Artist-in-Residence Linnea Fitterer will give an Artist Presentation at Explore the Arts in Hamilton!

Linnea is an interdisciplinary artist who works in social practice, sculpture, photography, textiles, and mixed media.

Join us for refreshments, conversation, and a chance to meet the artist. Let us know you are coming at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/242414874455158

About the Artist:

Linnea Fitterer (she/her) is from Southern Minnesota where she first formed values of loyalty, observation, and independence. Growing up on a vast prairie, her roots encouraged exploration and creativity. Fitterer studied Art History at Minnesota State University Moorhead. There, she expanded her understanding of the role of art and artists in society. Her undergraduate thesis work, titled Curating As An Artistic Practice, argued the responsibilities of art administrators require as much creative vision and technique as the art and artists they support. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Indianapolis in Social Practice Art. Through the program, she honed in on the values of human-scale engagement and further investigated dialogue as an art form. These strategies inspired her podcast project, Arranged Encounters. Fitterer is an artist, administrator, and educator providing leadership in program management, socially engaged art, and creative placemaking with a devotion to ethical community practice, industry safety, and cross-sector collaboration. Fitterer currently lives and works in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio region where she is the Director of the Office of Engagement and Adjunct Professor at Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Join us at Explore the ARTS for our next Artist-Led Workshop taught by Hamilton Artist-in-Resident Linnea Fitterer!

Register HERE: https://www.explorethearts.art/teen-adult/dada

About the workshop: 

This workshop centers on the practices of making and writing that originated in the Dada movement and connects the movement's historical significance to what community-based art is/can be today. Participants will get an overview of Dada art and writing principles and values as inspiration for creating poetry and/or visual art compositions in a new way. Participants will leave this workshop with new skills and their creations. This workshop is family-friendly and has all the supplies provided.  

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 10+. 

What to bring: All materials will be provided.

About the Artist:  

Linnea Fitterer (she/her) is an artist, arts administrator, and educator with a focus on socially engaged art and community practice.

Fitterer currently lives and works in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio region, where she serves as the Director of the Office of Engagement and Adjunct Professor at Art Academy of Cincinnati.

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Join us for a free and open to the public Artist Presentation with Samuel Fisch, Open AIR's Artist-in-Resident at the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium.

We will have light refreshments and a chance to meet and mingle with the artist!

Let us know you are coming at our optional Registration: https://form.jotform.com/242414874455158

About the Artist:
Samuel Ezra Fisch is a participatory artist whose work moves beyond the object world into the subjective. After receiving his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015, Fisch co-founded Fat City Arts, an artist co-op in Chicago, and Ground Level Platform, a Chicago-based interactive art venue. Fisch has shown his work in the Mary R Koch Art Center, Brattleboro Museum, Woodstock Artist Association Museum, Chicago Sculpture exhibit, Public Sculpture Initiative, Invisible Dog Art Center, the ChaShaMa Gala and Art Party, and The Marin Museum Of Contemporary Art.

Join us for an Artist Presentation by Artist-in-Residence and mixed media designer Rachel McGovern at the Missoula Public Library on Cooper Room A on the 4th floor! 

We will have light refreshments, and a chance to meet the artist. Let us know you are coming at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/242414874455158

About the Artist:

Rachel McGovern explores the interactions of form, building an archive of work that plays among ideas of minimalism, tactility, and ornamentation. The objects she creates become interactive sculptures for everyday use, considering material and design. The performances between human and object and object and human are key to the construction of her work. Viewers become collaborators, as their visual reaction and use of each object is the ultimate product of her work.

Register now to join Open AIR at Flathead Lake Biological Station for a conference dedicated to the intersection of Art & Science!

Register at https://form.jotform.com/242686281903159

About:

In collaboration with Flathead Lake Biological Station, Open AIR presents our third annual conference celebrating art and science at Flathead Lake's beautiful Yellow Bay campus. This day-long event will feature artists, scientists, and educators leading various sessions, including presentations, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and art-making that engage audiences in conversations on place, art, and science. 

This event is part of the Fall Open AIR Artist-in-Residence program in partnership with the University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station. 

Cost: The conference is free, suitable for all ages, and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. 

Inquiry Schedule 2024:

10:00 am Tom Bansak and Stoney Samsoe Welcome and Introduction to Biological Station/Open AIR

10:15 am Cameron Worden Playing with Light

11:00 am Arwen Baxter Composing In Place

11:45 Break and Lunch Provided by Open AIR

12:30 pm Monica Elser Flathead Lake Bio Station Activity

1:15 pm Eliza Weber Fiber workshop

2:00 Jiayi Chen In Process Works

2:50 pm Closing

What to bring:

Everything you need for the activities will be provided. You are welcome to bring a notebook or sketchbook to jot ideas and take notes as we go!

While most of the activities will be indoors, some activities might take place outdoors if the weather allows. Bring warm clothes and shoes suitable for walking on dirt and gravel pathways.

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About the Artists and Presenters:

Arwen Baxter is a singer-songwriter from Montana who recently returned from living in the UK. She holds a  BA in English and a BFA in Theatre from the University of Montana and completed a Masters in Literature at the University of York.  She has brought her witty, poetic, western sound to two original LP’s, "Wildfire Season" and "Prodigal Daughter," weaving lyrical storytelling with a sense of place, space, and longing unique to the American West. A prolific writer and versatile musician, she has been published in The Sun, Frontier Magazine, and Scribendi, and has performed across the western US and northern UK. 

