Montana Triennial 2012 by Yogesh Simpson

MONTANA TRIENNIAL

2 0 1 2

MONTANA TRIENNIAL

2 0 1 2

Alison Reintjes, Graphic Pastoral, 2012, slipcast porcelain, 6' x 4.5' x 1".

contents 06

foreword Laura Millin

from the curator Being Judgmental about the Montana Triennial: 2012 Keith Wells

exhibition catalog

Joel S. Allen

Kay Langland

Eric Ashcraft

Jennifer Li

Lela Autio

Toni Matlock

Larry Blackwood

Alan McNiel

Pamela Caughey

Shawna Moore

Andy Cline

Richard Notkin

Melvin Cooper

Kirsten Pabst

Ken Dvorak

Jennifer Pulchinski

Tom Foolery

Katherine Quick

Lauren Grabelle

Alison Reintjes

Sheryl Hester

Kathryn Schmidt

Sally Hickman

Barb Schwarz Karst

Jeneese Hilton

Cynthia Swidler

Lorie Hoffman

Thomas Thornton

Tim Holmes

Shalene Valenzuela

Hall Jameson

Willem Volkersz

Amy Jane

Ralph Wiegmann

Peter Keefer

Robert Wilson

Louise Lamontagne

Sukha Worob

artist biographies

foreword by L au r a M ill i n

AM’s Montana Triennial has quickly become a defining project for our institution and for the state. Every three years the exhibition celebrates the steadfast work of contemporary artists in Montana, working well outside the mainstream, in many cases without gallery or museum representation, or an active art market. The project demonstrates MAM’s abiding commitment and respect for Montana artists. To bring fresh perspective and create a unique mix, we invite an esteemed colleague from outside of Montana to jury the exhibition, and extend this individual total leeway. The exhibition is documented with an exhibition catalog, which provides a complete record of the project, and provides a showcase of Montana art for the region and country. Building on the experience of the Montana Triennial: 2009, MAM staff laid out parameters to ensure that the 2012 exhibition would be fresh and exciting in scope. A stipulation was made that all work submitted to the jury process must have been created within the last three years. Four galleries on two floors were set aside for the 2012 exhibition, which filled just two galleries on the first floor in 2009. As before, the juried exhibition was open to artists currently working and residing in the state of Montana and includes work by both established and emerging artists. MAM thanks all of the artists who participated in this process. Montana Triennial: 2012 does not disappoint. The exhibition’s complexion is different from the 2009 Triennial illustrating the diversity of expression and rich artistic tradition thriving in the state. The juror, Keith Wells, is the Curator of Art at Washington State University's Museum of Art in Pullman, WA,

M TRIE a museum which has featured some of the most important artists to have come out of the Pacific Northwest. We thank Wells for his diligent work and appreciate his careful and decisive approach in reviewing each artist’s work. The exhibition features over 100 works by 38 artists in all media. The exhibition catalog features selected works by each artist in the exhibition along with Wells' essay “Being Judgmental about the Montana Triennial: 2012”. MAM’s curatorial staff, Exhibitions Curator Stephen Glueckert and Assistant Curator and Preparator John Calsbeek, are to be credited with excellent stewardship of the process of organizing the project. Montana Triennial: 2012 attracted generous support from three principal funders and would not occur without their confidence and faith in the institution. The exhibition catalog is supported in part with a grant from the Montana Cultural Trust; MAM thanks the Montana Cultural Trust Committee, the Montana Legislature, and the Montana Arts Council for standing behind this project. Major underwriting comes from loyal supporters, Jeff and Pat Aresty, who wish to demonstrate their love and appreciation of the art and artists of Montana. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation awarded MAM a generous program grant that supports the Montana Triennial: 2012, along with three other excellent exhibitions in 2012. This grant will stretch MAM’s previous accomplishments. In closing I wish to thank MAM’s Board of Directors, patrons, and members for supporting MAM’s mission, which is well realized with this project: engaging audiences and artists in the exploration of contemporary art relevant to the community, state and region.

