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New WRJ Design Showroom Opens for Appointments in Jackson Hole

WRJ Design’s new WRJ Rustic showroom includes such unique pieces as a wooden Asian trough used as table centerpiece and a vintage Philadelphia birdhouse shown atop a rusted metal wine rack.

WRJ Design’s new WRJ Rustic showroom includes such unique pieces as a wooden Asian trough used as table centerpiece and a vintage Philadelphia birdhouse shown atop a rusted metal wine rack.

Whether it’s to browse sumptuous samples of exclusively-carried luxury brand lines or to mingle with artists during the annual Palates & Palettes Fall Arts Festival event, our team has always admired WRJ Design’s downtown showroom space. Blending design inspiration with singularly spectacular retail selections, the showroom is a top destination for anyone who is designing, buying, or decorating a home. And now, much to the excitement of these same interior aficionados, WRJ has announced the opening of a new showroom–WRJ Rustic. This expanded space will house antiques, collectibles and rustic design, providing another beautiful venue to absorb the freshest takes on designing for our valley, all while sparking inspiration that truly crosses the globe. Learn more below:

WRJ Design of Jackson Hole has expanded its showroom space with the addition of WRJ Rustic, an additional showroom highlighting antiques, collectibles and more “rustic” design elements and ideas, says WRJ Design CEO Rush Jenkins. WRJ Rustic is now open by appointment.

“Our clients enjoy both contemporary and rustic design – and everything in between,” says Jenkins. “We’ve created the new showroom with a more rustic flavor, giving focus to antiques and collectibles from all over the world – Europe, Asia, the U.S., Turkey and Morocco.” Pieces currently for sale in the recently completed showroom can range from the whimsical – a 20th century German gerbil cage that mimics European houses – to the unusual and unexpected – an industrial-looking rusted metal grid wine rack and a clean-lined Philadelphia birdhouse with “window” detailing on either end and a rich patina.

“Some of our one-of-a kind pieces include wooden troughs from Asia that make wonderful centerpieces on a table, vintage cabinets from the Adirondacks, and very special hand carved stags with original antlers from the late 18th-/early 19th-century royal hunting lodge of the Prince and Princess of Belgium,” says Jenkins.

“Rustic interpretation is in the eye of the beholder,” explains WRJ Design COO Klaus Baer. “For WRJ, we interpret rustic as having clean lines, and not restricted to the styles of the American West. Our take is more global, with both European and American mountain influences – and then incorporating the unique and textural rustic pieces into contemporary clean design.”

The WRJ Showroom in Jackson is known for displaying the work of a carefully curated selection of artists, with a focus on local work. WRJ Rustic will show the work of three artists new to WRJ, whose work offered an intriguing counterpoint to the new showroom’s rustic style: Montana artist Julie Chapman and Havoc and Laura Hendricks of Salt Lake City.

WRJ Rustic is open by appointment only; appointments can be made at the WRJ Showroom, 30 S. King Street, or by phone at 307-200-4881.

About WRJ Design:

Headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, WRJ Design imparts the special serenity of its local Teton landscape to interior designs in Jackson Hole and across the country. Begun out of a passion for great design by Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer, WRJ creates experiences and environments through its designs, whether for interiors or exhibitions, that provide timeless reflections of the owners or collectors. WRJ’s exhibition designs for titans of philanthropy, fashion, music and politics offer insight into the lives of these luminaries as they showcase the objects they loved. For more information visit www.wrjdesign.com.

Fall In Love With Art At Two National Museum of Wildlife Art Events

In search of the perfect pre- and post-Valentine’s evenings out? Just mix art, atmosphere, music, and dining TONIGHT and next week at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. What’s not to love? Event details are below:

LION BEFORE STORM II © Nick Brandt, 2012, Courtesy of Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, New York

LION BEFORE STORM II © Nick Brandt, 2012, Courtesy of Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, New York

Mix’d Media This Evening!

Locals and visitors alike will enjoy an African safari experience in the heart of Jackson Hole with the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s February 13 installment of its popular second-Thursday-of-the-month evening Mix’d Media event. In addition to the opportunity to view the stunning, spare photographs of “Elegy: The African Photography of Nick Brandt 2001-2008” exhibition, which serves as a theme for the event, guests can dine and sip on East African-inspired food and gin and tonics – and try their hand at snipping cut paper silhouettes as the evening’s hands-on art activity. Screen Door Porch will provide live music accompaniment to the festivities. The event takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, February 13 at the museum. Cover charge is $5 for non-members, free for museum members.

The Mix’d Media event also provides the opportunity for attendees to preview the entries in Trophy Art: Fun Forms for All, all of which goes up for sale on a first-come, first-serve basis on February 22. We had a chance to view a selection of these new takes on traditional animal mounts ourselves. As no animals were harmed in their creation, the entries bridge a whimsical gap between representation and artistic interpretation. From a majestic moose antler taking flight in new form to a delicately hand-painted plaster skull, the trophies would all provide delightful additions to a residential or office wall.

“Deer Skull with Lily” by Jane Lavino is one of the mounts available for sale at the Trophy Art fundraiser.

“Deer Skull with Lily” by Jane Lavino is one of the mounts available for sale at the Trophy Art fundraiser.

