WINTER/SPRING 2020
n e w e x h i b i t i o n s // 3 c o n t i n u i n g + t r a v e l i n g e x h i b i t i o n s // 7 c o l l e c t i o n n e w s // 1 2 a d v a n c e m e n t // 1 3 e d u c a t i o n + c o m m u n i t y o u t r e a c h // 1 5 a r t c l a s s e s + w o r k s h o p s // 1 6 p u b l i c p r o g r a m s // 1 8 m e m b e r e v e n t s // 1 9
Director’s Comments Laura J. Millin
Let me just say, your contemporary art museum is more nationally relevant than ever! It is with great pride that I inform our community that MAM has been awarded reaccreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) for the third time in MAM’s 45-year existence. According to the AAM Accreditation Commission, “Reaccreditation means the museum continues to meet national standards and best practices for U.S. museums and remains a member of a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence. Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by its peers, the museum has shown itself to be a good steward of its resources held in the public trust and committed to a philosophy of continual institutional growth.” Everyone at MAM and in MAM’s wide circle of supporters worked hard for this achievement. AAM’s recently revamped accreditation process is forward-thinking and no longer measures a museum’s progress with reflection on achievements since the prior accreditation award. Instead, the commission brought MAM’s forward-looking projects, such as the institutional plan, the collection development plan, and planning around environmental controls and monitoring, into sharp focus. MAM is fortunate that our landlord, the city of Missoula, has stepped forward with the necessary support and funding to help MAM address implementation of upgraded climate-control systems. Even better, this consideration is going to be wrapped in a process that seeks exciting solutions to more efficient and better-performing facilities. To that end, the city has awarded McKinstry a Performance Energy Contract (PEC) to evaluate city facilities, including MAM, and provide investment-grade audit reports and make recommendations for utility cost savings, greenhouse gas emissions, and reduction and facility optimization projects. Missoula’s energy conservation and climate action coordinator, Chase Jones, said, “The city continues to support MAM as a proud partner in providing important and beloved cultural experiences to those who live, visit and create in Missoula. In addition, we include focused goals and objectives in the PEC work at MAM to enhance MAM’s ability to house the best art in the country.” AAM-accredited museums commit to adhere to standards related to diversity, equality, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI), and this plays a part in the accreditation commission’s decision-making process. MAM, like all museums nationally, is exploring how to go beyond compliance to fully integrate principles of DEAI in our work. This past summer, MAM was one of just 10 museums across the country to receive a Diversity Internship Program grant from the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), of which I am a member, and this allowed us to employ Dylan Running Crane from the Blackfeet Nation. I am happy to report that Dylan, while still attending the UM, is now a part-time staffer at MAM. The accreditation process is a demanding pursuit, but we found it a valuable experience that is now rewarded with a distinguished honor. BRAVO!
Stephen Braun, detail of Dueling Liars, 2019, raku ceramics, approx. 5 x 4 feet, copyright Steven Braun.
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new exhibitions
2020 BENEFIT ART AUCTION Celebrating 45 years of the Missoula Art Museum
by Carey Powers, Membership & Marketing Coordinator The Annual Benefit Art Auction will have a new and exciting digital component this year, thanks to a partnership with Givergy, an online registration, ticketing and bidding platform. This transition to electronic bidding and registration will allow more time for all to enjoy the live auction event on February 1. Tickets and tables are now available at our unique website givergy.us/mamauction. Get your tickets soon before they sell out! Friends of MAM can now virtually participate in all three separate silent auction rounds. Givergy eliminates the need for proxy bidding and paper sheets for the silent auction. Register to participate (no ticket sale required) at the weblink above. Please make sure to bring your smartphone or Wi-Fi enabled tablet to the live event. Volunteers will be on hand to help those without smartphones or tablets. Don’t worry, no changes will be made to the live auction section of the evening. Bidders will still be able to raise paddles and engage in the fun, energetically competitive environment everyone has come to know and love! Remember to stop by and see all of the auction artworks, which will be on view at the museum from January 3 through January 29. This year we are repeating the thrilling game night — Hack the MAM! — on January 23. Grab a glass of champagne and discover your favorite auction artworks through some friendly competition as we close out the first round of the silent auction! Free and open to the public. Enjoy a beverage from our no-host bar — the first drink is free for members. RSVP by calling 406.728.0447.
Ildikó Kalapács, Awkward Balance, bronze, 2002, 10 x 11 x 8 inches, copyright Ildikó Kalapács. Exhibition/Silent Auction Round 1 Opens January 3 // 5–8 PM Missoula Art Museum Hack the MAM! Game Night/ Silent Auction Round 1 Closes January 23 // 5:30–7 PM Missoula Art Museum Missoula Art Museum 2020 Benefit Art Auction February 1 // 5–9:30 PM UC Ballroom, University of Montana
Presenting sponsor:
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Stephen Braun, A Montana Legacy, 2011, raku ceramics, approx. 4 x 6 feet, Missoula Art Museum Collection, purchased in part with support from Virginia Moffett, Dan Weinberg, and Roger Barber, 2014.01, copyright Stephen Braun.
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new exhibitions
Artist Wages Art, Activism
MAM Exhibits New Interactive Ceramic Sculpture by Stephen Braun by Brandon Reintjes, Senior Curator
In a corner of northwest Montana, deep in the woods, Stephen Braun is making powerful, challenging ceramic sculptures. “I love the planet and all of its beauty. But all I see is loss. I see the scars we leave to support our consumptive nature. We leave a landscape of heartache…it breaks my heart to see how ubiquitous we’ve been in radically changing our environment,” said the artist. Self-deprecating and evasive, Braun would rather focus on his artwork than himself as an artist, or his history of activism. He said, “I have tried for many years to create change through environmental activism, legal challenges, and legislation. My art is just another form of activism.” For this exhibit, Braun has been making his trademark environmentally, socially, and politically themed sculptures using what he calls a "bastardized American raku technique" that was pioneered by Paul Soldner in the 1960s. The exhibit will include large, narrative, wall-based and free-standing sculptures, some of which encourage audience interaction, including pieces that spin and works intended to be walked directly upon, around, or through. Braun comes from a long history of radical artists. As an anthropology student at the University of Montana, he was introduced to ceramics and studied with ceramics pioneer Rudy Autio, conceptual artist Dennis Voss, and sculptor Ken Little. As a student, he lived up Grant Creek in a teepee for four and a half years, despite recorded temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit. He biked 13 miles to his site and scavenged food out of dumpsters. “I tried to figure out the minimal level of consumption I needed in order to live, and, after doing this, I determined everything else I consume is in excess.” This commitment impacts his studio practice in particular. Braun explained, “Art materials are linked to extractive industries and filled with heavy chemicals. I’m judicious in what I make. It’s a moral and ethical question…a conundrum. Hopefully the content, the impact, of my work will supersede the resources that go into making it.” Spanning 30 years, Braun’s career comprises solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, as well as broad representation in public and private collections. This exhibition will be accompanied by a new, illustrated catalog with essays of Braun’s work by artist and writer Peter Koch, critic Lucy Lippard, and MAM senior curator Brandon Reintjes.