Born in Chongqing, China, and based in Chicago, Jiayi Chen works in analog film, video, projection performance, and installation. Her works have been exhibited and screened internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; Mana Contemporary, Miami; Anthology Film Archives, New York; ACUD MACHT NEU, Berlin, Germany; Hypnos Theatre, Malmö, Sweden; Antimatter, Victoria, Canada; CSIF, Calgary, Canada; Harkat, Mumbai, India; and TANK Shanghai, China. 

Monica Elser is the Education Liaison at the Flathead Lake Biological Research Station.  Monica spent many years engaged in limnological research and published her work in a wide range of scientific journals. She moved out of science research and into working to enhance science and sustainability science education within the K-12 community.  She has since published her work with students and teachers in a variety of education journals. Monica recieved a BS in Biology from the University of Notre Dame, an MS in Ecology from the University of Tennessee, and a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University.

Eliza Weber completed her MFA at Arizona State University. Originally from Great Falls, she received her BFA from The University of Montana. She has completed short residencies at Medalta in Alberta, Canada and The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China. Eliza was also an Artist in Residence at Pottery Northwest in Seattle, Washington. She served on the boards of NCECA (National Council on Education of Ceramic Arts) as a Student Director at Large and the Ceramics Research Center. Presently, she serves as Secretary for the NCECA Green Task Force and as a board member for the Urban Art Project. Most recently she worked as Director of Education at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art and will be spending the next two years as a Long Term Resident at the Archie Bray Foundation.

Cameron Worden is a film artist, programmer, and projectionist based in Chicago. He is part of the Chicago Film Society, which exhibits, preserves, and provides educational initiatives around analog motion picture film. Starting in 2019, Worden has been working on a series of 35mm experimental nonfiction films titled Auto-Sketches, grouped around personal experience and the perceptual limits of representation.

Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Join us for an experimental cooking class with bugs at the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium in the Honeyberry Culinary Kitchen on the 2nd floor.

Register HERE: https://form.jotform.com/242677102779162

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About the workshop: 

Experiment with cooking with edible insects! Participants will use their taste buds and creativity to concoct delicious and bizarre combinations of creepy crawlies with conventional cuisine. We will explore edible bugs' ecological and health benefits while reveling in childlike novelty and open-mindedness. Please note that folks with shellfish allergies should not ingest insects.

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided!

Cost: The workshop is free, but a suggested donation is appreciated! 

Registration: Registration is required and will close 24 hours before the workshop begins.

About the Artist:  

Samuel Ezra Fisch is an artist focused on participatory events that bring people together and inspire childlike wonder through novelty. Fisch creates games, events, and situations for audience participation. Fisch has exhibited in Marin MOCA, Brattleboro Museum, Invisible Dog Art Center, LBIF, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, Public Sculpture Project, and ChaShaMa Gala.

Cancellation: If you are registered and cannot attend the workshop, please let us know at program@openairmt.org so we can open the spot for another participant! 

Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Register HERE: https://form.jotform.com/242386958367171

About the workshop: 

This workshop will introduce participants to the world of wild raptors and provide an opportunity to make art based on observation. Two live raptors and Kate Davis of Raptors of the Rockies will be on hand. Attendees can create drawings and monotype prints as Bev and Kate provide information, inspiration, and instruction.

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite drawing tools and sketchbook.

Cost: The workshop is free, but a suggested donation is appreciated! 

Registration: Registration is required and will close 24 hours before the workshop begins.

About the Artists:  

Bev Beck Glueckert lives and works in Missoula, MT. She has been busy as an art instructor and workshop facilitator for adults and children for over 30 years. Her studio work has been widely exhibited throughout Montana and the surrounding area, as well as being involved in a number of commuity art projects.  She served as adjunct faculty in drawing and printmaking at The University of Montana, and is a co-founder/ member of the SALTMINE Artists group in Missoula.

Kate Davis began the educational program Raptors of the Rockies in 1988 with a dozen live birds held at her facility and home on The Bitterroot River. They are the subject and source of information for her etchings, drawings, paintings, welded steel sculptures, photography, and writing. She has authored and illustrated seven books on birds. Photography is a fixation, and printmaking is a passion. 

Cancellation: If you are registered and cannot attend the workshop, please let us know at program@openairmt.org so we can open the spot for another participant! 

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Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Join us in Balsamroot Room 112 (located i the same building as the Butterfly House) to preview the artwork created for "Over the Moon," Open AIR's Annual Fundraiser!

This exhibition will feature artwork inspired by the Western Montana Fair and more! All artworks will be available for auction at Open AIR's Annual Fundraiser, "Over the Moon," on September 21 at 5 p.m. at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.

Tickets to the fundraiser are available at: https://www.openairmt.org/moon

Join us for an opening reception in Balsamroot Room 112 (located in the same building as the Butterfly House) to celebrate the artists who donated artwork to the Over the Moon Fundraiser!

This exhibition will feature artwork inspired by the Western Montana Fair and more! All artworks will be available for auction at Open AIR's Annual Fundraiser "Over the Moon" on September 21 at 5 pm at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.

Tickets to the fundraiser are available at: https://www.openairmt.org/moon

Register here to join us for our next Indigenous Art: Indigenous Minds Presentation! https://form.jotform.com/242415069470152

Topic Description:

In "Cultural Values, Contemporary Innovation: The Story of Indigenous Made Montana’s Support for Indigenous Artisans," Dacia Red Thunder Griego explores how Indigenous Made Montana empowers Indigenous artists while revitalizing their cultural heritage. This presentation delves into the organization’s mission and history, highlighting its role in bridging traditional art forms with contemporary markets. Dacia will examine how Indigenous Made Montana provides crucial support to artisans, integrates traditional art into modern spaces, and navigates challenges and successes. Through profiles of featured artisans and discussions on community impact, she will illustrate how the platform fosters cultural preservation and drives social and economic benefits for both Indigenous and broader audiences.

