For a tiny town far from any population center, Dubois has five impressive art galleries. The art represents Native American or Western culture, mountain scenery or wildlife. Much of it is made right here, some of it as you watch. It's authentic, and while some is merely on display, much of it is for sale. There's the full range of pottery, jewelry, beadwork, leather engraving, antler and bone carving, painting, photography, sculpture and woodwork. Several artists living in or near Dubois are nationally known.

If you are even slightly interested in art, you should reserve the afternoon to peruse these four galleries. There's much to see, questions to ask, and perhaps a purchase or two to make.

You might want to research this kind of art before you come. Evaluating it requires some background and prices of the more sophisticated work climb high enough you'll want to have confidence in your judgement.

Horse Creek Gallery features work by Monte Baker, who grew up in Dubois and started working with antler carving in junior high school. He went on to college, majoring in Electrical Engineering and Physics before returning home. Baker uses dental drills to achieve the fine detail in his creations, pictured above and here at left. The larger and more elaborate works are quite expensive, but his smaller works are more affordable.

104 East Rams Horn Street. 307-455-3345.

www.montebakerantlercarvings.com

The Daniel Miller Leather Shop features leather work by a real working cowboy, outfitter and wilderness guide. Miller has lived and worked close to the land for most of his life. This lifestyle has given him the unique opportunity to experience the wonders of nature's physical and spiritual offerings. With his background as a design engineer, Miller tries to share these unique experiences with his clients. With horses being central to his life experiences, Mr. Miller's architectural leather creations focus on the spirit and passion of the Old West. He works mostly on assignment. He'll discuss with a client exactly what they want and then create it.

307-272-2007. Danielmillerleather.com.

Keimig Gallery of Western Art is one of a series of galleries run by the owners. The others are in Cheyenne, Jackson Hole and Saratoga. The Keimig features mostly paintings and sculptures. They're not all local to Dubois but are local to Wyoming. Many of the artists are widely known, although a few are still developing their reputations. However, much of the art is by Gary Keimeg, who paints right there from April through December. It is primarily a painting gallery, and the paintings are mostly of the Dubois area, Yellowstone, the Tetons and Jackson Hole. Gary's education was in Biology and Art. In Biology he was particularly interested in ecology and in wildlife habitats, training that served him well in his later art work. His work experience includes illustrating Biology textbooks, illustrating a book on Paleobotony. and doing other work for the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, U S Forest Service, Wind River Historical Center, National Parkways booklets, guidebooks to the western National Parks and Wyoming Field Science publications. Gary's work is displayed in GRAND TETON GALLERY, Jackson; DESELMS GALLERY in Cheyenne; WILDHORSE GALLERY in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and the BLACKHAWK GALLERY in Saratoga.

1304 Rhodes Street (west of downtown). 450-3207.

The Tom Lucas Gallery is the home studio of Tom Lucas, who lives in Dubois and has spent 40 years working in oil painting and pen and ink drawing. Lucas has an impressive collection of Cowboy, Railroading, Native American and Mountain Man artifacts. He has created a series of paintings of various arrangements of those objects, such as a Shoshone war bonnet, a cowboy hat, a railroader's lantern and a sheep skull. Lucas has worked as a cowboy, hunter, trapper, guide and timbercutter. His gallery includes mostly oil paintings and pen and ink drawings but there are other categories represented.

132 East Rams Horn 307-455-2117

Tukadeka Traders specializes in Native American artifacts: jewelry, beadwork, pottery, quilts, baskets, dreamcatchers, moccasins, feathers, pipes, arrows, decorated coup sticks, and clothing items. Even though the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribes are only a few miles down Route 27, and Tukadeka stocks many of their items, it reaches further afield for Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Sioux and other tribal pieces. There are also paintings and furs. This is a very impressive collection, with more authentic and affordable pieces than what you can find in Jackson or even on the Reservation. The best kept secret in Wyoming, Tukadeka is the best Native American gallery between Denver and Seattle. There is an extensive line of trading beads, and beads and materials if you like to create your own work.

104 East Rams Horn 455-3545 Nativeamericangiftshopwyoming.