For a tiny town far from any population center, Dubois has an astonishing collection of nine 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 all these 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.

Absaroka Western Designs is a tannery, artisan shop and gallery specializing in wild game hides. They produce an astonishing array of items : lampshades, vases, cups, bowls, kerchief slides, hats, baskets, dog chews, placemats, coasters, coats, vests, curtains, drapes, wall hangings, and almost anything imaginable that might be made out of natural animal skins.

Owner Joe Brandi learned how to tan and work with hides before opening his own business. He specializes in buffalo hides but works with other types as needed.

1414 Warm Springs Drive. 307-455-2440. No web site.

The Antler Shop sells antlers gathered during the previous season, plus knives, jewelry and a long list of other items carved from antlers. For example, the earrings at left were carved from Moose antlers. There are chandeliers, lamps, sconces, tables, mirrors, chairs, benches, wine bottle stands, wine glasses, candle holders, clocks, napkin rings, wreaths, picture frames and full size statues.

The artist, Kurt Gordon, was born and raised in a log cabin in the mountains and collected shed antlers as a young boy. He began working with them as an artistic medium and has now been doing so for 35 years. His work is on display at Marriott Hotels, castles, galleries, businesses, upscale homes and political offices across the country. He even has work shown at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.

1404 Warm Springs Drive. 307-455-2204. Antlergallery.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.

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 at the top and here at left. The larger and more elaborate works are quite expensive, but his smaller works are more affordable.

104 West Rams Horn Street. 307-455-4095. baker@dteworld.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.

124 East Rams Horn. 307-455-3002.

Pony Tracks Gallery carries a wide range of art works but is especially good for locally made wooden pottery by artists like Jim Curlee and Christine Hamilton. Over 200 pieces of wood are used in these bowls, turned on a lathe rather than "thrown" on a pottery wheel. There are also Native American pieces here, along with jewelry, paintings, dishes, horse shoe art, saddles and even some local music.

128 East Rams H455-orn. 307-455-4007.

Silver Sage Gallery is the home gallery of Gary Keimig, 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 educational background 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. He has been involved in group shows as well as one man shows. Gary's work is displayed in a number of galleries including the GRAND TETON GALLERY, Jackson, Wyoming; DESELMS GALLERY in Cheyenne, Wyoming; WILDHORSE GALLERY in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and the BLACKHAWK GALLERY in Saratoga, Wyoming.

124 East Rams Horn, 307-455-3002.

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 here.

104 East Rams Horn 455-3545 Nativeamericangiftshopwyoming.