Alaska’s Premier Wildlife Sculptor, Frank Entsminger, has studied wildlife in the Alaska wilderness for OVER FIVE DECADES bringing an unparalleled depth to his art. These true-to-life bronzes could only be the work of one who deeply understands wildlife.
Frank Entsminger is a sculptor in taxidermy and wildlife art. Frank’s love of nature and the outdoors began as a child in Montana. Born in Montana in 1943, at a very young age, he played in taxidermy. He collected mice to skin and mount and then make wildlife scenes in a shoe box. Later, Frank worked as a taxidermist for Great Falls Sporting Goods in his early high school years.
Just out of high school in 1962, Frank ventured to Alaska with two high school buddies, Sandy Jamieson, artist, & Marty Rinio, taxidermist. Since then, he has roamed Alaska’s vast wilderness both as a hunter and student of wildlife anatomy. His first 15 years in Alaska were spent in the Fairbanks & North Pole area operating Northland Taxidermy with partner, Marty Rinio.
1973, Frank met his wife, Sue, in his taxidermy shop. She was looking for a job. Frank partner hired her to make forms. Frank became very interested in Sue sharing the same outdoor and hunting interest beginning their relationship. They started their life together in 1975. Early in their relationship, Frank had told Sue while doing taxidermy in Fairbanks the Tok Fish & Game Area Biologist brought a 40″ ram to mount that was hit on the road in the mountains south of Tok. He told Sue, “That is where I want to live, where 40” rams are along the highway.” Sue had searched 50 miles the area where 40” rams were seen along the highways south of Tok with nothing for sale. They needed to find a place to live. Frank had an off-grid cabin half mile off the road that they moved to in the mountains 50 miles south of Delta Junction, Alaska. Off road & off-grid made survival & life a bit challenging & difficult. Eight months later, they lost that cabin to fire. Frank took that tragedy as an omen. He did not want to start all over in that harsh heavy snowfall area off-grid & off road.
Frank’s hands were badly burned from the fire. This event was the turning point for Frank from taxidermy to bronzes. His second and third degree burns needed serious medical attention for months. Once he could start using his hands, he began light work exercising his hands sculpting wildlife pieces. Later he had his small figurines cast in bronze. Those 15 years in Fairbanks as a taxidermist, Frank had become quite the dall sheep hunter and well known as a great taxidermist particularly for sheep. Regrouping in Fairbanks after the fire one of the land owners in Frank’s dream area contacted us ready to sell. She had lost her leg to gangrene. Too tragedies brought the opportunity to buy a place. 1977, that deep passion for the sheep, wildlife, and wilderness brought Frank and Sue to the Mentasta Mountains south of Tok where they started their business Wilderness Creations and Taxidermy. They have an abiding love for the land, the wildlife and their Alaska native neighbors.
In the midst of this rural wilderness setting, Frank is frequently afield with his spotting scope hiking the mountains observing and photographing wildlife. Frank’s trained eye focuses not only on their beauty, but also the animal’s anatomy along with their movements. Frank life experiences along with his natural ability to sculpt three-dimensional ideas for his life-size taxidermy also led him to bronze sculptures.
Many people recognized his self-taught talent and encouraged him to make the sculptures more permanent. Joe Halko, a friend & renowned bronze artist from Montana suggested Frank to turn his conceptual sculptures into bronzes. But this did not happen until the tragic fire occurred that took Entsminger’s home in 1976. Fate has a way of changing your life & opening new doors. In 1979, Frank cast his first bronze sculpture.
Since his early years as a bronze artist he has collected full skeletons of big-game animals to sculpt the muscles onto the skeleton lending accurate measurements & positioning. He then transforms the knowledge from the finished life-size model to his intended sculpture.
Frank’s countless hours spent in the field researching, observing, and photographing equals the hours in his studio transferring his knowledge, talents, and love of wildlife to each sculpture. When you see his work, you will understand the value of all this background work.
Frank’s wife Sue is also an accomplished Alaska outdoors woman. Frank and Sue spend many days afield each year from their mountain valley home base. Sue helps in advertising, webwork, & the social media.
In recent years, Frank & Sue have traveled abroad to Asia on several hunting trips for the critters in the high mountainous area of Tajikistan & Mongolia. His interest in high alpine dwellers has broadened his art to Asian sheep and ibex.
https://www.seniorvoicealaska.com/story/2026/05/01/local/fire-wax-and-wildlife-the-art-of-frank-entsminger/4273.html
