Hockaday exhibit showcases the art of the railway

The people, the buildings, the tracks and the trains themselves make a powerful and common visual representation of the railroad.

Artists throughout several decades have been capturing the culture and history of the railroad on canvas, paper and sculpture, among other media. Some of the artwork has focused on the railroad itself, while often the railroad has become a natural part of the landscape of a place making its way into the artwork.

In celebration of the connection between art and the railroad, the Hockaday Museum of Art is presenting “Hear the Whistle Blow! Art of the Railway.” The exhibit opening this fall at the Kalispell museum will feature nostalgic and contemporary works featuring the railway as seen through the artists’ eyes.

Whitefish artists Rob Akey and Jack Dykstra have served as guest curators of the exhibit, which was born out of conversations they’ve had over years about the connection between the railroad and art.

Dykstra is a railroad enthusiast who has detailed knowledge about the railroad’s history throughout the world, but also how artists have depicted the railroad throughout history. Growing up in Whitefish, Akey has a connection to the railroad familiar to many people.

“When you talk about the cultural narrative of the railroad it’s interesting, but as artists for us it’s natural to visit that through art,” Akey said. “The railroad is part of my fabric. I spent three summers as a gandy dancer working on the railroad, and I grew up listening to trains in the rail yard. The railway is part of who we are and it’s also a part of the landscape. The idea of the show is that the railroad has been interpreted through and has had an influence on art.”

The exhibit is set to feature roughly 45 pieces of fine art images along with supporting historic railroad material. The Stumptown Historical Society is one of the sponsors of the exhibit and has agreed to loan railroad items to the museum as part of the exhibit.

The railroad has influenced the development of the Flathead Valley, along with art. That connection may resonate most strongly with the connection of the Great Northern Railway to Glacier National Park and the art that resulted.

The Great Northern Railway regularly contracted artist to paint for promotional purposes. These original paintings of Glacier Park and Native Americans were displayed in depots and major cities across the nation resulting in Glacier as a top destination on passenger trains. Notable pieces include work by Charles M. Ruseell, John Fery, O.C. Seltzer and Winold Reiss.

A large fine-art work by American painter Oleg Stavrowski will be on display as part of the exhibit. Alongside it will be a 1969 wall calendar on loan from the Stumptown Historical Society depicting the same scene.

“This is a great example of commercial artists benefiting fine art,” Akey said. “They were hired as commercial artists, but their work evolved into being considered part of the fine art category, in part, because of the beauty of the work.”

The exhibit also looks at modern artists focusing on the railroad and those who have included the railroad as a part of their broader work.

Historical artwork has been loaned to the museum for the exhibit and artists have created pieces specifically for the show that will be for sale.

Talks and docent tours will take place throughout the exhibition.

For more information, visit www.hockadaymuseum.org or call 755-5268.

Artist J. Craig Thorpe will give an informative and fun artist talk “Companions: Railroads, Art, and the National Landscape,” 11 a.m. to noon, Friday, Sept. 27. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Thorpe is a modern American commercial and landscape artist currently residing in Seattle. Much of his work depicts trains and the rail transport industry in the Western United States and Alaska.