S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 01 8
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS | Laura J. Millin
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MAM opens the Art Park’s second season with an exciting exhibition, Phoebe Knapp: Rough Cuts, and a community celebration of Art Park supporters and friends. The 2018 MAM Award will be lovingly given to Art Park volunteer extraordinaire Kevin Gordon. Kevin became the backbone of the Art Park Committee, leading our community fundraising with his absolute belief in the project, and guiding the construction process with his wisdom and calm demeanor. At this celebration we will unveil our permanent acknowledgment of all donors to this unique project and the bedrock partnership with MAM and the City of Missoula. Finishing touches to the park are underway for the second season, and a sign system has been installed—thanks to the expertise of Sign Solutions. We are honored and excited to host Phoebe Knapp’s first exhibition in Missoula. Phoebe Knapp’s exhibition populating both sides of Pine Street showcases an artist who has labored to make her large-scale 3-D art while ranching and raising kids for decades with little opportunity to show her work in her home state of Montana. Thanks to First Security Bank for their support of Phoebe’s show. One of MAM’s central goals is to foster creativity in contemporary art, and this ambition is brilliantly realized in several projects at MAM this season. The current Shape of Things exhibition in the Lynda M. Frost Contemporary American Indian Art Gallery culminates two years of residencies by four cutting-edge artists in collaboration with the University of Montana’s MATRIX Press. MAM is grateful to each of these generous artists: John Hitchcock, Duane Slick, Molly Murphy Adams, and Sara Siestreem; to UM art professor Jim Bailey and his MATRIX crew; and to the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts for funding. A publication on this collaboration will follow. We are also pleased to announce the upcoming publication and website representing the outstanding Our Side project, brilliantly guest-curated by Wendy Red Star, and comprising original new works by four women artists from throughout the Northwest: Tanis Maria S’eiltin, Marianne Nicolson, Elisa Harkins, and Tanya Lukin Linklater. The exhibition will be extended on an international tour. MAM’s new national partnership with Art Bridges begins this spring with the loan of Philip Guston’s seminal painting Cigar. The Art Bridges Foundation was created by philanthropist Alice Walton to make “our country’s significant works of art available for all to see and enjoy.” This is the beginning of a rich and fruitful collaboration, and we are thrilled. Thank you for your thoughtful reading of the enclosed FY17 Annual Report. It was a big year, and we hope you are as impressed with the year’s accomplishments and community impact as we are. We couldn’t do it without you. Indeed, 36 percent of our support comes from the members of our community via membership circles or private donations—14 points higher than the national average of 22 percent. This kind of philanthropy continues to be the strongest source of support for our museum as a civic institution, and it is especially important in a small community like Missoula. We salute and celebrate you and your support.
new exhibitions // 03 continuing exhibitions // 07 featured acquisition // 11 art classes // 12 public programs // 14 member news // 14 Cover Image: Sukha Worob, Zamenhof’s Trials, Crossover, detail, laser-cut birch, ink, 2016.
ANNUAL REPORT INSIDE
newexhibitions PHOEBE KNAPP: ROUGH CUTS
May 23–October 10 // Missoula Art Park
Artist reception at the MAM Award: May 23, 5–7 pm Build a Phoenix in the Art Park with Phoebe Knapp: July 14, 11 am–2 pm MAM is excited to kick off the second season of the Missoula Art Park with Montana sculptor Phoebe Knapp. The outdoor exhibition will feature four large-scale public sculptures. This year, for the first time, a sculpture will sit on the Art Park plaza in front of the Adventure Cycling Association building across from MAM. Adventure Cycling was a collaborative partner in the design and construction of the Missoula Art Park and MAM is thrilled to expand Rough Cuts across the entire footprint of the park. Knapp works primarily with wood, but incorporates metal details and accents. She searches for and scavenges huge slabs of wood, tree trunks, and giant burl knobs from old growth trees. The fact that the materials were once living things makes each piece of raw material unique. Knapp’s years of experience working with wood informs
her knowledge of the medium. Whether it is a slab left in its natural form, but planed smooth and highly polished, as in Lighting Strike, or left rough with carved, claw-like forms, as in Beastie Boys, it is evident that Knapp allows the natural form of the tree to guide her decisions. Lightning Strike is a new work that was completed this spring and it will be featured near the museum entrance. Beastie Boys will be arranged in the Art Park plaza, and was cast in bronze from four carved and burned pieces of elm. Phoebe Knapp is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a third-generation rancher near Fort Smith, Montana. She has exhibited widely in the western states and her work is collected throughout the United States. She divides her time between Fort Smith and her studio in Billings, located in the city’s historic district.
BUILD A PHOENIX IN THE ART PARK WITH EXHIBITING ARTIST PHOEBE KNAPP
July 14, 11 am–2 pm, free
The whole family is invited to participate in a collective outdoor art project to build a phoenix from scrap wood in MAM’s Art Park, led by sculptor and exhibiting artist Phoebe Knapp. Following the workshop, the phoenix will be displayed temporarily in the lobby at MAM. All materials are provided.
Phoebe Knapp, Beastie Boys, Charred Box Elder/Bronze, 61 x 24 x 24 inches, dimensions variable, 2015.
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Sukha Worob, Zamenhof’s Trials, detail, ink on wall, 2015.
