Art in the Moment

Sara Siestreem

April 20, 11–12:30

Art in the Moment is a monthly program by the Missoula Art Museum (MAM), in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, designed to foster connection and companionship through art for individuals with early-stage memory loss and their care partners. Now in its eighth year, this in-person program is led by MAM Docents, France Auvrey-Stiritz or Rosemay Rinaldi and teaching artist Bev Beck Glueckert, allowing participants to view and create art together.

In April MAM will focus on the works of exhibiting artist Sara Siestreem, with unique projects inspired by the artist at each session.  No cost to participate. Please register in advance. Call 406.318.8242 or email montana@alz.org to register.

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Saturday Multiage Workshop

Forms of the Bison: Storytelling Through Clay with Exhibiting Artist Cameron Decker

April 25th, 11–12:30

Join exhibiting artist Cameron Decker for a free, multiage clay workshop inspired by the bison skull forms featured in his museum exhibition, Q̓ʷeyq̓ʷay 'Buffalo' is Our Good Medicine'. Participants will learn how to create their own small bison skull using a mold developed by the artist, while Cameron shares the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of the bison and its enduring presence in this region. This workshop offers a meaningful opportunity for the community to spend time with the artist, engage more deeply with the work, and connect with clay as a material for holding story, memory, and place. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is necessary.

Workshop is capped at 25 participants. Please register in advance to save your spot(s). Drop-ins are welcome if space is available. Please note: Kids under 10 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. If kids ages 11-18 attend without an adult, MAM is not responsible for their whereabouts if they leave the workshop or museum.

May 1, 2026

5:00-7:00 PM

Artist Talk at 5:30 PM

Join us on May 1, 5–7 PM for an unforgettable evening celebrating the opening of Acts of Love, Refusal, and Resistance, a powerful new exhibition featuring the work of Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos). Sara will be in attendance for an artist talk at 5:30 PM, with music by Dylan Running Crane.

MAM first presented Siestreem's work in 2013, and in the years since her artistic growth has been remarkable. Drawing on traditional basket weaving practices, she weaves ancestral pattern motifs into bold geometric abstractions — proud and powerful expressions of Indigenous sovereignty. A recipient of the Hallie Ford Fellowship (2025) and elected 2025 National Academician by the National Academy of Design, Siestreem is an artist in full stride, and MAM is honored to welcome her back.

Special thanks to the Elizabeth Leach Gallery for support in mounting this exhibition.

Thank you as well to Elizabeth Leach, Janet Mohle-Boetani, and Greg and Cathy Tibbles for the publication support, as well as The Ford Family Foundation Visual Arts Program for exhibition support.

May 2, 2026

Doors at 10:30 am

Artist Talk 11:00-12:00 pm

Don't miss an intimate panel discussion with artist Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos) on May 2, 11:00 pm – 12:00 pm at the Missoula Art Museum. This is a rare opportunity to go deeper into Sara's practice — exploring the ancestral traditions, personal history, and artistic vision behind Acts of Love, Refusal, and Resistance. Whether you joined us for First Friday or are discovering her work for the first time, this conversation promises to be thought-provoking, inspiring, and not to be missed. Free and open to the public!

Special thanks to the Elizabeth Leach Gallery for support in mounting this exhibition.

Thank you as well to Elizabeth Leach, Janet Mohle-Boetani, and Greg and Cathy Tibbles for the publication support, as well as The Ford Family Foundation Visual Arts Program for exhibition support.

Art in the Moment

Kevin Bell

May 4, 11–12:30

Art in the Moment is a monthly program by the Missoula Art Museum (MAM), in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, designed to foster connection and companionship through art for individuals with early-stage memory loss and their care partners. Now in its eighth year, this in-person program is led by MAM Docents, France Auvrey-Stiritz or Rosemay Rinaldi and teaching artist Bev Beck Glueckert, allowing participants to view and create art together.

In April MAM will focus on the works of exhibiting artist Kevin Bell, with unique projects inspired by the artist at each session.  No cost to participate. Please register in advance. Call 406.318.8242 or email montana@alz.org to register.

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Saturday Multiage Workshop

Push it, layer it, disrupt it! Paint & Experiment with exhibiting artist Kevin Bell

May 16th, 11–12:30

Join exhibiting artist Kevin Bell for a lively, multi-age workshop rooted in experimentation. Inspired by ideas in his MAM exhibition, Kevin Bell: Western (re)Visions — movement, contrast, and the tension between control and unpredictability — this workshop focuses on collaborative process rather than product. After a brief guided visit, participants will work in small groups on large sheets of paper (18 x 36 inches), using quick sketches and bold paint gestures to explore how an image shifts when it’s pushed, pulled, layered, and disrupted. These are playful, collaborative experiments in movement and mark-making, focused on exploration and discovery rather than creating a finished artwork to take home. This is hands-on and happily messy, so please wear clothes you don’t mind getting paint on! This workshop will involve the use of water-soluble house paint for instructional and art-making purposes. All materials included.

Workshop is capped at 25 participants. Please register in advance to save your spot(s). Drop-ins are welcome if space is available. Please note: Kids under 10 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. If kids ages 11-18 attend without an adult, MAM is not responsible for their whereabouts if they leave the workshop or museum.

Arist Bio:

KEVIN BELL Biography Kevin Bell's work is informed by growing up in the western United States, including ten years in Alaska and 15 years in Montana. He is a Professor at the School of Visual and Media Arts at the University of Montana. His artwork is exhibited nationally and internationally, including shows in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, New York City, Vancouver B.C., Houston, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago. His work was featured twice in the publication New American Paintings, selected for the Dublin Biennial, and showcased at art fairs such as SCOPE and Pulse NY. He curated Seeing it Again: Nature Revisited at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Snowmass, Colorado, and was awarded residencies and fellowships in China, Ireland, Chicago and Key West, Florida. His work has received awards from notable curators such as Anne Strauss, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Lucinda Barnes, UC Berkeley Art Museum. Writes Andrea Karnes, Curator of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, “Bell’s paintings update the traditional subject of landscape, so that it is culturally relevant to this moment in our collective and individual experience.”

Art in the Moment

Kevin Bell

May 18, 11–12:30

Art in the Moment is a monthly program by the Missoula Art Museum (MAM), in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, designed to foster connection and companionship through art for individuals with early-stage memory loss and their care partners. Now in its eighth year, this in-person program is led by MAM Docents, France Auvrey-Stiritz or Rosemay Rinaldi and teaching artist Bev Beck Glueckert, allowing participants to view and create art together.

In April MAM will focus on the works of exhibiting artist Kevin Bell, with unique projects inspired by the artist at each session.  No cost to participate. Please register in advance. Call 406.318.8242 or email montana@alz.org to register.

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