National Museum of Wildlife Art is situated on a butte close to Jackson Hole. It overlooks the 25,000 acre Elk Refuge and the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are close by. The Museum, in an unusual building of wood and local stone, houses around 4,000 artworks that focus on humanity's relationship with nature.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art's collections date from 2000bc to the 20th century, and the permanent collections are primarily paintings and sculpture from Europe and America. They represent artists from many genres including explorer art, Romanticism, and Modernism, using a variety of media such as oil, acrylic, pastel, and works in bronze and stone.
The Museum houses the largest public collection of works by Impressionist artist Carl Rungius, the books and records of Karl Bodmer's collection of American West art and history, and the JKM collection featuring many artists including Titian Ramsey Peale, George Catlin, and Charles Russell. American art from the 19th and 20th centuries charts the European exploration of the American West, and pre-date photographic records of the frontier era. The Museum is now focusing on broadening its collection to include works from further afield, and recent acquisitions have included pieces from Africa and New Zealand.
The Museum overlooks the National Elk Refuge that has been providing a winter feeding habitat for elks since 1912. Previously elk had died in large numbers as they struggled to find enough forage due to a combination of increased human activity, the expansion of cattle herds and harsh winters.