Stephen Braun: Hindsight is 20/20 March 3–August 8 Carnegie Gallery Art Swing April 24 // 5–8 PM
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new exhibitions
Photographers Bridge Art and Science Linda Alterwitz and Elizabeth Stone Collaborate on New Exhibition by John Calsbeek, Associate Curator
“Loss and love, inextricably bound, can also bind us to one another. In its simplest form, a shared experience can create connection, a deeply embedded human desire.” –Elizabeth Stone This exhibit features recent work by photographers Linda Alterwitz of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Elizabeth Stone of Greenough, Montana. Though they work independently, they share an interest in wellness. They use poetic processes to explore human awareness of the body, cycles, loss, and connection and suggest that what is deeply personal and fleeting may be universal and timeless. In January 2012, Stone’s mother began receiving personal care for the Parkinson’s disease that was slowly taking her life, and in April 2015 she passed away. Over the course of those 40 months, Stone watched her mother’s physical and mental health wax and wane like the cycles of the moon. “Mythology and astrology have taught us that the moon is a symbol of subtlety,” Stone said, “a luminary that provides light through reflection. As my mom’s death neared, she reflected more light.” As part of her healing process, Stone undertook a project to photograph the pages of notes her mother’s caregivers wrote daily. Every day of the last 40 months of her mother’s life were recorded in handwritten notebooks, which totaled more than 3,000 pages. The culmination of Stone’s project is a series of 40 composite images, each unique and made from layers of photographs of notes, that represent
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phases of the moon. “Collaborating with my mom’s caregivers, weaving their words together, creates a blueprint of my mom’s existence as she returns to the stars.” Alterwitz also embraces forces beyond her control to create images that connect human life with the cosmos. Just Breathe is an ongoing series that represents the artist’s unique vision of self-portraits. For this series, Alterwitz recruited participants to capture 30-second spans of life by photographing the process of breathing. While lying outside on their backs, collaborators rested a camera on their diaphragm, pointing skyward, and simply breathed. Alterwitz clicked open the shutter for a 30-second exposure and, in doing so, captured a truly unique image that combined the skyscape with the movement of the individual’s breathing. Each photograph, Alterwitz explained, documented the “physicality and essence of each participant as well as their common connection to the infinite.” Alterwitz and Stone completed their projects independently, only realizing the overlaps in their approach later. The two collaborated to present a joint exhibition, which is featured here at MAM before continuing on to Las Vegas in the fall of 2020.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS AT MAM
Ellen Garvens and Barbara Weissberger: Perception LEFT TO RIGHT: Elizabeth Stone, November 2012, archival pigment print, 15.5 x 16 inches. Elizabeth Stone, October 2013, archival pigment print, 15.5 x 16 inches, both works copyright Elizabeth Stone Linda Alterwitz, Jack, 2014, archival pigment print, 20 x 20 inches, copyright Linda Alterwitz Earthborn: 30 Seconds to 40 Moons March 24–July 25 Aresty Gallery Art Swing April 24 // 5–8 PM
Through March 7 This amusing exhibition focused on new approaches to photography continues. “I use photography to question what we see as well as what we don’t. Photography is uniquely capable of destabilizing our trust because of our desire to believe in it,” said artist Ellen Garvens. At this pivotal moment when the medium is undergoing such drastic changes and broad redefinition, Garvens and Weissberger create photos that undermine the usual aesthetic relationships such as perspective, orientation, figure/ground, viewpoint, spatial relations, light, focus, and depth, causing viewers to reassess what is fundamental to their aesthetic experience. Weissberger said, “I make many of the things in the photographs, which mingle with so-called found objects that I alter, or leave as is, as well as miscellany found in the studio. I assemble the various made and found parts through improvisation and play to create an environment that exists to be photographed. This work is about impermanence and dematerialization…I am very interested in the studio and attendant life of the artwork. Here, the studio is a site of eccentric invention and possibility. I think a lot about the tension between the casualness and fluidity of the studio and the resolution of a work. I want the work to feel as if it has one foot in the studio and one in the larger world.”
Ancestors and Remembrance in the MAM Collection
Through February 20 Lela Autio Education Gallery MAM's 2019 American Association of Museum Directors (AAMD) diversity intern Dylan Running Crane selected this themed body of work from the MAM Collection. The works represent a variety of artists and perspectives, inviting viewers to examine the different connotations the term ‘ancestor’ can hold for different cultures.
Jason Elliott Clark (Algonquin), Measles, Mosquitoes, Mississippi & Mishipeshu, 2003, reduction relief print, 10 x 10 1/8 inches, MAM Contemporary American Indian Art Collection, donated by Jason Clark, 2006.31.07, copyright Jason Clark.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
Continuum: Contemporary American Indian Art From the MAM Collection
Curated by Nikolyn Garner January 1–April 1, MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney April 15–June 1, Hockaday Museum of Art, Kalispell under the auspices of Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA)
Jerry Rankin: Golden Sunlight
February 1–April 1, Carbon County Arts Guild, Red Lodge under the auspices of Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA) 7
new exhibitions
Defining Postmodernism at MAM Ensuring the Legacy of Montana Modernism by John Calsbeek, Associate Curator LEFT: MaryAnn Bonjorni, Count of Three, 2015, mixed media, donated by the artist in honor of Stephen Glueckert, 2016.01, copyright the artist. TOP RIGHT: Terry Karson, It's Fun Being Here, 1995, mixed media, donated by Estate of Terence B. Karson, 2017.07, copyright the artist. BOTTOM RIGHT: Bently Spang, Culture Cache Series #2, 1993, mixed media, museum purchase, Montana State Cultural Trust Grant, and partial gift of the artist, 2001.14, copyright the artist. Out of Modernism February 7–May 2 Shott Family Gallery
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While the definition of modern art and the timeframe of the movement are generally accepted, definitions of postmodernism are much less agreed upon. MAM is committed to ensuring the legacy of Montana modernism as a focus of programming and of the MAM Collection. Just this past fall, MAM featured an exhibition titled From the Ground Up, which had examples of how craft was intertwined with the roots of modernism in Montana in the 1950s through the 1970s. As a continuation of this line of inquiry, Out of Modernism is a focus exhibition that highlights some of the critical tenets of postmodernism featuring works by Montana artists from the MAM Collection. Touchstones of postmodernism include the appropriation and recontextualization of images, the rejection of a singular narrative in favor of pluralism, and often healthy doses of irony and skepticism towards the notion of universal truths. One of the best examples of a postmodern approach can be found in the example of Robert DeWeese. DeWeese (d. 1990)
and with his wife Gennie (d. 2007) are considered primary progenitors of the vibrant modernism movement in Montana. However, DeWeese’s aesthetic strategies mirror postmodern developments in particular. He was an especially fluid artist who worked easily across media and styles, and by the 1970s and early 1980s he was embracing ideas that would become definitive tenets of postmodernism. In Fall 1983, a curtain hangs in front of a wooden frame. Inset in the frame are index cards that include sketches and notes glued to a background — a great example of appropriation and recontextualization. Drawing the curtain back, is the viewer looking into the past, the future, or both? DeWeese was adept at combining text and imagery to create open-ended meanings. In addition, the exhibition includes works by MaryAnn Bonjorni, Terry Karson, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Dennis Voss, Bently Spang, and others. Out of Modernism is shown adjacent to Gordon McConnell’s postmodernist painting exhibition When the West Was Won.