SUKHA WOROB: ZAMENHOF’S TABLE
June 1–September 15 // Morris and Helen Silver Foundation Gallery First Friday: August 3, 5–8 pm, Gallery talk 7 pm Saturday + Interactive Printing Workshop with Sukha Worob: August 4, 1:30–3 pm, $20/18 members Bozeman printmaker Sukha Worob is acutely interested in communication and language. The object of his artistic inquiry lies within what he describes as “the difficulty in communication and the potentials and pitfalls that arise out of our communicative attempts with each other on a personal, national, and global scale.” Worob explores traditional and nontraditional approaches to printmaking through multiples on paper and interactive “printstallations” that bring together his key concepts. This exhibition expands upon an ongoing series of work called Zamenhof’s Trials. Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof (1859–1917) is most widely known as the creator of Esperanto, the world’s first constructed international auxiliary language. Zamenhof—who grew up in in a contentious area of Poland where speakers of four languages clung to ethnic identities—believed that a world without war was only possible through direct, open communication. A defining feature of Worob’s series is a palimpsest of marks, or what he calls “lines and cees,” that, when printed randomly, combine to form the structure of every alphabetic character. A few large panels
in the exhibit orient viewers to the visual concept of creation/ deconstruction of language through layers of marks. A series of framed prints titled The Devil Between Us superimposes a palimpsest cluster over an image of people in conversation. The exhibition’s title piece, Zamenhof’s Table, is a low, square table—the surface a clean, blank slate at the opening of the exhibition. Tables, as sites of business and communication, are a metaphor for inclusion and consultation. “Coming to the table” is a term commonly used to discuss an issue or situation in an attempt at resolution. Worob says the format references “a diplomatic space.” Ink plates and rollers cast with random lines and cees are displayed next to the table. Participants are invited to use the rollers and print on the table, which creates both a communal and adversarial space. Worob lives in Bozeman, where he teaches art at Bozeman High School and helps manage the Robert and Gennie DeWeese Gallery. He obtained his BFA in printmaking from Northern Arizona University in 2006, his MFA in printmaking from Montana State University in 2011, and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Montana State University in 2015.
newexhibitions COMMUNITIES:WEST III
May 8–August 11 // Lela Autio Education Gallery Communities:West is a biennial print project launched in 2013 by Sukha Worob and Andrew Rice with the intention of building connections between printmakers who have lived and worked in the western United States. Fueled by a generous spirit of creative exchange, Communities:West reaffirms a mutual love for the medium and strengthens the printmaking community even as it becomes larger and more widespread. This exhibition features the third and arguably most ambitious portfolio in the series. Worob and Rice invited printmakers who participated in the first two portfolios to return and invite a colleague to participate. The enthusiastic response from 52 artists represents a diverse group of veteran and emerging printmakers, academics, and working artists. The curators acknowledge that even though some of the artists have moved to other areas of the country since contributing to the first portfolio, all of those selected for the third project share “unyielding ties” to the West. A few names, such as Elizabeth Dove and Melanie Yazzie, will be familiar to MAM audiences, but most of the artists will be shown here for the first time. Communities:West III proves the extraordinary range of techniques encompassed by the overarching term “printmaking” and the potential for new developments in this historic medium. The portfolio includes lithography, etching, monoprint, intaglio, woodcut, serigraphy, Marty Azevedo, Back from Space, color lithograph, 2017.
and letterpress, as well as photographic, digital, mixed techniques and nontraditional variable editions. Worob and Rice are both committed to strengthening resources for their communities and raising the visibility of printmaking and printmakers. They have archived Communities:West portfolios in collections with a commitment to the preservation and perpetuation of printmaking knowledge and ephemera, including the University of ColoradoBoulder and the Nelson-Dunks Collection at the Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation in Butte, Montana.
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newexhibitions
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Philip Guston with The Studio, 1969. Photo by Frank Lloyd.
ART BRIDGES: PHILIP GUSTON, CIGAR
May 31–December 31 // Shott Family Gallery
Wine Palette: August 30, 5:30 pm, $30/80 non-member Throughout 2018, MAM will display Philip Guston’s Cigar (1969) on loan from Art Bridges, a foundation focused on sharing outstanding works of American Art to museums throughout the country. Cigar captures the innovation of Guston’s late figurative paintings. This work is one of the earliest examples of Guston’s radical break from Abstract Expressionism, when he abandoned gestural brushstrokes and colorful abstractions, replacing them with a bold new figurative style. While Guston’s late work is now widely celebrated, his abrupt departure from abstraction was initially met with disdain and outrage by artists and critics. Guston’s shift heralded the decline of Abstract Expressionism and countered critic Clement Greenberg’s assertion that the future of American art would be abstract and nonnarrative. This iconic artwork will serve as the catalyst for artists to create artworks in response to Cigar and to Guston’s artistic aesthetic practice. A 2019 exhibition at MAM will feature artworks by a group of regional contemporary artists that evoke, investigate, and expand upon Guston’s artistic legacy, demonstrating the continuing power of Guston’s work as a touchstone for contemporary art.
continuingexhibitions JOHN BALDESSARI: INTERFERENCE EFFECTS
SELECTIONS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF JORDAN D. SCHNITZER AND HIS FAMILY FOUNDATION
March 27–August 25 // Carnegie Gallery
First Friday: June 1, 5–8 pm, Gallery Talk with Jordan D. Schnitzer at 7 pm Member Lunch and Exhibition Tour: June 2, 11:30 am–1 pm John Baldessari Film Night and Art Party at the Roxy Theater: June 27, 6–8 pm Baldessari is a California artist known for epitomizing the playful, humorous style that distinguished western American Conceptual Art from its East Coast counterpart. Baldessari’s idea-driven works strive to mentally engage the viewer. Indeed, he once covered an entire gallery with the scrawled promise “I will not make any more boring art.” Many of his paintings, photography, and text-based works on display at MAM explore philosophical ideas and questions about contemporary art and human communication through his distinctly vibrant and visual language. Baldessari trusts his viewer to connect the dots and encourages us to think of art not merely as expression, but as inquiry and investigation.
John Baldessari, The Fallen Easel, 1987, color lithograph and screen print on paper and aluminum plates, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.