MO NTAN A E NNIAL: 201 2

from the curator

Being Judgmental about the Montana Triennial: 2012 by Ke i t h We ll s

keith

wells

love my job as Curator for the Museum of Art at Washington State University. Having taught several classes in art history and theory, my philosophy is to open minds rather than fill them in. I am certain that my experience as both an artist and instructor helps to inform my decisions as a curator when making art selections for an exhibit. As an artist, I am always amazed to think how we (artists) remain resolute and continue to create; putting forth images and objects in spite of the sea of images that bombard people constantly. In the age of information and social media that infiltrate our senses with so many visual experiences and ideas, it takes a certain amount of perseverance to penetrate already overworked sensibilities. How the artist separates themselves from the assault of white noise is a lesson in persistence. With this in mind, it is an incredible honor to be asked to examine the current artwork submissions for the Montana Triennial: 2012. Because it is such a daunting task to judge the offerings of these artists, while separating my own personal taste, I use three different criteria to select work for a diverse and engaging exhibit: aesthetics, innovation, and cultural reflection. Although I prefer that an artwork has all of these elements, in some cases a heavy portion of only one or two of them can be just as strongly interesting. This is the same rubric I try to use when selecting work for exhibitions at WSU. Aesthetics are important and should always be considered as a base reference. Artwork with strong aesthetic qualities does not necessarily have to be beautiful in a “traditional” sense. Whether creating something visually pleasing or that is intended to be ugly or horrify us, it should do so in an intriguing way. Horror and ugliness hold just as much currency as beauty in their ability to gain our attention which is why

we are compelled to stare at a car accident as we pass by on our way to a gallery opening. An artwork must possess the ability to somehow stimulate a response, good or bad. It should elicit the viewer to consider the subject matter on the artists’ own terms. Innovation can be crucial when it is necessary to find ways to create new and distinct dialogues in the world of visual noise. Social mediums or informational platforms that engage us (television, movies, internet, etc.) have become ways that we connect with each other and also offer a basic foundation for discourse that we collectively understand. Overstimulation from this media deluge contributes to the desensitization of our ability to ingest information, forcing the artist to be that much more cunning in the struggle for attention. Individual style, process or unusual mediums can sometimes offer a way to create enough intrigue to lure the viewer into the artist’s conversation. There is no authoritative set of procedures that needs to be executed to impart this kind of power to an artwork. How an artist responds to this kind of seemingly unlimited license for creativity is a test of how he or she is able to present artwork that is at once accessible in the message it tries to convey and original enough to distinguish it from the work of any other. Cultural reflection explores the social references indicative of a specific culture or subculture. Regional artists may respond to their most immediate surroundings or circumstances in an attempt to convey nuances of those experiences. Artists, who often strive to create dialogue about national or even global issues that affect us all, may reach out to us with their own specific insight. Economic, environmental, racial, or gender issues have somewhat different impact on each

culture, but are a constant source of thought provoking questions for all of us. The more personal the subject matter is, the more broadly appealing the piece can be. The heart of the matter is that we learn from sharing these ideas and exploring our own perimeters as human beings. It is a delicate balance, but an effective artwork should transcend its time and culture while simultaneously embracing them, just as Shakespeare’s plays, despite being clearly grounded in a specific period of time and culture, make behavioral observations on the human condition that still hold true today. I am convinced that the ability an artwork has to connect with people in this way is probably the most important attribute it needs to radiate. The simple act of making something is inherently threaded with these properties. Art in all forms, whether visual, literary, or performing is what motivates us to be, think, and do. There are infinite ways that art helps us to organize our thoughts. I often wonder if people understand the power art has over their lives or if more people than I care to realize, take it for granted. When we think of how much we know about cultures from centuries ago through their artistic remnants, we have to consider what it means to create and in some measure represent our culture today. Perhaps it is even more important today. The issues that we currently deal with are a constant source of anxiety. Traces of doubt and apprehension can be seen in all forms of media as our daily life unfolds. Economic strain, political unrest, and environmental concerns are beginning to plague our stability. Although it is the duty of artists to reflect what our culture is experiencing, there is also the responsibility to keep creating tethers that help to hold it all together. Today we need to explore the positives as well as the negatives. Focusing on the solutions rather than the problems is the path to progress. Everything matters in this context: the beauty, the whimsy, the message, the mystique, the record; the list is exhaustive and vast. But in the end it is important to collect and share thoughts about what it is to be human. It is important to find anything and everything that will remind us how much of a phenomenon we really are. If an alien being landed on your front porch and asked you what it is to be human, what

