A quick lesson in Wyoming's art history reveals that Conrad Schwering, Thomas Moran and Archie Teater, among others, all lived and painted here. Teater came to Jackson Hole in a covered wagon in 1928 and was one of the few Western artists to enjoy fame during his lifetime. Since then, his studio/shop has moved around Jackson's Town Square several times. It's now JC Jewelers, where you can stop by for a look and imagine Teater sitting inside, painting away.
Let's start close to where Teater did so much of his painting. Painter, sculptor and furniture maker John Mortensen has a creek-side studio/barn at the base of Teton Pass in Wilson. The 600-square-foot studio is nestled in a corner of the lot behind Mortensen's immaculately restored 1912 house. Walking in on a summer morning, the studio smells of fresh pine and the wood stove is cranking. (Even though it is summer, the 12-foot ceilings keep the building cool.) Like his sculptures, the walls and ceiling are larger than life and pleasingly crowded with detail: various Native American antiques, kachinas and textiles and a miscellaneous assortment of cowboy gear. In addition to being an artist, Mortensen is a collector and keeps many of his best pieces in his studio; he both enjoys looking at these works and uses them for reference in his work.
A visit to Mortensen's studio is interesting because you never know what to expect. Since he paints, sculpts, designs and fabricates Western-style furniture, you can catch him doing just about anything … or, if you're really lucky, a little of everything. Whatever Mortensen happens to be doing on the day of your visit, know that there will be a swallowingly soft chair – of his own design, no doubt – and ready conversation waiting for you. Mortensen thoroughly enjoys meeting the people who like and collect his work. "On any given summer day, we'll have a few people poking around the studio. It's wonderful," he says.