Lively Times: Billings Art Exhibitions

– 5-9 p.m. May 2 in downtown Billings; more than 30 downtown galleries and businesses showcase works of local and regional artists. Music, refreshments and artist receptions are offered at many of the art spots and the Fun Express bus provides transportation. A sampling of artists and exhibits includes: “101 Black and Whites,” featuring photographs by Paul Whiting at Flatiron Gallery; “Intimate Latitudes,” a mapping of Ruhiyyih Olsen’s geographic history in paint and yarn, at Barjon’s Books; stone sculpture and paintings by William Crain and ceramics by Jennifer Baretta at Sandstone Gallery; and a demonstration and exhibit of Sumi-e paintings by Alice Fuller and Neltje at Level 504.

– 5-9 p.m. May 2 at CTA Architects Engineers; shop for paintings, glasswork, photography, pottery and sculpture. Auction proceeds fund the Billings Arts Association’s school art grant. Call 406-248-7455 for details.

– 11 a.m.-8 p.m. May 8-10 at the Billings Depot; the Mary Williams Fine Arts Gallery’s road show features a massive amount of contemporary work, along with rare maps and an array of antique prints. A portion of sale proceeds benefits the Yellowstone Park Foundation. Call 406-652-2948 for details.

– through June 8 at Yellowstone Art Museum; Arnold’s kaleidoscopically colorful images of the American West are framed by car, train and plane windows. Through June 15, “I’m Hunting Myself: The Unattainable Prize,” features explosive new works by two emerging artists, Rollin Beamish and Andrew Schell, that merge sculptural and painted forms. Through June 1, “Mostly Plains: Arresting Native American Art and Works by Charles M. Russell from the Charles M. Bair Family Collection” pairs artifacts, including beadwork, quillwork and buckskin objects by Northern Plains Indians, with works by Russell, who respected the Native aesthetic, even while creating work in a Euro-American tradition. Call 406-256-6804.

– May 7-June 28 at Western Heritage Center; take a trip through the community’s greatest natural disaster with poster panels, photographs and actual film footage. “We’re Making History: Billings’s First 125 Years” is up through December. Call 406-256-6809.

– May 15-June 7 at Ryniker-Morrison Gallery, Rocky Mountain College; juried art exhibit is sponsored by the college, Billings Arts Association and Montana Audubon Society. Call 406-248-7494.

– through June at Moss Mansion; exhibit features wedding fashions from the past century. Call 406-256-5100 for details.

– through Sept. 1 at Yellowstone County Museum; view wildlife mounts and artifacts of hunting in the Yellowstone Valley. Call 406-256-6811.

– 5-7 p.m. May 2 at Red Lodge Clay Center; Walker shares his contemporary narrative sculptural vessels through May and offers a workshop and demonstration May 3-4. Also featured this month is a group show, “Y=F(X).” Call 406-446-3993 for details.

– 4-6 p.m. May 9 at Depot Gallery in Red Lodge; watercolors by Hughes and photographs by Kern are featured through May. “Fritz Scholder Lithographs” showcases 25 prints by the contemporary Native American artist through May 15; and “Montana Folks,” featuring photography by Kurt Keller, is up May 15-June 21, with a reception from 1-3 p.m. May 18. Workshops include digital camera basics with Gene Rodman, May 3; watercolors with Marilyn Beth Hughes, May 10; and Old Master Painting Techniques with Gary Larson, May 23-25. Call 406-446-1370.

– May 10 at MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney; Mother’s Day display of photographs and artifacts also includes music by Prairie Junction and refreshments. The Traveling Collection, featuring 20 works from the Custer County Art and Heritage Center’s 29th annual juried show, is on display May 1-26. Call 406-433-3500 for details.

– 9:30-11:30 p.m. May 18 at Custer County Art and Heritage Center in Miles City; from May 2-July 6, traditional and contemporary western artists showcase their works. A Quick Draw and auction are on tap at 10:30 a.m. May 17 at Riverside Park as part of Bucking Horse Sale festivities. Call 406-234-0635 for details.

– May 3-28 at Schoolhouse History and Art Center in Colstrip; quilts from North Dakota are on display. Call 406-748-4822 for details.

– through May at JailHouse Gallery in Hardin; art center celebrates its 30th anniversary with this tribute show. Call 406-665-3239 for details.

“Home on the Range” – May 19-July 31 at Dawson Community College Art Gallery in Glendive; local rancher Tom Temple illuminates his paintings with a knowing eye and evident appreciation for the local landscape and wildlife. College art students share their creative efforts through May 16 in “Amazing.” Call 406-377-3396 for details.