Open AIR is a place-based Artist-in-Residency program that embeds artists in a variety of locations in Montana. During their residency, the artists are immersed in a site's location, culture, history, and daily life. The artwork in this exhibition reflects the time the artists spent inhabiting the site of their residency location. The artists gain access to unusual and interesting opportunities, like engaging with scientists, specialists, and community members, while allowing them time to explore and research whatever sparks their curiosity about a site.
The artists in this exhibition experienced a wide range of opportunities, from living and working in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness to creating art in the bustling atmosphere of Home ReSource in Missoula to working in a mansion at the Clark Chateau in Butte, MT. Some artists worked alongside scientists at the Flathead Lake Biological Station, while others were immersed in a community in Hamilton, MT.
In 2025, artists participated in Open AIR residency sites across Montana. The Missoula sites include Garden City Harvest, Home ReSource, Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium, Missoula Public Library, Montana Natural History Center, Rocky Mountain Gardens, and Moon-Randolph Homestead.
Outside of Missoula, the residency sites were Clark Chateau, Butte, MT; Explore the ARTS, Hamilton, MT; Flathead Lake Biological Station, Polson, MT; Hungry Hill Center for Art, Butte, MT; Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness; and Travelers’ Rest State Park, Lolo, MT.
