Hockaday’s Plein Air Glacier event set for September

The Hockaday Museum of Arts 15th annual Plein Air Glacier: Paint Out, Exhibition and Sale takes place in September with selected established painters from Montana and around the country painting in Glacier National Park and nearby Swan and Flathead Valleys. This year, 36 artists were selected by a panel of five jurors to participate in both the outdoor paint out, fundraiser sale, and exhibition.

To ensure Going-to the Sun Road will be open and expand the artists’ color palette, this year’s Plein Air Glacier, typically held in June, will be in the fall. The selected artists will travel to Northwest Montana to paint outdoors in the fresh air (“en plein air”) Sept. 6 to 14.

Plein Air Glacier 2022 participating juried artists are Rob Akey, Vernon Anderson, Karrie Baldwin, Richie Carter, Johanne Descoteaux, Therese Ely, Rebecca Fiske, Griffin Foster, Linda Franson, Laura Gable, Anne Garney, Bonnie Griffith, Gail Hansen, Leslie Ann Hauer, Aaron Johnson, Rocky Kerr, Natalie Luehr-Fisher, Jerry Lyles, Carol Maddux, Donna McGee, Lorie Merfeld-Batson, David Mihalic, Wanda Mumm, Sheri Nagy, Mark Ogle, Susan Oursland, Lilli-Anne Price,Charlotte Quist, Ed Robinson, Robert Spannring, Janet Sullivan, Matijin Caspar Swart, Lindsay Ternes, Melanie Thompson, Dixie Turner, Ron Ukrainetz, and Kenneth Yarus.

The exhibit will kick off with a limited opening event fundraiser Sept. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the museum with food, drinks, live music and the plein air paintings sale of more than 80 all new paintings created during the event.

Visit www.hockadaymuseum.com/plein-air-glacier beginning Sept. 1 for a list of paint out locations to visit.

The museum has also collaborated with Glacier National Park Conservancy and the Park to offer programming coinciding with Plein Air Glacier including:

• Sept. 7, and Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Free Glacier National Park hikes with Glacier Conservancy. Participants will hike in to see Plein Air Glacier artists Richie Carter and Therese Ely painting on location. Hikes are easy to moderate 3.5 miles: West side with Therese Ely Sept. 7; East side with Richie Carter Sept. 12. Free to participate, but space is limited. Email education@hockadaymuseum.com to register.

• Sept. 8, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 9: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Plein Air Primer Workshop with artist Bonnie Griffith; $200 for two-day session. Hockaday members receive a 10% discount. Email education@hockadaymuseum.com to register.

• Sept 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Teen Workshop (12-18 years.) Introduction to Plein Air Painting, Glacier National Park, Montana House, Apgar Village; $75. Scholarships available for students with financial need. Contact education@hockadaymuseum.com to register.

• Sept. 17, 5 to 8 p.m.: Plein Air Glacier Fundraiser Exhibition Opening and Sale; Members $5, $10 for non-members, at the door.

• Sept. 17-Oct. 15: Sale Exhibition of works created during Plein Air Glacier on view to the public in the Crown of the Continent Gallery.

Plein Air Glacier has become a favorite of art lovers seeking original works of Montana landscapes and scenery. These all-new paintings created on location during this event by the selected artists range in size and medium from watercolor to oils. For the online auction, which starts after the in-person sale, works are offered at a minimum bid or a “buy it now” price through Oct. 15. Proceeds from this fundraiser event benefit the museum’s educational programs and exhibitions and the museum’s mission to enrich the cultural life of the Flathead community and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park, as well as help support artists.

Plein Air Glacier attracts top artistic talent from across the country. Painting outdoors is a centuries-old tradition for adventurous souls who brave encounters with Montana’s rugged natural landscapes, wildlife, and unpredictable changing weather conditions in exchange for the opportunity and challenge to paint from real life.