Hours: Tuesday: 10 am- 5 pm ; Wednesday- Friday 10 am–4 pm
Jessie Wilber (1912-1989), known best for her printmaking work during the “Montana Modernist” period (the 1940s and 1950s) can be credited in part for re-defining Western Art in the state of Montana. Wilber, her longtime partner, ceramicist Frances Senska, and Robert and Gennie DeWeese comprised the “Montana Modernist” founding group, as referenced in Michele Corriel’s publication Montana Modernists. This group not only created work in a Modernist style but also educated numerous budding artists on the philosophy and technique of the movement.
Wilber, who passed away in 1989, explored many different printmaking techniques throughout her career. Serigraph, lithograph, and woodcut were among her frequently used techniques. Like her Modernist colleagues, Wilber often depicted scenes from everyday life that highlighted snippets of her daily routines and memories. While Wilber’s work is not necessarily conceptually challenging, the care with which she depicts her subject matter gives the viewer the privilege of peeking into her complex inner world.
This exhibition highlight’s Wilber’s frequent depictions of animals in her artwork, an exhibition that is especially appealing to children and the young at heart.
