Turner had the good fortunate of being born into a fourth generation ranching family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Her native valley is distinguished now by its preservation of wildness and for its vibrant art community. Both have shaped her as an artist and now she is an active participant in arts organization as well as conservation. “Growing up on the Triangle X Ranch taught me a great deal about the spirit of cooperation. In the creation of an evolved future, we are all in this together..” says Turner. In the past year, Turner has shared her art talent with the Grand Teton Association, The Teton Raptor Center, and most recently with the Jackson Hole Land Trust’s View 22 as a way of supporting conservation efforts. As a founding artist member of Trio Fine Art Gallery, the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Artists and the Jackson Hole Art Association, she is an integral member of the arts community. Recently she teamed up with her brother, Mark Turner, to collaborate the remarkably successful OneNest Project. (visit www.onenestproject.com). Kathryn remarks, “Invaluably, I have benefited from collaborations with other artists. In the creative process, a magical synergy can transpire when people work together.” In this exhibition, Turner celebrates this continuum of creative flow.
Turner’s work has been recognized nationally by many top awards including “Best of Show” at the American Impressionist Society and the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Association. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Wyoming State Museum and the Charlie Russell Museum. SouthWest Art recognized Turner as “21 Young Artists with Promising Careers.”