new exhibitions
Artist Critiques Western Myth Statewide Traveling Exhibition Lands in Missoula by Brandon Reintjes, Senior Curator
Born in 1950 and raised in southeastern Colorado, McConnell grew up watching Western films with his dad. Now based in Billings, McConnell made his newest body of work, When the West Was Won, over the past five years. Since the late 1980s, McConnell has created works inspired by Western films and informed by his sustained study of the history of the American West and its representations in literature, art, film, and photography. Dr. Leanne Gilbertson, assistant professor of art (art history), director of the Northcutt Steele Gallery at Montana State University Billings, and curator of When the West Was Won said: “The works interrogate the intersections of a series of iconic and familiar scenes of the West with the history of modern photography and film-making, and consider their roles in constructing ideals of American masculinity. Collectively, the works offer an opportunity to examine these rich intellectual concerns in a suite of lovingly-wrought, carefully constructed images that prompt us to consider our personal attachments and investments in these scenes — the promises they hold, and the losses they contain and perhaps even perpetuate. Together, McConnell’s works offer a timely meditation on representations of the American West and depictions of America’s past at a moment when such issues have once-again assumed significant political dimensions on the national and international stage.” McConnell, a self-described postmodern painter, has wrestled with the complicated inheritance of the West, the active colonization and decimation of Indigenous populations, the perpetuation of tired myths, of hyper-masculinity, of violence. He said, “My work is informed by a post-modernist aesthetic of appropriation,
allegory, and mediated experience. At first, I had a subversive or satirical intention. The early work was intentionally crude and also tended toward darkness and expressionistic violence. As I’ve matured as an artist, my intentions have [been to]…honor the heritage of the West.” McConnell’s father, J.G., was born in 1918 on the range near Pampa, Texas, and raised on the frontier stories of his great uncle and aunt, Henry and Fanny Lovett — buffalo hunters and ranchers. J.G.’s uncle, Skinny Adams, was range boss on Charles Goodnight’s legendary JA Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Goodnight (1836–1929), one of the principal cattlemen who drove wild Texas longhorns north in the great drives after the Civil War, was the reputed model for author Larry McMurtry’s character in “Lonesome Dove.” J.G. reluctantly left ranching in 1959, but he retained “a great love for the mythic West,” and watched the Encore Westerns channel “obsessively.” His passion for Western film was contagious, and McConnell recalls how his father could recount the blowby-blow plot of John Ford’s 1946 masterwork “My Darling Clementine,” which remains one of McConnell’s visual touchstones. McConnell received a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Baylor University and a master’s degree in art history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After receiving his bachelor’s, McConnell spent a semester at California Institute of the Arts where he studied with John Baldessari. McConnell moved to Montana in 1982 and served as curator at the Yellowstone Art Museum for over 20 years. This exhibition was organized by the Northcutt Steele Gallery at Montana State University Billings and is traveling under the auspices of Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA).
Gordon McConnell, Ventilator Blues, 2013, acrylic on canvas panel, 16 x 20 inches, copyright Gordon McConnell. Gordon McConnell: When the West Was Won February 7–May 2 Morris and Helen Silver Foundation Gallery Sponsored by LH Projects Dinner with the Artist March 11 // 5:30-8 PM Voices in Contemporary Art Lecture, Dr. Leanne Gilbertson April 9 // 6:30 PM Art Swing April 24 // 5–8PM
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new exhibitions
Decentering the Museum, Activating the Collection MAM Amplifies Native and Community Voices
By Jennifer Reifsneider, Registrar MAM believes that if a single artwork can depict the ideas of an individual artist, then a collection of art can embody the character of a community. The MAM Collection has the power to tell us about our distinctive regional and indigenous communities. But in 1998 the collection was not that inclusive — it didn’t represent the work of indigenous artists in an accurate or vital way. In response, MAM created the Contemporary American Indian Art Collection. Over the next two decades, this collection grew to one of the largest of its kind in the region. MAM also expanded the presence of indigenous artists programmatically so that now Native voices and tribal partnerships are integral to exhibits and education. Love Letters to the Collection continues this commitment to amplify diverse voices and honor the richness of indigenous cultures. The exhibit is distinguished with an “active” approach (see Ahead of the Curve article on page 12). This bold philosophical commitment rouses acquisitions from long-term storage, and ensures they support museum-wide engagement goals. Love Letters is designed to use the MAM Collection to stimulate and share previously unheard stories that make up the living narrative of art history. The exhibit opens with artworks from MAM’s Contemporary American Indian Art Collection selected by guest curators. The exhibit will grow each week for the next 10 months, as different curators — artists, writers, poets, community members, local and tribal leaders, activists, scholars, students, and others — select new works to add to the installation, share their thoughts about the artworks, and suggest other curators. Every viewer is invited to write a love letter to the artworks on view. Viewers can also send emails, share ideas through open inquiry at the Art Cart, or create social media hashtags. MAM anticipates these many responses will reveal a dynamic web of interpretations. MAM will include postcards in the exhibit and add stories, keywords, and other associations to collection records, allowing researchers and any curious user of MAM’s searchable online database to find unexpected connections and more significant meanings. Love Letters takes a gentle but decidedly non-neutral position in MAM’s ongoing journey toward inclusiveness. MAM acknowledges that the very concept of museums and presumptions of authority are rooted in colonial traditions of conquest and capital. When MAM welcomes more diverse voices, it destabilizes long-unquestioned power structures, such as the academic hierarchy of descriptive museum language. Listening to audiences helps MAM remove some of the obstacles inherent in museum practices.
