—THE FOUNDING ARTIFACT—

A Return to the Campfire
Original artwork by Les HermanCreated as the founding artifact of Season One, this piece reflects the spirit of gathering — presence, stewardship, memory, and the circle around the fire beneath a Yellowstone sky.

NOTE - THIS IS WHERE ART PHOTOS AND MAYBE VIDEO ARE INSTERTED

—ABOUT THE ARTIST—

Les Herman’s work is rooted in the lived landscape of the American West. He spent ten formative years at Yellowstone’s North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and began his federal career in the Park as a fire lookout on Mount Holmes after serving in Vietnam. He earned his B.F.A. from the University of Montana in 1978 while continuing to work summers in Yellowstone.Over a 33-year career in federal aviation and wildland fire suppression, Les carried a sketchpad wherever he traveled. After retiring in 2011, he returned fully to painting — capturing the West not as spectacle, but as relationship.

—ABOUT THE ARTWORK—

“I created A Return to the Campfire because this is the Yellowstone I lived and know — close, watchful, and shared.Growing up in Gardiner and working inside the Park taught me that you don’t stand apart from wildlife here. You sit among it.The campfire represents a moment of gathering — where humans are just another presence on the landscape. The animals are not symbols. They are witnesses. The fire is not dominance. It is circle.In a time when noise travels faster than memory, returning to the circle feels necessary. This piece is a reminder that listening — to each other, and to the land — is still how we endure.”

—CAMPFIRE CIRCLE—

Campfire Circle is a small group of early supporters helping bring The REAL Yellowstone™ storytelling series to life. Each tier includes a museum-quality print of A Return to the Campfire, an original artwork created by Yellowstone artist Les Herman to mark the beginning of Season One. Your support helps fund the first interviews, featured in the Season One short film, along with the gatherings and storytelling that will carry this project forward.

BEGINNING SUMMER
—2026—

A RETURN TO THE CAMPFIRE marks the first public gatherings of THE REAL YELLOWSTONE™ — Season One.Details about locations, dates, and participation TBA.

—LEGACY PARTNERS—

A Return to the Campfire is being carried forward with the support of legacy families and early partners whose histories and values are deeply connected to Yellowstone.Pat and Ginger Povah — stewards of the Hamilton Stores legacy — have come on as founding legacy partners. Alongside them, a small circle of early supporters has stepped forward to help bring Season One into being. Their support reflects a shared belief that Yellowstone’s living human history matters, and that its stories deserve to be carried forward with intention.Additional legacy partners and early supporters will be acknowledged as the circle continues to take shape.