Official Guide to Art Week Great Falls, Montana March 15th-19th, 2023
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/951966
portfolio • 15 Out West Art Show & Sale Artistry, Education, and Cultural Experience By Heather Bode our footsteps echo down the corridor. Ahead, two students admire a painting surrounded by an oversized gilded frame. You lean in listening to their conversation about lines, tones, and meaning lying within the work. Before long, you can no longer resist. With hands clasped behind your back, you softly say, "I was there the day this work was completed." The students, in stunned silence, gawk at you as if you've just become a museum piece yourself. And you smile at the memories… Now entering its 47th year, the Out West Art Show & Sale is funded through the Out West Art Foundation, a 501(c)3 which brings together the best Western artists from throughout the nation. Great Falls, with ties to Charlie Russell, has the longest history of art-related activities in Montana. From up-and-coming to established artists with huge followings, participating in this show as either an exhibiting artist or as the silent observer, has become a combination of tradition, honor, and a dash of giddy excitement. With over 110 exhibit rooms and several galleries participating as well, it is the job of Patrick Sullivan, the show's manager, to make sure things run smoothly. "Managing and coordination of the show on all levels is my job. It literally takes almost a year to keep all the pieces of the puzzle together to keep this largest art show continually going," he says. As a 4th generation Montana Hotelier, extending that hospitable hand is second-nature to him. Year after year, many artists return to Great Falls specifically for this event. Why? In Sullivan's opinion, "They definitely feel like they are part of a family here." Artist Brenna Tyler agrees: "It's not only a great opportunity for outwest art show & sale Y "American Avocet" Water Color by Robert Kercher