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continuingexhibitions
MIRIAM SCHAPIRO: ANONYMOUS WAS A WOMAN
February 15–May 19 // Shott Family Gallery
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Schapiro (1923-2015) was a co-founder of the Feminist Art Program at the California Institute of the Arts along with Judy Chicago, and was one of the founders of the Pattern and Decoration Movement (1975–1985). In 1999, during a major retrospective at the Missoula Art Museum, Schapiro created eight etchings at MATRIX Press at the University of Montana. The resulting suites, Anonymous was a Woman II & III, use soft ground etching to reproduce the detail found in handmade bonnets, doilies, and antimacassars. By placing these anonymously produced handicrafts on the gallery wall, Schapiro’s prints celebrate traditionally female art forms, critique the institutions that exclude and trivialize women’s experiences, and assert the identity, solidarity, and significance of women artists. This exhibition is the first time all eight pieces produced at MATRIX are exhibited together. Clairmont at his First Friday opening reception at MAM on April 6.
CORWIN CLAIRMONT: TWO-HEADED ARROW/THE TAR SANDS PROJECT
February 15–May 19 // Shott Family Gallery
Member Dinner with the Artist: Wednesday, May 16, 5:30–8 PM, $50 (for Patron Circle Members and above) Gallery Talk with Corwin Clairmont: Saturday, May 19, 2–3 PM, free Corwin “Corky” Clairmont (Salish and Kootenai) has expressed his strong convictions through art for five decades. He consistently addresses themes of environmental degradation and its effects on humans and wildlife through printmaking, performance, and installation works. Two-Headed Arrow: The Tar Sands Project is the culmination of more than two years’ work and features more than 30 screen prints and mixed media collages that examine the results of tar sand mining in Canada. The exhibition showcases Clairmont’s mastery as a printmaker, his sophisticated use of color, and his sharp sense of humor that serves as a clarion call to the devastation of the largest delta in North America. Miriam Schapiro, Anonymous Was a Woman II: Antimacassar, soft ground etching, 1999, MAM Collection, exchange, MATRIX Press, 2001.
ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017
THANK
YOU!
Dollars raised in 2016/2017 Mission Central: $468,321 Art Park Construction: $354,897 (completed project) Endowment: $36,750 Collections Project: $11,650
MAM by the Numbers
206 exhibiting artists + 10 staff + 27 teachers + 95 volunteers + 12 board members + 1,475 students + 13 grant funders + 52 business supporters + 413 art auction bidders + 531 members = MAM 2016/2017 Financial Highlights Application of Funds: $1,628,698 61% Exhibitions 18% Management & Fundraising 9% Classes & Programs 9% Art Park Construction 2% Facilities & Maintenance 1% Collections <1% Other Expenses
Sources of Support: $1,675,451 53% Contributions & In-kind 16% City of Missoula (building in-kind) 12% Missoula County 8% Foundations 5% Auction 4% Endowment and Earnings 2% Program Revenue
Cover: A duotone image of Patrick Zentzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, cycle/s, steel aluminum, and brass, 2017, part of the inaugural exhibition in the Missoula Art Park titled By the Bike: Appleby/Reineking, Ford-Terry, Goodhart, Hatch, and Zentz. Photo by Slikati Photo + Video.
Free Expression. Free Admission.
22,857 visitors enjoyed free access to cutting-edge contemporary art exhibits 59 art-related public lectures, artist receptions, and performances 6,358 people attended 831 Guide-By-Cell tours by artists in their own voices $61 invested per visitor
Supporting Art & Artists
20 + 8 = 28
solo exhibitions
206
group shows
artists featured
10
.2
%
engaging exhibitions
of MAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget went directly to artists, supporting art at its source
Commitment to Arts Education
1,475
students participated in the Fifth Grade Art Experience (FGAE)
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schools came to MAM
868
youth toured MAM and made art via the Summer Art Camp Partnership with community nonprofits
1,271 people participated in MAM classes, camps, and workshops
Record-Breaking Collection Expansion
168 artworks added to MAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Permanent Collection
58 paintings + 39 sculptures + 32 drawings + 18 prints + 16 collages + 3 photographs + 2 textiles [63 artists]
7 gifts of 61 artworks donated by artists16 additions to the Contemporary American Indian Art Collection (CAIC) 38 pieces added to the Willem and Diane Volkersz Contemporary American Folk Art Collection
Circle Of Support
MISSOULA ART MUSEUM DONORS BETWEEN JULY 1, 2016 AND JUNE 30, 2017
MAM is pleased to recognize the City of Missoula and Missoula County for providing sustaining annual support since 1975. $25,000 or more
Anne Appleby* The Estate of Richard E. Bartow* City of Missoula Drollinger Family Foundation The Charles Engelhard Foundation Horejsi Charitable Foundation The Estate of Terence Karson* Katherine Markette Missoula County Southgate Mall Associates Willem & Diane Volkersz* The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts
$10,000 to $24,999
Betsy Wackernagel Bach Tracy Cosgrove* Leslie Ann & Paul Dallapiazza Nancy & Ron Erickson Jane S. Heman Foundation Kay Grissom-Kiely & Daniel Kiely Horejsi Charitable Foundation on behalf of Brian & Karen Sippy Douglas & Caryl Klein Daniel & Sophia Lambros Missoulian Montana Arts Council/ National Endowment for the Arts David C. Moomey J. Scott Patnode* Malcom B. Sippy Sara D. Smith Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation
$5,000 to $9,999
Allegiance Benefit Plan Management The Estate of Rudy & Lela Autio J. Martin Burke Crowley Fleck, PLLP Stephen Egli & Teresa Henry Paul & Katy Ehlen First Interstate BancSystem Foundation Gallagher Western Montana Charitable Foundation Robert Harrison* Margaret Kingsland & John Fletcher* Jon Lodge Laura J. Millin & Craig Menteer Missoula Broadcasting Company Missoula Independent Montana Cultural Trust Poteet Construction Brian & Karen Sippy Linda Stoudt* U.S. Bank