When: Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Noon

Where: Online

Cost: Free

About the Artist:

Dacia Red Thunder Griego is a dedicated advocate, artisan, and educator whose work reflects a profound commitment to her Chippewa Cree and Mexican heritage weaving cultural teachings and values into the work she does to empower her community.

Her inspiration is rooted in her identity as an Indigenous woman and mother, an experience shaped by the challenges of maintaining cultural traditions in mainstream communities. This experience fuels her overarching goal—to amplify Indigenous voices, educate younger generations, and share the richness of Indigenous culture with the wider community, ensuring cultural preservation across generations. 

Dacia is the co-founder of Indigenous Made Montana, where she actively contributes to the amplification of Indigenous voices, fostering empowerment among creatives, and showcasing the brilliance of Indigenous art. Her personal and professional aspirations converge in advocating for Indigenous people through education, community organizing, and the transformative power of art, aiming to spotlight the strength, resilience, and beauty of her people in every aspect of her work.

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Amy Whitcomb & Jacob Riddle Artist Presentation
August 6, 2024, at 5:00 PM

Explore the Arts, 701 W Main St, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA

Join us for a presentation featuring Open AIR summer artists-in-residence, in collaboration with Explore the Arts and the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation. Hear from Amy Whitcomb, the resident artist in Hamilton, and Jacob Riddle, the resident artist in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. Discover their artistic practices and engage in a Q&A session.

This event is free and open to the public, with appetizers provided.

Stay tuned for more details to be announced!

About the Artists:

Amy Whitcomb (Artist-in-Residence in Hamilton, MT)
Amy A. Whitcomb is an artist, editor, and educator based in Eastern Washington and Northern California. She holds a Master of Science degree and a Master of Fine Arts degree, both from the University of Idaho. Amy’s poetry and prose have appeared in the Cincinnati Review, Witness, Poet Lore, Broadsided Press, Terrain.org, and other journals. Her work has been recognized with a Pushcart Prize nomination and literary or paper arts residencies at Jentel in Wyoming, Playa in Oregon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Jacob Riddle (Artist-in-Residence in Selway Bitterroot Wilderness)
Jacob Riddle is an interdisciplinary artist and educator with a passion for foraging connections between technology and the natural world. Drawing inspiration from his background in construction and labor industries, as well as his upbringing wading through the limestone creeks of the Appalachian foothills, Jacob has embarked on a creative journey to bridge the gap between these seemingly disparate realms. Having honed his ingenuity and cultivated experiential learning through the challenges of rural Appalachian life, Jacob now channels this unique perspective into the realms of art, technology, and academia. His work serves as a testament to the power of resilience, resourcefulness, and the harmonious coexistence of the digital age and the natural world.

Visit Vera Ting - Open AIR Flathead Lake Biological Station Artist-in-Residence during the FLBS summer Open House!

Botanical Life Drawing Workshop

Time: 12:30-1:30 pm

Date: Friday, August 2

Location: FLBS Open House, University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station

Details: Join us during the FLBS Open House for a Botanical Life Drawing workshop led by Artist-in-Residence Vera Ting. Discover the art of still-life drawing with botanicals in this engaging and hands-on session.

The Open House runs from 11 am to 4 pm, celebrating FLBS's 125th Anniversary. Explore the campus, meet the team, and learn about their cutting-edge research and education programs. Enjoy presentations, boat trips on the research vessel Jessie B., and a variety of science exhibits.

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About the Day

The University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) invites everyone to a free Open House from 11 am to 4 pm on Friday, August 2.

Celebrate the 125th Anniversary and explore the FLBS campus, meet the team, and learn about their cutting-edge, world-renowned research and immersive education programs. This year’s Open House will feature presentations, boat trips on a 30' research vessel, the Jessie B., and a variety of immersive FLBS science exhibits.

These exhibits include hands-on learning activities for kids of all ages, information about Flathead Lake and its watershed, close-up encounters with stream, pond, and lake creatures, updates from experts on the front lines of aquatic invasive species prevention and mitigation, a sneak peek at cutting-edge drone and GIS mapping research, and a chance to see what Open AIR Artist-in-Residence Vera Ting has been up to during her residency!

There is no cost to attend the Open House. Stay tuned to FLBS social media platforms and the FLBS website for updates. This is an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with FLBS scientists and educators about their work, all while enjoying an afternoon of sunshine and fun on the shores of Flathead Lake!

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About the Artist:
Vera Ting is an illustrator and fine artist with a background in avian biology and ecology. Her artistic practice is informed by experience in ecological fieldwork, scientific specimen preparation, and research in avian morphology. She sees art as an important medium connecting people and nature, where artists and viewers can form personal bonds with subjects through close observation. Her work seeks to reveal the hidden world of museum research collections and our shared commonalities with nature using art and storytelling. Vera holds a B.S. with honors from the University of Michigan, where her thesis examined the variation in Yellow Warbler wing structure and shape across the Americas. In 2023, she was a Bartels Science Illustrator for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY, where she created illustrations for the Cornell Lab’s NestWatch program, Living Bird magazine, membership products, and more. Her illustration practice has taken her to the wetlands of northern Michigan and the deserts of western Texas, producing documentary field sketches for the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates. When not making art, she may be found in the specimen prep lab amongst friends and study skins or outside catching dragonflies.

