Show Preview | 10th Anniversary Shows

Jackson, WY
Astoria Fine Art, August 1-31

Laura Robb, Roses and White Lilies, oil, 24 x 18.

This story was featured in the August 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

A decade ago, Astoria Fine Art opened in a 1,700-square-foot building on Jackson’s historic town square with the goal of presenting some of the finest examples of contemporary and historic art evoking its Rocky Mountain setting—landscapes, wildlife works, and western scenes. “We took that leap of faith,” says managing partner Greg Fulton, an art-business veteran who had envisioned a space where he could personally serve some of the artists he’d met and admired.

Today, Astoria wears its success well. The gallery has expanded twice, now measuring 3,500 square feet, while only slightly increasing the number of living artists it represents, from 40 to 50. “We didn’t grow to add more artists,” Fulton explains, “but to be able to display more works by the artists we have.” More importantly, he adds, that growth has enabled the gallery “to take more risks with a collection that is more diverse in styles and subjects.” For evidence of that diversity, one need look no further than the list of artists participating in the summer-long celebration of Astoria’s 10th anniversary with shows of their recent works. This month’s shows include evocative western landscapes by G. Russell Case (August 1-10), boldly contemporary wildlife works by Mark Eberhard (August 11-20), expressive still lifes by Laura Robb (August 21-31), and minimalist tonal landscapes by Nancy Bush (also August 21-31).

All four artists are widely held in high esteem, but Fulton has not planned the opening receptions one might expect—in part because that would have demanded a party every 10 days, but also because “summertime is so hectic here that people really want to be able to visit on their own schedule.” Instead he has marked the milestone with a full-color catalog, available in printed form by request and digitally on the gallery’s website.

The artists themselves express pride to have been chosen, and the works they’ve sent reflect their wholehearted commitment. “These are definitely some of my favorites since the first of the year,” says Taos-based Laura Robb, who adds that her still lifes are “about creating a composition that feels like it’s all one unit” rather than centered on any one individual object. Fulton particularly appreciates the way Robb’s vibrant paintings, of which he expects to show about 10, literally “brighten up a room.”

With similar excitement, he notes the way G. Russell Case’s majestic scenes of the desert Southwest evoke the legendary painters of the Taos School. “They feel classical and take you back in time,” Fulton adds. Says Utah-based Case of the dozen “western impressionistic” works he expects to show, “They’ll be a good mix of what I’ve been working on recently.”

Nancy Bush, Icy Road, oil, 14 x 14.

Landscapes of a different sort constitute the 10 canvases Nancy Bush sends from her Fredericksburg, TX, studio. “Lately I feel like I’m putting more at risk, wanting to experiment, cutting the details in my paintings down to the bare necessities,” she says of her richly atmospheric canvases, which at first might strike viewers as abstract scenes. Yet the few details Bush does allow—a gently curving line that resolves into a misty slope, vertical strokes of black that reveal themselves to be bare tree trunks in the mist—keep the works rooted in reality. “They kind of stop you in your tracks,” notes Fulton, who remarks that “people who collect contemporary art and those who collect traditional art both like Nancy’s work.”

The same can be said for Mark Eberhard, whose studio near Cincinnati yields some of the most widely respected, avidly collected paintings of birds and wildlife produced today. “I think Mark is the artist I represent whose works are purchased most often into museum collections,” enthuses Fulton. And one glimpse at any of the painter’s offerings for this show explains why, with their vividly realistic renderings of animals set against dramatically abstracted yet still naturalistic scenes. With Astoria’s anniversary in mind, Eberhard has even included among his 15 new works what he considers “really site-specific paintings.” These feature settings familiar to those who frequent the Jackson area, including one of a herd of prong-horned antelope in Antelope Flats, and another of an elk herd against the backdrop of the Grand Tetons. “When people live out there or visit,” says the artist, “they like to relate to things they’ve actually seen.”

Such an ability to relate to the art hanging on the walls may well touch on the heart of the gallery’s success. Whether it’s with the artists they represent or the collectors to whom they sell, says Fulton, “We’ve always tried to create great relationships that go both ways. No matter who comes to Jackson Hole, I want them to feel that they need to stop at Astoria.” —Norman Kolpas

contact information
307.733.4016
www.astoriafineart.com