Walter Hook, Untitled, 
watercolor on paper, 1960s
Courtasy private collection

Walter Hook Retrospective
June 3- July 18, 2009 | Meloy and Paxson Galleries

This exhibition pays homage to Montana artist Walter Hook (1919-1989). Hook was well-known for his late surrealist painting style, also called Magic Realism. His paintings reflect an interest in everyday objects he turned into something special and magical. Some of his hallmarks - fantastic compositions depicting cats, chickens, buffalo and eggs - can be seen in this exhibition. His gigantic, luch flower paintings demonstrate an intense use of color and light. Many of his sculptures, prints, and mixed media pieces also show his sense of humor. The former chair of the Department of Art at The University of Montana received 90 awards from juried exhbitions and had over 80 one-man shows in the course of his career.

Fra Dana, White Peony Against Red,
Undated, oil on canvas, 
MMAC Permanent Collection
Gift of Fra Dana

The Fra Dana Collection - Preservation & Conservation
March 17 - May 16, 2009 | Paxson Gallery

Fra Dana is one of the most important female painters of the early 20th century in the Rocky Mountain West. This exhibition showcases recent preservation and conservation efforts of MMAC's Fra Dana collection. The collection, donated to the museum by Fra Dana in 1948, includes works by Dana as well as her teachers and friends, Alfred Maurer, William Merritt Chase and Joseph Henry Sharp. Preservation and conservation of these works was made possible by the Chutney Foundation and Grizzly Riders International.

Utagawa Toyokuni I, Untitled (Geisha Making Snowman),
Woodblock print, diptych, ca. 1796,
MMAC Permanent Collection
Donated by Fra Dana

Campus Picks - Permanent Collection works selected by The University of Montana campus community
March 17 - May 16, 2009 | Meloy Gallery

This exhibition will highlight the diversity of MMAC's Permanent Collection as well as the exquisite taste of our University of Montana community. Twenty-five individuals from across campus were invited to select their favorite artworks from a wide range of media, styles, and eras within the Permanent Collection. This diverse curatorial committee consists of UM professors, deans, students, staff, administrators, and even Monte, UM's favorite mascot!

Richard LaFromboise (Miskomin), Sheem,
Birch bark scroll, undated
Courtesy of the artist

Spirit Trails and Sky Beings
January 13 - March 8, 2009 | Paxson Gallery

This exhibition features Ojibway stories scribed on birch scrolls as told and made by Ojibway traditionalist and UM graduate Richard LaFromboise (Miskomin).  Birch bark scrolls, or pictographic scrolls, serve as memory aids to correctly and completely tell the tribe's traditional stories through an elaborate series of symbols called pictographs. The stories are expressions of Ojibway culture that teach lessons, morals, and values to children as well as adults.  Pictographic scrolls are a very rare art form and are preserved today in the hands of a few individuals known as "Keepers of the Scrolls."

Fritz Scholder, Indian with Feather Fan,
Lithograph, 1975
Courtesy Montana Art Gallery Directors’ Association

Fritz Scholder: Lithographs
January 13 - March 8, 2009 | Meloy Gallery

This exhibition contains 20 lithographs created by the renowned artist, Fritz Scholder at the Tamarind Institute. In 1970, the Tamarind Institute moved from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Fritz Scholder was the first artist invited to execute lithographs at the new location.  Images in this exhibition trace several of the diverse subjects that Scholder investigated throughout his career. Not only do they show Scholder's understanding of the medium, but they also reveal the depth and range of his creativity.

Henry Meloy, Untitled,
Watercolor on paper, undated,
On permanent loan from the Henry Meloy Educational Trust

Montana Modernists: Henry Meloy and His Horses
November 5 - December 12, 2008 | Paxson Gallery

This exhibition presents works by Montana Modernist Henry Meloy. Meloy studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League in New York. He associated with avant-garde artists including Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder and Willem de Kooning.

Robert DeWeese, Untitled,
Detail, oil on board, undated
MMAC Permanent Collection
Gift of the DeWeese Family

Montana Modernists: Robert DeWeese and His Legacy
November 5 - December 12, 2008 | Meloy Gallery

This exhibition pays homage to the work of Robert DeWeese and his generation of Montana Modernists including Gennie DeWeese, Rudy Autio, Lela Autio, Frances Senska, Peter Voulkos, Jessie Wilbur and their influence on later important Montana artists such as Jerry Rankin, Neil Parsons, and others.

Steven Young Lee, Candi Red Jar,
Porcelain, automotive laquer, 2008
Courtesy of the artist

notions... Steven Young Lee
September 5 - October 25, 2008 | Paxson Gallery

Featuring the recent work of the Resident Artist Director of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana.

Sao Vang, detail of Green Hmong Pleated Skirt,
indigo dyed help batik, cotton applique, ca. 1970
MMAC Permanent Collection
Gift of Helen Cappadocia

Weaving Cultures...Highlights of the Helen Cappadocia Collection of Southeast Asian Textiles
September 5 - October 25, 2008 | Meloy Gallery

Featuring a wide variety of historic and contemporary textiles and artifacts created by Hmong cultures from Southeast Asia.This exhibit includes 74 of the more than 600 pieces in the Permanent Collection donated by Helen Cappadocia.