Bring your kiddos to this drop in workshop at the Philipsburg Library taught by Open AIR Artist-in-Residence Jessica Jones.

About the workshop: 

Calling all young creators!  This workshop is for kids who love hands-on creative experiences. Visiting Writer Jessica Jones will be gathering with the kids of Philipsburg to read and write poems about home.  First, we'll look at examples of famous poems such as "Home," by Salish author Jennifer Finley, and "Where I'm from," by southern writer George Ella Lyon.  Then, we'll try collaborating to compose a group poem with lines from every child on their experiences of their hometown. Our final product will be show-cased on the "Dear Philipsburg" community poem website!

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite notebook or writing tool.

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Philipsburg Artist Presentation: Nancy Fitch & Jessica Jones
July 30, 2024, at 5:30 PM

Join us for a casual evening to meet the Summer Open AIR Philipsburg Artists-in-Residence. Artwork will be on display and there will be a brief reading by writer Jessica Jones. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

Stay tuned for more details to be announced!

Meet the Artists:

After majoring in fine art in college, Nancy Fitch entered medical school and practiced family medicine in Missoula and overseas, including ten years setting up care and treatment of HIV in African health systems. Now retired from medicine, Nancy became passionate about painting to make up for lost time. She studied watercolor with Kendahl Jan Jubb for 10 years and continued her education through Montana Watercolor Society, Oregon Society of Art, and Northwest Watercolor Society. Nancy has exhibited in various galleries in Missoula and participated in competitions with MWS and Dana Gallery. She paints in oils, and pastels, focusing on Montana's natural lands, flowers, wildlife, and waters, trying to capture transient, reflected light.

Jessica Jones holds a Masters in English from the University of Montana, with licensure for K-12 and training in Indian Education for All. She is on full-time faculty at Kent State University, where she teaches place-based composition, Native literature, travel writing, and poetry. She has also taught middle school on the Flathead Reservation, and often teaches with Upward Bound, serving students from the Blackfeet Reservation and Missoula County Public Schools. Jones’ creative work centers on place (both Northern Appalachia and rural Montana, as well as some travels.) Her chapbook, Bitterroot (2018), can be found at Finishing Line Press. Her work has also appeared in journals and book anthologies like Poems Across the Big Sky, Bright Bones, and Dear Vaccine. She has served as Writer-in-Residence for Calcutta Mercy Hospital in India, and Poet-in-Residence for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. When not in the classroom she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and spending time with loved ones and her cat Magnolia.

Register HERE: https://www.explorethearts.art/teen-adult/blank-book

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About the workshop: 

Join Amy to create your own small, blank books by practicing basic bookbinding techniques. In this workshop, participants will learn to use essential tools and source suitable materials for folded and sewn books. As a class, we'll make two practice books using different stitches, then participants will have ample time to create collage covers and a final, bigger book using their preferred stitch. Participants will also have the opportunity to make a page to contribute to Amy's communal Bitterroot Valley book, designed during her residency, and to handle and ask questions about other handbound books Amy has made and acquired.

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 14+. 

What to bring: All materials will be provided, but if you have a favorite paper or collage materials, feel free to bring them

About the Artist:  

Amy A. Whitcomb is an artist, editor, and educator based in Eastern Washington and Northern California. She holds a Master of Science degree and a Master of Fine Arts degree, both from the University of Idaho. Amy’s poetry and prose have appeared in the Cincinnati Review, Witness, Poet Lore, Broadsided Press, Terrain.org, and other journals. Her work has been recognized with a Pushcart Prize nomination and literary or paper arts residencies at Jentel in Wyoming, Playa in Oregon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Drop into the Philipsburg Library for this free Writing Workshop with Artist-in-Residence Jessica Jones.

In this 90 minute workshop, participants will learn about the elements of narrative poetry. We will read a few samples, including Jennifer Finley's poem, "Arlee," Maggie Anderson's "Country Wisdoms," and Joanne Lehman's "I was the Wagon Hitcher."  Attendees will select a prompt and try their hand at writing their own piece, then are welcome to come to the author's "Story Booth" to receive one-on-one feedback.  Afterward, all will be invited to revise and upload their creative expressions to the community poem website, "Dear Philipsburg."

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite notebook or writing tool.

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Join us for a day of art and culture in Butte!

 Registration is required and space is limited:

Register at https://form.jotform.com/241635020758151

About: Open AIR presents our first Butte Arts Conference, a day-long event celebrating art and the environment at the Historic Clark Chateau. This Conference will feature Open AIR Arists-in-Residence from sites in Butte, Philipsburg, and Deer Lodge. The artists will lead sessions with presentations, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and art-making that engage audiences in conversations about place, art, and the environment. 

This event is part of the Summer II Open AIR Artist-in-Residence program, which is in partnership with The Historic Clarck Chateau, Imagine Butte Resource Center, Clark Fork Coalition, and the Philipsburg Arts Fund.

Cost: The conference is free, suitable for ages 14+, and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. 

