The John Clymer Residence and Studio, Currently a Private Residence

Year Built: 1969
Historic Use: Residence and Art Studio
Current Use: Residence
Historic Designations: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Teton County Historic Preservation Board’s List of Historically Significant Resources, Teton Historic Preservation Easement (2025)

History of the Clymer Residence and Studio

John Clymer began his career illustrating covers for the Saturday Evening Post, and he became their second-most published artist after Norman Rockwell. After the Post, Clymer turned to his first love of oil painting. He was instrumental in developing the American Western Art genre.

“John Clymer was an important member of Jackson Hole’s artistic community for nearly two decades. The National Museum of Wildlife Art houses more than eighty original paintings and drawings by the artist. Some of these works can be seen on permanent display in the Clymer Studio, a recreation of John’s studio in Teton Village, which was generously donated to the Museum by the Clymer family after his passing.”
–Kennis Forte, Ph.D.
Associate Curator of Art, National Museum of Wildlife Art

John and his wife Doris traveled the country seeking inspiration for his Saturday Evening Post covers when they discovered a hobby. The American West was just beginning to record its history, and they wanted to help immortalize it. Their painstaking research produced a viable, living quality to Clymer’s paintings.

“In the historical painting, somebody who just puts down the facts isn’t making a total contribution. You have to make it real, make it live. Your characters have to have interplay, like all living things do. When Doris and I make a discovery, we feel we’re making a contribution to our Western heritage.”
–John Ford Clymer

Clymer was recognized for his talent, receiving multiple awards from the Academy of Western Art, Cowboy Artists of America, the National Wildlife Art Collector’s Society, and others. Today, the contents of his studio are replicated on display at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, where Clymer was the first recipient of the Rungius Medal.

The Clymer Residence and Studio is historically significant due its associations with John Clymer, a national award-winning oil painter with a previous 20-year illustration career, known for his work in developing the Western Art genre. The house is a two-story 3,442 square foot Mid-century Modern style house with moderate Swiss Alpine inspiration built in Teton Village in 1969. The house is an example of the contemporary Alpine style that characterized the early development of Teton Village.