would you say or perhaps even more important what would you not say? In a way, this is the question that artists answer in so many voices. The things we reject define just as well as those we embrace. As long as we continue to explore these questions about whom we are and what is important to us, we will be forever growing. I believe it is imperative that we continue this dialogue through art with each other. Artists who remain vigilant in creating works that perpetuate this pursuit are examples of the resolve we are capable of. We must admire the dedication of artists in their constant struggle to look for answers in his or her unique way. It is for this reason I would like to extend my congratulations to all of those who participated in this call to artists for succeeding in doing so. The work that was submitted for this exhibition represents a wide spectrum of ideas and materials and I was astonished at the distinctiveness of the artists. I have to admit when first asked to make selections for this exhibit, I was a bit apprehensive. From what I have seen, it is easy to fall into the shadows of doubt as of late. Whether it is in artistic, literary, or network broadcasts, many seem to have their fair share of that dark embrace. However, with this group I felt a genuine resilience. It was nice to see that the works had such a feeling of hope. I always tell my children that “food for thought is best seasoned with hope rather than salt”. After reviewing all of the images submitted it occurred to me that the human spirit cannot be suppressed any more than it can be defined. With so many wonderful applicants it was difficult to pare them down to this group of works. I am hopeful that the selections I made for this exhibition stimulate, provoke, and inspire those who attend. I have always concluded that any diverse group of artworks holds the key to access our culture and capture a mug shot of our collective sense of identity. Whether it is something as simple as the shared experience of a basic emotion to the complexities of political rhetoric surrounding an epic current event, art is a discourse about who we are in relationship to each other. We must try to remember that art, in its capacity to connect and define us is probably the world’s oldest social network and the Montana Triennial: 2012 is a great way to update our status.

Peter Keefer, Bell Crossing, 2012, altered digital photograph, 24 x 18".

Jennifer Pulchinski, A. Hale, 2010, soft pastel on paper, 55.5 x 64".

exhibition catalog

joel s. allen Hooked on Svelte, 2010 - 2012, mixed media installation, size variable. Photo: Erik Hansen

eric ashcraft The Accountant, 2011, oil and fabric on canvas, 48 x 36".

lela autio Below: That Old Feeling, 2011, Plexiglas, 36.5 x 38.25 x 4.5". Opposite: Pocket, 2010, Plexiglas, 26 x 25 x 4".

larry blackwood Above: A Clear Choice, 2009, pigment ink photograph, 28 x 22". Opposite: The Adjudicators, 2010, pigment ink photograph, 22 x 28".

pamela caughey Microscapes III, 2011, eight etched brass plates, patina, each 4 x 4", 15.25 x 23.75".

andy cline Above: Can't a Guy Take a Leak in the Woods Anymore?, 2011, oil on board, 5 x 15". Opposite: Park and Ride (Anaconda, Montana), 2011, oil on board, 24 x 24".

melvin cooper Comanche, detail, 2012, steel and ceramic, 72 x 16 x 16".

ken dvorak Mesa Arch Sunrise, 2012, photograph, 20 x 24".

tom foolery Dog Tag, 2011, miniature environment, 20 x 20 x 18".

lauren grabelle On The Way To See Him in Marion, Montana 2, photographic c-print, 16 x 24".

sheryl hester Top: Gnome, 2011, digital painting, 20 x 20". Above: Hearts on Fire, 2011, digital painting, 20 x 20". Opposite: Men in Black, 2011, digital painting, 20 x 20".

sally hickman Above: Chicken Dancer, 2010, oil paint and encaustic on birch panel, 35 x 47". Opposite: Antelope Men's Traditional Dance, 2010, oil paint and encaustic on birch panel, 35 x 47".

jeneese hilton Stale Water Under the Bridge, 2011, mixed media, 42 x 36â&#x20AC;?.

lorie hoffman Below: Revolution, 2011, silkscreen on birch panel, 44 x 44". Bottom: Realization, 2011, silkscreen on birch panel, 44 x 44". Opposite: Rebellion, 2011, silkscreen on birch panel, 44 x 44".

tim holmes Blessing, still from video, 2012.

hall jameson Trash Talk, 2009, digital photograph, archival ink jet print, 18 x 17".

amy jane Below: Coy Cat, 2011, wax crayon on paper, 10.5 x 13.5". Opposite: Young Guys, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24".

peter keefer Above: Tony C 01, 2010, altered digital photograph, 18 x 24". Opposite: Poughkeepsie RR Bridge 01, 2009, altered digital photograph, 24 x 18".

louise lamontagne Above: Enmeshed I, 2009, mixed media, encaustic, 12 x 9". Opposite: Enmeshed II, 2009, mixed media, encaustic, 8 x 10".

kay langland Below: Double Morning Mist, 2011, photo on copper, photo under plexiglass, 10 x 15". Opposite: Country Fence, 2011, photo on copper, photo under plexiglass, 14 x 8".