Schedule:

10:00 am Welcome

10:15 am Lane Chapman and Eric Jensen -Collaborative Waters, presentation

11:00 am Jessica Jones - How to Write Narrative Poetry, writing activity

12:00 pm Lunch

12:45 pm Melliot - Ghost Story: A New Musical, performance

1:30 pm Tea and snack break

1:45 pm Manette Bradford - Cut It Up, art activity

3:00 pm Closing 

About the artists:

Lane Chapman:
Hailing from small town Arkansas, Lane Chapman started as a painter and illustrator until she transitioned into clay in college. She received her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2017. After graduating, she moved to Rochester, NY, for a two-year residency at the Flower City Arts Center. She then moved to Missoula, MT, for a residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula for two years from 2019-2021 and then a resident at Wildfire Ceramic Studio from 2021-2022. Lane is currently a MFA candidate at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Eric Jensen:
Eric Jensen is an abstract landscape painter with an interest in unifying different modes of understanding our world. Combining unlike methodologies like science and spirituality, he hopes to empower ecological preservation efforts and establish new cultural values through art. His practice is built from a contemporary art education, a critical perspective of religion in the west, and a passion for being close to nature. He has formed a landscape painting practice that looks critically at how our society perceives the land and is working to unify his practice with environmental conservation efforts. Born in Utah, raised and educated in Virginia, Eric now lives outside of Missoula, MT, after finishing an MFA in painting at the University of Montana.

Manette Bradford:
Manette Rene Bradford (b. 1978, St. Paul, MN) was raised in a family of visual artists. This early exposure to art allowed her to develop an understanding of craftsmanship and the creative process and to develop a lifelong relationship with her own practice. Manette earned a BFA in 2001 from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2022, she was awarded the Montana Art Gallery Director's Association Exhibition Sponsorship for Unsettled Lands, which will tour Montana from 2024-2026. She will exhibit at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, C.M. Russell Museum, Hockaday Museum of Art, Schoolhouse History and Art Center, and MonDak Heritage Center, and has exhibited in both solo and group shows in San Francisco and Chicago. Manette was interviewed as the subject of an episode of Resounds: Arts and Culture on the High Plains, which aired on May 22, 2023. She has lived and worked in Chicago, the Bay Area, and lives and works in Red Lodge and Billings, Montana.

Jessica Jones:
Jessica Jones holds a Masters in English from the University of Montana, with licensure for K-12 and training in Indian Education for All. She is on full-time faculty at Kent State University, where she teaches place-based composition, Native literature, travel writing, and poetry. She has also taught middle school on the Flathead Reservation, and often teaches with Upward Bound, serving students from the Blackfeet Reservation and Missoula County Public Schools. Jones’ creative work centers on place (both Northern Appalachia and rural Montana, as well as some travels.) Her chapbook, Bitterroot (2018), can be found at Finishing Line Press. Her work has also appeared in journals and book anthologies like Poems Across the Big Sky, Bright Bones, and Dear Vaccine. She has served as Writer-in-Residence for Calcutta Mercy Hospital in India, and Poet-in-Residence for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. When not in the classroom she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and spending time with loved ones and her cat Magnolia.

Melliot:
Mel Hornyak (Book/Lyrics) and Elliot Valentine (Book/Lyrics/Music) are New York-based musical theater writers who work under the artist name Melliot. Their musicals use horror, fantasy, and sci-fi to defamiliarize power, narrative and identity through psychological explorations of love and desire. They both hold B.A.s from Princeton University and currently attend the Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU Tisch and the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism Program at Yale, respectively. Selected Awards and Performance Credits: O'Neill NMTC Semifinalist (Adamandi), American Musical Theater Project Semifinalists (Ghost Story), Ring of Keys Queering the Gala commission at Joe's Pub. When the two of them are not writing, they like to cook spicy food, go on hikes, and play Dungeons & Dragons.

Drop in to the Philipsburg Library for a free Writing Workshop with Open AIR Artist-in-Residence Jessica Jones!

About the workshop: In this 90-minute workshop, participants will learn about the elements of telling a good story: plot, setting, dialogue... and how to build suspense, pathos and intrigue! We will read a few samples of place-based story poems, including Richard Hugo's famous piece, "Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg." Then, attendees will select a prompt and try their hand at writing about their own stories, memories or traditions in Philipsburg.  All will be invited to upload their contributions to the community poem website, "Dear Philipsburg."

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite notebook or writing tool.

About the workshop: Drop in and join us at the Philipsburg Library to learn the basics of plein air painting! Plein air painting is the practice of working outdoors to capture the light and natural scenery. No registration is necessary - just meet us at the library!

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: Everything you need will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your favorite drawing or painting supplies.

A plein air painting group is coming soon to Philipsburg! Nancy Fitch is organizing a Philipburg Plein Air Group that will meet weekly to paint in the areas surrounding Philipsburg! Details will be discussed at the workshop. Email Nancy Fitch at nfitch53@gmail.com for more information and to add yourself to the list of interested painters! All skill levels are welcome.

About the Artist: 

After majoring in fine arts in college, Nancy Fitch entered medical school and practiced family medicine in Missoula and overseas, including ten years setting up care and treatment of HIV in African health systems. Now retired from medicine, Nancy became passionate about painting to make up for lost time. She studied watercolor with Kendahl Jan Jubb for 10 years and continued her education through Montana Watercolor Society, Oregon Society of Art, and Northwest Watercolor Society. Nancy has exhibited in various galleries in Missoula and participated in competitions with MWS and Dana Gallery. She paints mainly in watercolors, but also in oils and pastels, focusing on Montana's natural lands, flowers, wildlife, and waters, trying to capture transient, reflected light.