Dear Reader, We invite you to visit Love Letters to the Collection and take part in creating meaning around the works on view. However, if you cannot attend, consider this newsletter our love letter to you. No matter where you are now, we cherish your unique insights. We want to spend more time with you, to have you join the museum’s story, to invite you to participate in the MAM Collection story. We trust your open heart and mind. We don’t think you need to be a curator, artist, or scholar to express ideas, emotions, and questions about artwork. Consider this image by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, the first artist whose work was represented in the Contemporary American Indian Art Collection, and who has donated dozens of her own and other Native artists’ works to MAM. Send a love letter to this artwork by emailing 40000years@missoulaartmuseum.org. Your comments will help the museum and the public better understand the importance of this artwork. MAM will add your comments to the collection record, and we might share your message in the Love Letters exhibit, but we won’t share your name unless you give us permission. If you’re unsure where to begin, simply start with these questions: What do you notice? What do you wonder? What does this piece mean to you? We can’t wait to hear what you have to say! Love, MAM
Love Letters to the Collection Opens March 3; on view throughout 2020 Lynda M. Frost Contemporary American Indian Art Gallery Contemporary Collectors Circle April 15 // 7 PM Wine Palette May 5 // 5:30–7 PM
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Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, (Salish-Kootenai, Métis-Cree, ShoshoneBannock) Celebrate 40,000 Years of American Art, 1995, collagraph, 71½ x 47½ inches. MAM Contemporary American Indian Art Collection, gift of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, 2006.16, copyright the artist.
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COLLECTION NEWS
Ahead of the Curve
Collection Management Efforts Drive MAM’s Reaccreditation By Jennifer Reifsneider, Registrar
Accreditation recognizes MAM’s excellence in core areas, including collections management. “Collections” include both owned and borrowed artworks, and are such a high priority for the American Alliance of Museums that three of four projects required for MAM’s reaccreditation were collections-focused. Two of these went on to garner support from the city of Missoula and praise from the national museum community. The first centers on HVAC. Every year, MAM borrows more than 300 works from artists’ studios, private collectors, and other museums for temporary exhibits. To protect these works, as well as the 2,400 works in the MAM Collection, stable temperatures and humidity must be maintained throughout the facility. The mix of new and historic construction is a challenge to any HVAC system, and outmoded controls have created new obstacles at MAM. To meet standards in collections care and fulfill the expectations of partners in the national museum community, MAM has committed to upgrading HVAC controls. The city of Missoula, owner of the museum building, has generously agreed to support critical improvements. The second project focused on improving storage conditions for two-dimensional artworks. With the 1,100-square-foot vault full to capacity, MAM began
rearranging more than 1,600 paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs stored in high-density mobile racks. Volunteers Lexie Evans and Anita Shoen helped MAM rehouse and inventory more than 500 unframed works on paper, allowing MAM to reclaim 30% of flat file storage. Next, Dani Turner assisted with installing new industrial shelving to store fragile stretched canvases and larger framed works. In the project’s final phase occurring this winter, these painting will be reorganized with increased space and acid-free materials for safer, long-term care. The third project was a true milestone. MAM composed its first-ever five-year collection development plan to strategically guide the museum. The plan ensures that artworks owned, borrowed, and managed by the museum remain relevant to MAM’s aspirations, stabilize rapid growth, and increase public confidence in decision-making. Collecting goals are integrated with exhibits, education, development, and fundraising to help staff use limited resources more effectively. Collection Committee members Libby Addington, Paul Filicetti, and Karen Rice helped staff craft the plan. The team dedicated more than 200 hours over 10 months to analyzing the collection’s contents and historical uses and investigating radical ideas in collection management, specifically “Active Collections.” These cutting-edge theories and practices help museums dust off languishing collections, create exciting points of access, and keep public-service missions at the center of collecting decisions. MAM adopted several active approaches throughout its new plan. For example, MAM’s research goals tie potential acquisitions to exhibitions, outreach, and publications, and the active concept of tiering is invigorating MAM’s Art in Public Places loan program to local city-county offices. MAM’s endorsement of active strategies drew the attention of Rainey Tisdale, a national leader in museum collections planning who co-edited the book “Active Collections.” After requesting a copy of MAM’s plan for her sample library, Tisdale praised it for being “thorough and forward-thinking.” She said, "It's incredibly important that museums across the country — particularly the small ones — do this kind of thoughtful planning and policymaking in order to build collections that are truly meaningful and sustainable. Although I'm starting to see it happen in more and more museums, MAM is ahead of the curve." To read more about MAM’s collecting goals and initiatives, visit missoulaartmuseum.org. Paintings, including Damian Charette’s Sacred Horses from 1992, are stored in high-density mobile racks with ample space and acid-free dividers.
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ADVANCEMENT
BE A PART OF IT ALL AT MAM
by Tracy Cosgrove, Deputy Director for Finance and Advancement Guided by our mission, vision, and values, MAM strives to emerge as the leading contemporary art museum in the Intermountain West. This is our creative vision for a bold future. This ambitious goal is made possible by our fully integrated advancement model, which brings together development, membership and stakeholder engagement, and marketing and communications. Our advancement team at MAM works hard to create meaningful connections between the richness, bounty, and abundance of human creativity and the people who celebrate and support it. The current focus of our effort is the ambitious 40 Forward Campaign, and we are in the final push to get to our $5 million goal. This effort is now both broad and deep, like the impact of art in our community and in our world. With less than $400,000 left to raise before the end of the year, we are counting on you — our readers, guests, artists, members, donors, art aficionados, auction-goers, art bidders, class takers, Art Park strollers — to get us to our goal. To that end we have listed some creative ways for all who celebrate art to support MAM this year. We invite you to pick one — or more! — to help us get to $5 million. • Come to MAM’s 2020 Benefit Art Auction on February 1. Not only will you have the chance to bid on the area’s finest examples of contemporary art, you can support MAM with unrestricted funds during the Moment of Giving! • Honor a friend or family member with a tribute gift to MAM, or give the gift of membership to someone you love. It’s more meaningful than a new tie or blender. • Pick a program you love at MAM and love it even more with a donation. Whether it be our engaging exhibitions, outdoor sculpture in the Art Park, the Fifth Grade Art Experience, our speaker or performance series, or any of the other outstanding programs and events for the
public at MAM, they can only happen with support from our generous donors. • Consider a gift that keeps giving! Donations to MAM’s endowment help fund the museum into perpetuity, and with the Montana Endowment Tax Credit extended through 2025, there are some fabulous tax advantages to making charitable endowment gifts via gift annuities.* • Leave a legacy to MAM. Planned gifts of art and funds support the care and growth of MAM’s collection of the art of our time and place. • Avoid capital gains and make a gift of appreciated stock. This maximizes the impact of your assets.
As always, when you give to MAM you provide a place and the resources for art makers and art viewers to come together to create, innovate, and celebrate the unique language that art gives us. And supporting the 40 Forward Campaign helps us leverage that impact now and for years to come. * For more information about gift annuities, please contact Tracy Cosgrove, Deputy Director for Finance and Advancement, at 406.728.0447 or tracy@missoulaartmuseum.org. 13
COLLECTION PARTNERSHIPS
STAFF NEWS
ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
New installations of art from the MAM Collections are on view throughout downtown Missoula during business hours, Monday through Friday: Mayor’s Suite and Missoula Office of Development Services, City Hall, 435 Ryman St. Missoula County Administration, 199 W. Pine St. Partnership Health Center, 401 Railroad St. W.
