'Bigfork: A Montana Story' featured in exhibition, film
Photograph of three local Bigfork kids who were called “Elrod’s Frogcatchers” because they would collect frogs for Dr. Morton J. Elrod’s research at the Flathead Lake Biological Station when it was still located in Bigfork. Photographer Dr. Morton J. Elrod Date circa 1905-10.
Photograph of a Shay engine on a barge at the dock for the logging camp located at the head of Swan Lake, Montana. The engine was transported from Somers, Montana, across Flathead Lake on the Ballard barge. From Bigfork, it was moved on portable rails along the south side of Swan River to the foot of Swan Lake. The engine was used to pull logs from logging sites, down to Swan Lake. Date 1915Photographer UnknownAttribution: Collection of Denny Kellogg
Looking south on Electric Avenue in Bigfork during Fourth of July parade festivities in 1924. (Central School Museum Archives)
Photograph of Frank Weed and other family members with a big catch of trout, most likely beside the Weeds “Fisherman’s Home Restaurant” in Bigfork. Date circa late 1920s Attribution: Bigfork Art & Cultural Center
In conjunction with the release of the film “Bigfork, A Montana Story,” the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center will be hosting an exhibition called “The Bigfork Documentary Project Exhibition: Bigfork, A Montana Story.”
The exhibition will feature historic photos never exhibited before, stills from the documentary film, artifacts, and memorabilia, stories from area residents and interactive features. The Bigfork community is encouraged to share additional stories and family treasures from the past.
“If you have old photographs and mementos that you would like to be a part of the Bigfork History Digital Archive or loan for the exhibition, please contact me at BACC,” said Bigfork Art and Cultural Center Director Valerie Vadala Homer.
The exhibition will be on view from Oct. 27 through Nov. 17 at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center. The opening reception for the exhibition will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. A book signing and closing reception will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center.
THE PREMIERE of the original documentary film, “Bigfork, A Montana Story” will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts.
The film is a collaboration between Ed Gillenwater, local film writer and producer, Tabby Ivy, Bigfork artist, and Denny Kellogg, Bigfork area resident, collector and archivist. Their last effort resulted in 2015’s “A Timeless Legacy, Women Artists of Glacier National Park,” the exhibition, documentary film and book for the Hockaday Museum of Art. “A Timeless Legacy” recently aired on MontanaPBS.
“Bigfork, A Montana Story,” is the story of the small village on the shores of Flathead Lake and its journey to become one of the best of the last best places in Montana. The film presents the geological beginning of the area, the First People who inhabited the land, and the traders, trappers, early pioneers and entrepreneurs who came from across the continent, traveling long distances over difficult terrain to build the town and to make Bigfork their home.
“In the late 19th century the Bigfork/Swan Lake area became a destination for adventurous folks who were fleeing ‘civilization’ or looking for a fresh start,“ Kellogg said. “What it didn’t offer in riches, it did provide in plenty: community, independence, opportunity, and recreation, all in a spectacular natural setting unmatched elsewhere in the lower 48 states.”
The documentary takes viewers through the early days of Bigfork, with interviews of longtime Bigfork residents telling family histories and stories. Extensive research unearthed photos and documents unseen for decades.
“This project was not intended to be a definitive history of the town of Bigfork, but rather to tell a narrative of place,” Ivy said. “These are but a few of the many Bigfork stories to be told. And, while these events happened here, they share a common theme of adventure, courage, and grit shown by all who came West to build a new life and chose to make Montana home.”
MORE THAN two years of research, filming, recorded interviews and data collection has resulted in an immense treasure trove of historical data. The project took almost 3,000 hours of volunteer time, resulting in 55 on-camera interviews, 3,000 video clips and more than of 700 photos and images collected for the project.
To preserve and build on this material, a Bigfork History Digital Archive is being established and will reside at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center.
“We have had the privilege of gathering many personal stories and images about this beautiful area and its people,” Gillenwater said. “Only a few of these pieces of history can fit within the documentary film and book. However, everything will become part of an interactive digital archive at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, where the community can experience and add their own family stories to this history.”
A DVD of “Bigfork, A Montana Story” and a companion book will be available for sale at the November film premiere and at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center. All proceeds from the project will benefit the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center.
“BACC is thrilled to be the beneficiary of this incredible project,” Homer said. “History is so fragile and often lost. This project ensures we will capture Bigfork’s history and the stories of those who live here now and those before us. The is a great cultural legacy for our community. Thanks to this wonderful artist team and all the of the community who have contributed.”
VIP and advance general admission tickets for the Nov. 3 film premiere are on sale now. VIP packages available at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center are $100 and include a copy of the DVD and book, private reception prior to the film screening and preferred theater seating. Advance general admission tickets are $10 and available at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, Jug Tree Liquor Store and Electric Avenue Gifts in Bigfork. Advanced purchase of tickets is recommended as seating is limited. General admission tickets will be available for purchase for $15 at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts box office the night of the premiere if seating is available.
THE BIGFORK Art and Cultural Center is located at 525 Electric Ave., Bigfork. For more information, call 406-837-6927 or visit http://bigforkculture.org.
The Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts is located at 526 Electric Ave., Bigfork. For more information, call 406-837-4885 or visit http://www.bigforkcenter.org.