Cost: The workshops is free, but a suggested donation is appreciated

Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Join us for a free and open-to-the-public Artist Presentation with Hannah Laga Abram, Open AIR Summer I Artist-in-Residence at Garden City Harvest! Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the artist.

Let us know you are planning to attend at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/241147410821143

About the artist:
Hannah Laga Abram is a site-specific movement artist and choreographer from Northern New Mexico. A recent graduate of Middlebury College, her work investigates liminal, fraught, and disaster-shaped places, stories, and bodies. She celebrates creaturely physicality through communal movement practice, interdisciplinary art projects, and place-based education. She has worked with ANIMAL Dance, Dance Company of Middlebury, and the All Species Project, and her written work has been published in Airmid’s Journal, The Guardian, and The Santa Fe New Mexican, among many others. She served as Santa Fe’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate and currently works as a baker in Missoula, Montana.

Open AIR Artist-Led Workshop

Register HERE: https://form.jotform.com/241276543130146

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About the workshop: 

This workshop explores textured frottage, a simple but endlessly variable drawing technique developed by the surrealist Max Ernst. Captivated by the grain of an old wooden floor, Ernst used a soft pencil and a bit of paper to create rubbings of the fantastical forms he saw captured in the floor’s texture. Following his lead, we will build our surrealist-inspired drawings using materials found around the Moon Randolph Homestead. We will gather compelling textures, practice creating compositions, and record them on paper, experimenting with different substrates and media. All ages are welcome! 

Audience: This workshop is suitable for all ages. 

What to bring: All materials will be provided, but if you have favorite drawing tools, you are welcome to bring them!

Cost: The workshop is free, but a suggested donation is appreciated! 

Registration: Registration is required and will close 24 hours before the workshop begins.

About the Artist:  

Reilly Blum (b. 1998, Atlanta) is a Providence and Atlanta-based artist with a penchant for archival and observational research. Through her creative practice, which spans furniture-making, patchwork quilting, writing, time-based media, and curriculum design, she explores how objects can act as agents of memory. Reilly aims to study public agencies' influence over individual and cultural recollection. She is particularly interested in the policies that drive cultural preservation surrounding heritage crafts, architectural heritage sites, and protected landscapes, such as national parks. Her creative process allows her to investigate what she perceives as a disregard for the transitional landscapes that form the boundaries of these spaces. Through her work, she sheds light on the limitations of human development by exploring what happens when infrastructure starts to fray, architecture fails, nature reclaims territory, amnesia sets in, and the change from one state of being to another begins. Reilly cites Interstate 20, flash floods, and kudzu, three omnipresent features of Atlanta’s landscape, as core influences on her studio work. Reilly earned her BFA in Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2021.

 Cancellation: If you are registered and cannot attend the workshop, please let us know at program@openairmt.org so we can open the spot for another participant! 

 Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Join us for a free and open-to-the-public Artist Presentation with Reilly Blum, Open AIR Summer I Artist-in-Residence at Moon-Randolph Homestead! Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the artist.

Let us know if you are planning to attend at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/241147410821143

About the artist:
Reilly Blum (b. 1998, Atlanta) is a Providence and Atlanta-based artist with a penchant for archival and observational research. Through her creative practice, which spans furniture-making, patchwork quilting, writing, time-based media, and curriculum design, she explores how objects can act as agents of memory. Reilly aims to study public agencies' influence over individual and cultural recollection. She is particularly interested in the policies that drive cultural preservation surrounding heritage crafts, architectural heritage sites, and protected landscapes, such as national parks. Her creative process allows her to investigate what she perceives as a disregard for the transitional landscapes that form the boundaries of these spaces. Through her work, she sheds light on the limitations of human development by exploring what happens when infrastructure starts to fray, architecture fails, nature reclaims territory, amnesia sets in, and the change from one state of being to another begins. Reilly cites Interstate 20, flash floods, and kudzu, three omnipresent features of Atlanta’s landscape, as core influences on her studio work. Reilly earned her BFA in Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2021.

Join us for a free and open-to-the-public Artist Presentation with Genevieve Waller, Open AIR Summer I Artist-in-Residence at Missoula Public Library! The presentation will be held in the Cooper room on the 4th floor of the Missoula Public Library. Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the artist.

Let us know if you are planning to attend at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/241147410821143

About the artist:
Genevieve Waller (she/her) is an artist and scholar who creates photograms (cameraless photographs), sculptures, installations, and drawings that deal with excess, substitution, transparency, and the status of everyday objects. She researches and writes about the aesthetic of camp, the history of LGBTQ+ culture, film, modern and contemporary art, and popular music. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, she received a B.A. in art history from Wichita State University, an M.F.A. in photography and art history from Ohio University, and an M.A. in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester. She spent a year in Berlin, Germany, as a Fulbright grantee and, for many years, has been a college radio DJ. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, where she is the founder and editor of the art journal "DARIA: Denver Art Review, Inquiry, and Analysis," which is in print three times per year and online at dariamag.com.

Register here for the online event: https://form.jotform.com/241425338523150

Topic Description:

Rachel's presentation will focus on her ledger art as a medium of self-expression, self-discovery, and a way to tell new stories using traditional methods.

Joe's presentation will center on Native American Traditional Games and Sports and the experiences of using them to foster cultural identity and exchange.