COLLECTION LOANS
Collection loans support regional exhibitions: Behind the Sagebrush Curtain: Women Modernists in Idaho and Montana Through January 10 Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Ketchum, Idaho sunvalleycenter.org Featuring works by Gennie DeWeese, Edith Freeman, and Frances Senska No Enemy Movement Observed: The Vietnam War Through the Eyes of a Frenchtown Marine Through July Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, Missoula, Montana, fortmissoulamuseum.org Supported with work by Stan Healy from the MAM Collection
Jennifer Reifsneider
Registrar Takes International Leadership Role, Expands MAM’s Statewide Presence and Local Partnership
In the fall of 2019, MAM registrar Jennifer Reifsneider accepted an invitation to join the Membership Engagement Committee of the Association of Registrars and Collection Specialists (ARCS). Representing more than 1,600 members from five continents, ARCS is the international professional development organization for the museum collections field. Reifsneider recently benefitted from the ARCS mentorship program, in which she consulted monthly with the head of collections management for the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer-Sackler Gallery. Reifsneider has worked as MAM’s registrar for nearly 15 years and has presented on best practices at the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association annual conference three times. She and Ted Hughes, curator of collections at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, are partnering in March 2020 to co-present on collections care at the Museums Association of Montana annual conference.
TEEN ARTIST SPOTLIGHT NEW! TEEN ARTIST COUNCIL & TEEN ARTIST ASSISTANT
FROM THE CLASSROOM Art from Art in the Moment, The Village Senior Residence’s Pearls of Life Memory Care Community. Learn more about this program for those with dementia and their caregivers on page 17.
MAM is pleased to announce its first-ever Teen Artist Council. All teens with an interest in art and leadership are encouraged to join. These motivated teens help develop and promote creative programming at the museum to connect teens to contemporary art and each other. They meet monthly to plan and promote teen programs and events, recruit teen participants, form group projects, and notify students of community art opportunities. This teen leadership group is the guiding force of MAM’s teen programs. Look for the MAM Teen Table at Southgate Mall’s MCPS student art show. To join, contact Siera Hyte at siera@missoulaartmuseum.org. For updates and announcements, follow @mam_teens and #mamteens on Instagram. MAM’s new volunteer teen artist assistant, Tabitha Howard! Howard — a junior at Willard Alternative High School — is a dedicated art student and natural leader.
HELLGATE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ART EXHIBITION
April 3–May // Lela Autio Education Gallery First Friday Artist Reception // April 3 // 4–5 PM Every year MAM highlights student artwork from one of Missoula’s high school art programs. This April MAM will feature a body of art from Hellgate High School art students. Art teachers from Hellgate High School — Marvin Pauls (chair), Lauren Elliott, and Kasey Arceniega — selected pieces from their art classes to display in this year’s exhibition. MAM will open the show with an artist reception for family and friends on the First Friday in April.
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FOR EDUCATORS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR ART GUIDES, DOCENTS, AND VOLUNTEERS NEW Docent Program Information Meeting
MAM offers trainings for teachers, teaching artists, and art guides. These hands-on workshops will connect with the core values and mission of MAM and share best practices in the field of art education. This cycle focuses on respectful exploration of the museum's dedicated Contemporary American Indian Art Gallery. Email educator and outreach specialist Jenny Bevill at jenny@missoulaartmuseum.org to RSVP for upcoming trainings.
Indian Education for All (IEFA) and Contemporary Art
April 21 // 4–6 PM // FREE // Two PIR Credits Offered Join Mike Jetty, Indian education specialist from the Office of Public Instruction, and Jenny Bevill, MAM’s educator and outreach specialist, for a workshop exploring the newly revised Seven Essential Understandings of IEFA through the lens of contemporary American Indian art. This training connects with the exhibition Love Letters to the Collection, in MAM’s dedicated Lynda M. Frost Contemporary American Indian Art Gallery. Explore the breadth of this exhibition featuring contemporary American Indian art, while looking at language and vocabulary, appreciation vs. appropriation, and creating space to amplify Native voices. Participants experience an increased comfort level in teaching IEFA and using MAM and contemporary art as a resource. Teachers of all grade levels and disciplines are welcome. Take away strategies you can use. Email Jenny Bevill, educator and outreach specialist, at jenny@missoulaartmuseum.org for more information or to RSVP.
FIFTH GRADE ART EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
FGAE is wrapping up the end of its 34th year! Each morning since October, the galleries and classroom were filled with inquisitive and creative fifth graders from Missoula and the surrounding towns. After touring Lillian Pitt, Ken Little, and Rick Bartow’s exhibitions, students worked with professional teaching artist Jolena Ryan to create their very own expressive paintings. “My students just loved the freedom of this painting project.” –Jordan Alli, Hawthorne Elementary fifth grade teacher Fifth grade student art from Lowell Elementary.
January 14 // 12–1 PM MAM is starting a NEW docent program beginning in 2020. Have you ever volunteered as an art guide at MAM? Are you interested in learning more about what a year-round docent program looks like at MAM? We invite all interested volunteers to join the new docent community at MAM. Seasoned docents from the Yellowstone Art Museum will travel from Billings to share experiences and the structure of their successful program. We are excited to develop a year-round docent program filled with tour trainings, enrichment, museum and artist studio visits, and leadership opportunities. If you want an opportunity to be in on the ground floor of creating progressive, educational experiences for students, we want you! Email Siera Hyte, education assistant, at siera@missoulaartmuseum.org to sign up.
Monthly Docent Trainings
February 13, March 19, April 20 // 12–1:30 PM Are you interested in leading tours of museum exhibitions for all and ages abilities? MAM’s education team provides the necessary tools, skills, and practice to generate discussion and deepen the viewing experience for everyone. All trainings are appropriate for both new and returning docents. Trainings include an orientation to MAM’s inquiry-based interpretive strategy, and an in-depth look at exhibitions. To lead tours at MAM you must attend at least one training, shadow one tour, and be shadowed for one tour. Docents are valued volunteers and receive a complimentary membership for working six or more hours a year. Membership includes a 10% discount on classes, workshops, and bookstore purchases, as well as invitations to member-only events.
