Words from the Publisher
18 Dec 2017
Shokunin
Winter 2017/2018
Written By: Jeff Bush
Japanese for artisan—more than a craft or technical skill-set; something completed with attitude and passion for the well-being of all.
Last year, my wife and I embarked on a journey involving no travel: we lived in a trailer for 14 months while we gutted and remodeled an original 1940s log cabin. A longtime local purchased the old Cache Creek ranger cabin in 1975 and moved it south of Wilson. Over the next 40 years, it was retrofitted from primary home to “ski bum” rental.
When we bought the cabin it needed more than a touch-up—it needed plastic surgery. We left the logs, covered porch, and most of the roofing in place, while taking the inside down to the dirt. As a publisher and photographer by trade, we have plenty of creative inspiration and are great at tearing things apart, but we needed a team to mold our dream.
Our team of specially chosen artisans completed our vision with 100-year-old “new” antique oak flooring, an old-style masonry fireplace with custom iron work, colonial white granite counter tops, and a handmade kitchen light crafted by my father-in-law. These artisans and their work are forever engrained into the overall warmth and comfort of our new home.
The craftsmen working with us daily brought the meaning of “Shokunin” to heart. As editor Kristen Pope says in this issue’s opening editorial, “It’s obvious their crafts are more than a means to an end….it is something deeper and more meaningful.”
This issue celebrates the artisans of Jackson Hole whose passions and works are interwoven into our lives every day.
Enjoy, JHStyle.
–Jeff Bush 