Where: Online

Cost: Free

About the Artists:

Rachel Twoteeth-Pichardo is a multimedia artist with ledger art and native american flute as her primary passions. She is an enrolled member of the Little Shell Chippewa nation and developed her passion for art and beadwork at a young age, with her grandma at her elbow mentoring her creative endeavors. Currently, creating ledger art is her main focus, which she uses to navigate her own indigenous identity and her struggles in the present day. Rachel has exhibited her ledger art at the Holter Museum of Art, Helena College, and was featured in the Life Magazine and the In Dreams exhibition at the Myrna Loy Jailhouse Gallery. In addition to showcasing, she has also commissioned designs for WIC Montana, the Helena Indian Alliance, and the Montana Community Foundation. This last year she was a featured artisan at the Tribal Heritage Center in Yellowstone National Park. In her free time, she eagerly begins a new project before finishing the current one.

Joe Pichardo is an educator and traditional games instructor. He has over ten years of experience playing and teaching Native American traditional games and sports. As a Title VI Academic Coach and IEFA outreach coordinator, he visits classrooms year-round and introduces the cultural significance of play for Indigenous people of North America in Helena. As a descendant of the Blackfeet, Ojibwe, and Cree nations, he relishes the opportunity to learn and teach his culture and hopes to inspire his students to do the same.

Facebook Event:

Indigenous Art, Indigenous Minds is a project of Open AIR's Indigenous Initiatives Committee, established to elevate Indigenous leadership and creative practices in Montana and beyond. Stella Nall is the fifth speaker in the online series. All presentations are available on Open AIR’s YouTube Channel.

In 2023, we are expanding the series to include opportunities for online discussions in addition to the presentations. Visit our website for more information on upcoming events.

Join us for a free and open-to-the-public Artist Presentation with Danielle O'Malley, Open AIR Summer I Artist-in-Residence at Home ReSource! Refreshments will be served, and there will be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the artist.

Let us know you are planning to attend at our optional registration: https://form.jotform.com/241147410821143

About the artist:
Danielle O'Malley is a multi-media, large-scale, site-specific, installation, and ceramic artist residing in Helena, Montana. O'Malley received their MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Her work is rooted in an environmental consciousness derived from their concern for the Earth's rapidly declining health. In addition to an active studio practice, O'Malley teaches, exhibits nationally, and serves their community as Executive Director for the Art Mobile of Montana and Director for Montana Clay. Most recently, O'Malley has been interviewed on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler podcast, recognized and chosen for publication by Ceramics Monthly, The Surface Design Association Quarterly Journal, The NCECA Annual Journal, and The Studio Potter Journal. She has received multiple local, state, and national grants and was an American Craft Council Emerging Artist finalist. Additionally, O'Malley has been a demonstrating and exhibiting artist at NCECA for the past two years. Their work is in permanent collections at the Northwest Art Gallery, the Taoxichuan Art Center, and numerous private collections.

Open AIR Artist-Led Workshop

Register HERE: https://form.jotform.com/241155473235150

About the workshop: 

Learn about the history of soft sculpture, beginning with the artist Jann Haworth in the 1960s, and then embark on creating a sculptural work based on your own experiences and personal iconography. Bring sketches or photos of your favorite objects, and we will design and create sculptures together. No previous sewing experience is required. 

Audience: This workshop is suitable for ages 16+. 

What to bring: All materials will be provided, but if you have a favorite fabric, preferred sewing needles, or cool thread, feel free to bring those, too. 

Cost: The workshop is free, but a suggested donation is appreciated! 

Registration: Registration is required and will close 24 hours before the workshop begins.

About the Artist:  Genevieve Waller (she/her) is an artist, curator, and writer who was born in the heyday of disco and grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her education includes a BA in art history, an MFA in photography and art history, and an MA in visual and cultural studies. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, where she is the founder and editor of the art magazine "DARIA: Denver Art Review, Inquiry, and Analysis," online at dariamag.com and in print three times per year. She has been working with the medium of soft sculpture since 2009.

Cancellation: If you are registered and cannot attend the workshop, please let us know at program@openairmt.org so we can open the spot for another participant! 

Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Live Musical Premiere!

Tickets are available HERE: https://form.jotform.com/240734892291058

Ticket sales from the musical performance will support the artists involved in this project. The suggested donation is $10 and includes a glass of beer, wine, or bubbly water. 

About the May 4 performance: 

Composer Jessi (George) Harvey will conduct a three-suite musical score inspired by the mating rituals of the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. Scarabic Serenades is a research-based performance of modern/contemporary choreography accompanied by chamber sextet (b-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, marimba, and assorted percussion). The chamber sextet is comprised of student musicians from the University of Montana.

About the project:

Scarabic Serenades is a music & dance collaboration between Julynn Wildman and Jessi Harvey exploring the sexual selection, behavior, evolution & genetics of the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus).

In 2022, Open AIR Montana Artists-in-Residences Julynn Wildman (choreographer) and Jessi Harvey (composer) spent six weeks immersed in the Emlen Evolutionary Biology Lab at the University of Montana. Their artistic practices flourished with the proximity to live beetles, experimental setups, and experts in the field.

During the 2022 residency, they focused on independent projects, Jessi using elements of rhino beetle mating songs for compositional inspiration and Julynn examining patterns and potentials of arthropod movement and fabricating wearable cardboard beetle armor. Their shared interest in research-based art and multimedia performances led to conversations about a larger-scale collaboration.

Scarabic Serenades will be a 20-minute suite of original dance and music inspired and informed by research of the Emlen Lab. Performed by UM students at the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium, this documentary reaches across disciplines with equal parts substance and whimsy, fact and fantasticality, to engage a wide audience within and beyond the arts and science communities. The documentary will be filmed at the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium and will be recorded professionally and available online.