Museum As Megaphone: MAM’s New Distance Learning Program
Last spring, MAM’s education team partnered with Inspired Classrooms to build and launch an interactive, online platform through which schools beyond the museum's geographic reach can participate in a real-time, live, interactive art experience. MAM successfully piloted a program with St. Ignatius Middle School last spring. Based on its success, MAM will launch this program in January 2020 as an extension of the Fifth Grade Art Experience (FGAE). Schools that cannot bring their fifth grade students to MAM, which is of course preferred, participate in FGAE virtually, live. Utilizing the technological expertise of Inspired Classroom, students log in from their classroom and feel like they’re viewing art in MAM’s galleries. Following the live event, students work in their classroom to create an art piece using materials of their choice, while following an interactive portal that offers resources to guide teachers and students, step-by-step, through this process. This interactive program gives students and teachers access to visual art displayed in a contemporary art museum, and a chance to interact directly with professional artists and art educators. This virtual platform expands MAM’s reach and amplifies the voices of rural and tribal students across the state.
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ART CLASSES & WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS After School Art Adventure
Tuesdays // 3:45–5:15 PM Ages 7–12 // $54/60 Create artwork inspired by MAM exhibitions. Includes a short tour and a series of projects including drawing, painting, printmaking, and 3-D exploration. Receive a 20% discount if signing up for two or more series. Bev Beck Glueckert ASAA Series 1: January 7–February 11 Nikki Rossignol ASAA Series 2: February 18–March 31 (no class March 17/Spring Break) Elisha Harteis ASAA Series 3: April 7–May 12
Spring Break Art Camp Behind the Scenes at the Museum
March 16–20 // $90/81 for AM or PM session $144 (20% discount) for full day Ages 9–12 Full day campers please bring a bag lunch Morning Session 9 AM–12 PM Full-Day Session 9 AM–4 PM See below for session descriptions. Exploring the Museum Jolena Ryan // Morning Session, 9 AM–12 PM Go behind the scenes at MAM! Each day we explore a part of the museum not available to the general public. Ever wondered how art gets installed in a gallery? Or wanted a glimpse inside the secret vault where MAM’s art collection is stored? Participants get to play curator for a day and hang an exhibition of art created by all the campers in the education gallery. There will be an opening celebration for the show on Friday, March 20, and parents are invited. Discover how museums work, from the inside out. To the Museum…and Beyond! Nikki Rossignol // Afternoon Session 1–4 PM The afternoon session will include daily field trips to other art spaces in Missoula. How is a museum different from a community arts center, a gallery, a mural in an alley? What happens in each of those spaces that is different from the museum? Missoula is bursting with art and artists showing work in all kinds of spaces. Explore how our arts community works together to nurture and support artists.
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FOR TEENS Teen Thursdays At MAM
Snacks and art supplies are provided. Bring your friends! Follow @mam_teens and #mamteens on Instagram. Special thanks to the LEAW Foundation for supporting these programs.
Teen Open Studio (TOS)
Thursdays, January 9–April 30 (no class on March 19 for Spring Break) 2–5 PM // FREE Teens work independently in an informal environment. Students can bring in their own artwork, and they also have access to all art supplies and tools like a large printing press. Professional artists and mentors, Jeff Brown or Ben Crawford, are present to teach, share, and support.
Teen Artist Workshop (TAW)
January 16, February 13, March 12 and April 23 4–6 PM // FREE Teens have the option to engage in creative, affirming art experiences while working with an exhibiting professional artist. This program demonstrates a positive, respectful, collaborative environment that strives to make all students feel welcome and comfortable. Both teaching artists and exhibiting artists are trained and hired to lead art projects in a variety of art media, techniques, and approaches that relate directly to exhibitions on display. See below for individual workshop descriptions. Camera Experiments Eileen Rafferty // January 16 Playing with the core elements of photography, such as scale, perspective, and depth of field, participants create their own photos that will confuse the viewer. What is real and what is an illusion? Inspired by Ellen Garvens and Barbara Weissberg’s exhibition, Perception, explore how breaking the rules can lead to fascinating photographs. Art as Activism Patrick Hoban // February 13 Think about consumption and how it impacts our world. What causes the most waste? Plastic, cans, fast food trash, plastic straws? How can we be more conscious of the waste born of our consumption? Inspired by Stephen Braun’s environmentally conscious exhibition Hindsight is 20/20, build a clay sculpture from objects that represent our own personal waste profile.
Clip Art Daniel Molloy // March 12 Exhibiting artist Gordon McConnell was inspired by old Western movies. Some of his works are about who or what is NOT in the frame. After viewing clips of some of the movies McConnell used, participants create their own video clips based on their perspective. Tell untold stories from a new angle. Teaching artist Daniel Molloy will assist with set up, recording, and editing short film clip using phone cameras. Earthborn at the Planetarium Elizabeth Stone and Linda Alterwitz // April 23 Exhibiting artists Elizabeth Stone and Linda Alterwitz take over the planetarium to show us the universe as they see it. Meet at MAM for a tour of their exhibition Earthborn: 30 Seconds to 40 Moons, and travel together by city bus to the planetarium at the University of Montana for a special viewing of their art projected in the sky.
FOR FAMILIES Saturday Family Workshops
11 AM–12:30 PM // FREE The whole family is invited to make art together in these artist-led, free workshops. Please arrive a few minutes early to ensure a spot. Children under seven should be accompanied by an adult. All materials provided — just bring an open and creative mind. See below for individual workshop descriptions. Black-out History Aja Mujinga Sherrard // January 18 Join University of Montana Western professor of art history Aja Mujinga Sherrard to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement for civil rights. It is an old artistic tradition that to decorate is to honor. Taking cues from contemporary artists such as Titus Kaphur and Kehinde Wiley, illuminated manuscripts, and blackout poetry, participants apply processes of selective masking and/or illumination to historical images and the speeches of Dr. King to create mixedmedia paintings and collage.
Families Speak! Dulcie Belanger // February 22 What do families talk about when they’re together? Create a dialogue through art in response to Stephen Braun’s exhibition Hindsight is 20/20. Using found and recycled materials, create family self-portraits with speech bubbles expressing dreams and desires for each family and for the world. Love Letters to Art Jennifer Ogden // March 28 In support of the exhibition Love Letters to the Collection, participants are provided with a range of options for responding to works from MAM’s Contemporary American Indian Art Collection. Write a letter, a song, a tweet, or make art to express your feelings for a particular artwork. Art materials, a typewriter, and an iPad for recording songs and spoken word will be provided. Let the art know how you feel! Breathing Portraits Linda Alterwitz and Elizabeth Stone // April 25 Join exhibiting artists Linda Alterwitz and Elizabeth Stone for a “breathing celebration.” Participants use photography to capture each person’s unique breathing patterns. Lying on the ground with cameras on the chest and using mindful breathing to come into a meditative state together, this is a unique way to create art.
FOR ADULTS Open Figure Drawing
Saturdays, January 25, February 15, March 14, April 18 // 2–4 PM Ages 18+ // non-instructed // $8/10 Draw from a live model in an independent drawing studio environment. Some supplies are available.
