Warm River Studio opens in Ashton as new hub for the arts
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ASHTON – A new creative space has opened its doors in downtown Ashton, providing local and visiting artists of all kinds a welcoming place to showcase their talent.
Warm River Studio, at 612 Main Street, is the vision of Ellen Lynch, an artist and businesswoman whose journey from New York City to eastern Idaho reflects her deep connection to both art and the natural world.
Raised in upstate New York, Lynch grew up surrounded by forests, fields, and farm life. She began milking cows at the age of seven and spent her days among creeks, dogs, cats, and horses.
After attending Purchase College, she built a successful career as a graphic designer in New York City before moving to eastern Idaho for the first time in 1995 with stints in Driggs, Warm River and Hog Hollow.
“The natural world has always been a part of me. I love the mountains. I fell in love with the Tetons,” she said.
After 15 years, as her parents neared the end of their lives, Lynch went back to help them. After her parents passed away, she felt a yearning for the Idaho mountains. So, she packed up her two cats and two dogs and headed back to Idaho, which she said was “quite an adventure.”
“The mountains kept calling me. I realized that with the invention of the internet, I can work from anywhere,” said Lynch. “When I saw this property in Ashton open, complete with living quarters, I bought it and renovated it into a studio opening in June.”
The studio, complete with a grand piano that followed Lynch 2,382 miles across the country, currently displays Lynch’s own large-format equine images and photographs of the Tetons.
Horses, she said, have always captured her imagination because of their dual nature — wild and powerful yet gentle and grounded. She compares them to the Tetons, which she describes as “both enduring and ever-changing.”
Beyond her own work, Lynch envisions her gallery and performance space as a gathering spot for photographers, artists, musicians, writers, and performers of all kinds.
“I want this to be a place for anyone who wants to share their talent,” she said. “Art is art. It’s all a way of expression, and expression is everything.”
“Word of mouth has already brought me some great performers,” she added. “There’s a whole circuit of musicians who work incredibly hard traveling the country, and I’m excited to give them a place to play here.”
The space can accommodate up to 100 people, and Lynch hopes to eventually open the studio up for small weddings, art exhibits, receptions, recitals and other gatherings, bringing new energy to town.
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“People in the community are excited that something is happening on this end of Main Street,” she said. “There’s an open invitation for people to come in and share their talent.”
Warm River Studio is open Fridays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. More information, including examples of Lynch’s art, can be found at warmriverstudio.com or on the studio’s Facebook page.