jennifer li Below: Gooseberry Pie, 2011, hand-painted original solar plate etching, 4.5 x 3.25". Opposite: The Green Room, 2010, oil on panel, 9 x 12".

toni matlock Capturing Velocity, 2012, video and sculpture installation, approx. 4 x 4 x 4'.

alan mcniel Below: San Francisco, 2012, oil paint and photography on canvas over panel, 32 x 36". Opposite: Windmills at Vantage, Washington, 2012, oil paint and photography on canvas over panel, 30 x 40".

shawna moore Below left: Firebird, 2011, encaustic on panel, 40 x 40". Below right : Regalia, 2011, encaustic on panel, 40 x 40". Opposite: Tule, 2011, encaustic on panel, 50 x 40".

richard notkin Above: The Last Syllable of Recorded Time, 2010, white earthenware, glaze, watercolor and pastel, 77.5 x 51.5 x 2.5". Opposite: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, 2010, white earthenware, glaze, watercolor and pastel, 43 x 51.5 x 2 .5".

kirsten pabst Above: Your Number is Up, 2012, wood, mixed, 18 x 8 x 4". Opposite: I Know How You Feel, 2011, wood, mixed, 21 x 13 x 4".

jennifer pulchinski W. Deitsch, 2010, soft pastel on paper, 55.5 x 38.5".

katherine quick Sniff, 2011, slab built ceramics, raku fired, 7.5 x 6".

alison reintjes Below: Ohno Double, 2012, slipcast porcelain, 32 x 24 x 1". Opposite: Graphic Pastoral, detail, 2012, slipcast porcelain, 6' x 4.5' x 1".

kathryn schmidt Above: Dear Fukushima, Is the Earth Still Burning?, 2011, acrylic on panels, each 12 x 7”. Opposite: Shadows That Build, 2010, acrylic on panel, 14 x 11”.

barb schwarz karst Trojan Horse Made of Iron, 2011, oil on canvas, 44 x 62".

cynthia swidler After the Fog, 2012, photograph, 8 x 10".

thomas thornton Below: Maestro, bronze, 27 x 19 x 5". Opposite: Half Baked Horseman, bronze, 19 x 12.25 x 8.5".

shalene valenzuela Above: Blending In: Tupperware Party II, 2011, ceramic, 13 x 6 x 5". Opposite: Easy-Mix: Making Life Easy, 2010, ceramic, 11 x 10 x 6".

willem volkersz Above: Autoped, 2012, wood, paint, chalk, found object, 52.5 x 39.5 x 26". Opposite: Escape, 2012, wood, hardware, 84 x 25 x 32".

ralph wiegmann Sequence II, oil & graphite on canvas, 53.5 x 10".

r. david wilson Facing North, 2012, oil, graphite, and marble dust on cradled wood panel, 24 x 24".

sukha worob Always With Me, 2011, digital print, encaustic medium, pine, 8.5 x 12" each.

artist biographies 91

Joel S. Allen of Bozeman, MT, was born in Rapid City, SD. He grew up an American nomad, moving from place to place as his father’s employment required. Allen holds a BFA in sculpture from Montana State University and a MFA in sculpture from Washington State University. He has taught at MSU, Billings and Bozeman, the University of Great Falls, as well as Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs. Allen has worked in engineering, construction, titanium bike fabrication, and the high-tech laser industry. His work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and oftentimes, wherever he finds an interesting place.

Eric Ashcraft was born in Billings, MT. He earned a BFA from The University of Montana in 2006 and his MFA in painting at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2009. He has taught at the Oxbow School of Art, The Art Institute of Illinois, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ashcraft’s work navigates between multiple media including painting, sculpture, photography, performance, sound, and installation. He is the co-founder of the “Plein Air Extreme Team,” a project that involves plein air painting in problematic or abject circumstances. Ashcraft currently resides and works in Missoula, MT. Lela Autio was born in Great Falls, MT. She earned a BA from Montana State University and a MA in art from The University of Montana. In the mid-1950’s, Autio co-founded the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena along with Peter Voulkos and her husband Rudy Autio. During her five years in residence, she taught art classes and produced pottery. She has received many awards during her career including the 2011 MAM Award, and exhibited throughout Montana and the west. Autio has lived in Missoula, MT for over fifty years and was instrumental in the founding of the Missoula Art Museum in 1975.