“Let us be dissatisfied until…” A Look at Black Art and Civil Rights
Aja Mujinga Sherrard January 18 // 1–3 PM // $18/20 The American Civil Rights movement was built of powerful words, powerful acts, and powerful images. Artists embedded in the movements of yesterday and today have borne witness to oppression,
armed the imagination with images of power, beauty, dignity, and outrage, and investigated the profound and complex reverberations of these movements within our inner selves. Join University of Montana Western professor of art history Aja Mujinga Sherrard for a lecture and conversation about art and protest, featuring the MAM's own collection works by Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson, and Jacob Lawrence, as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and our ongoing struggle for a world without oppression. Scholarships available.
Veterans Create!
Kate Crouch and Jeffrey Brown February 8 // 1–3 PM // FREE Join mindfulness teacher Kate Crouch for an hour of guided observation and movement in the exhibition Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain. American Indian artist, musician, and Vietnam veteran Rick Bartow (Mad River Band Wiyot) used his art to heal from PTSD, alcoholism, and numerous other setbacks and challenges throughout his life. Kate guides the group in a meditative experience in the Carnegie Gallery. Everyone then transitions to the classroom for coffee, conversation, and art making. No previous art experience is necessary. Teaching artist Jeff Brown will facilitate the art-making portion of the workshop. For transportation requests, email Jenny Bevill, educator and outreach specialist at jenny@missoulaartmuseum.org.
Raptors and Art for Adults and Teens
Bev Beck Glueckert and Kate Davis February 29 // 1–3 PM // $18/20 This beloved class for children is offered this winter for adults and teens! Create amazing drawings and monoprints using live raptors as models. Kate will have a falcon, hawk, and owl on hand from her Raptors of the Rockies program. Materials and instruction are provided using MAM's etching press to create art based on student observations. Preregistration strongly requested. Scholarships available.
Art in the Moment
March 2, April 6 // 2–4 PM // FREE Art in the Moment is a comforting art-viewing and art-making experience for those in the early stages of dementia and their caregivers. Participants view and discuss artwork on display in the galleries in small groups and create work of their own in the education classroom. Preregistration is required.
Lunch Club
Monthly: January 15, February 12, April 22 (no Lunch Club in March) // 12–1 PM, FREE MAM’s education staff invites businesses and organizations to sign up for this lively 30-minute mini tour followed by a 30-minute facilitated lunch conversation related to the art on view. This educational respite promotes health and wellbeing, offers a bonding opportunity for groups of coworkers, and facilitates connection with other Missoulians. Participants bring their own lunch. Email Kay Grissom-Kiely, education curator, at kay@missoulaartmuseum.org to register up to 10 coworkers.
C L A S S PAY M E N T P O L I C Y
All classes require preregistration. Please register at least one week in advance to ensure sufficient attendance and avoid possible class cancellation. Call the museum front desk to register, or visit www.missoulaartmuseum.org. Your registration is confirmed only with full payment or a nonrefundable $20 deposit. Registration fee (minus $20) is refundable only if cancellation is made a week before the first class meeting. Please note: All prices are listed member/nonmember.
Detail of Measles, Mosquitoes, Mississippi & Mishipeshu by Jason Elliott Clark (Algonquin). See page 7 for the full image. 17
PUBLIC PROGRAMS INDIAN COUNTRY CONVERSATIONS (ICC)
After hosting four profound ICC programs last year, MAM is dedicated to continuing this engaging series as a forum to keep these conversations going. Indigenous and non-Indigenous speakers are invited to lead these Saturday afternoon discussions to inspire dialogue specific to particular issues or themes addressed in current exhibitions in the Lynda M. Frost Contemporary American Indian Gallery. These discussions provide necessary education and cultural exchange to bolster cultural understanding and break down stereotypes— through visual art—of Indigenous people who live on and off the nearby reservations surrounding Missoula. This series is made possible by support from the Cultural Vision Fund and The Llewellyn Foundation. Free and open to the public. “It encouraged a thoughtful exchange of ideas and experiences in a safe and welcoming environment. Conversation is always a good format, and art is a wonderful starting point.” –ICC Participant, 2019
Deconstructing The Myth Of The West
February 22 // 1–2 PM Based on Gordon McConnell: When the West Was Won, this conversation will focus on deconstructing the myth of the West. Speakers include and acclaimed poet and Indian education specialist, Mandy Smoker Broaddus (Assiniboine and Sioux tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation) and Montana author, Russell Rowland. Smoker Broaddus has over 15 years of experience working toward social justice, equity, inclusivity and cultural responsiveness in her work as a writer and educator. Rowland shares his book research and insight and experiences from interviews he conducted of people from all over Montana to find out how Montana has shaped them, and what they’re doing to shape Montana.
Re-Thinking Museum Collections
March 28 // 1–2 PM What does it mean to decolonize a museum? How do museums implement culturally responsive practices to preserve collections and make materials accessible to all? How do American Indian tribes handle important material, and how can museums learn from this? What do tribes think about preservation? What are the differences between an anthropology collection and a contemporary American Indian art collection? MAM will gather a collection of professionals to help answer some of these important questions and guide this discussion. Speakers will bring to the discussions the concerns of American Indian cultural collections and how they different from different Eurocentric models.
FIRST FRIDAY
Experience MAM’s engaging exhibitions for free after hours on the first Friday of each month from 5–8 PM. Enjoy unique art-viewing experiences and an open bar, with tunes provided by a live DJ. Special thanks to the Missoulian and KBGA for their support. January 3 // 2020 Benefit Art Auction Exhibition/Reception
VOICES IN CONTEMPORARY ART
Voices in Contemporary Art connects audiences to cultural literature and significant voices in contemporary art. Internationally recognized artists, critics, and scholars present the latest art-world practices and conversations, from contemporary artistic practice and aesthetic philosophy to art criticism and art history. Lectures are free for members and students; $5 donation suggested for the public. April 9 // 6:30 PM Dr. Leanne Gilbertson Enjoy an evening with Dr. Gilbertson, director of the Northcutt Steele Gallery at Montana State University Billings, and curator of Gordon McConnell: When the West Was Won. Open to the public.
HACK THE MAM!
January 23 // 5:30–7 PM Warning: participation required! Grab a glass of champagne and discover your favorite auction artworks in the 2020 Benefit Art Auction Exhibition during this fun auction game night. Whether you are new to the idea of collecting contemporary art, simply curious about this year’s auction artists, or looking to expand your collection of a beloved artist. Please join us for refreshments and some friendly art competition as we close out the first round of the silent auction. Free and open to the public. Enjoy a beverage from our no-host bar — the first drink is free for members! RSVP requested.
