In the Shields River Valley between the Bridger Range and the Crazy Mountains, Wilsall, Montana is a quiet ranching community of fewer than 250 people, its Main Street is lined with historic brick buildings, including converted old banks and local shops. This valley is home to Gary Kerby, whose journey from ranch hand to celebrated artist reflects grit, patience, and a deep love for Montana.

His start was humble, working orchards, building trailers, and even wrangling cattle on a 65,000 acre ranch. One day he pushed cows uphill from sunup to sundown, only to find them back at the bottom come sunrise. According to Gary, that kind of work teaches you the same patience you need with a paintbrush or a chisel.

By eighteen, he’d sold his first pencil sketches to his optometrist. A few years later, after helping other artists with their murals, he painted one of his own. Before he knew it, murals kept multiplying until he had sixty across the country.

His 2017 mural Wilsall Unleashed captures Main Street in 1921. Most of the details were drawn from historic photographs. Model T’s splash through the muddy street, one bearing a license plate copied directly from a period photo. The town’s dray service waits nearby while the local fire chief stands watch. In the background, the No. 106 train steams toward Livingston, and a sheep herder and his dog pass through town.

At the center, three boys tie a can to a dog’s tail, spooking a horse and launching a cowboy into the mud. That mix of history and humor captures the true spirit of small-town Montana, hardworking, lively, and full of surprises.

Not far from that mural stands his legacy, Thunder Jack, a sculpture that reflects the range of mediums Gary explored in his work. With his rifle, buckskins, and weathered face, Thunder Jack greets travelers along Highway 89, standing watch over the Shields Valley. He honors the mountain men of the early 1800s who trapped furs, carved trails, and guided the West. If Wilsall Unleashed tells the story of the town, Thunder Jack stands as its guardian.

Gary Kerby isn’t simply a muralist or a sculptor. He’s a storyteller who refuses to be confined to one medium. From delicate pencil sketches to sweeping historic murals, from hand-painted signs to commanding three-dimensional sculpture, Gary Brings Montana’s history to life in whatever form the story demands. To see more of his work, just explore Wilsall! Stop by the Bank Bar or the General Store to check out the painting on the walk-in cooler, and keep an eye out for his signs scattered throughout town. Each piece tells a story, capturing the spirit and history of this valley.