Title: Abandoned Spaces: A Life Once Lived and the Space In Between – Montana State Lands
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 22 · 5:30–7:00 PM
Location: Big Sky Center for the Arts, 77 Lone Peak Drive
For over 20 years, Kate Huston has quietly documented Montana’s state lands—spaces often overlooked yet deeply meaningful. Through her work supporting school food systems, she has traveled extensively across the state, forming a powerful connection to the “spaces in between”—those quiet, transitional places rich with untold stories, layered histories, and subtle ecological shifts.
Montana’s state lands are part of a unique program designed to support public schools through agriculture, recreation, mineral, and timber resources. While the grandeur of mountains and rivers often defines Montana’s image, it's the lesser-known plains and scattered parcels that form the backbone of these lands—now increasingly at risk due to leasing and sales. These changes threaten wildlife migrations, environmental balance, and the generational traditions of land stewardship.
Kate’s work, on view at Base Art Gallery starting June 17th, is both a visual archive and a call to awareness. Her photographs capture the intimacy between land and viewer, honoring the quiet resilience and beauty of places that, if lost, cannot be reclaimed.
Join us for a Panel Discussion on Montana State Lands on Monday, July 22 from 5:30–7:00 PM, where Kate and invited speakers will explore the role of these public lands, the impact of policy changes, and the vital importance of preserving access, history, and ecological balance for future generations.