$2,500 to $4,999
L.E.A.W. Foundation Dennis & Phyllis Lindquist Beth Lo Maglin Site Furniture Cathryn Mallory Alan McNiel Robert Meadows Willian Nichols & Robin Tawney-Nichols Leslie Van Stavern Millar II M. Scott Miller Missoula Community Foundation Andrea Moon* Kathleen Nickel Patricia O’Keefe Patricia O’Keefe in honor of Fiona Easton & Lily Easton Palmer Electric Technology Energy Services, Inc. Nuala Porteous & Family in honor of Paul & Katy Ehlen Radius Gallery Kim & Ruth Reineking Thomas P. Ross & Brenda Thayer Ruth & Russ Royter Beth Sellars* John S. Shaffner & Michael J. Stewart Dennis Sloan Alexander C. & Tillie S. Speyer Foundation Kate Sutherland & Shayne Williams Kaori Takamura Territorial Landworks Thendara Foundation on behalf of Janny Goss & her family: Cristian, Kelly, Sam, Finn & Charlotte Goss Larry Thomas* University of Montana, Montana Event Services & Catering Univision Computers Don Voisine Pam & Sandy Volkmann Jonathan Weisul Western Montana Clinic Bente & Don Winston Keith K. Withycombe Monte Yellow Bird
Anderson ZurMuehlen Art Associates of Missoula Ric Collier & Aden Ross Dudley Dana Frontier West George Gogas Good Food Store Valerie Hedquist & Edward Callaghan Kim Karniol & James Scott KBGA College Radio Ellen Kuntz Missoula Community Access Television Noteworthy Paper & Press Susan & Roy O’Connor* Pleiades Foundation Homer & Mildred Scott Foundation James R. & Christine M. Scott Family Foundation Sara Siestreem Slikati Photography Jaune Quick-to-See Smith* Janet Whaley & Phil Hamilton
$1,000 to $2,499
Sharon E. Alexander Holly Andres Anonymous Anonymous Lisa Autio Robert Barrett in honor of Taylor Valliant Jean Belangie-Nye Richard P. & Martha Bermingham Bicycle & Pedestrian Office, City of Missoula Big Sky Commerce Blackfoot Joe Boddy Diane & Fred Bodholt Ann & Thomas Boone William & Phyllis Bouchee Stephen Braun Laura & Larry Brehm Marcia Butzel Herbert & Melinda D. Depp Gerald & Kathryn Dwyer Mae Nan Ellingson First Interstate Bank Flower Bed Stephanie Frostad Heidi & Roger Furlong Stephen Glueckert* Paul Guillemette Marianne & Terry Hammerschmidt Trey Hill Interstate Alarm Company Barbara & Jim Jourdonnais Kathryn Kress Caroline & Willis Kurtz
*Donors to MAM’s Permanent Collection †Deceased
$500 to $999
Crista Ames Anonymous Julie Armstrong & James Stevens Chris Autio Laura & Jack Barrett† Elizabeth Hughes Bass Berkshire Hathaway Gillespie Foundation
Donors to MAM Endowment
‡
Anne & Jon Bertsche Gary Bowman Bruce & Nancy Bugbee Johnna Cashill* Doug Cawthon Tim & Lisa Chamberlain Stephanie & Dana Christensen Nancy Cook & Tom Berninghausen Copper Run at Reserve Corso Apartment Homes DC Engineering The Depot Josh DeWeese Kay & Michael Duffield Jerry & Kathy Dwyer Joyce & Edwin Eck in honor of Sharon E. Alexander Jon & Linda Ender Five on Black Dave Forbes Patricia Forsberg & Stephen Speckart Garden City Florascaping Hilton & Karen Gardner Elon Gilbert & Susie Miller Janice Givler William Gotha The Sallie & Allen Gratch Family Fund Carol L.H. & John W. Green
Don & Doosy Habbe David James Gesine Janzen Sophia A. Kircos Robert & Ellen Knight Donna & Jim Koch The Estate of Paul Lerner Liquid Planet David Lusk Donna & Eric Mendelson Lynn Metcalf Sheila Miles Owen & Sophia Nasgovitz Tim Nielson Brad & Nancy Pickhardt Plonk Wine Bar Portico Real Estate Seth Roby Runner’s Edge Richard Smith Robert & Kelly B. Smith Janet Sullivan Barbara Theroux Tom Thornton James Todd Doug Webber & Nancy Winslow Gregory Wilhelmi R. David Wilson Simon Winegar Worden’s Market
Donors who have made or pledged legacy gifts of art and/or financial support, & donors who have made or pledged endowment gifts to MAM Sharon E. Alexander* Pat & Jeff Aresty* Art Associates of Missoula‡ Patrick & Bernadette Bannister‡ The Estate of Richard E. Bartow Diane & Fred Bodholt‡ Boone Investment Partnership‡ Laura & Larry Brehm‡ Beth Brennan‡ J. Martin Burke*‡ Freeman Butts Family* Hank Butzel‡ Nancy Cook & Tom Berninghausen*‡ Leslie Ann & Paul Dallapiazza‡ Gennie DeWeese Family* Elizabeth DuPont*† Aubrey† & Patricia Dunkum* Nancy & Ron Erickson* Nora Staael Evert† & John A. Evert*† Joyce Folsom*† Horejsi Charitable Foundation on behalf of Brian & Karen Sippy‡ The Estate of Bill & Helga Hosford
The Estate of Terence Karson‡ Margaret Kingsland & John Fletcher* Douglas & Caryl Klein‡ The Estate of Paul Lerner Bruce Lee*† Toni Matlock* Susie Miller & Elon Gilbert‡ Gilbert Millikan*† Laura J. Millin & Craig Menteer* Montana Community Foundation‡ David C. Moomey* Elizabeth† & Robert Precht‡ Kim & Ruth Reineking* Thomas P. & Louise A. Ross†‡ Miriam Sample*† MJ & Michael Schutte‡ Beth Sellars* Sara D. Smith‡ Geoffrey Sutton*‡ Pam & Sandy Volkmann‡ Cathy Weber* Dale Woolhiser & Nancy Thompson‡ John & Susan Talbot‡
continuingexhibitions JOSEPH BARÁZ: TOTEMS AND STELAE
February 15–May 26 // Morris and Helen Silver Foundation Gallery MAM Senior Curator Brandon Reintjes offered his reflection on Joseph Baráz’s unique work and exhibition: “I’ve known Joseph for over 15 years, since I was curator at the Holter Museum of Art and exhibited his work there in 2004. I’ve continued to watch Joseph’s work and became particularly interested in these new sculptures made up of a variety of objects that act like paintings, because of their coloration and the fact that they are so frontal. These seemed to me like a break from, and an extension of, his past work. Combined with the paintings on cardboard, I think he creates a language that wholly envelops the viewer—his own idiosyncratic language. All of the work is so particular and so relational. For that reason, it was one of the most difficult exhibitions that Associate Curator John Calsbeek or I have installed in a long time. It demanded something very specific and didn’t compromise. The result is elegant work that meets the viewer on an individual level, yet is laden with Joseph’s particular itinerant European history. The exhibition is titled Totems and Stelae to reference Joseph’s life, growing up in Hungary, finding architectural fragments and Roman stelae throughout the landscape, and playing in the ruins of Egri vár fort—a castle that pre-dates the Mongol invasion of 1241.”
