The Cascade County Historical Society welcomes the author of a new book, Montana Modernists: Shifting Perspectives on Western Art, Dr. Michele Corriel, who will give a presentation on twentieth-century postwar Montana art. Examining the emergence of an avant-garde movement in the state, Dr. Corriel profiles the pioneers of this movement: Jessie Wilber, Frances Senska, Bill Stockton, Isabelle Johnson, Robert DeWeese, and Gennie DeWeese. Together, these artists implemented an aesthetic philosophy and a modern understanding of form, color, and abstraction that expanded the way Western art in Montana is defined. Corriel explores these first-generation modernists through the themes of Place, Artistic Lineage, and Community—all crucial elements in their lives and work. As the nascent movement grew and took hold across the state, it not only affected the making of art, but offered Montanans new ways of viewing themselves, society, and nature, and a way of seeing that had lasting effects on the struggle for a broader, more authentic Montana narrative. Books are available at the Museum Gift Shop, giftshop@greatfallshistorymuseum.org 

Read the Billings Gazette article about the Montana Modernist exhibit at the Yellowstone Art Gallery.