Alpine Artisans is an organization whose members are actively involved in the arts and their communities. Look here for the latest news and special announcements!
Richard Scott Morgan, whose painting of the Clearwater River, "Clearwater Winter", won Best of Show at the 13th Annual Alpine Artisans' Wine & Chocolate Social & Art Auction; will have an exhibition of oil paintings featuring Montana Landscapes for the months of July and August at Seeley-Swan Medical Center, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Richard was also chosen to exhibit at the Treasure State Invitational Art Show in Hamilton, July 18, 19, & 20th. The art is also viewable online at www.richardscottmorgan.com. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to The Legendary Lodge, Living Water Catholic Church and Ravalli County Museum Endowment Fund.
Morgan, who spent over 15 years as an artist in the feature film/entertainment industry now resides in the Seeley-Swan Valley where he enjoys creating fine art inspired from God's Country. Contact the artist to schedule a private tour of his own gallery called,Aspen Sienna Art Studio at 677-0025.
Dance-of-the-Swan
Mystic Evening
Richard Scott Morgan
Valley of Color Study
The Swan Ecosystem Center and Alpine Artisans invite artists to submit work for inclusion in a juried fine art auction be held September 28th at the Missoula Children’s Theater Center for the Performing Arts.
This “Celebration of the Crown of the Continent” is a fundraiser to support Swan Ecosystem Center’s stewardship of the Swan Range and Mission Mountain Wilderness and Alpine Artisans' Cultural Arts Corridor Initiative. Works of all media inspired by the power of the Crown of the Continent is welcomed. The Crown of the Continent Ecosystem encompasses Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, the wildlands of Southeast British Columbia, Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall and Mission Mountains Wilderness and the communities surrounding these natural areas.For further information download the Call for Art letter and Artist Application below or call 406-754-3137 or 406-793-5706.DEADLINE:August 1, 2008.
Sharon's painting, “ Mountaineer Peak” has been chosen for a special exhibit at the Bigfork Museum of Art and History. Alpine Splendor: Montana’s Rocky Mountains Show, will be on display from July 11 - August 16th at this venue in downtown Bigfork.
"Mountaineer Peak" also graces the cover of the book Swan Valley Place Names, written by Sharon's husband Steve (see below).
Mountaineer Peak
Steve Lamar has recently published a book on the place name history of Swan Valley
This comprehensive guide to place names in the Swan River Valley of Western Montana covers more than 500 geologic and historic features including lakes, streams, and mountain peaks in the Mission Mountains Wilderness, the Swan Valley and the spectacular Swan Front.
Inside Swan Valley Place Names you will discover the mapmakers, mountain men, foresters, and early settlers who christened idyllic landmarks such as “Angels Bathing Pool” and “Daughter of the Sun Mountain” during the past one hundred and fifty years. The text and images weave a colorful mosaic of early survey maps, field notes, letters, oral histories and photographs.The reader will gain a broader understanding of this valley’s landscape and culture.
So whether you are a hiker or a historian, this book belongs in your collection and will be referred to time and again as a source of carefully researched information prepared with heartfelt respect for this land and its people.
For additional information, click on the link to email Steve Lamar.
Follow up on May 25th Open Book Club Event
Renowned author Bill Kittredge read from his book, The Next Rodeo, at an Open Book Club meeting Sunday May 25th.The gathering was organized by Alpine Artisans and the Grizzly Claw Trading Company and was attended by more than 40 people from the Seeley Lake community.It was a fine wrap-up of the annual Loon and Fish Festival and guests were delighted by Kittredge’s warm humor and friendly manner during the reading of an essay about his youth living the ranching life in southeastern Oregon. Bill Kittredge taught writing for many years at the University of Montana. He is a prolific author who has written in many genres.With partner Annick Smith he edited the indispensable The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.The Next Rodeo is a collection of his essays written over the past 30 years.Many consider Bill Kittredge the Dean of Western Writers. His insightful reflections on the changing nature of life in the American West and his much-loved fiction have earned him a number of prestigious awards. Among the honors bestowed upon him are a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford, two writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and two Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Awards for Excellence. He was winner of the Montana Governor's Award for the Arts, co-winner of the Montana Committee for the Humanities Award for Humanist of the Year, and winner of the PEN West Award for non-fiction book of the year. Annick Smith, also a respected author, accompanied Kittredge for the evening presentation.Both participated in a lively discussion, which followed the reading and willingly fielded questions about the process of writing, the writer’s life and the text at hand.
Among the charming features of the Open Book Club are that everyone is welcome, it is free to all, the refreshments are delicious and all of the authors who have visited thus far have enjoyed themselves as much as their guests have enjoyed meeting them!Alpine Artisans will continue to partner with the Grizzly Claw Trading Company to bring writers to Seeley Lake.So be sure to watch for information about the next Open Book Club event.
Russ Abolt, Bob Korn, Jennifer Dyer, Jerry and Martha Swanson, and Ken Dvorak were recently interviewed by the Missoulian. Click on title below to link to the online article.
Seeley Lake - To get to Russ Abolt's Third Life Studio, just take a drive north from Seeley Lake through the dense woodlands along Highway 83, until you get to Falls Creek Road. Turn right onto the dirt road, then wind through the eve-more-dense conifer forest for about a mile and a half. As you ponder the fact that you haven't seen any sign of demestic dwellings for miles, hopefully you won't miss your next turn, at Forest Service Road 9550. Turst the numbers and follow the road, ever deeper into the foothills of the Swan Mountains...
Ken Dvorak photography featured on Seeley Lake Lions Club 2008 phone book
Be sure to admire Ken's beautiful photograph on the cover of the new Seeley Lake Lions Club phone book. Ken is an Alpine Artisans member involved in the Cultural Arts Council and has been steering the Tour of the Arts Working Group. His fine art photography studio is One Hand Clapping Studio. If you' d like to view more of his work, contact him at 677-2783 or visit www.kendvorakphotography.com.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the Seeley Lake Lions Club phone book, contact The Seeley Lake Lions Club, PO Box 215, Seeley Lake, MT 59868.
Click on image to link to website
Tour of the Arts featured on National Geographic's Crown of the Continent website!
This unique, interactive map of the Crown of the Continent region was created by National Geographic maps, with input from residents of Montana, Alberta and British Columbia, to promote eco-tourism and preserve world heritage sites. It highlights what residents and visitors are doing - and can do - to sustain regional character. A hard copy of the map is also available for order on the website.
Colleen and Stan Nicholson, were featured in the popular "Art at Home" section of the Missoulian's Entertainer.
The article tells the story of their world travels and the art which they collected along the way. Stan and Colleen received the 2007 AAI Arts Benefactor Award and they have made wonderful contributions to the organization during their years of membership, one highlight of which has been their involvement in our scholarship program.
To access the article, click on the link below. Globetrotters secure a world of art: Couple finds beauty in every corner of the planet By JOE NICKELL for the Missoulian, September 6, 2007. Photos by MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian. "But coming home hardly ended the couple's art-collecting adventures; in fact, it only amplified their sense of connection to place through artwork. They became active supporters of a group of artists in the Seeley/Swan Valley called Alpine Artisans; just this year they were recognized with an Arts Benefactor Award from the group. The Nicholsons count works by locals such as Ruth and Bob Korn, Marian Burmeister, Patti Grant Robinson, and others among their collection.
"There is some very lovely art being made right here in the valley," says Colleen. "It's great that we can get to know the artists and support what they're doing."...
