ART SCENE

 ALLEZ! MISSOULA. TAYLAR ROBBINS

Creativity here runs as wild as Montana’s rivers. From one-of-a-kind sculptures to photography, ceramics and contemporary paintings, the Missoula Art Museum and the Dana Gallery offer a stunning rotation of regional and American Indian artists. And that’s just the beginning—Missoula boasts numerous art galleries. Don’t miss the most prominent fine art collection (11,000 pieces) in the Rocky Mountain Northwest at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. And don’t forget to check out First Friday Gallery Night when the downtown scene explodes with art on every block along with samplings of freshly crafted poetry and culinary delights…food for the soul and the belly. Be sure to visit The Artists’ Shop, Radius Gallery, and 4 Ravens Gallery where local artists display their dynamic work. See DESTINATIONMISSOULA.ORG/ART-GALLERIES for more.

MISSOULA ART MUSEUMS

 MISSOULA ART PARK, MISSOULA ART MUSUEM.

ARTWORK COPYRIGHT JAY LABER, PHOTO BY CHRIS SAWICKI, COURTESY OF THE MISSOULA ART MUSEUM

MISSOULA ART MUSEUM Missoula Art Museum (MAM), a contemporary art museum, offers a spectacular attraction in the heart of the historic downtown: a free, public museum that boasts eight exhibition spaces, displaying 26 contemporary art exhibits per year. See ad on page 26. 335 N. Pattee St., 406.728.0447 www.missoulaartmuseum.org MONTANA MUSEUM OF ART & CULTURE The new MMAC is under construction on UM campus. MMAC has the state’s largest publicly owned art collection, only 2% of which is visible due to limited space. By fall of 2023, the new 17,000 sq. foot space will display over 11,000 artifacts, leaving room for research, education and programming. See ad on page 26. University of Montana, 406.243.2019 www.umt.edu/montanamuseum

MARK YOUR CALENDAR First Friday Gallery Night

Browse downtown galleries, museums and businesses to see the latest creations of local artists and new exhibits. First Friday of the month 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Downtown Missoula destinationmissoula.org/blog/firstfridays-missoula ART AROUND EVERY CORNER

Missoula’s public art scene is flourishing, and everything is fair game. From over 50 traffic signal boxes dripping in colorful artwork to dozens of sculptures in every configuration, around each corner you’ll meet a testament to the city’s love of art.

Creativity is especially encouraged in Missoula’s outdoor spaces, where culture, community and nature interweave. The Missoula Art Museum’s Art Park features large-scale outdoor exhibits, and the alleyway outside of Radius Gallery has been transformed into a rotating outdoor urban mural space, also known as Allez! Missoula. Check out Downtown Missoula Partnership for a list of selfguided public art tours around town.