The Montana Heart Project heals; Its message is love

Artist and art educator Jennifer Thompson’s second installation in her Montana Heart Project series is now on exhibit at the Gateway Community Center in Kalispell.

Towering two stories high, the imposing “Aspects of the Broken Heart” piece is constructed entirely of recycled material — as are all of Thompson’s art installations — this one of cardboard and plywood she collected.

The idea for the piece took shape, born out of Thompson’s daily meditations, as an outward expression of her grief and heartache last year.

“I received the image while meditating,” Thompson said. “For a fraction of a second I touched on the grief of all humanity.”

Thompson has dedicated “Aspects of the Broken Heart” to “immigrants, refugees, the displaced here in Kalispell — all who have experienced a broken heart. I felt what it must be like. With this piece I’m saying ‘I’m joining with you. This is my way of being with you.’”

Thompson holds a master’s degree in expressive therapies. Her vocation is helping people through the use of art. She has been doing her own art for the past 25 years, moving into installation art in 2003 while an artist-in-residence at Cape Cod National Seashore and influenced by well-known installation artist Roy Staab whose work is characterized by his use of local materials within the ephemeral environment.. She is currently the artist-in-residence for grades K through 2 at Russell School in Kalispell and teaches expressive art at Discovery Developmental Center (the best jobs in the world, she asserts).

At first glance the large piece might appear as a cyclone. Twisting pieces of broken heart shapes seem to whirl as they climb skyward. And that is how Thompson felt when she first sketched the image. The form became what she was experiencing in her grieving process.

The top third is wrapped loosely in barbed wire.

“The barbed wire became a basket, like a water basket,” she said. The form evolved to express what she was experiencing.

“I came to feel that my grief was being held by a greater power — by a universe that holds us all dearly. I felt the grace of being held.”

“Aspects of the Broken Heart” was constructed over five days on site using scaffolding with the help of Chip Clawson, a ceramic installation artist from Helena; and Bryce Bennett, a carpenter and photographer from Bigfork.

Founded a year ago by Thompson, the Montana Heart Project is open to artists, activists and, as Thompson says, anyone who has the same love for community and for the world.

The first piece in Thompson’s Montana Heart Project, “We Are a Community of Love,” initially displayed at ImagineIF Library in Kalispell, is now at the Gateway Community Center, and will become a traveling exhibit. She is currently working on the third installation in the series. Titled “The Heart Intact,” it will also be displayed this year alongside the others.

Thompson says constructing “Aspects of the Broken Heart” has helped her to move on.

“That large piece of grief is out of me,” she said. “Now I’m more free.”

“My inspiration now comes from people walking by it at the center talking about their own art as well as mine. It’s for other people now — a community piece. This is for you.”

A year from now Thompson hopes to take “Aspects of the Broken Heart” apart and have a giveaway of its pieces. The installation is built using both halves of each heart so people will be able to pair them and go home with a whole heart.

And, ultimately, everyone will leave with a heart that has come full circle.