Larry Blackwood is a self-taught photographer born and raised in Kansas. He earned a Ph.D. in statistics and worked in the field for thirty years while pursuing photography part-time, until switching to fine art photography full-time in 2007. Blackwood has had exhibitions in a number of venues including the Wichita Art Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts in Abilene, TX, the Museum of Idaho, and the Art Museum of Southeast Idaho. His work appears in various private and public collections and has received grants sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the states of Montana and Idaho. Blackwood resides in Bozeman, MT.

Pamela Caughey holds a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in painting and drawing from The University of Montana. She will participate in several exhibitions in 2012 including the 10th NW Biennial at the Tacoma Art Museum, WA, the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture in Bozeman, MT and the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, MT. Caughey’s work relates to psychological, social and biological themes, while maintaining a strong appreciation for aesthetics. Caughey lives in Hamilton, MT where she works as faculty of the Bitterroot College of The University of Montana. Andy Cline was born and raised in Montana and makes art and works as an electrician in Missoula, MT. Cline earned his BFA from The University of Montana in 2003. Since then, he has steadily worked on a series of representational, meditative landscape paintings in which he studies the evolving cultural, economic and social landscape of Montana. He has participated in group exhibitions at MAM and the Custer County Art Center in Miles City, MT and recent solo exhibits at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena and the Dana Gallery in Missoula, MT. His upcoming solo show at the Kolva-Sullivan Gallery in Spokane, WA is scheduled for 2012.

Melvin Cooper is a Lonepine, MT based artist. An avid traveler, he uses his experiences to influence his work which includes a wide variety of media. Normally working in series of ten, each series has a particular theme and can take years to complete. Working in multiple media and using a wide range of materials, Cooper draws on his travels and observations for inspiration. He is currently working out of a rented airplane hanger which contains his materials and completed works. Ken Dvorak moved to Seeley Lake, MT in 2005 after teaching for over 30 years. He earned a BS in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MS from University of Oregon. Dvorak is a self trained photographer that was first introduced to black and white printing by a ship’s photographer while in the Navy. Since moving to Montana he has set up a digital darkroom to scan, edit, print, mat, and frame all of his work. Dvorak is an active member of the Alpine Artisans in the Seeley/Swan valleys. Tom Foolery attended Oregon State and the University of Washington where he got the "third degree" before dropping out. His extensive solo exhibits most recently include at MAM in 2010, the Hallie Ford Museum in Salem, OR in 2006 as well as numerous national galleries extending back to 1975. Foolery has been awarded commissions from the Montana Arts Council Percent for the Arts in 2012 and the Washington State Arts Council in 2006. He is also the recipient of Montana Arts Council’s Visual Arts Fellowship. Foolery lives off the grid in a home that he designed and built in the Beaverhead Valley, MT.

Lauren Grabelle moved from New Jersey to Montana in 2010. She holds a BA in Anthropology from NYU, and has studied photography at Parsons School of Design, at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the International Center of Photography, and the Eddie Adams Workshops. Grabelle was awarded an internship with National Geographic where she worked in their documentary TV division. She continues to focus on a documentary perspective in her work intertwined with her academic training in anthropology. Her photographs have appeared in numerous national magazines and publications including the New York Times and Newsweek. Grabelle lives in Bigfork, MT. Sheryl Hester is a 4th generation Montanan who resides near Foys Lake in Kalispell, MT. She recently retired from ranching and law enforcement and now works as a full-time artist. Hester draws upon her knowledge of Interior and Architectural Design and her work as an Assistant Detective doing composite drawings and courtroom presentations. Steering clear of a pre-visualized approach, Hester favors an intuitive, symbolic and spontaneous approach to the subjects she explores. She has displayed her digitally altered photographs at venues throughout the Flathead Valley and continues to refine and develop her creative vision.

Sally Hickman has deep roots in Butte and the Bitterroot Valley that anchor her to Montana's geography and its history. Following a career in teaching and school administration, Hickman committed to refining her craft by enrolling in the School of Fine Art at The University of Montana and studying with individual artists throughout the west. Her series “Powwow Inspiration” was exhibited at the Emerson Art Center in Bozeman, MT in the spring of 2011. Hickman explores tribal histories through a medium that is both permanent and fleeting, paralleling the plight of long-held cultural beliefs in danger of being homogenized or lost in a global culture. Jeneese Hilton was born in Browning, MT and raised on a ranch near Babb. She earned a BS from the College of Great Falls, a BA in Art from Montana State University in Bozeman and an MFA in painting from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1990. Hilton has traveled extensively: Mexico, Micronesia, Asia, Alaska, and on the Makaw reservation in WA. These very different cultures inform her interest in religions, philosophies, attitudes, and beliefs that in turn inspire her artistic vision. The many animal and human figures in her paintings speak to the diverse belief systems that sometimes collide with each other and at other times support each other.

