The work of more than 20 artists will be on display later this month as the Hockaday Museum of Art opens its annual exhibit featuring a mix of contemporary art, loaned works and artifacts, all connected in some way to Glacier National Park.
“A Timeless Legacy: Glaciers, the Past and Artists; Present,” has been a Hockaday feature for eight years, and the upcoming version is its seventh iteration.
“I wanted to really revive that historical aspect,” said Hockaday Executive Director Alyssa Cordova. “I think it’s going to be a very well-rounded exhibit that highlights the art of the glacier, but also gives visitors context with some really fun and interesting pieces.”
Some of the items used in the exhibit come from Glacier National Park’s own collection, Cordova said, including an old stereograph with unique black-and-white photos of scientists hiking on glaciers. One of the more eclectic items on display is a full 1930s band costume formerly worn by Minnesota’s St. Paul during marches to promote the Great Northern Railway and Glacier National Park.
Among these items are works by many featured artists, including Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, Carol Cooke, Francesca Droll, Michelle Grant, Bonnie Zahn Griffith, Julie Jeppsen, John Hughes, Shanna Kunz, Erica Neumann, Gini Ogle, Mark Ogle, and Sally Vannoy. The Hockaday permanent collection includes works by John Fery, Linda Tippetts, Linda Wilder, Winold Reiss, T.J. Hileman, Krystii Melaine, Ace Powell, Lucy Van Slyck, Leonard Lopp, Joe de Yong, and Charlie Fritz.
The exhibition opens on August 27 with a celebration at Hockaday from 5:00 p.m. until 20:00. which begins with a panel discussion featuring artists, Glacier National Park staff, and original exhibition curators Tabby Ivy and Denny Kellogg. As Cordova explained, art is intertwined with the park’s history, in part because of its role in bringing tourists to the village at a time when photographs were rare.
“The North really relied on the artists and their panache to capture the feel, the charm and the grandeur of the park,” Cordova said.
But this connection between artists and the park is not limited to the past.
“The park is an endless source of inspiration for historical and contemporary artists,” he added.
“Timeless Heritage” is on the screen until October 29. The opening celebration on August 27 will include smaller works for sale, drinks and live music. Admission is $10 per person, but it’s free for members. Tickets can be reserved by emailing information@hockadaymuseum.com or calling 406-755-5268.
Looking at what Hockaday has planned in the coming weeks, Cordova noted that the museum’s annual Plein Air Glacier: Paint Out event will be held in September, a first for the museum.
“It’s usually in June, but we decided to move it to the fall so that Going-to-the-Sun [Tee] would still be open to artists, and the artists wanted a little bit of a different season for their color palette,” Cordova said.
Painting and canvas stamping for the outdoor painting event will take place from September 6th to September 13th, followed by a preview party and sale on September 17th and an online exhibition and sale from September 17th to October 15th.
