Keeping Missoula fresh

In the ever-changing art industry, a crop of Missoula galleries has found a way to make a good thing better.

Local gallery owners claim their biggest challenge lies in finding a strategy to sell artwork while building a reputation in the community.  Michael Bowlin, sales manager for the Dana Gallery, explained.

“Our success comes from our rapport with buyers and artists, but also our determination to keep fresh work on the walls.”

Dana is the centerpiece of a growing art hub on North Higgins Avenue, along with Gallery Saintonge, the Murphy-Jubb Gallery, and the recently relocated Gibson and Schweyen Gallery. The foursome forms an art nucleus in the heart of downtown Missoula, packed between Broadway Avenue and Main Street.

“The arts scene in Missoula is definitely growing up,” said gallery co-owner Brian Schweyen. “I think downtown is definitely becoming a place to be.”

The centerpiece of Missoula’s expanding art community is the First Friday gallery walk. Created in 1989 by then-gallery owner and photographer Geoffrey Sutton, First Friday has become a staple on many resident’s calendars because of its accessibility.

“It’s become a part of the lexicon of Missoula,” said Sutton, now the program manager at the Montana World Trade Center. “It’s sort of a self-sustaining and organic event.”

A diverse lineup of professional showings, student art, musical performances and food and drink makes First Friday a huge marketing tool for galleries. It is a way to draw viewers who might not come downtown otherwise.

Bowlin said most art sales don’t occur on First Friday, but rather the week immediately after.

“People usually can’t buy because it’s so crowded, but if we make an impression on them, they tend to come back.”

But the recent upswing in art sales is a result of more than just First Friday. Schweyen said he credits it to the influx of out-of-state wealth and the cultural perks disposable income can bring with it, while Bowlin said he sees the Missoula art scene evolving from taste in traditional western works to more contemporary pieces.

“People enjoy a different take on the western theme,” Bowlin said. “Now we have a competitive edge in the national art market.”

And the galleries who can’t adjust to the market have trouble staying afloat, as evidenced by the recent closings of Gallery Blue and All Around Art. Missoula Cultural Council executive director Tom Bensen said art marketers just need to “stick with it.”

“They really have to find out what sells,” he said. “In any retail business, the success rate is pretty tough.”

Sutton attributes his former gallery’s success to his status as an artist.

“It takes five-to-seven years to gain a reputation, build a clientele, and get good artists,” he said. “I was just fortunate that I worked in the business.”

Similarly, Missoula’s art museums are riding a wave of success. The reopening of the renovated Missoula Art Museum in September 2006 and the announcement of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture’s new building have made a name for the city in the art world.

“We have some very strong galleries here,” Sutton said. “But the Missoula Art Museum has definitely put visual arts in the forefront.”

The next step is a new museum on the University of Montana’s campus that will house more than 10,000 original works of art. The Montana Museum of Art and Culture doesn’t expect the new building to be complete until 2013, but it is already brewing anticipation.

“Having an adequate facility will be a great draw for art buffs and visitors,” said Barbara Koostra, the museum’s director.

The collection, which includes works by Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, has been largely homeless in its lifetime, with selected paintings and sculptures being displayed across campus. Koostra said the more important pieces are stored in a climate-controlled warehouse, but they will find a permanent home in the $13.5 million finished product.

“The additions of two major attractions in the downtown area and on campus make us more inviting and vibrant,” Bensen said. “There is a healthy mix of galleries and museums for a city this size.”

With the continued support of the community, Missoula’s art renaissance shouldn’t find its ceiling any time soon.

“I’m a firm believer that Missoula is Montana’s cultural superstar,” said Koostra, who believes that the arts “cross-pollinate” and bring success to other local businesses.
“We’re not trying to change Missoula.  We’re just trying to change people’s perceptions.”