Jackson’s downtown streets welcomed two new permanent murals and twelve temporary murals during JH Public Art’s annual WildWalls event. Beginning July 1, blank alley walls were transformed into an open-air gallery that runs through September. Local artists collaborated with science organizations to create art that tells visual ecological stories that become interactive using mobile devices. This art gallery is outside a traditional venue, making WildWalls accessible to thousands of people daily.
The Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of this event for the second year in a row. We partnered with local artist Helen Seay to create a permanent mural about recreating responsibly in bear country, which can be found in the alley behind the Shirt Off My Back building between Broadway and Pearl Street. We also supported two temporary wheatpaste murals about whitebark pine conservation and mule deer migrations.
WildWalls 2022 combines many of this year’s murals with augmented reality (AR) features to promote a greater understanding and awareness of the region’s ecosystem through contemporary scientific research. WildWalls AR features are hosted on the Hoverlay app, available for free on all smartphones. JH Public Art works with the selected artists and collaborating organizations to generate educational content that brings each mural alive.
The next time you are in Jackson, be sure to check out WildWalls as you walk around town!
