News – Sheridan Media
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On March 5, The Brinton Museum, opened a retrospective exhibition James F. Jackson: Legacy in Art and Leather.
The exhibit spans a career of nearly 50 years, featuring 47 paintings and hand-carved leather works by renowned, nationally award-winning artist Jim Jackson from Sheridan. Jackson talked about how he started with his unique artwork.
Bill Gardner was there, and he worked with Don King on Championship saddles.
He said he picked up the carving, and Billy was the one who got him into carving and tooling at a certain level. Gardner was really a fine carver and tooler.
Jackson added his career started very early, and by the time he graduated and went to college, he said he already had a trade.
Jackson said he attended college at University of Wyoming and received an MFA degree.
He said for many years there was a gallery in Denver that handled his work for a number of years. Through them he was commissioned to do a large mural in San Deigo.
When he finished the mural, which was a year-long project, in 1990, he decided to move back to Sheridan, “I was tired of the city. Sheridan is my part of the country.”
He was offered a job at King’s saddlery, doing leather work, and doing a lot of their custom work; belts, purses, wallets, and all kind of stuff like that. He said he occasionally tooled a saddle as well. For over 20 years his shop was in the museum at King’s.
After he retired from Kings, he set up a shop on the Brinton grounds in the old foreman’s house. This is his ninth year working out of there. He gives classes on leather tooling, where he talks about leather work. He also has a leather shop and an art studio in his home. Much of his leather work is on sale at the Brinton Museum Gift Shop, and he now has a waiting list of people wanting to purchase is leather art.
He talked about how some of his paintings come about, like the one pictured above.
He said the current exhibit at the Brinton is only the tip of the ice burg as far as the art he has done. He said out of the 47 pieces, he owns 15. The rest are on loan for the exhibit.
He said he’s had exhibits at the Brinton before where the art was for sale, but this a retrospective exhibit, “This is about my life’s work. I was honored to have the retrospective show, and I’ve always enjoyed selling my work at the Brinton. “
He talked about the different styles he paints. He does some cubist type work, and some impressionalist. He nine months in Europe, Germany, France, and Netherlands. He learned a lot about different eras of paintings.
Many of his artwork pieces are a combination of leather work and painting.
Jackson’s artwork will be on display at the Brinton Museum through August 3.
He talked about some upcoming events, one is a documentary which will be shown at the WYO in July, about his connection with Japan, and leather carvers here in Sheridan, and some leather carvers he has taught in Japan. It will also be shown the 17th of May at Sheridan college, in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show to be held May 15 – 17 at Sheridan College
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Last modified: March 24, 2026