Marvel at the selected trophies yourself:

With the tongue-in-cheek tagline “No animals died in the making of these mounts,” the National Museum of Wildlife Art will offer the public an opportunity to purchase unique wildlife-inspired “trophy art,” as well as learn how to decorate using the faux mounts and perhaps create their own “shed antler art” home furnishings from found pieces.

The museum’s new Trophy Art: Fun Forms for All fundraiser takes place February 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. with expert talks by interior designer Christy Fox, owner of Wilson Formal in Wilson, and artisan Kyle Anderson of Game Trail Gatherings in Jackson. To add to the fun, a hands-on art activity will be provided, and pizza by Caldera and desserts from Persephone Bakery will be available for tasting. Admission to the event is free and includes access to the Wapiti Gallery, Rising Sage Café and the Museum Shop (regular museum admission will be charged for entry to the rest of the museum galleries).

Having some fun with the misconception of some museum visitors that it displays wildlife taxidermy, the National Museum of Wildlife Art conceived its new Trophy Art fundraiser, soliciting wildlife trophy-inspired artworks from national, Jackson Hole area and even amateur artists. The works will be on display at the museum February 12 – March 15, and are available for sale on a first come, first served basis, beginning at the February 22 event. Proceeds benefit the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s youth education programs.

The schedule of events for the February 22 Trophy Art: Fun Forms for All, to be held in the museum’s Wapiti Gallery, is as follows:

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Christy Fox, owner of Wilson Formal, a shop specializing in art and home design, will answer questions and talk with visitors individually on the topic of “Bringing Wildlife Home – Design with Trophy Art.” Fox is known for her expertise in integrating art, conservation and a deep connection to the Jackson Hole region into her interior and artistic designs.

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Grown-ups get to channel their inner child with an art activity that allows them to create their own mini-mounts, using multiple mediums for a take-home “trophy.”

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Kyle Anderson of Game Trail Gatherings will demonstrate how he creates “truly unique home furnishings that transcend the ordinary experience,” using raw materials collected from the wild. Anderson will bring examples of both local and exotic “shed antler art” for his creations.

A member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the museum, officially designated the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States by an act of Congress in 2008, provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook and on Twitter at @WildlifeArtJH.

Design for a Cause: WRJ Design Associates Teams Up for the (RED) Auction in NYC

On November 23rd, Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer of WRJ Design Associates will be unveiling an exhibit they designed in partnership with Sotheby’s New York. The unique and star-studded affair brings together work curated by two impresarios of the design world—Jony Ive and Marc Newson—in support of Product (RED), an organization helmed by Bono. All of the proceeds from Jony and Marc’s (RED) Auction will then be donated to the Global Fund to provide AIDS relief in Africa.

Past (RED) auctions have been curated by the likes of celebrity artist Damien Hirst. This time, Bono approached two arbiters of minimalist, almost futuristic design–most famous for designing products that we love to covet and use. Jony Ive is the designer responsible for the look of the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Air, while Marc Newson has brought his trademark sleek aesthetic to everything from airplanes to furniture and clothing. In collaboration, the two have designed two brand-new pieces for the (RED) exhibition—a Neal Feay desk and custom-made Leica M camera. They have also curated a beautiful and wide-ranging collection of over 40 ingeniously designed products, many tricked out with red detailing in honor of the auction’s theme.

Here is a sampling of the one-of-kind pieces from Sotheby’s (RED) catalogue:

The (RED) Desk, designed by Jony Ive & Marc Newson

With such a pedigree of design talent behind the show and such startling pieces to be displayed, WRJ Design Associates drew on their years of exhibition design experience to create the appropriate setting for this special event. As favored designers at Sotheby’s, the team has designed past exhibitions for the private collections of The Kennedy Family Homes, Johnny Cash, and Versace, among many others. This time, working closely with Sotheby’s, they are excited to craft a memorable visual experience for patrons attending the landmark (RED) auction.

“WRJ Design is delighted to be a part of this historic auction. We have a long standing partnership with Sotheby’s as their preferred design firm; creating a variety of high profile exhibitions and auctions. (RED) strikes the balance of cutting edge innovation and high quality craftsmanship and we are excited to participate.” –Rush Jenkins, CEO of WRJ Design Associates

In what is sure to be an event combining the best of groundbreaking design, celebrity flair, and philanthropy, the (RED) Auction is yet another event where local firm WRJ is making its mark. We encourage our readers to check it out and learn more.

Four Daughters: Not Your Typical Jackson Kitsch

Four Daughters: another western collectibles store on Town Square? One more shop that sells Jackson Hole souvenirs and gifts?

Not so fast say Lyle and Jesse Gestal, owners of Four Daughters, one of the newest additions to Jackson’s town square. Down the wooden steps and across from the Boot Legger, this sister duo has brought to life their unique vision for a store selling Western inspired memorabilia with a big wow-factor.

“We wanted to sell art and one-of-a-kind collectibles without the typical Jackson kitsch” Says Lyle, the youngest of the four Gestal sisters. “We’ve both worked in retail here, and wanted Four Daughters to stand out from the rest of the Jackson crowd.” So after securing their new retail space, the sisters spent their off-season making road trips across the American west, finding inspiration in Taos, and unique items in antique shops throughout Utah and Wyoming. Thus the store became a collection of Western-inspired items from vintage belt buckles and old-fashioned pocketknives to restored antique furniture and worn leather saddles.
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