Wyoming Arts Council

Interiors Reflect Colors, Light, Native Stone and Other Significant Architecture of Area; Grand Opening on August 21

Heather James Fine Art debuts its new gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, on August 21, 2010. This is owners Jim Carona and Heather Sacre’s second collaboration with acclaimed Los Angeles-based architect and interior designer Dianna Wong. The stunning interiors of the new gallery reflect influences of the surrounding landscape – its colors, light and native stone – and other significant architecture of the area that uniquely represents Jackson.

“It’s been very fulfilling for me to work on the Heather James Gallery as I was able to return to the environment of the Rocky Mountain West, where I spent my childhood”, says Wong, who is best known for her work at the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, MGM City Center in Las Vegas, The Oscars’ Governor’s Ballroom in Hollywood, as well as the W Washington DC.

Wong used a simple approach in planning the interiors and creating separate rooms and galleries within the 3,800-square-foot structure. There are five main exhibition spaces as well as five smaller gallery spaces to house the wide breadth of genres that will be presented there, including cultural art and antiquities, Impressionist and Modern, Post-War and Masters, Old Masters, cutting-edge Contemporary, and Photography.

The selection and detailing of the interior finishes and fixtures reflect a respect for the context, culture, and other significant architecture of Jackson, Wyoming. Steel frames, local stone, patinaed concrete floors, and hemlock walls and ceilings are woven together in a honed rusticity that provides an earthy yet serene background for the collections.

Born in Hong Kong, raised in Great Falls, Montana, educated at Harvard and Cambridge, now living and working in Los Angeles, Dianna Wong is truly a citizen of the world – and her life and work reflect the influences and complexities of many cultures. She has become internationally known for her interior designs of four- and five-star hotels and resorts and is currently completing projects in Cairo, Macau and Los Angeles.

“Heather and I are excited to expand the Heather James gallery vision into such an amazing space and community,” explains Carona, who believes that the gallery in Jackson perfectly represents their mission. “We want to create dialogues between different art forms, time periods and genres through a broad range of exhibitions. Jackson has established itself as a significant destination arts community. We see this as a perfect opportunity to merge our love for the natural world, and a lifestyle that Jackson embodies, with our passion for art.” In addition, tours, lectures and other forms of public programming will be an important component of the gallery’s activity.