The Art of Preservation:
Official Centennial Art of Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park wishes to thank its many visitors and residents for the tireless and ongoing preservation of its millions of acres and land.  Much of the credit is due to the artists of the past and present.  In the late 1880s painters and photographers regularly accompanied surveying expeditions to the unexplored west, bringing back sublime images of Glacier, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite - among other places.  Additionally, in hope to increase ridership, the Great Northern Railway, commissioned artists through their ‘See America First’ campaign to produce Glacier inspired art to be shared with the masses.

Artists took on the ‘call of the wild’ in words, paint, and photography.  Authors, such as George Bird Grinnell and Mary Reinhart spoke for this vast wilderness sharing it with everyone. Painters, such as Charlie Russell, Winold Reiss, and John Fery illustrated the cultural and natural history that could be found under the ‘Big Sky’.  Photographers, such as TJ Hilemann captured the essence of Glacier through stunning of icy glaciers, towering cliffs, and intricate flowers.  

Today, artists from the around the world are just as influential in the continued preservation of Glacier National Park’s cultural and natural history through inspiring personal connections with the place. Fourteen pieces of art have been selected for Glacier National Park's Centennial. These pieces will be on tour throughout the state of Montana for the Centennial Celebration.

We hope the selected art inspires and engages you in the Centennial Celebration of Glacier National Park today and for years to come. Consider this an introduction into the legacy of preserving Glacier National Park for the next 100 years. 

Exhibit Tour Schedule

 June 15-July 3, 2009 Fischworks,
Whitefish

View From the Backyard
Kelly Apgar
                                                           

Sinopah
John Atkinson

Ancient Quiet
Bret Bouda

The Crown Jewels
Nancy Cawdrey

Passages of Grandeur
Jessica Glenn

Glacier's Rockies
Dan Hicks

Glacier National Park Centennial Jewelry
Lucia Holt

Heavy Shield
Allen Jimmerson

Making a Splash
David Koel

Logan Pass - Autumn Splendor
Susanna Sloan

Goats Eye View from Mt. Siyeh
Pete Thomas

 
Glacier Waterfall
Brett Thuma

Smoky Sunset with Fireweed
Brett Thuma

 
Granite Park Spring
Robert Zavadil

The Centennial Art contest was sponsored by Glacier National Park’s Centennial Executive Committee. The art will be auctioned off in May 2010 with the proceeds benefitting Glacier’s four nonprofit partners; Glacier Association, Glacier Institute, Glacier National Park Associates, and Glacier National Park Fund; whose mission is to support Glacier National Park.