STORYTELLING NIGHT: SHARING MEMORIES
March 25 // 7–8 PM How have other people connected with loved ones who are suffering from memory or terminal illness? In an open-mic format, we invite the public to share stories, moments, and experiences of connectivity. In the exhibition Earthborn: 30 Seconds to 40 Moons, artist Elizabeth Stone illuminates some of the personal connections she shared with her mother who suffered from Parkinson’s disease. MAM holds space for individuals living with dementia to enjoy art together in its monthly Art in the Moment program (see page 14), and will hold space again during this evening of sharing. Presented in conjunction with Dementia Friendly Missoula, Missoula Aging Services, and the Montana Geriatric Education Center at the University of Montana.
ART SWING @ MAM
April 24 // 5–8 PM Enjoy conversation with exhibiting artists Linda Alterwitz, Stephen Braun, Gordon McConnell, and Elizabeth Stone, catered hors d’oeuvres, a no-host bar, and live music. Free for members. $10 for adults/$5 for students. This event is sponsored by Art Vault & 120NHiggins. RSVP requested.
Interested in learning more events and public programs? Call 406.728.0447 or visit our website. To RSVP, email Joseph Kellogg, program and event coordinator, at joe@missoulaartmuseum.org. 18
MEMBER EVENTS Dinner With the Artist: Gordon McConnell
March 11 // 5:30–8 PM // $50 MAM members in the Patron Circle or higher are invited to have dinner at the museum with the exhibiting artist from Gordon McConnell: When the West Was Won. Gordon McConnell will discuss his work while members enjoy a masterfully prepared meal and paired wines. Space is limited — reserve your seat in advance. RSPV required.
Pre-Lecture Member Reception
April 9 // 5:30–6:30 PM // FREE for members MAM members are invited to the museum for a pre-lecture meet and greet with Dr. Leanne Gilbertson, director of the Northcutt Steele Gallery at Montana State University Billings, and curator of Gordon McConnell: When the West Was Won. Enjoy good company, light refreshments, and your first drink for free from the no-host bar. RSVP requested.
Wine Palette: Love Letters to the Collection
May 5 // 5:30–7 PM $80/$30 members (nonmember price includes annual membership) Enjoy fine wines selected by a local sommelier and join MAM senior curator Brandon Reintjes to write love letters to our favorite darlings in the MAM Collection, while learning about this innovative approach to audiencegenerated programming.
MAM’S MISSION
MAM serves the public by engaging audiences and artists in the exploration of contemporary art relevant to the community, state, and region. HO U R S
Tuesday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm Closed Sunday and Monday M A M B OA R D O F D I RECTOR S
Betsy Wackernagel Bach (Past President), Stephanie Christensen (Vice President), Lara Dorman, Inge Erickson, Paul Filicetti (Secretary), Matt Gibson, Josh Gimpelson, Cathay Smith, Sara Smith (Treasurer), Kate Sutherland (President), Taylor Valliant, R. David Wilson M A M STA F F
The Contemporary Collectors Circle meets quarterly in spring, autumn, and winter. The donations from this special membership group are dedicated to making an ambitious acquisition to the MAM Collection. Programs include artist talks and exciting adventures into an artist’s studio or a collector’s home.
Jenny Bevill (Educator and Outreach Specialist), John Calsbeek (Associate Curator), Tracy Cosgrove (Deputy Director for Finance and Advancement), Madeleine Ford (Development Officer), Kay Grissom- Kiely (Education Curator), Nicolle Hamm (Visitor Engagement Security Officer), Siera Hyte (Education Assistant, Visitor Engagement Security Officer), Joseph Kellogg (Program and Events Coordinator), John Knight (Visitor Engagement Security Officer), Laura J. Millin (Executive Director), Carey Powers (Membership & Marketing Coordinator), Jennifer Reifsneider (Registrar), Brandon Reintjes (Senior Curator), Dylan Running Crane (Visitor Engagement Security Officer)
Love Letters to the Collection
M A M I S F U N D E D I N PART BY
CONTEMPORARY COLLECTORS CIRCLE
April 15 // 7–8 PM Join us for engaging conversations with MAM’s director, senior curator, registrar, and fellow CCC members as we consider contemporary artworks for acquisition. CCC members will gather in the exhibition Love Letters to the Collection to pen odes to their favorite pieces before casting their vote on exciting new artworks that will join the MAM Collection! Email Madeleine Ford, development officer, at madeleine@missoulaaartmuseum.org for more information, or to RSVP.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Group Tour Led by MAM Executive Director // April 22–25 Join Laura Millin, executive director, for a two-day trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. This will include a curator-led tour of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, with special visits to the Yayoi Kusama Mirrored Infinity Room and the Frank Lloyd Wright house. The group will visit The Momentary, the newest addition to the Bentonville contemporary arts scene. If time allows, the group will experience James Turrell's Skyspace: The Way of Color at sunset. Spaces will be reserved by deposit on a first-come, first-served basis by or before reservation the deadline of January 31. For pricing and reservations, email Joseph Kellogg, program and events coordinator, at joe@missoulaartmuseum.org or call 406.728.0447.
Missoula County and the City of Missoula. Additional support is generously provided by Art Bridges, the Cultural Vision Fund, the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Montana Arts Council, Montana Cultural Trust, 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant, Art Associates of Missoula, business members, and MAM patrons and members. MAM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Missoula Art Museum is wheelchairaccessible from the building’s main entrance at N. Pattee Street. MAM staff is available to meet special needs. FREE EXPRESSION. FREE ADMISSION.
335 N. Pattee St., Missoula, MT, 59802 missoulaartmuseum.org | 406.728.0447 G R A P HI C D E S I G N
Yogesh Simpson Design Co. yogeshsimpson.com
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335 N. PATTEE // MISSOULA, MT 59802
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID MISSOULA, MT 59802 PERMIT NO. 346
free admission. free expression. // missoulaartmuseum.org // 406.728.0447
JAZZ CONCERT UNITES TWO MARINA MUSICIANS ALBERO NAOMI MOON SIEGEL
Photo by Ana Zaragoza
February 29 // 7 PM (doors at 6 PM) $20/$10 members
Marina Albero, who was awarded Emerging Artist of the Year in 2018, is a master of the piano and began studying and playing music on stage as a child in Spain. Later, in Havana, she finished her classical piano degree and moved to Seattle to work as a musician. Albero is versed in many different styles including jazz, flamenco, Andalusian, Latin, and early music. She has played for several well-known musicians and is currently leading the Marina Albero Project and is about to release two albums.
Composer and musician, Naomi Moon Siegel moved to Missoula in 2016. Siegel released her debut album Shoebox View in 2016 to widespread acclaim, and was awarded an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for Emerging Artist of the Year for her expressive trombone playing that is changing the way the trombone is heard and viewed. This series is generously supported by the Daniel and Sophia Lambros Fund for Live Art. To RSVP and purchase tickets, please call 406.728.0447 or e-mail joe@missoulaartmuseum.org. Photo by Rio Chantel Photography