National Museum of Wildlife Art
The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) is a museum located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States that preserves and exhibits wildlife art. The 51,000 square foot building with its Idaho quartzite façade was inspired by the ruins of Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and echoes the hillside behind the facility. Located on a bluff called East Gros Ventre Butte in the midst of a real wildlife habitat, the institution overlooks the National Elk Refuge and is situated 2.5 miles north of the town of Jackson. The core of the collections reflects traditional and contemporary realism. The museum's centerpiece is a collection of works by Carl Rungius (1869–1959) and Bob Kuhn (1920–2007). In addition to 14 galleries, the museum has a sculpture trail, museum shop, restaurant, children's discovery gallery, and library. More than 80,000 people visit every year, and over 10,000 children visit the museum each year, often as part of their school curricula. The Museum is a nonprofit.
Established
May 16, 1987
2820 Rungius Road
Jackson, Wyoming 83001 United States
85,000+ annually
Steve Seamons, Museum Director
Tammi Hanawalt, Curator of Art
History[edit]
The museum was founded in 1987 by William and Joffa Kerr and a group of friends. William Kerr was the son of Robert S. Kerr. It was initially situated on the Jackson Town Square and was at first called the Wildlife of the American West Museum.[1] The Kerrs donated the core of the museum's holdings from their own collection.[2] In 1994, the NMWA opened a 51,000-square-foot (4,700 m2) facility 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of its previous location, across Highway 89 from the National Elk Refuge. In September 2007, the museum dedicated a new monumental sculpture of five elk called Wapiti Trail by American sculptor Bart Walter.
Library and archives[edit]
The Library is a non-circulating research library with an emphasis on material relating to wildlife art and artists. Additional material includes general art history, art conservation, natural history, wildlife biology, wildlife cinematography, conservation, and photography. The collection contains a wide variety of materials including books, journals, artist biographical files, video and DVD recordings, and Museum publications. The Library and Archives are open by appointment for browsing, reference, and research.[4]
Honors and awards[edit]
In 1994, the National Museum of Wildlife Art received the Wyoming Humanities Award for exemplary efforts in fostering the humanities in Wyoming.[2] On May 8, 2008, President George W. Bush signed Senate Bill 2739, a Public Lands bill that contained a provision recognizing the NMWA as the "National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States".[5]