Page 45 - Flathead Beacon // 1.15.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
JANUARY 15, 2014 | 45

COMMUNITY BIGFORK

How did
An Enormous Amount of Fun
D.A. Davidson & Co.

grow to be the largest

full-service investment
demeanor. But fact of the matter is that I
firm headquartered By DAVID VALE
in the Northwest?
have an enormous amount of fun at what
“Now, look at it from right here,” he I do. Clearly, I love the sculpture work I
said, holding his hand a couple of feet in do in my studio. But the greatest joy is
front of the piece. The sculpture, The Al- the lexibility and proximity that allows
pha Tree, represents three generations me to spend time with the real love of my Healthy Alternative • Homestyle Cooking
of wolves. “The black one is the alpha life, my wife Tammy.”
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male. His father, behind him, was the “Everything I sculpt is a challenge Fresh Ingredients from Local Farmers
Soups, Sandwiches, Paninis, Wraps, Salads,
alpha male before him. The question and I have to work really hard to create
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remains whether his
son, standing in front,
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will become the alpha
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male.” I looked from
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the prescribed spot
One relationship at a time.
and found myself face
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penetrating eyes of two
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older wolves. The stare
306 Stoner Loop Road, one block west of Sliters Ace Hardware
of the younger lacked
focus. Obviously, he
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had better things to do
than study me. Matu-
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406-752-6212 or 1-800-955-2208
rity would take care of
(Lakeside Town Center)
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that.
Monday Closed
Tues-Thurs 8 am to 7 pm
Whoa! It’s a static
Friday 8 am to 9 pm (Game night with special dinner)
406-862-2101 or 1-888-564-3008
bronze sculpture and
Sat 8 am – 9 pm (Schnitzel night)
14 West Second Street
I’m interpreting the
Sun 8 am – 3 pm
Whiteish, MT 59937
backstory as I look at
8111 HWY 35 BIGFORK
D.A. Davidson & Co. is not a tax advisor. Before investing, it. “That’s the way it is
(Next to Harvest Foods)
you should always consult your tax/legal advisor about the for me when I develop
Bigfork is closed until March 31st.
speciic tax consequences and advantages of your situation.
these pieces,” he tells
“ALL our breads are made in-house from scratch.”
Ken Bjorge: “Art makes the heart happy.”
me. “They start out as
DAVID VALE PHOTO
an idea. I call it a day-
dream. But as I work in the clay, the piece what you see,” he says. “But if it came
evolves in my hands. The story develops. easily, I’d have no interest in it. If you
And it’s not just a matter of me telling have an idea, a daydream, you can com-
the story in the sculpture, it comes to life municate that to someone in words and
and tells the story to me.”
share the idea, the experience. But I ind
I’m in the gallery of Ken Bjorge,
it remarkable that we also have the abil-
speaking with this modest Bigfork ity to take a daydream and communicate
sculptor of considerable note. I came with our ingertips to create an object
prepared to record details of Ken’s life, that embodies the daydream, an object
how he spent a signiicant portion of it through which we can also communi-
as a lawyer, as a professor of law, primar- cate.”
EVENTS
ily representing real estate developers We stroll from the gallery into his
faced with environmental challenges. I studio, where a clay head of Abraham MONTANA’S CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
Un-Decorate Bigfork
came to get details of how, in a moment Lincoln sits on a table. “I’ve always ad-
of irrational abandon, he left the law be- mired and been fascinated by the man,” Saturday, January 25, 8:00AM
hind and moved from Spokane to Big- he continues. “We know the public Lin-
fork, becoming a sculptor in the transi- coln from history, but can you imagine Meet at the Bigfork Inn
tion. How he has nearly 100 life-sized what must have illed his mind when he
and larger-than-life sculptures in place was alone? Thoughts about causes of the AUDITIONS for Cowabunga
around the country. Bronze monuments efects he saw. And thoughts about the
of famous people. Heisman Trophy win- efects he created in pursuit of his cause. January 28 & 29 3:30-5:30PM both days

ners, immortal collegiate coaches, other Sure I study the history, but still the man at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts
people of note.
emerges as I sculpt his face.”
February Sundowner at Whistling Andy
But that’s not where the interview “I’m a practical person,” he acknowl-
went. Ken’s gallery is adorned with a lot edges. “If something doesn’t have utility,
of relatively small bronze sculptures. I have no use for it.” And how does art it hursday, February 14, 5:00PM
You could get the idea that Ken works into that scheme? “Art has the highest Valentine’s Weekend Concert
primarily in miniatures. But then you utility because it makes the heart happy.

learn that, for each of the small bronzes, If you can look at something and it puts Saturday, February 15
there exists a monument-sized counter- a smile on your face or a warmth in your Annual Bigfork Brewfest
part in Texas. Or Florida. Or New York. heart, what more utility does it need?”
Or Bigfork. But that’s not what interests Ken Bjorge’s work is displayed in the
Ken and that’s not where our discussion Bjorge Gallery at 603 Electric Ave., Big- Saturday, February 22
went, either.
fork, online at www.BjorgeSculpture-
“I’m Norwegian,” he says with a Gallery.com, and on college and corpo- For times & details, visit or call: the Chamber:
slight smile, “and Norwegians have a rate campuses across the country.
www.bigfork.org • 837-5888
reputation for being somewhat dour of