Three chosen for Bob Marshall Wilderness summer art program

The Flathead National Forest, Hockaday Museum of Art, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and Swan Valley Connections has selected three Montana artists to participate in the 2017 Artist-Wilderness-Connection program.

The Artist-Wilderness-Connection Program offers an opportunity to share and help protect the legacy of clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and unequaled settings for recreation, reflection and solitude offered by wilderness areas.

This summer, calligrapher and oil painter Gini Ogle from Kalispell, pastel painter Francesca Droll from Bigfork and writer/poet Morgan Gemay Marks from Helena will spend time in a remote forest cabin in the Great Bear Wilderness on Flathead National Forest. The remote setting offers artists an opportunity to focus on their art, and after completing their residency each artist selects a format to share their talents and residency experience with the local community.

Ogle and Droll are doing their residency together and creating a future community presentation titled “Two Sides of Every Story.” Through their work the two artists want to celebrate the wilderness landscape, raising appreciation for the value of wild lands as seen through an artist’s eyes, especially for those that may not have the opportunity to travel to remote settings.

Through poetry, Marks hopes to connect people to wild places, encouraging their exploration and appreciation.

Painter Wanda Mumm is currently showcasing her 2016 residency experience at the Hockaday Museum of Art through her “Wild Impressions” exhibit, on display now through June 24. Photographer Marilyn Feather, another 2016 AWC artist, speaks about her residency experience May 30 at the museum.

Art pieces created from past residency experiences are on display at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station.

For more information about the Artist-Wilderness-Connection Program and how to apply, visit www.hockadaymuseum.org.