Leslie Schafer
Wanzi Remembers
Underwritten by Laurel Vicklund
About the Artist
Leslie Schafer is a seventh-generation Wyoming native and artist specializing in wildlife and landscape art. Raised in a family of ranchers and big game outfitters, she brings a deeply personal understanding of Wyoming wildlife, history, and the land itself into her work.
Through her art, Leslie hopes to inspire appreciation, awareness, and education surrounding Wyoming’s wildlife and natural resources. Her connection to the outdoors and the stories of the people who shaped the West continue to influence every piece she creates.
Wildlife observation and understanding were passed down through generations in her family. Her grandfather, Hugh Otte, owned and operated Washakie Wilderness Outfitters and taught Leslie much of what she knows about wildlife behavior and the natural world. Her great-grandfather, LeRoy Otte, operated a coal trucking business in Hudson, Wyoming — another piece of Wyoming history that helped shape this work.
Leslie also credits much of her artistic foundation to her mother, whom she describes as the greatest and most versatile artist she has ever known. Her mother began teaching her to paint with oils when she was just six years old, and her influence continues to guide Leslie’s creative process today.
About the Pronghorn
Wanzi Remembers began as an idea centered around Wyoming’s energy industry and recognizable state landmarks, but over time the piece evolved into something much more personal.
While hints of Wyoming landmarks still remain hidden beneath the surface, Leslie found herself increasingly drawn toward themes of family history, wildlife, Plains Indian art, and the stories preserved inside the Rockpile Museum itself. Inspired especially by the museum’s Plains Indian collection, the piece became a tribute not only to Wyoming’s coal history, but to the generations of people, traditions, and landscapes that continue to shape the region.
The coal trucking elements woven throughout the design honor Leslie’s family history and Wyoming’s energy heritage, while the artistic style draws inspiration from historical Plains Indian imagery and storytelling traditions.
Completing the piece also became a personal challenge. Though Leslie learned to paint in oils as a child, the outdoor display requirements meant the pronghorn had to be completed in acrylics — only the third time she had seriously worked in the medium.
Above all, Wanzi Remembers is a piece rooted in gratitude: gratitude for Wyoming history, for family, for wildlife, and for the stories that connect generations to place.
As Leslie shared:
“When this piece returns to Gillette, it will carry with it a piece of my heart, my family’s history, and my deep gratitude for the stories that shaped us.”vites each person to bring their own story to the experience.
Parade of Pronghorns
This pronghorn is part of the Rockpile Museum Association’s Parade of Pronghorns public art project and auction.