Combined with the paintings on cardboard, I think he creates a language that wholly envelops the viewer—his own idiosyncratic language.
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John Buck, A Common Tongue, woodcut, 1991, MAM Collection, gift, Miriam Sample, 2005.
SLOW VIEW ART TOURS
May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18 // noon-1 pm, free
Joseph Baráz discusses Totems and Stelae with MAM staff, Silver Gallery, February 2018.
MAM staff offers Slow View Tours on the third Saturday of every month. Selections from MAM’s Collection and special loans on view in the Travel Montana Lobby will provide a jumping-off-point for visitors to learn about the Slow View method and how to apply it to exhibits throughout the museum. In August and September MAM will feature John Buck’s richly detailed woodcut, A Common Tongue, with new research and scholarship developed by MAM collections intern Dani Turner. Materials to deepen viewers’ ongoing engagement with this artwork will be available on MAM’s website. Look for Scholarship under MAM Special Collection Projects on the Collection page at missoulaartmuseum.org.
CONTEMPORARY COLLECTORS CIRCLE Acquisition Event:
Wednesday, July 25, 5:30 pm
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Enjoy an evening at MAM with champagne and hors d’oeuvres while visiting the exhibition The Shape of Things for the annual selection and vote to purchase a new acquisition for the MAM Collection. Members will also have an opportunity to meet and talk with the artists prior to the acquisition event on May 3 and 4 when Molly Murphy Adams, John Hitchcock, Sara Siestreem, and Duane Slick will visit Missoula. CCC Members vote on collection purchases, participate in stimulating art experiences, and visit artist studios throughout the year. To join the Contemporary Collectors Circle or RSVP for this event, contact Cassie Strauss, Director of Development, cassie@missoulaartmuseum.org or call (406)728-0447.
The Shape of Things: New Approaches to Indigenous Abstraction (installation view), Frost Gallery, February 2018.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS: NEW APPROACHES TO INDIGENOUS ABSTRACTION
March 2–July 28 // Lynda M. Frost Contemporary American Indian Art Gallery First Friday Reception with the Artists: May 4, 5–8 pm, Gallery talk at 7 pm Saturday+ Roundtable Discussion with the Artists: May 5, 11 am Over the past two years, Molly Murphy Adams (Oglala Lakota), John Hitchcock (Comanche), Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos/Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Tribes), and Duane Slick (Meskwaki/Nebraska Ho-Chunk) have participated in week-long residencies at University of Montana’s MATRIX Press. These new prints, along with examples from each artist’s studio practice, form the exhibition The Shape of Things. This exhibition presents an expansive interpretation of what abstraction can be. Rather than focus on non-objectivity, the included artworks define abstraction as emphasizing relevant features and omitting unnecessary details of an object, emotion, or experience. The works incorporate beaded, quill, and woven patterns, parfleche designs, animal motifs, and elements of the landscape. Abstraction, as an artistic style, inherited some of modernism’s utopian or ideological associations, such as progress, originality, and pursuit of the “new.” As a result, abstraction has been a vehicle for resulting colonial histories of displacement, subjugation, and genocide of Indigenous people. This exhibition honors contemporary artists who reclaim Indigenous representations and knowledges. The artists of The Shape of Things use abstraction or abstract qualities to express Indigenous and personal realities against a backdrop of complex and varied practices that include appropriation of source materials, hybridity, installation, and critical theory. This exhibition is generously supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
MAM recently welcomed home an astounding cast of characters: the legendary patrons of Eddie’s Club. From noted poet Richard Hugo to hard-scrabble men known only as Plato, Roscoe, or Bob, the haunting faces of Missoula’s blue-collar founding fathers photographed by Lee Nye (1926-1999) are among the latest acquisitions to MAM’s Collection. Today, Eddie’s Club is known as Charlie B’s, but Nye’s original photographs, taken in the club’s back alley in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, still cover the walls. Thanks to a love of his hometown and his extraordinary generosity, Tracy Blakeslee, former owner of the Wilma Theatre, donated to MAM an extraordinary second set of 28 blackand-white photographs that Nye printed himself, referred to as the Eddie’s Club Adjunct Collection. Blakeslee met Nye only once, but respected his artistry and jumped at the chance to purchase the Adjunct Collection years later. “It was the character in the faces,” said Blakeslee.
featuredacquisition
LEE NYE: EDDIE’S CLUB ADJUNCT COLLECTION
“These were the real people of Missoula… My dad worked for the Northern Pacific and we had relatives on the north end of town. I was so fascinated by what I saw in those weathered faces around the tracks.” In 2016 and 2017, Jean Belangie-Nye donated three portraits toward completing the Adjunct Collection at MAM. Through diligent detective work and care of Nye’s archive, she also compiled biographies of the men depicted and offered insight on Nye’s processes that will assist MAM in future programming. The combination of the personal and the technical is one of the hallmarks of Nye’s work. According to Missoula-based art appraiser Stefanie Miller, “If one had to choose two things that set Nye’s work apart, they would be his meticulous attention to detail combined with technical brilliance behind the camera, and his ability to capture the soul of his subjects…[His] method resulted in truly candid, relaxed, [and] varying arrays of human emotion.”
