Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 5.13.15

38 | MAY 13, 2015 & FLATHEADBEACON.COM ARTS
ENTERTAINMENT
The Legacy of Glacier’s Women Artists ockaday’s ‘Timeless Legacy’ exhibit to open on May 28 | By MOLLY PRIDDY
HThe Hockaday Museum of Art’s mission statement is “To en- rich the cultural life of our community and region, and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park.”
Already, the museum has a perma- nent display showcasing and honoring a nice collection of the art inspired by Glacier, and frequently adds new facets to its dedication to its mission.
And now, with the Hockaday’s up- coming exhibit, “A Timeless Legacy – Women Artists of Glacier National Park,” the museum will be able to tell a more complete story about the artistic legacy of the Crown of the Continent. The exhibit opens May 28, with a free opening reception for the public from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“A Timeless Legacy” explores and highlights the contributions of women artists who visited and created their art in Glacier in the early decades of the 1900s. The artists’ work is juxtaposed with that of contemporary artists Carole Cooke, Linda Tippetts, Rachel Warner, and Kathryn Stats.
Early 20th century work includes pieces from Nellie Knopf, Leah Dewey Lebo, Kathryn Leighton, Elizabeth Lo- chrie, Lucille Van Slyck, Elsa Jemne and Merle Olson.
The exhibit also includes a limited- edition book and a documentary DVD
The idea for the exhibit was born during a cocktail party in 2013. Tabby Ivy, a Bigfork-based artist who has been involved with the Hockaday’s board and helped curate this exhibit, was chatting with her neighbor’s sister, who discussed collecting Knopf’s work for more than 30 years.
“Swiftcurrent Side of the Garden Wall,” by Linda Tippetts. cOURTESY OF OF THE HOCKADAY MUSEUM OF ART
Knopf came out to Montana in the 1920s to paint Glacier’s scenery.
“I said, ‘Oh my gosh, she must have been some kind of woman to come out here in the ‘20s!’” Ivy said.
As an artist herself, Ivy said she was inspired to think about an exhibit for Knopf’s work at the Hockaday, and then thought about Warner’s current work as well. Perhaps a two-woman show could
work, she thought, but when she men- tioned it to Denny Kellogg, vice presi- dent of the Hockaday’s board, he sug- gested adding more artists to such a project.
“He suggested we bring in Linda Tip- pets, and it grew from there,” Ivy said.
The exhibit seeks to put the limelight on the women artists who came to the park even when such activities were gen-
erally considered men’s vocations. Most of the men who came to Glacier to paint were financially supported in some way for their endeavors, but the women were on their own.
Still, they braved the challenge, called by the siren song of Glacier’s peaks and valleys, its inimitable light and personality, and the desire to trans- late such experiences to the canvas.
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