Bison Wallow
Title: Bison Wallow
Artist: Ben Roth, b.1971
Date: 2023
Medium: Fir and pine tree logs, screws, and sand
Location: Greenspace on the Block
Funded by: Jackson Hole Land Trust
This project was funded in part with an Arts For All grant provided by Teton County and was supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature.
Project Management by: Jackson Hole Public Art
Bison Wallow, a climbable sculpture, is the creation of artist Ben Roth who used a chainsaw, grinder, and impact driver to create a sculpture from 30 logs, both fir and pine trees harvested as part of planned fire mitigation. The sculpture is located on a highly visible portion of the Greenspace near a pathway that welcomes local and tourist traffic.
Roth worked with local youth from the Coombs Outdoors program and Jackson Hole Children’s Museum to conceptualize the interactive artwork. He also studied sculptures that occur in nature such as beaver runs, dens, and nests before designing the bison and wallow.
Bison and Wallow is on display now at the Greenspace on the Block and is anticipated to remain for visitors to enjoy for several years.
“Building this installation over the past month in my own community has been a treat. I enjoyed the interactions that occurred with the locals and tourists and realized that building a challenging
piece in public view is a rush. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work and the encouragement and feedback really helped. ”
