Page 56 - Flathead Living // Spring 2015

Glacier National Park has a rich history of art and artists, from sponsored artists work- ing for the Great Northern Railway to the current artist-in-residence program.
Before it became a national park in 1910, the region drew people to its craggy peaks and pristine shores; archeological evidence suggests Native Americans were in the area 10,000 years ago.
At the Hockaday Museum of Art, pre- serving Glacier Park’s artistic legacy is part of its mission. The museum has a permanent display dedicated to Glacier, and it often exhibits pieces spawned by the park’s mag- netic appeal. The other part of the museum’s mission is to enrich the cultural life of the local community and region.
And for the most part, the museum has stayed true to its mission, Liz Moss, executive Cooke. director at the Hockaday, said. But at a recent cocktail party, Moss said she realized there was an entire artistic population that has
ABOVE “The Garden Wall from Swiftcurrent Trail” by Linda Tippetts.
been historically passed over.
A visiting friend began speaking about
Nellie Knopf, an accomplished painter who lived from 1875 to 1962. Knopf’s landscape and still life paintings of the American West are well known – a slightly worn painting of Knopf’s was appraised for $15,000 in 2007 on PBS’ Antiques Road Show – and the vis- iting friend had curated many shows includ- ing Knopf ’s work.
A conversation about women artists and their history with Glacier Park, where Knopf painted, began.
“As we kept the dialogue going and got a couple of the living artists involved, we came up with the idea for an exhibit,” Moss said. “The names we were batting around all had national recognition, and we realized we
“Tranquil Twilight, Two Medicine” by Carole
54 FLATHEAD LIVING | SPRING 2015