Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival kicks off with #1 spot on Most Vibrant Arts Community ranking

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)– The 42nd annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival began Wednesday Sept. 9, bringing 12 days of art, creativity and culture to Western Wyoming. This year's festival also comes with an extra reason to celebrate as Jackson earns the top spot for "Most Vibrant Arts Community".

Visitors can explore work from top Western, wildlife and landscape artists through gallery shows, exhibitions and other events throughout the Jackson area.

Jackson was recently named the No. 1 most arts-vibrant community in the country, ranking ahead of San Francisco and New York. Meaning the town has prioritized federal arts grants and funding for art communities.

“We're all super proud of this,” John Morgan, the Vice President of Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce said, “This is a very prestigious thing for Jackson Hole to be recognized as the number one most arts-vibrant community in America.”

Morgan says the arts are an important part of what makes Jackson Hole a vibrant place to live and visit, from live music and performing arts to culinary and visual arts.

"The arts are immensely important to the quality of life of people who enjoy that, or people that live in the area. We have so much live music that happens throughout Jackson Hole all year long. That's a testament to the vibrancy of our arts community," Morgan said, "All of those things contribute to what makes a community, an arts vibrant community."

For Morgan, one event stands out above the rest: Palates and Palettes.

"That is flat out one of the best things to come out and do to experience vibrancy, for sure," Morgan said, "Whether you're an art buyer or just someone who likes to walk through art galleries, or someone who just wants to feel the vibe of a town or a city, come out to palettes and palettes."

Visitors and art enthusiasts can stop by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce building to pick up an official Fall Arts Festival brochure. The brochure includes a complete listing of all participating galleries and scheduled events throughout the celebration.

The festival runs until Sept. 12.