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Altitude Gallery proudly represents Allison McGree from Bozeman, Montana.
Read on to learn about the artist's inspiration and artistic journey.

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There are twenty-eight rivers in Montana.  Each of great importance to our state and world.

All rivers lead to the sea; “from space, rivers and streams look like veins on the Earth's surface” (PBS). Rivers and streams are interconnected within a system called a watershed. Each watershed is deeply interconnected, as water moves downstream and joins together, carving paths through the land that continually change. My paintings will express the life within these rivers running through Montana’s landscape.

Each vivid landscape painting will draw viewers in to feel and celebrate the beauty of our rivers. I will pair these paintings with additional information about each river, accessible through a QR code available in person or on my website. Through research and interviews with landowners, experts in water quality, fisheries professionals, conservation organizations, and watershed groups, I am certain this project will provide comprehensive and insightful information about the issues these rivers face. I intend to educate new audiences and draw attention to the importance, challenges, and changes of these wild and scenic waterways.

Art portrays a community, helps us understand other points of view, shares community values, and facilitates learning and beautification. This series, which I plan to continue with additional rivers after this particular grant cycle, will celebrate our great state and educate the public about watersheds at the same time. The visual arts draw the viewer in with beauty, which is exactly what I plan to do with the project. As the viewer enjoys the magnificence of Montana, they will also learn about the importance of our rivers.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through it and Other Stories

THANK YOU THANK YOU; this project is funded in part by the Montana Arts Council.

Shop Allison McGree →

About Allison McGree:

Allison McGree is a contemporary western artist, specializing in both Acrylic and Oil Painting as well as Sculpted-Relief.  Her style is Expressionistic, often focused on the emotional response the artist has toward the world.  She finds inspiration in open and wild spaces.  Nature is her greatest teacher, though her studies have also influenced her work.

Allison holds a BA in Fine Arts from Gonzaga University, a BA in K-12 Art Education from Montana State University, and a MA in Holistic Art Programming, Practice, and Outreach with an emphasis on sustainability, community, and public art from Prescott College.  Allison received the Art Award upon graduation from Gonzaga University, and she has published two books, Montana’s Rivers Coloring Book and Lessons and a workbook entitled, Be Creative, 30 days dedicated to unlocking your creativity.  Allison has been a Featured Artist in The Art Chowder magazine, and GoSolo, she is a member of The Scout Guide Bozeman, and she has been a Teaching Artist across the state of Montana.  In addition to her smaller works, she has also created multiple large Sculpted-Relief Murals including a twenty-foot-long Sculpted-Relief Mural of the Bridger Mountains at Big Sky Dental in Bozeman, Montana, The Sleeping Giant Mountain with Wildlife in Montana City, Montana, and she worked with her friend and mentor Bonnie Wakeman to create a Sculpted-Relief Mural at the Greenough/The Resort at Paws Up Luxury Resort in Greenough, Montana.  She is represented by Gallery 287 in Ennis, Montana and by Montana Arts and Home in Big Sky, Montana.

While McGree is grateful for her experiences through education, it is an appreciation of the artist within each of us, a heritage born in creativity, and the art of feeling in color that define her own art and her own heart.

Words from Allison:

I find inspiration in open and wild spaces.  Nature offers me peace, adventure, perspective, and creativity.  As a sixth generation Montanan, who I am is deeply intertwined with the Big Sky State.  I grew up alongside the seasons; learning lessons of patience, of sowing seeds, of celebrating long days and bright wildflowers and appreciating winter storms that help to keep our rivers flowing and offer so much fun on the ski hill.  Growing up in Montana gave me a sense of profound admiration for wildlife and the land and for a world much larger than myself.

My art and who I am as a person continue to grow alongside and with nature. 

Growing up in Helena my parents joined their stories together from Butte (Dad) and Great Falls (Mom).  They fell in love on a ski hill (Showdown) and a deep love for the outdoors was fostered in my siblings and I from birth. 

Our activities have always been outside.  Running, skiing, camping, fishing, biking, hiking, reading, and creating art are activities best done in the mountains.  I spent years chasing snow and beautiful rivers for adventure.  I have grown to respect these wild places and their power with each passing season.  My latest series, Montana’s Rivers, is a combination of all parts of myself.  I am a Teaching Artist who believes that we are all better individually and collectively when we allow ourselves to be creative.  This is why you will find a Coloring Book with Lessons alongside this series of paintings entitled, Montana’s Rivers Coloring Book and Lessons, The Interconnections, Impact, and Beauty of Montana’s Rivers.   The interconnections, impact and beauty of these places makes dreaming about, and then painting rivers, extraordinary.  I find that if I am trying to make a big decision, sitting at the bank of a river, and listening to the flow of the water allows me to have the perspective and vision to find my way towards endless answers.

When I create art, I am celebrating and drawing attention to all of the things that light me up and bring me peace and joy.  I hope that through my creations, the viewer can feel similarly and grow in their appreciation for wild spaces, big skies, and the interconnectedness of all things.