Lee Nye, Jack Mote, gelatin silver print, ca. 1970, MAM Collection, Gift, Tracy Blakeslee, 2017.
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UMMER C MUSEUM
ome to MAM this summer for an exciting assortment of fun-filled and stimulating art camps. MAM’s spacious classroom, Art Park, and galleries are filled with fantastic contemporary art that inspires creativity! MAM art teachers are passionate about encouraging self-expression while providing experiences that develop skills relevant to different art processes. Take 10% off second child registering for the same camp!
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FOR KIDS JUNE 11–15
JUNE 25–29
JULY 9–13
Bev Beck Glueckert and Kate Davis 10:00 am–noon // ages 7–12 // $80/72 Once again Bev and Kate come together to create an unparalleled experience of making art with live raptors! Kate brings an assortment of hawks, owls, and eagles from her home in the Bitterroot where she operates her educational program, Raptors of the Rockies. Learn about these magnificent birds with Bev and Kate as you make life-size raptor sculptures and detailed drawings to help you fly into summer. Please note: Priority will be given to children who have not yet taken this class.
Steve Krutek 9:00 am–noon // ages 9–15 // $80/72 Create personalized screen-printed images on various papers, hats, bags, jackets, and t-shirts. The week will begin with a look at various screen-printed images by local and far-flung artists, and then progress towards design creation. Learn how to transfer designs to screens and print in one, two, or three colors on paper and fabric. The week will culminate in a fashion show and photo shoot for students and family!
Steve Krutek 9:00 am–noon // ages 8–13 // $80/72 Learn the basics of drawing inside and out, from your imagination and from things that you see and do. Steve will share his many years of experience as an artist and teacher, providing new mark-making skills, the essence of a successful drawing. Practice ways to map out scenes and create a sense of texture and lighting with a variety of drawing techniques and tools.
JULY 2–6 (NO CLASS JULY 4)
Jolena Ryan 9:00 am–noon // ages 6–11 // $80/72 Explore traditional drawing, print making, and painting techniques, and learn to incorporate found objects to create animals, masks, sculptures, and landscapes. End the week with a mass of masterpieces!
RAPTORS AND ART
JUNE 18–22
PRINTASIA
Steve Krutek 9:00 am–noon // ages 9–15 // $80/72 Experience the joys of making multiples using different types of printmaking. Steve will take you through the steps of mono-print, collagraph, relief and sunprinting. Combine these processes with drawing, painting, and photography to create one-of-a-kind artworks. In this camp you will also be inspired by looking at the work of the master printmakers on exhibit in MAM’s galleries.
SIMPLY SILKSCREENING
MASK MAKING
Erin Roberts 9:00 am–noon // ages 6–11 // $65/59.50 Erin has a wonderful mask collection that she will share to inspire your own creations. Using papier-mâché and paint, create masks that are lifesize or larger!
MASTERING MARKS
JULY 16–20
MIXED MEDIA MEDLEY
JULY 30–AUGUST 3
START PAINTING!
Jessie Novak 9:00 am–noon // ages 6–11// $80/72 Be inspired by modern American masters such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Winslow Homer, and Phillip Guston as you learn diverse techniques for using watercolors and acrylics. Colormixing, paint-blending and shading will all be learned as campers immerse themselves in the joy of painting indoors and out!
JULY 23–27
ART AND NATURE
Jolena Ryan 9:00 am–noon // ages 6–11 // $80/72 Enjoy walking in nature, playing games, and crafting artworks from natural and recycled materials. Sustainability lessons will be learned as campers combine traditional techniques with found objects from nature. Learn how to print with leaves, embellish stones, make nature wands, sun catchers, and have fun making animal puppets and figures. Gain inspiration from artist and printmaker Corky Clairmont, whose exhibit about the Canadian Tar Sands demonstrates both technique and creative approaches to thinking about our environment.
AUGUST 6–10
WEARABLE CARDBOARD CREATIONS
Elisha Harteis 9:00 am–noon // ages 7–12 // $80/72 Cardboard is a versatile material wellsuited for creating costumes of robots. Add a few furry, round elements and whiskers and you have an animalrobot hybrid. Bend, cut, paint, and glue cardboard to create a robot or a robot/ animal costume, limited only by your fantastic imagination. This camp will end with a short costumed-parade around the block!
AUGUST 13–17
PRESCHOOL ART START
Jolena Ryan 10:00 am–11:30 am // ages 3–5 // $35/31.50 or $10 drop-in Little ones will be encouraged to engage, explore, and experiment with a wide variety of artmaking tools. Campers will make prints, craft with nature, sculpt, collage, and more! This camp is designed to nurture and encourage art exploration. There will be plenty of art making stations and fun projects to keep little hands and minds busy.
ADULT & TEEN CLASSES MAY 19
OPEN FIGURE DRAWING
2:45–4:45 pm // Ages 18+ // $10/ 8 Draw from a live model. Some supplies are available for use. Non-instructed.
