Madison Valley Arts Festival builds community with beauty

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” – Pablo Picasso

On July 26, the emotions that artists presented at Peter T Park made the Madison Valley Arts Festival a celebration of all things Montana. Each sculpture, painting, photo and mixed media piece held a piece of the great state we call home, for visitors and locals alike to connect with and draw inspiration from. 

“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.” – William Faulkner

Nature was a common theme throughout the event, as you would expect in a valley surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of the Madison, Gravelly and Tobacco Root mountain ranges. Artists proudly displayed the inspiration of this place filtered through the lens of their creativity for all of the guests to enjoy. 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” – Albert Einstein

The mysteries of the valley were displayed in each painted eye, captured image, manipulated metal curve and treated fiber, giving participants a chance to take home a piece of these mysteries to cherish for years to come. 

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle

In the same way, the artists showcase the inward significance of their subjects, the Madison Valley Arts Festival showcased the significance of art in the community.