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Guest authors Nicole Evans and Sara Johnson take you inside the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) for a peek into the amazing exhibits on display. The Square always has a fantastic rotation of exhibitions featuring artists from Montana and beyond, and this summer is no exception. Whether you are looking for a fun and free activity to close out summer, or you never miss an exhibit, we encourage you to explore the “summer blockbusters” on through mid-September. Check out five must-see exhibits!
No. 1: “Collecting Montana: Gifts from the Rick Newby & Liz Gans Collection”
On through Sept. 18
Rick Newby and Liz Gans gifted The Square pieces for the permanent collection. Newby and Gans are leaders in the Montana arts and humanities community and have contributed significantly to the history of Montana art, culture, and literature. This outstanding gift to The Square consists of paintings, drawings, and an extensive collection of ceramic works by celebrated Montana artists and significant figures of the world ceramics community.
No. 2: “Kelly Bourgeois: Nature Quills”
On through Sept. 14
Explore the imaginative world of quilled paper art through a presentation of works created by artist Kelly Bourgeois. Her exhibition “Nature Quills” features work created between 2022 and 2024. Bourgeois spent more than a year creating each piece in the exhibition. She created each individual quill, which started as one 3mm piece of paper and her completed pieces are made up of thousands of individual quills.
The purpose of the exhibition is to inspire creativity, furthering the understanding of art for all people and by all people. It reflects joy in making, by hand, objects of beauty that are inspired by traditional cultures of past and present, by historical and contemporary art, and by mathematics and design.
Kelly Bourgeois will give an Artist Talk at the museum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5.
No. 3: "Nancy Erickson: She came down off of the mountain … and there she was”
On through Sept. 18
This exhibition of seven works of art from the museum’s permanent collection honors Nancy Erickson’s (1935-2022) work as a world-renowned artist most celebrated for her larger-than-life quilt paintings featuring animals often intertwined with humans. Six of the seven works of art were gifted to the museum by Nancy and Ron Erickson in 2022.
You can also watch a short film in the gallery featuring Nanccy speaking about her life and work in her own words. It is with this exhibit that The Square continues to celebrate the Ericksons and honor their work in art, environmentalism, and animal and human rights.
Catch Brandon Reintjes, of the Missoula Art Museum, from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, as he gives a guest curatorial lecture discussing Nancy's artistic process and artwork.
No. 4: “Untitled: Works by Geoffrey Stocking”
On through Sept. 18
This installation consists of acrylic paintings and works on paper in varying sizes and presents the viewer with an immersive opportunity to participate in a visual conversation with form, shape, fields of color, and veils of layered translucent paint.
The goal for Stocking is to present non-objective works of art that are the product of color research and experimentation, a process that is an extension of his earlier work, resulting in paintings that defy perception and challenge a viewer’s understanding of color.
This exhibition also features a color exploration station, perfect for curious visitors of all ages. Use translucent color pieces, swatches, and a kid-friendly reference book to help you "mix" colors and discover what different combinations create. We love the inclusion of kid-tailored learning opportunities in this exhibition!
All four of these exhibitions are curated by Nicole Maria Evans, curator of exhibitions & collections for The Square.
No. 5: Have you met the Tree People? Lee Steen: A Montana Original
One of the galleries at The Square displays the largest collection of Tree People sculptures by an artist named Lee Steen. Steen was an “outsider artist” who lived most of his life in Roundup, Montana. In the mid-19th century, Steen spent hours searching the banks of the Musselshell River for cottonwood branches that he turned into human-like figures with bottle cap eyes, coffee can hats, and other features and accessories made of found materials. In 1976, The Square welcomed Steen’s collection of Tree People and permanently installed them in their current gallery home in 1993.
The Tree People are a must-see when you visit The Square, and they’ll be there to welcome you back each time you visit!
BONUS: Don’t Miss the Sculpture Garden & Grounds
Take a moment to pause in Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art’s Sculpture Garden which features nine (and counting!) sculptures by artists with ties to Montana. The flower beds are maintained by hardworking volunteers every year, and include some arty surprises hidden among the daisies.
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