JUNE 16 AND 23
MASTERING MARKS FOR ADULTS
MAY 12
SUPER HERO SATURDAY
Jennifer Ogden Create an artistic action figure—with accessories! Have some family fun creating a simple wire, fabric, and yarn-wrapped doll. You can design an action pose and determine what super powers it might have. Name it and create a unique costumed character with the best accessories to vanquish evil!
Steve Krutek 10:00 am–2:30 pm // $80/72 Learn the basics of landscape drawing by venturing into Missoula’s lovely outdoor hotspots such as Greenough Park and Hellgate Canyon. The class will explore settings that stretch the idea of landscape, such as the railroad yard and the old Frenchtown Mill. Become versed in a variety of drawing techniques using graphite, charcoal, ink, and conté crayons in order to create stunning natural and abstract depictions of our natural and not-so-natural surroundings. A supply list will be emailed when you register.
Jennifer Ogden Paint and stamp unusual items to create the mental workings of your imaginative machine on large paper. Connect your parts with line or color to illustrate how your machine might work. Enjoy it as a work of art or a blue print for building an interesting, problem-solving gizmo for promoting mouse-free living.
AUGUST 4
JULY 14
Sukha Worob 1:30–3:30 pm // $20/18 Create monoprints and ghost prints with exhibiting artist Sukha Worob through the interactive process of printmaking Worob demonstrates in his exhibition, Zamenhof’s Table. Worob’s artwork explores contemporary approaches to the printmaking multiple through works on paper, installations, and interactive works.
Phoebe Knapp The whole family is invited to participate in a collective outdoor art project to build a phoenix from scrap wood in MAM’s Art Park, led by sculptor and exhibiting artist Phoebe Knapp. Following the workshop, the phoenix will be displayed temporarily in the lobby at MAM. All materials are provided.
INTERACTIVE PRINTING WORKSHOP
FOR FAMILIES
SATURDAY FAMILY FREE WORKSHOPS
11:00 am–12:30 pm The whole family is invited to make art together in these free workshops at MAM. Please come a few minutes early to ensure a spot. Children under age seven should be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided— just bring an open and creative mind. Thanks to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for supporting MAM’s free family programs.
JUNE 9
WIDGET-MAKING 101: LEONARDO’S BUILDING BLOCKS
BUILD A PHOENIX IN THE ART PARK
JULY 28
BOTANICAL PRINTS
Jessie Novak Use watercolors and simple processes to make beautiful prints of our local flora.
AUGUST 11
CELEBRATION FLAGS FLY!
Susie Risho Create a colorful outside flag that depicts what you most appreciate about your summer life in Missoula!
All classes require pre-registration. Please register at least one week in advance to ensure sufficient attendance and avoid possible class cancellation. Your registration is confirmed only with full payment or a non-refundable $20 deposit. Registration fee (minus $20) is refundable only if cancellation is made seven days prior to the first class meeting.
PUBLIC GALLERY TALK WITH CORWIN CLAIRMONT
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May 19, 2–3 pm, free In collaboration with the 2nd Annual Indigenous Film Festival, artist Corwin Clairmont will talk about his latest body of work, Two-Headed Arrow/ The Tar Sands Project, an exhibition of multimedia prints produced from a wide-ranging conceptual and performative piece for which he covered nearly 900 miles from Missoula to Alberta.
NATIVE ART NOW! FILM SCREENING AND BOOK RELEASE PARTY
DISCUSSION WITH RICK BASS AND DAVID JAMES DUNCAN: THE HEART OF THE MONSTER
July 11, 7–8:30 pm, free MAM is honored to host a discussion between Rick Bass and David James Duncan on their experiences researching and co-writing the 2010 book, The Heart of the Monster, concerned with the influence of oil corporations in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. This event forms part of larger theme at MAM this season, exploring the relationship between environmental activism and artistic expression.
WINE PALETTE: PHILIP GUSTON
June 12, 7–9 pm, free Come celebrate the gorgeous and expansive new book NATIVE ART NOW!: Developments in Contemporary Native American Art Since 1992 with a no-host bar and a screening of the PBS-made documentary featuring MAM! Books will be available in the bookstore.
August 30, 5:30 pm, $80/30 members Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and a selection of wines chosen by sommelier Kevin O’Neill. MAM Senior Curator Brandon Reintjes will lead and informal talk about Philip Guston’s controversial painting, Cigar (1969).
CONCEPTUAL ART LIVE: JOHN BALDESSARI FILM NIGHT AND ART PARTY
SLOW VIEW ART TOURS
May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, noon–1 pm, free Join MAM staff on the third Saturday June 27, 6–8 pm, $5/door of every month for a Slow View Tour In conjunction with MAM’s exhibition to explore a few selected works while John Baldessari: Interference Effects, sipping coffee generously provided by Selections from the Collection of Black Coffee Roasting Co. Rediscover Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, MAM and the Roxy Theater the joys of looking at and thinking are presenting a screening of short films about art, and leave the museum by or about John Baldessari, followed by refreshed and inspired! an interactive discussion and Baldessariinspired conceptual art activities.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PARTY
August 9, 5:30 pm MAM would like to thank our talented and hard-working volunteers with a casual, sneak-preview of Steven Hunt’s upcoming photography exhibition, with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and art-inspired activities! For more information or to become a volunteer, call (406)728-0447.
MEMBER EVENTS RSVP is required for each event by calling MAM at (406)728-0447
Dinner with the Artist Corwin Clairmont
Wednesday, May 16, 5:30–8 pm, $50 per member MAM Members in the Patron Circle or higher are invited to have dinner at the museum with exhibition artist Corwin Clairmont. Corky will discuss his latest body of work, Two-Headed Arrow, which travels to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art following the MAM premiere, while you enjoy a masterfully prepared meal and paired wines. Space is limited. Reserve your seat in advance!
MAM Award
Wednesday, May 23, 5–7 pm All MAM supporters are invited to join us in the Art Park for a celebratory evening honoring Kevin Gordon, this year’s 2018 MAM Awardee.
