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Florida native Torrey Webster finds a niche with his Wyoming signshop.
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By Steve Aust
Whether it’s called serendipity, karma or carpe diem, many of life’s greatest adventures derive from transforming happenstance into an enriching experience. As an ambitious art student, Torrey Webster followed this path with his career. And, although his initial plans fell through, he forged his own sign-industry path and has grown his shop, Jackson, WY-based Exposure Signs, into a full-service, thriving signshop in a tourist-friendly enclave that offers diverse, steady work.
Moreover, being open to new ventures has landed him a reputation that lures out-of-state customers. Though he never envisioned such a lengthy stay in Grand Teton country, Webster foresees continued growth through perfecting his craft and consistently providing quality products and service.
Surfboard to snowboard
As a student at a Tampa, FL, community college, Webster studied screenprinting and etching as part of a fine-arts curriculum. One summer between classes, a friend who’d migrated west convinced him to take a road trip. A trip through the Jackson Hole area and the surrounding Teton mountain range swayed Webster to move west 13 years ago.
“It was just such a beautiful place, a sharp contrast from Florida’s flat, humid coastal areas. I fell in love at once,” he said.
Webster aspired to apprentice for Mike and Darla Jackson, then proprietors of Jackson Signs. However, the Jacksons sold their shop to open Golden Era Studios, and the new owner elected not to hire additional help. Undaunted, Webster moved to Jackson Hole and went to work in a local snowboarding shop – a former avid surfer, he traded in his boogeyboard and assimilated to cold-weather extreme sports – while cutting his professional teeth from his home garage.
Webster spent most of his early years fabricating banners, temporary construction signs and other vinyl graphics, and admits that he endured significant trial and error as he perfected dimensional-signmaking techniques. Wisely, he enlisted an expert’s tutelage.
“I attended Larry Whan’s signcarving school [in Banff, AB, Canada], and it really elevated my career,” Webster said. “I learned to perfect many carving, fabricating and finishing techniques while working with wood panels. Learning to craft signs from natural wood – and having to contend with grains, knots and splinters – really honed my skills.”
Getting it done
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