The Art In Our Town
Take a moment to think back to the first time you came to Stanley, the first time you saw these mountains. Was it not awe inspiring? Was there an instant connection made to this town and this land? Many people feel this connection, but only a select few take that and make art out of what they feel. Thad Gerheim, from the Gerheim Gallery in the Town Square, did exactly that. He made art with his connection with this town.
His original inspiration came from an old Boy Scout leader, at the young age of 12. Together, they learned how to capture wonderful images, then develop them on their own. From there on out, Thad found solace in his photography. He has been photographing the White Cloud range, the Boulders, and the Sawtooths since 1981. He then started photographing the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return, and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
Gerheim Gallery is located on Niece Street, in the left portion of the Town Square complex, open daily from 11:00am – 7:00pm. His two room exhibit space is filled with wonderful pieces, most where you can feel as if you are right there looking at the mountain range, or hear the river running, or feel the fresh air. His pieces are in both color, and black and white, to give you a range of art. However, that is not all that is in this Gallery. The various pieces that are currently on display are here to “bring more art to Stanley.” These pieces complement his nature pieces, with bronze statues of the majestic Bald Eagle, a strong bull elk, and others by Tim Norman. He also exhibits wonderful pieces of nature inspired kiln formed glass created by Claudia Whitten. Created by himself, Thad also has platinum/palladium photos. These photos are unique in their creation, as they are filled with various tonalities, incredible brush work, and great patience. This form of photography was patented in 1879, and after World War I, it became incredibly expensive to use this process. Thad is now trying to bring it all back in his work.
Go out and visit Thad in his beautiful Gallery. Feel the individual inspiration seep through every picture, every bronze statue, and every beautiful piece of kilnformed glass. Stanley holds so much inspiration, and art is simply one way to express this. What does Stanley, Idaho inspire you to do?