More information is available at https://emlenartistcollab.com/

Facebook Event: Click HERE

About the Artists:  

Jessi, also known as George, Harvey is a Montana-born freelance composer and teacher; gardener and reader; thinker, and walker. Works are based in science and nature, integrating social curiosity, humor, and a love of knowledge; described by Seattle Mag as “full of surprises and consistently attention holding” and by commissioner Julia Lougheed as “diving into the absurd corners of the human condition-the moments where you have to laugh so you don’t cry”.  

 Jessi’s work, by the nature of our conversation, won first place at the 2020 Darkwater Womxn in Music Festival and proposal, fish dance, was an honorable mention for the 2020 Splinter Tongue Call for Proposals. Jessi has worked with Opera Elect, the Art Song Collaborative Project, Strange Interlude, the Onomatopoeia Trio, Karin Steven’s Dance, Julia Lougheed, Olivia Valenza, the Live Music Project and others. One of their favorite projects was the organization of THINGS THAT BREAK, a collaboration with three other women artists, all creating works based on the theme of breaking which was awarded the 4Culture Tech Specific Grant. They have had work featured at the Music by Women Festival (2021, 2019), Darkwater Womxn in Music Festival (2021), and New Music Gathering (2020, 2021). Jessi was a selected composer at Unheard//of Ensemble’s Collaborative Composition Initiative (2021), Laboratoire de musique contemporaine de Montréal (2019), and the Waterloo Contemporary Music Sessions (2018). They were an artist-in-residence at the Rensing Center (2021), Open AIR (2022), and the Denver Botanic Garden's Landline Residency (2022).

Recent projects include Diabelli Recomposed, 50 new variations by women composers from 22 different countries, initiated by musicologist, Claudia Bigos, and The Periodic Table, a work based on Primo Levi’s book by the same name premiered by Charles Abramovic. Outside of composition, Jessi is an avid cook, particularly of potatoes and chilies, constant learner, and watcher of the wildlife in their backyard.   

Julynn Wildman is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist based in Helena, MT. She grew up in Colorado, splitting her time between the Western Slope and the Denver Metropolitan area. This stoked a lifelong pursuit in the complements and contrast of natural sciences and human cultural vibrance.

Julynn graduated summa cum laude from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in 2013 with a BA in Cross-Cultural Relations and Dance. She pursued coursework in Interdisciplinary Art and Media at Columbia College Chicago before relocating to Helena for a tenure with AmeriCorps, serving at ExplorationWorks! Science Center. 

Julynn’s choreography has been featured in student showcases and professional productions alike. She was a contributing choreographer for Cohesion Dance Project’s Resonance ~ an evening of Art Inspiring Art (2018-2020) and, in 2018, presented Death of Others, an original community-based performance exploring grief and empathy. In 2020, Julynn received a fellowship through Intrepid Credit Union and the Holter Museum of Art to create Body in Motion, a dance film and immersive installation exploring evolutionary biology and comparative anatomy. 

As a performer, Julynn has danced on many stages and sites throughout Montana, notably as a soloist in Cohesion Dance Project’s Nutcracker on the Rocks (2013-2019) and Resonance ~ an evening of art inspiring art (2018-2020) and as a guest performer in What’s Going On (Vincent Thomas Dance, 2017), Cave (Amber Moon Peterson, 2017), and Beyond Words, the body as narrator (Jennifer Glaws, 2022). 

Julynn’s teaching practice is vital to her creativity. She is a Montana Teacher Leader in the Arts through the Montana Arts Council and the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She has taught art, dance, and creative movement in schools, residential living facilities, group homes, dance studios, and non-profit arts organizations. Her span of students includes early childhood, adolescents, adults, geriatrics, and individuals with special needs and physical or developmental disabilities. 

Cancellation: If you are registered and cannot attend the performance, please let us know at program@openairmt.org so we can open the spot for another audience member.

 Questions? Email program@openairmt.org

Join us on May 4 at Traveler's Rest State Park! Derick Wycherly will lead a drop-in papermaking workshop from 12:30 - 230 pm as part of Saturday's exciting "The Gathering" event, where Travelers' Rest will host a day of Indigenous Artists and vendors from noon to 4 pm!

Making Paper in the Field:
At this introductory workshop, come learn how natural fibers and water can be combined to create sheets of handmade paper. See how a beater turns fiber into pulp. Take turns pulling sheets from colorful vats with molds and deckles. All ages are welcome; participants may get wet.

About the artist:
Derick Wycherly (Chippewa Cree, Rocky Boy, MT) is a visual artist specializing in fine art printing and papermaking. Derick earned an MFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2022) and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI (2011). He served as a printer and studio manager for the etching workshop Harlan & Weaver in New York City from 2012 to 2019. Derick is currently the Collections Manager / Associate Curator of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture.

Join us for mixed-media artist Nyki Fetterman's Artist Presentation at Home ReSource! Snacks will be provided, and there will be a chance to meet and mingle with the artist,

Optional registration at:
https://form.jotform.com/240516798587170

About the Artist:
Nyki Fetterman is a mixed-media artist, designer, and educator living in Kent, OH. When she’s not making art, you can find Nyki looking at bugs, collecting rocks, or foraging in the woods! Nyki has exhibited work at Praxis Fiber Workshop, Waterloo Arts Gallery, Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, and various other galleries. Nyki was the November 2023 Artist In Residence at Akron Soul Train in Akron, OH, and is the Spring 2024 Open AIR Montana resident at Home ReSource in Missoula.