Member Luncheon with Jordan D. Schnitzer
Saturday, June 2, 11 am–1 pm Enjoy a catered lunch in MAM’s Carnegie Gallery with exhibition lender and philanthropist Jordan D. Schnitzer. Schnitzer will provide an overview of his extensive collection and talk about his commitment to arts education. Space is limited. RSVP by May 28.
To become a member, check your membership status, or renew, contact Director of Development Cassie Strauss at (406)728-0447 or cassie@ missoulaartmuseum.org Molly Murphy Adams (Oglala, Sioux), Anog Ite, sewing box with QR Codes, no date, courtesy of the artist.
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.
HOURS: Closed Sundays & Mondays Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
MAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Renée Taaffe. Photo by Tom Bauer, Missoulian.
MAM CELEBRATES A TRUE ART EDUCATOR Education Curator Renée Taaffe
MAM celebrates Renée Taaffe, for her 20 years at MAM and 15 years as Education Curator. Renée has played a pivotal role in developing and growing MAM’s successful educational programs, such as the Fifth Grade Art Experience, Teen Artist Workshops, and Saturday Family Art Workshops. She introduced new approaches to learning about art at MAM through Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), sharing the technique with MAM’s Art Guide Volunteers, art class teachers, and staff. Under her leadership, the Fifth Grade Art Experience introduced more than 25,000 students from Missoula and neighboring rural counties to contemporary art and artmaking. For many of these students, her friendly greeting at the door became their first exposure to an art museum. “I think she has a particular talent in terms of just helping people open up to see and to experience the emotional impact of art. It’s a real talent that she has. I just love watching it,” said Laura Millin in an interview with the Missoulian in February. Stephen Glueckert, MAM Senior Curator Emeritus, recognized her commitment to education, “As an educator, Renée never forgot about the elemental concept of compassion. She treated the youth of Missoula as if they were her own. I know many young parents who have appreciated her care and compassion over the years. We will always be indebted to Renée for her professional outlook in serving a community that is hungry for access to the arts in our world.” Renée is an artist herself. Her group show with Bev Beck Glueckert Introspection: The Birds and the Bees exhibited at the Apex Gallery at South Dakota School of Technology in Rapid City in 2017. Bev and Renée have worked together as art educators and exhibited together in several venues over the years. Bev said she admired Renée’s interest in the natural world and her technique as an artist. “She has a knack for oil pastels and all the rich blending and textural qualities that can be achieved,” said Bev. Renée is leaving MAM with a strong foundation in arts education, and she looks forward to spending more time with her new granddaughter and continuing to develop as an artist.
Leslie Ann Dallapiazza (President), Brian Sippy (Vice President), Sara Smith (Treasurer), Betsy Bach, Stephanie Christensen, Lara Dorman, Paul Filicetti, Matt Gibson, Josh Gimpelson, Becca Nasgovitz, Cathay Smith, Kate Sutherland, Taylor Valliant.
MAM STAFF: Laura J. Millin (Executive Director), John Calsbeek (Associate Curator), Tracy Cosgrove (Director of Finance & Administration), Bethany O’Connell (Marketing & Communications Coordinator), Jennifer Reifsneider (Registrar), Brandon Reintjes (Senior Curator), Cassie Strauss (Director of Development), Jenny Bevill (Educator Coordinator), Kay Grissom-Kiely (Education Curator), Cassidy Tucker (Visitor Services & Retail Coordinator). MAM IS FUNDED IN PART by Missoula County and the City of Missoula. Additional support is generously provided by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Montana Arts Council, Montana Cultural Trust, 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant, Art Associates of Missoula, the Missoula Business Community, 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 Pattee Street. MAM staff is available to meet special needs.
Free Expression. Free Admission. 335 N. Pattee, Missoula, MT, 59802 missoulaartmuseum.org 406.728.0447 GRAPHIC DESIGN: Yogesh Simpson | yogeshsimpson.com
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free admission. free expression. // missoulaartmuseum.org // 406.728.0447
SATURDAY + FIRST FRIDAYS ARTIST DISCUSSIONS
Connect with artists and MAM’s art community on the First Friday of each month from 5 to 8 pm. Enjoy live music by KBGA, light refreshments, and a gallery talk at 7 pm. Thank you to our sponsor, the . MAY 4 // THE SHAPE OF THINGS: NEW APPROACHES TO INDIGENOUS ABSTRACTION
Exhibition of new works exploring abstraction and Indigenous artistic tradition created by artists-inresidence at MATRIX Press: Molly Murphy Adams, John Hitchcock, Sara Siestreem, and Duane Slick (page ten).
JUNE 1 // JOHN BALDESSARI: INTERFERENCE EFFECTS This First Friday celebrates an overview of works by conceptual art giant John Baldessari, selected from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation (page seven).
On select Saturdays this spring from 11 am to noon, come to MAM to discuss contemporary art with exhibiting artists, scholars, and curators while enjoying coffee generously provided by Black Coffee Roasting Co.
MAY 5 // MOLLY MURPHY ADAMS, JOHN HITCHCOCK, SARA SIESTREEM, AND DUANE SLICK Join us for a roundtable discussion with MATRIX Press artists-in-residence on their exhibition The Shape of Things: New Approaches to Indigenous Abstraction (page 10).
AUGUST 4 // SUKHA WOROB Exhibiting artist and master printmaker Sukha Worob will discuss his exhibit Zamenhof’s Table (page four).
JULY 6 // NO FIRST FRIDAY AUGUST 3 // SUKHA WOROB: ZAMENHOF’S TABLE
Montana master printmaker Sukha Worob presents new work exploring language and communication in this exhibition of installation and large-scale prints (page four).
MAM has many generous donors and supporters to thank for keeping our doors open and our museum free of charge. THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS PAR TNERS: