A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park

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A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park

May 28 - July 18, 2015

The Hockaday Museum of Artis presenting A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park, an exhibition that recognizes the early bold, spirited women who overcame the challenges of society, weather and geography to paint in Glacier National Park. The works of contemporary women artists continuing this legacy are being displayed alongside paintings of their predecessors, demonstrating the timeless tradition of painting the Park. A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park will be on display May 28 through July 18, 2015. (right: Linda Tippetts, Iceberg Lake, 30 x 40 inches. Collection of the artist. Photograph by the artist.)

While there are many male artists who gained notoriety and made their livelihood off commissions and the sale of their paintings of the Park, the women who came have largely remained unrecognized. The purpose of A Timeless Legacy is to honor the women artists of Glacier National Park. The show features the work of Nellie Knopf, Leah Dewey Lebo, Kathryn Leighton, Elizabeth Lochrie, Lucille Van Slyck, Elsa Jemne and Merle Olson, as well as the four women artists working today: Carole Cooke, Kathryn Stats, Linda Tippetts and Rachel Warner. The exhibit will feature works on loan from collections located all over the United States.

Thursday, May 28, was a historic day at the Hockaday. The landmark exhibit began at 10:00 AM with a tour at 10:30 AM; the limited edition book and documentary film DVD is available for purchase in the gift shop. At 4:00 PM, there was an open and informative conversation with the four contemporary artists, Rachel Warner, Linda Tippetts, Kathryn Stats and Carole Cooke, introduced by historian, Denny Kellogg. Admission to the talk was free for Hockaday members and a feefor non-members. The opening reception was held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with free admission for everyone.

Throughout the exhibit, visitors may learn more about the exhibition by taking one of the docent-guided tours held Thursdays at 10:30 AM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM (included with guest admission).

Wall text from the exhibition

The Hockaday Museum of Art exhibition, A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park, and its related documentary film and book, honor all the women who came, and continue to come, to paint in one of the most ruggedly beautiful and culturally rich locations in Montana. While it is beyond the scope of A Timeless Legacy to include every woman artist who has painted in Glacier National Park, the body of work shown, as well as the stories told of these kindred spirits, provide recognition and respect for the accomplishments of all women who find inspiration in this beautiful landscape.

While many male artists were rewarded with fame and financial success for their work in Glacier National Park, the women artists and their contributions are relatively unknown to the general public, even Glacier National Park aficionados. Through A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park, we get to know these early, bold women and the efforts they took to paint the grandeur of this place. The exhibit shines new light on paintings obscured by time, bringing long overdue acknowledgement to these women and their important role in expanding the artistic legacy of Glacier National Park.

A Timeless Legacy features the work of Nellie Knopf, Leah Dewey Lebo, Kathryn Leighton, Elizabeth Lochrie, Lucille Van Slyck, Elsa Jemne and Merle Olson, as well as four women artists working today: Carole Cooke, Kathryn Stats, Linda Tippetts and Rachel Warner. The exhibit features works on loan from collections located all over the United States.

By showing these early paintings together with the work of four contemporary women artists, the exhibition provides evidence that the tradition of women artists in Glacier National Park has continuity and has retained its vitality for almost one hundred years. It is the saga of strong women coming to commune with and observe nature -- then paint it from their hearts.

A Timeless Legacy - Women Artists of Glacier National Park will be on display May 28 through July 18, 2015 at the Hockaday Museum of Art. The Hockaday is located in the cultural district of downtown Kalispell at 302 Second Ave East. It is housed in a 1904 Carnegie Library building that appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A wheelchair accessible entry and elevator are provided. Throughout the exhibit, visitors may learn more about the exhibition by taking one of the docent-guided tours held Thursdays at 10:30 AM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM (the tour price is included with guest admission).

An accompanying limited edition book and documentary film DVD will be available for purchase in the Museum. For more information, please visit the museum's website or call 406-755-5268.

(above: Carole Cooke, Alpine Reverie, 40 x 48 inches. Private collection. Photograph by Carole Cooke.)

(above: Kathryn Stats, Morning on the River, 18 x 24 inches. Collection of the artist. Photograph by the artist.)

(above: Elsa Jemne, Mrs. Star, 1926, hand carved wooden frame by artist, oil on canvas, 31.5 x 39.5 inches. Elsa Jemne Collection, Gift of the Artist, Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT.)

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