News – Sheridan Media
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The Brinton Museum opens its 2026 season in the Northern Trust Gallery with Roger Haight and Don Johnson: Two Wyoming Carvers, on view April 3 through May 25. The exhibition brings together two local artists whose work reflects a shared appreciation for birds, nature, and the creative possibilities of wood.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, April 3 from 5–7 p.m., offering guests the opportunity to meet the artists and experience the exhibition. The event is free and open to the public, with light refreshments served.
Both Haight and Johnson are longtime supporters of The Brinton and familiar figures within the community. Their collaboration highlights two distinct yet complementary approaches to working with wood. Roger Haight creates intricately detailed, polychromed sculptures of birds and wildlife, capturing motion and habitat with remarkable realism.
Don Johnson constructs finely crafted birdhouses, drawing on principles of modern architecture and allowing the natural character of the wood—its grain, color, and structure—to inform each design.
“Roger Haight and Don Johnson have both been longtime supporters of The Brinton Museum, and we are proud to showcase their work in this exhibition,” said Curatorial Director Jochen Wierich. “Their work reflects a deep connection to material, place, and tradition, and offers visitors a meaningful perspective on the relationship between art and the natural world.”
Together, their work reflects a shared sensitivity to material and environment. As one exhibition text notes, both artists “respond to wood’s natural quality… and create objects from it that are sculptural in one case, or architectural in the other.”
Haight’s path to woodcarving began in childhood and continued after a career as a professor of microbiology, when he returned to carving as a dedicated practice focused on birds and other natural subjects. His process involves careful study of anatomy, habitat, and movement, resulting in works that convey both accuracy and vitality.
Johnson’s work developed through experimentation with distinctive wood materials, where the natural qualities of each piece guide the final form. “The wood actually became the design,” he notes, emphasizing how grain, color, and character shape each birdhouse.
The exhibition also reflects the enduring vision of Bradford and Helen Brinton, who sought to preserve the Quarter Circle A Ranch as a sanctuary for birds and wildlife. By focusing on avian subjects and natural environments, Two Wyoming Carvers connects artistic practice with the landscape that surrounds the museum.
Roger Haight and Don Johnson: Two Wyoming Carvers is supported by The Tucker Foundation, Wyoming Arts Council and The Edwin T. Meredith Foundation.
For more information, visit thebrintonmuseum.org.
Feature Photo: Roger Haight, Black-billed Magpies, wood, courtesy of Brinton Museum
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Last modified: April 1, 2026