Show celebrates the life and work of Gennie DeWeese
Published: April 2, 2008
A celebration of the life and work of the late artist Gennie DeWeese was held June 20-21 at the Buck/Butterfield Ranch in Bozeman. More than 200 works of art were on display, spanning more than 40 years of the artist's life.
The celebration began with an opening reception, 6-10 p.m. Friday featuring music by the Missoula-based Latin band, Salsa Loca, and continued 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
DeWeese was often described as the matriarch of the Montana art community. She and her husband, Robert DeWeese, moved to Bozeman in 1949 when Bob was hired to teach art at Montana State College.
The DeWeeses nurtured students and friends and were a cornerstone of the Montana art scene for many years. Following Bob's death in 1990, Gennie built a new studio and continued to produce paintings, drawings and woodblock prints, and exhibit regularly throughout the region.
In 1995 Gennie and her late husband were recognized with the Montana Governor's Award for the Arts, and that same year Gennie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Montana State University. In 2005, she moved to her studio to devote her energy to making her work, and she continued to paint until weeks before her death in November 2007.
The exhibition, which included drawings, woodblock prints, and numerous paintings, including a 121-foot, 360-degree panorama of the Gallatin Valley, painted with oil sticks, offered a tremendous opportunity to see the life's work of this important artist and to celebrate her life.
For more information, contact Tina or Josh DeWeese at 406-763-4920, or 406-431-5521.
