A Home Fit for a Queen: National Museum of Wildlife Art Announces Grizzly 399 Monument

The National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States (NMWA) is pleased to announce that a sculpture honoring the Queen of the Tetons, Grizzly 399, will be added to the Sculpture Trail in the fall of 2026. Renowned wildlife sculptor Jocelyn Russell and her team will create the heroic-scale (one-and-a-half times life-size) sculpture. Russell has completed over sixty monuments, including Secretariat, installed in public and private locations.

“This is more than a sculpture. It’s a statement of love, legacy, and the bond between people and the wild,” says Russell, who is creating the monument with her sculpting team consisting of Michael Dubail, Kristen Douglas-Seitz, and Colleen Moore. “To see her story honored at the National Museum of Wildlife Art is the realization of a dream we’ve carried for years.” Grizzly 399 will be depicted surveying her surroundings, standing over her four young cubs.

The monument will be located on NMWA’s Sculpture Trail, ensuring public access. The ¾-mile Sculpture Trail, designed by award-winning landscape architect Walter Hood, underscores the Museum’s commitment to presenting fine art wildlife sculptures within the incomparable landscape of Jackson Hole. Home to more than 30 sculptures, the Trail stretches along the bluff to the north and south, overlooking the National Elk Refuge and transforming into an open-air amphitheater at the Museum entrance.

“Following the death of 399, the Museum received numerous proposals for donations, commissions, and exhibitions honoring this iconic bruin,” says Executive Director Steve Seamons. “Our team carefully considered and vetted all of the proposals before selecting Russell and the Grizzly 399 Legacy of Love Project. The question was never if the Museum should honor 399, but how. This sculpture will generate wonder for generations to come while educating the public about 399’s compelling story of conservation and coexistence.”

Grizzly 399, often seen raising her cubs near roadsides in Grand Teton National Park, captivated hearts around the world with her maternal strength and tolerance. In her 28 years, she had 18 cubs, leaving a legacy and lineage that continues to thrive today. The monument is intended not only to honor her life but to inspire future generations to respect, protect, and advocate for wildlife.

An unveiling will be held in the fall of 2026 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Grizzly 399 Legacy of Love Project is currently fundraising to support the creation and installation of the monument. The project team welcomes community support. All donations are tax-deductible through Angels Without Wings, Inc. (AWW), a 501(c)(3) corporation. To learn more, please visit 399monument.com.