The five artists featured in this exhibition witnessed first-hand the rapid transformation of women’s roles in Western American society at the turn of the 20th century.

Following the initial feminist demands at the Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, the territories of the American West became pioneers in granting women the right to vote—starting with the territory of Wyoming in 1869, long before the nation ratified the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. However, political emancipation did not automatically equate to social liberation.

The lives of these trailblazing women reveal how they tenaciously forged professional autonomy and balanced ranching with their artistic aspirations. For many of them, art became the key to achieving economic independence from their families and husbands. Some were widows, others were married to businessmen or frequently absent partners. A few trained as photographers in the field, while others received substantial artistic education across the United States and France.

What unites them all was their willingness to travel, embrace adventure, and immerse themselves in the rugged wilderness of states like Montana and Wyoming. Featured artists include:

Evelyn Cameron, Photographer, 1868-1928

Fra Dana, Painter, 1874-1948

Josephine Hale, Painter, 1878-1961

Elizabeth Lochrie, Painter, 1890-1981

Lora Webb Nichols, Photographer, 1883-1962

The exhibition will be on view at the Jackson Hole History Museum during regular museum hours through July 12, 2025. A second exhibition about Women Artists from Utah and the West at the Turn of the 20^th Century will be organized in 2025/2026.