James F. Jackson – 2020 Brinton 101

James Jackson’s intense interest in the visual arts began in a saddle shop in Wyoming. Carving and designing leatherwork led him to academic studies and a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wyoming. While attending the University he taught in design classes and worked as a museum curator. Throughout his life, he has always maintained both a studio for painting and a leather shop. These two creative occupations have intermixed and shaped the character of his work. Jim has exhibited and sold his paintings and leatherwork through galleries and museums in Colorado and Wyoming. Recently, he was honored with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, awarded the Master Leather Artisan of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists, the Stohlman Award for excellence as a Master Craftsman, and given the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award in 2019.
Jim currently displays his work and conducts discussions about designing leatherwork, carving processes, and regional history at the leather shop on the grounds of The Brinton Museum.

“I have always had a passion for drawing and laying out designs. My work is a response to my experience and it’s relationship to the visual metaphor. Regrouping of visual keys and cross-referencing leads to a generation of new ideas and clarification of universal principles. I’m
hopeful that those who view my work are receptive to subtle variations and movement in color and value, and sense my love for the evocative image.” James F. Jackson