36 January 14 - 27, 2022
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Explore Big Sky
Developing a Sense of Place
Despite growth, a neighborhood maintains its eclectic history BY MIRA BRODY
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Bozeman artist Mitch Sander spray paints the finishing vibrant lines of an orange-red sun tinted by wildfire smoke on the side of a corrugated tin shed in Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood. The sun shines down on three painted red-winged blackbirds and stalks of brown cattails, and passersby walking to and from neighboring Wild Crumb Bakery watch Sander as he works—some silently, some striking up conversations with the artist before they grab a pastry and head back home, to work, or to recreate in the nearby Bridger Mountains. The mural Sander is working on is a part of the Parade of Sheds event hosted by the Northeast Neighborhood Association, and the shed itself stands on the site of a new infill development project called The Wildlands that will soon break ground among the historic structures of the northeast side. “It’s a lot better just for larger surfaces, it allows me to be more loose with my painting,” said Sander of his chosen medium. The self-taught acrylic painter has been a part of Bozeman’s art scene since he moved here from his hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2009. “I kind of tend to paint things that are very clean-cut, very straight, very round, that sort of thing, and spray painting is more of a free form … It’s easier to express a lot more, quicker.” This neighborhood has taken a similar creative approach to growth. They make an effort to protect their history and artisan culture and are doing so by communicating with developers as real estate booms in Gallatin Valley. The Wildlands is one such project. It’s a collaborative effort between Outlaw Real Estate Partners, a southwest Montana real estate company, and 45 Architecture of Bozeman, and aims to build with creativity and intention. “The goal for us with this is to find a way to integrate living and additional commercial opportunities in this neighborhood while responding to its unique, eclectic nature,” said Eric Ladd, owner of OREP. “Inspirations for this project really came from its surroundings. The project will be an eclectic, polished but fun building and should support and celebrate the existing template that’s already there.”
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Ladd calls The Wildlands “low-scale and responsible,” and will yield 12 apartments and three more commercial areas. It will add improvements to existing public spaces around Wild Crumb and Fink’s Delicatessen, creating more room for community gathering. The project is slated to begin in early 2022. A cultural enclave The Parade of Sheds is a quirky celebration and perhaps the best way to introduce the Northeast Neighborhood to those unfamiliar with the cultural enclave. The event is a play on the traditional Parade of Homes that many cities celebrate, during which residents self-tour often large, newly built homes in their community. The Parade of Sheds, however, celebrates practical and idiosyncratic designs such as drought-friendly gardens, a giant tree house or an old, painted tin barn. “It’s designed to be a fun community gathering,” said Reno Walsh, president of the Northeast Neighborhood Association, known as NENA. “I think it’s an important community appreciation event and it’s an attempt to keep the north side funky and hold onto that eclectic nature, and I think it does that.” Walsh, who is raising his family on the northeast side, appreciates the small size and familiar faces at the event. Nearly 100 attendees turned out for the parade and many more for the self-guided shed tours. “Now I Know,” a solo music project composed by Montana State University emeritus Chris Jenkins, played live music for passersby. The Northeast Neighborhood has not only embraced its culture through quirky residential exteriors and intimate neighborhood events, but also through its support of small local businesses and artists, such as Wild Crumb and Fink’s, as well as Treeline Coffee Roasters, Alter Bikes, Tinworks Art, Echo Arts and a variety of other locally owned shops that call the area home. In 2005, the Northeast Neighborhood was designated by the City of Bozeman as an Urban Renewal District, which collects city taxes to fund neighborhood improvements. This designation has made many of these development projects a reality and allowed for this variety of businesses to call the area home, making for a unique mix of residences as well as offices, eateries and breweries.
A current rendering shows The Wildlands development project, which includes brick, wood and an uneven parapet where the roofline meets the sky. It will offer 12 apartments, three business spaces, and public areas to sit and gather around the existing Wild Crumb Bakery. RENDERING BY 45 ARCHITECTURE
LANDS DEVELOPMENT
