Hockaday hosts children's exhibition

The Hockaday Museum of Art will have an opening reception for its Children’s Art Exhibition: So Many Patterns from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on view from through Feb. 29.

Elementary and middle school students from Northwest Montana schools share their artistic expressions in a variety of media, focusing on the theme of patterns as decoration, a composition technique, or as an entire artwork.

Patterns exist in nature as well as in design objects. The young artists use pattern in the creation of artwork in many ways — the repetitive use of color, lines and shapes. Patterns can be regular or irregular, organic or geometric, structural or decorative, positive or negative, and repeating or random. This exhibit showcases how young artists use patterns as decoration, as a compositional technique, or as an entire piece of artwork.

Artwork was selected in partnership with participating art teachers who made a pre-selection of entries along with Hockaday Education Director Kathy Martin. Criteria for selection included how well they represent the theme along with the quality of work.

The exhibition is open to students in Smith Valley, Fortine, Pleasant Valley, West Glacier, Hot Springs, and other areas in addition to the Flathead Valley. All work is new and must have been created between September 2019 and January 2020.

For more information, call Martin at 755-5268 or email education@hockadaymuseum.org.