Fourteen artists submitted 20 mural art pieces with a message geared toward raising our political consciousness with the hopes of making our world a better place. The winning piece, titled, “Grow #7”,  was painted on the side of the building at 120 North Main Street, home of Green Door Gallery and Wheatgrass Saloon. 

“There is nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.” ~ Banksy

Parker Beckley’s Grow #7 is the piece that was chosen by a panel of local judges. Of his work, Parker says: “I work with local farms and producers constantly. I believe many of the global problems we face today have at least one root of their solution in food. Something we all do multiple times each day, we truly are what we eat and that impact shouldn’t be taken for granted.  I think it’s incredibly important in this age for artists and growers to work together to inform, inspire and educate those around that even our most simple of daily choices affect systems far beyond our individual selves. The parallels of art and farming range far and wide, but at their core they both require immense amounts of patience and dedication. Technique and skill are necessary but there are also forces we can’t control. At times both farming and art making require at least a bit of blind faith. The way to a successful harvest is the continued work and care, day after day, learning and growing as you go.”

Parker Beckley is a working artist in Missoula, Montana. A graduate of the University of Montana’s Fine Arts program with an emphasis in painting and photography, Parker now finds himself working in a countless array of mediums. From graphic design, animation, sculpture/3D to street art, printmaking, event orientated performances, on and on, his mediums shift to match the desired intent of each body of work.

Parker Beckley on street art:  “I think part of the beauty of street art is in its tendency to be overlooked and ignored by many, and the almost certainty of its impermanence. The walls will be painted over, that brief moment in time disappearing forever. Sometimes the messages are loud and to the point while others capture these quiet moments and thoughts in the most silent corners and alleyways. The process of hand cutting intricate stencils and repeated spraying leads to a fairly quick and natural deterioration of the stencils themselves, in a way guaranteeing their relatively short lifespans. I’ve been creating stencils for over a decade now and still learn new techniques and ideas every time I create.  Street art has this special relationship in that it is tied directly to its environment, the statement and context can change dramatically based on the location they are placed in.
To younger artists I would say that I hate seeing bad street art, especially bad street art placed in seemingly pointless places (garbage tags thrown up on the side of small mom and pop shops, pointless vandalism, etc.) I don’t see the point in breaking the law and risk getting caught unless you really, really have something pertinent to share. It’s often pretty easy to get permission if you’ve put the time in to develop your craft. As with anything.”

Traci Jo Isaly has been pursuing a mixed-media approach to the creation of archetypal figures for 14 years. It is an inexhaustible medium. On September 28th, her show Living in Paradise opened at Green Door Gallery for the fourth art walk of the season. Our area is rich in culture, characters and wild creatures of both the human and non-human sort. Mixing it up, she has created a collection of archetypal figures that reflect where she lives, dreams and works to to make the world a better place.

#MeToo: A Visual Dialogue, with works by six artists: Jane Deschner, Angie Froke, John Garre, Traci Isaly, Tandy Riddle and Cathryn Reitler. Over a decade ago, Tarana Burke created the “Me Too” movement to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. The movement was popularized by actress Alyssa Milano in the fall of 2017 when she encouraged women to tweet it to “give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” Since then, the hashtag has spread virally and the phrase has been posted online millions of times, often with an accompanying personal story of sexual harassment or assault. In this exhibit voices will be heard through images. What began as a relatively straight-forward movement in which newly empowered women were outing men, #MeToo has come to involve all genders as it looks at the prevalence of the abuse of power in the context of gender, class and race. To what extent can our voices come together and work toward a collective truth and toward a holistic approach to health in community? The hope is to create an exchange of telling and listening that is helpful in the move toward awareness, change, healing and prevention.

We kicked off the series on June 22nd with  Stephanie Campbell’s Mask Artistry: Faces of the Elements. In the two and a half years since artist Stephanie Campbell retired from a 33-year career as a theater professor at MSU, she has found a new calling in Mask Artistry and the creation of almost 50 masks. Each is uniquely designed from all natural materials, and each has a back story to integrate the emotional/physical/mental/spiritual aspects of the masks. Mask Artistry is an investigation of who we are within the masks, and what each may represent or trigger within our own emotional makeup, as we witness and explore ancient creative traditions and bridge the gap between ordinary reality and the non-ordinary spirit realm.

Summer is about to bust a move in Livingston, Montana. June, July, August, they go by fast and and are jammed with good events. The 4th Friday Art Walks are a local favorite. Green Door Gallery at Wheatgrass Saloon has an exciting mix of art on display throughout the summer.  Be sure to stop by for the artist receptions from 530pm – 8pm on art walk nights beginning June 22.

The Livingston Chamber of Commerce is a useful place to go to discover what is going on around town. The summer months are a perfect time of year to enjoy a stroll through Livingston’s Historic Downtown District. Currently, the city is improving Livingston’s historic downtown by updating some very the old infrastructure. It might take several months, but in the end we will have not only updated sewer and water systems but also safer and more graceful transition ramps for strollers, wheelchairs and toddlers on bikes and finally be in compliance with the American Disabilities Act standards. With that, however, comes some large pieces of construction equipment on the streets. If you need a parking spot, look beyond Main Street or 2nd Street: head east to B and C streets or west to 3rd and Yellowstone streets. It is a little messy at times, but imagine you’re in the old wild dirt-covered west. You’ll find us, Wheatgrass Saloon, at 120 North Main Street, right next door to The Stockman Bar. Wheatgrass Saloon offers the perfect antidote to whichever bar you might visit this summer. Our drinks are named for music or cocktails that you might recognize, like the Man in Black.

Stop by the juice bar on your way to float the river or a to do a day-hike for some energizing to-go juices, smoothies, bowls and snacks. We have some additions to the menu during the summer months: kale caesar, taco bowl, avocado or nut butter flax toast and coconut based soft-serve ice cream. As always, everything we do is vegan, gluten-free,  soy- free and never any peanuts.

The folk at Timber Trails can provide you tips on where to hike, fish and float according to your needs. And, at The Jumping Off Point you can get just what you need for the perfect campout adventure. If you’re in search of some downtime or the weather isn’t cooperating, head upstairs at Wheatgrass Saloon with a super healthy lunch from the juice bar. Upstairs you can enjoy viewing the current show in Green Door Gallery, using the wifi, writing a postcard or browsing the shelves of Elk River Books.