Lorie Hoffman grew up in a variety of different Montana towns in eastern Montana, the Hi-Line, and the west side of the divide. She recently participated in the Artist Residency program in Renkum, Netherlands. Hoffman completed undergraduate work at Montana State University in Photography and Marketing, with minors in Small Business Entrepreneurship and Museum Studies. She also earned an MFA in printmaking from MSU. She has exhibited in art spaces throughout the Bozeman area and beyond. Hoffman analyzes and dissects the cultural landscape around her using personal symbology and a pop art sensibility to create open narrative work that allows for deep exploration by the viewer.

Tim Holmes is most well known for sculpture but has worked in a variety of media from installation to film. He is the first American artist ever invited to give a solo exhibit at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, where his sculptures remain on permanent exhibit. Holmes has created many international projects such as the "U.N. Millennium Peace Prize for Women" and other peace awards. Holmes' work focuses on the human form, on the gesture as expression of greater human themes, such as the struggle for freedom, horror at inner and outer evils, the ferocity of hopelessness, and the tenderness of love.

Hall Jameson is a fine art photographer and writer who lives in Helena, MT. She studied fine art at the Maine College of Art in 1994, exploring both modern and traditional processes of fine art, majoring in photography. She completed her BFA at the Metropolitan State College of Denver, CO in 1999. Her photographs have been exhibited locally and nationally, including the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL, the Newspace Center for Photography in Portland, OR, and Marin Museum of Contemporary Art in California. Jameson uses her photography to find the surprise and humor in the familiar within landscapes and cityscapes that are organic, ethereal, and startling. Amy Jane has lived in Missoula, MT since the age of two and earned a degree in English Literature from The University of Montana. The mountains and rivers of this part of the world inspire the forms and colors of her paintings. Jane's artwork explores the formal qualities that make up the landscape, such as light, shape, texture, and color. She is inspired by this quote by the Italian philosopher Mario Rossi: "The great interests of man: air and light, the joy of having a body, the voluptuousness of looking.â&#x20AC;?

Peter Keefer of Missoula, MT, earned a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts and an MA at California State University at Northridge. Keefer spent ten years teaching art to high school students. His expertise in printmaking, watercolors, oils, photography, and other media eventually led to exhibits at renowned art centers in the U.S. and abroad, and he is prominently displayed in distinguished private and corporate collections on several continents. Keefer is active in his local art community and is a founding member of the Saltmine Art Space.

Louise Lamontagne was raised in Manchester, NH, and currently works out of her studio in St. Ignatius, MT. She studied art at the University of Bridgeport, CT and the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. Lamontagneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the West, New England and abroad. She has won numerous awards and her work resides in public and private collections. Lamontagneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent exhibits include at the Dana Gallery in Missoula and at Roby King Gallery on Bainbridge Island, WA.

Kay Langland received a BS in advertising from the University of Illinois and worked in advertising in Chicago, IL. Encouraged by her parents, she obtained an MS in Art from The University of Montana. Using original black and white negatives and liquid emulsion, Langland prints images directly onto copper, metal and stainless steel plates. Some of the photo plates are then combined using welding to create a metal structure. She enjoys merging the archival properties of photography with the longevity and strength of metal, believing that technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination.

Jennifer Li grew up in Mill Valley, CA but her family spent summers at a ranch in Montana. After majoring in literature and philosophy at Bennington College, VT and Sarah Lawrence College, NY, she lived, worked, and studied in New York for nearly twenty years before returning to Montana in 1998. Liâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has been featured in numerous galleries across the country including Davidson Contemporary in Seattle, Chrysalis Gallery, NY, and Dana Gallery in Missoula. Most recently, she exhibited at the Holter Museum of Art, Helena. Li lives and works in Kalispell, MT.

