Hockaday celebrates 50 years with 50 works

The Hockaday Museum of Art next week will debut “50 Works for 50 Years: The Hockaday Collection,” an exhibition celebrating a legacy of artistic excellence in the community.

The Hockaday has developed a remarkable collection over the last 50 years, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, Native American artifacts and archival documents, the museum said in a press release. Works from internationally renowned and locally loved artists will be shown in this exhibits that honors the community and the mission of the Hockaday – to enrich the cultural life of our community and region, and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park.

Works are chosen by Hockaday staff, volunteers and some other special contributors, including two of the Hockaday Museum of Art’s founding members, Janet Bierrum and Corinne Lundgren. Other community members who were involved with selecting the items for the historic exhibit are local artists such as Karen Leigh, who wanted to include non-representational work, and community members like Jacob Thomas from The Museum at Central School, who wanted to have representation of historic documents and objects.

“It has been a delight to look through our collections with folks who have been associated with the Hockaday Museum and leaders in our community,” said Pat Roath, curator of collections and exhibits at the Hockaday. “Their selections are a great sampling of the remarkable permanent collection of art over the past 50 years.”

The Hockaday Museum of Art is located in the cultural district of downtown Kalispell at 302 Second Ave. E. It is housed in a 1904 Carnegie Library building that appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is a private nonprofit organization open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday.