Two Jackson artists helped decorate the White House Christmas tree with ornaments inspired by Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway.

For First Lady Laura Bush’s chosen theme of “Holiday in the National Parks,” artists representing 391 national park units – parks, memorials, seashores, historic sites and monuments – embellished grapefruit-sized gold ornaments.

National Park Service Director Mary Bomar chose Jim Wilcox and Greg McHuron as the ambassadors of the park and parkway. “These ornaments tell the stories of our parks,” Bomar said in a press release, “just as our parks tell the stories of our nation.”

Charged with portraying iconic scenes, Wilcox painted a Tetonscape in bright hues while McHuron immortalized a formidable bull moose.

“We have landscape and wildlife – the two most classic resources we have for these park units,” said park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs.

The White House began its ornament tradition in 1981 and all ornaments become part of the White House’s permanent collection.  

“It’s exciting for the national parks to be honored by the White House,”

Skaggs said. “We are thrilled to be part of the festivities and celebration.”

Wilcox attended a special reception and luncheon unveiling the tree on Wednesday, hosted by the First Lady, and toured parts of the East Wing.

At first, he could not spot his ornament on the 18-foot-tall tall Fraser fir in the Blue Room of the White House. But his wife, Narda, came to the rescue, finding it nestled on a bough about two-thirds of the way up.

Anticipating the tree’s scale, the White House guidelines emphasized that the ornaments would be viewed from all angles. All mediums that did not comprise the shape and size of the ornament were welcome.

Not a single glass ornament had been broken in the painting or shipping process, Wilcox said. “I was nervous the whole time I had mine,” he said of the delicate orb, shipped to and from Wyoming in a lightly padded box provided by the White House.  

“It was an interesting and unusual experience,” Wilcox said of participating in the stately holiday kick-off. Though he didn’t recognize any familiar faces among the other artists, several people familiar with his work approached him.
McHuron could not attend the reception for health reasons, so his wife Linda represented him at the White House.

As celebrated Western artists, Wilcox and McHuron have been “artistic ambassadors” of Grand Teton National Park for a long time, Skaggs said.

The pair have contributed original paintings to the former Moose Visitor’s Center (they now hang in the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center) and created posters and note cards for park use and profit (all proceeds support the park’s education, interpretation and science programs).

“They help us express the beauty of Grand Teton National Park,” Skaggs said.

Wilcox’s landscapes, often inspired by the Tetons, have won many awards. A former high-school art teacher, Wilcox founded the Wilcox Gallery in Jackson and his stirring landscapes, often inspired by the Tetons, have won many awards over the years.

McHuron has been exploring the valley for his plein-air paintings since moving to Jackson in 1973. Featured at art shows and acclaimed with awards, his paintings elevate public spaces throughout the area: the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and a 13-piece wildlife mural at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center.

David Drummond, an Albuquerque-based artist whom Wilcox represents at his gallery, had been chosen to paint the White House Christmas card, Wilcox said.