Toni Matlock mostly makes sculptural video installations. Beginning with classical training in painting and drawing, she received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She then studied percussive textile methods, receiving an MFA from the University of Washington before receiving another MFA from The University of Montana. A contributing member of the art community, she has piloted a thriving film festival and taught Contemporary Art & Art Criticism. Matlock currently manages Salty Snack Studios (a creative production company), develops iPhone applications, and makes movies. In her artwork, she combines objects and images, motion and memory, to scrutinize the clutches and skirmishes of the mundane. Alan McNiel earned an MA from The University of Montana in 1987, and has worked as a full-time studio artist, exhibiting in galleries, museums, and art festivals throughout the West ever since. His work is seen across the West including exhibitions in 2011 at the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings; the Holter Museum of Art in Helena; Museum of Art and Culture, Spokane; La Quinta Arts Festival, Palm Springs; Montana Art Mobile; and Art Fusion Gallery in Bigfork. McNiel's work resides in numerous public and private collections. He lives in Troy, MT. Shawna Moore was born and raised in Oregon, and attended the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon. Further studies in drawing, ceramics, and painting at Bend's Central Oregon Community College led to her current studio painting practice. Moore was featured in both the Missoula Art Museum's regional Encaustic Invitational and the inaugural Montana Triennial in 2009. Her encaustics are shown nationally in contemporary galleries in Minneapolis, MN, Washington DC, Santa Fe, Telluride, Park City, CO and throughout Montana. Moore lives and works in Whitefish, MT.

Richard Notkin earned his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MA from UC Davis. One of the most respected ceramic artists in the nation, Notkin has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally and received countless awards and fellowships over the past four decades. Notkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceramic sculptures and sculptural teapots have explored the complex environmental, political, and economic impacts of contemporary human civilization upon the ecological and spiritual condition of our planet, and the quality of life of individual human beings. He present these concerns by visually manipulating and juxtaposing various objects, images and symbols to create narrative sculptural works which stimulate the viewer to examine their own innermost feelings.

Kirsten Pabst is a Missoula, MT artist whose day job is a prosecuting attorney. Prior to entering law school, she worked her way through art school and summer camps on scholarships, service jobs, and the meager proceeds from sales of her art. In the courtroom, she utilizes vision-based technologies to communicate with jurors and has been teaching The Visual Trial course to litigation attorneys at the state and national levels for many years. Pabst’s assemblage work explores the process of combining recycled materials, architectural elements, and discarded sentimental objects; aging them with paint and stain; and embellishing them with objects that capture light.

Jennifer Pulchinski was born in Stevens Point, WI and currently resides and works in Bozeman, MT. She received a BFA from Montana State University, Bozeman. She has received several honors for her work including 1st Place at the 30th Annual Southeastern Montana Juried Show, Custer County Art Center, and the Bronze Pencil Award from the Helen E. Copeland Gallery at MSU. She has recently exhibited at the Yellowstone Art Museum, the Civilized Gallery, and Danforth Gallery both in Livingston, MT. Pulchinski’s drawings explore the form and character of people through layering of pastel, overlap of surfaces, and careful attention to features and psychology. Katherine Quick lives on the Bitterroot River in Stevensville, MT. She is a self-taught artist with informal training through pottery classes in San Diego, CA, Boise, ID, and Missoula, MT. She has been creating with ceramics for 45 years. Quick has worked as a nurse for 35 years and continues to do so part time while creating graphics for the Art Associates of Missoula, where she served as President for 5 years. The colors and textures of the land inform her work. Alison Reintjes first moved to Montana in 2001 for a residency at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, and has completed additional residencies at Greenwich House Pottery in New York, Jentel in Wyoming, and Mount St. Francis in southern Indiana. Before returning to Montana in 2009 with her husband and twin children, she spent time in Ohio and Kentucky working as an instructor for the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft. She recently started a residency at the Clay Studio of Missoula where she is developing a new body of wall-based installations. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Kathryn Schmidt was born and educated in the Midwest and lived in New York City for six years, working at a framing studio. She met her artist husband in NYC and moved to Montana for employment. While raising a daughter and building a house and studio, she worked as a carpenter, taught as an adjunct at Montana State University, and as a preparator at the Museum of the Rockies. Schmidt has always been interested in expressing narrative and grandiose ideas through art. Her recent work draws upon the heated political world and heating environment for settings exploring the juxtaposition of body and mind in our fast-moving world. Barb Schwarz Karst is a contemporary abstract painter born in Billings and currently lives in Missoula, MT. Her formal background includes an MA in interdisciplinary studies in art from The University of Montana, a BS in Art Education from Montana State University - Billings, and two fellowships from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Karst’s work has been featured in national and international exhibitions, and in several publications. Her paintings can be found in the collection of the Montana Museum of Art & Culture, as well as in corporate and private collections.

