Two-Panel Mural by Helen Seay
Wild Journeys
Beholding the Miracles of Wyoming Wildlife
Wildlife is not a generic category; it comprises a richness of species and individuals who bring to life heroic stories of survival, persistence and the need for all to lend our voices to their conservation. Just as they matter, so do you.
Wyoming Untrapped is proud to be collaborating with Yellowstonian and artist Helen Seay in telling the stories of Wyoming’s spectacular native wildlife that converge so joyously on two murals in downtown Jackson. Think of it as a journey of arrival. In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll be treating our readers to the natural history of each species and the pathways they take across the landscape of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Our goal is to engender empathy for an amazing congregation of free-moving species that exist in such congregation nowhere else in the Lower 48. They are part of our shared natural heritage and there is much we can learn from them.
Honoring The Wild Ones
From petroglyphs and pictographs to the scenes painted by Thomas Moran, which convinced lawmakers in Congress to create Yellowstone as the first national park, art has played an important role in shaping human perception. In the case of the former, it has been a combination of both wayfinding and expressing reverence for creatures holding spirit and power; for the latter, the works of Moran and his cohort, photographer William Henry Jackson, used visual media to make places seem tangible that otherwise would have been invisible to humans. With this project, we aim to do all of the above.
Foremost, we intend to honor other living beings who possess sentience and who are our wild neighbors in these mountains, forests and valleys that inspire each of us every day. During the first half of 2025, conservation journalist and fine art writer Todd Wilkinson, a co-founder of Yellowstonian, will be presenting short stories, suitable for readers of all ages, that speak to the animals portrayed in Helen Seay’s colorful and uplifting two-walled murals located just off of South Glenwood Street. Seay’s upbeat scenes represent the latest contribution to Jackson’s national reputation for being a great art town.
“What I love about art is that it unites us around things we value and can spark conversations. Wildlife is not only a proud bonding ingredient in our shared identify, but the range of species that exists in Jackson Hole, inside the south-central realm of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is truly a miracle in this, the third full decade of the 21st century,” Wilkinson says. “I applaud WU and Helen Seay for creating a space of convergence, reminding us of the animals that live large in our imaginations and dwell physically in the surrounding landscape panorama.” Keep checking at yellowstonian.org for a new wildlife vignette. Be sure to mark June 20, 2025 (Summer Solstice) on your calendar when WU will host a fun public unveiling of Seay’s murals.
Explore the Journeys
These murals invite everyone to learn more about the species who call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem their home. In the spirit of education and conservation, we have collaborated with author Todd Wilkinson, regarded as one of the foremost environmental journalists writing about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, to share these animals’ stories. From the winter Solstice to the summer Solstice, we will post new stories here each week.
The Artist
There is a spirit, a medicine in the images I paint. I begin with a vision or an emotion of this spirit, translate it to canvas, then allow the freedom of creative expression to guide me. My work is a compilation of perceptions of the animal spirit and interpretations of visions I have while meditating, creating a mixture of subtle reality with an unseen, imaginative world. Eyes gazing intently at the viewer begs their consciousness into the divine realities and interconnectedness of nature, which in turn allows us to view the essential nature of our own being. My work encourages the stimulation of spirituality through recognizing, or at least hinting, at the cosmic energy within all beings and the oneness within the universe.
Collaborators
Wyoming Untrapped promotes trapping reform through education, advocacy, and compassionate coexistence for Wyoming’s people, pets and wildlife.
Wild Journeys is a collaborative project inspired by the vision of Lisa Robertson and her undying passion to protect all living beings.
Yellowstonian is devoted to delivering impactful, fact-based conservation journalism, grounded in science and indigenous wisdom. We believe in the power of art and storytelling that not only inspires our readers but positions them to cast their own positive ripple effects in defense of our imperiled wild planet. yellowstonian.org
In Gratitude
With sincere gratitude to Charlie Sands, Hatch Taqueria & Tequilas, and Nic Patrick for permission to display Wild Journeys on their buildings.
Funded in part by The Micro Grants Fund
of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.