Cynthia Swidler is an occupational therapist and artist who resides in Missoula, MT. She holds a degree in occupational therapy with continuing education in art education and art therapy. She uses art as a therapeutic medium when working with autistic students in Missoula County and Target Range Public Schools. Swidlers’s work explores the grandness and beauty of nature while seeking pattern and whimsy within the composition.

Thomas Thornton was born in Sidney, MT. He studied fine art and bronze casting at Montana State University. For twenty-five years he ranched, logged, and maintained a bronze studio in the Judith Mountains north of Lewistown. Thornton has enjoyed the patronage of cattle ranchers from around the state and has had exhibitions in galleries in New York and Pennsylvania. He currently lives and makes art in South Cottonwood Canyon outside of Bozeman, producing work that explores themes of ranching, memory, personal experience, and the natural world.

Shalene Valenzuela was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. She received a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from California College of Arts and Crafts. In 2007, she moved from her longtime home of Oakland, CA to participate in a long-term residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula. In addition to teaching at various levels, Valenzuela has been a guest artist and speaker at a number of art centers, colleges, and universities and her work has been featured in several group and solo exhibitions nationally. Her upcoming solo exhibition at the Missoula Art Museum will open in Fall 2012.

Willem Volkersz is a full-time artist in Bozeman, MT. He received an MFA from Mills College in 1967. His work has been featured in over 40 solo exhibitions and in over 200 group exhibitions nationally and internationally. He has received a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award and two awards from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in addition to numerous other grants in support of his studio work. Volkersz has been a lifelong art professor and guest lecturer, until his retirement in 2001 from Montana State University where he also served as Director of the School of Art. Ralph Wiegmann is a first generation American-German, born and raised in the mid-west. He studied Graphic Design at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design before earning a BFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. After working for several years in illustration, graphic design, and set building in San Francisco, Weigman moved to Missoula to earn an MFA from The University of Montana. Wiegmann has exhibited his landscape influenced abstract paintings extensively at art spaces throughout the west. He currently lives and works in Bozeman, MT.

R. David Wilson was born and raised in Montana. He earned a BA in Spanish and a Masters in History and Literature of the Mexican Revolution. Wilson is mostly a self-taught painter but has studied with many accomplished artists in Mexico and the United States. The texture, high pitched colors, and a tendency toward the dramatic in his work is a reflection of time spent in Latin America. Wilson’s work is in a number of private collections in the US and Mexico, and can be seen at the Dana Gallery in Missoula and Art Fusion in Bigfork. He maintains his studio practice in Missoula, MT.

Sukha Worob lives and works in Bozeman, MT as a printmaker, photographer, and installation artist. Worob obtained his BFA in printmaking from Northern Arizona University and MFA from Montana State University. His work is in collections in New Zealand, Argentina, and New York as part of an invitational portfolio put together through the University of Colorado at Boulder. Worob has exhibited extensively including recent exhibitions at MSU’s Exit Gallery, and Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. His work has received awards for Best in Show at the 2011 Southern Graphics Council International Conference, the Dorothy and Joseph Moller Arts Scholarship and a Whiteman Family Endowment for the Arts.

Thanks

MAM would like to thank the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Pat & Jeff Aresty, and Montana Cultural Trust for their support of Montana Triennial: 2012. Published by the Missoula Art Museum 335 N. Pattee, Missoula, MT 59802 missoulaartmuseum.org // 406.728.0477 The Missoula Art Museum is an accredited member of the American Association of Museums. Cover Image: Larry Blackwood, Agave Glow, 2011, pigment ink photograph, 22 x 28". Book Design: Yogesh Simpson

100

Missoula Art Museum Mission

MAM serves the public by engaging audiences and artists in the exploration of contemporary art relevant to the community, state and region.

2012 Missoula Art Museum Board of Directors Liz Dybdal, President Betsy Bach, Vice President Leslie Ann Jensen, Treasurer Pat Aresty Mae Nan Ellingson Dustin Hoon John Paoli Brian Sippy Sharon Snavely

MAM Staff: Laura Millin, Executive Director Pam Adams, Operations Manager John Calsbeek, Assistant Curator & Preparator Stephen Glueckert, Exhibitions Curator Kay Grissom-Kiely, Development Director Linden How, Visitor Services Director Ted Hughes, Registrar Katie Stanton, Marketing & Communications Director RenĂŠe Taaffe, Education Curator Erin West, Visitor Services Coordinator

101

Free Expression. Free Admission. missoulaartmuseum.org // 406.728.0447

ISBN 978-0-9746137-3-4 bar code goes here

$10