In a ceremony at the Holiday Inn in Great Falls on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the Western Heritage Artists Association presented their community artwork that was created during Western Art Week several weeks ago.
During Western Art Week, visitor were invited to grab a paintbrush and add their own touch to the painting. More than 40 different members of the community of all ages contributed to the final product. The goal of the project was to bring artists and community members together to create a cohesive work of art embodying a theme of inclusivity and togetherness.
Andrew Watson, member of the Western Heritage Artists Association and creator of the project explains, “I began with a few strokes of paint to give them a little bit of an idea. So, the upper right hand corner where there's some pink colors. One of the artists told me even today that it was really an inspiration because it gave a theme, that we are sort of alone in our little worlds, but we can join if people will include us."
The Western Heritage Artists Association is a contemporary group of over 60 artists which holds an art exhibit annually at the Holiday Inn in Great Falls.
The group dedicated the painting to the venue. During the ceremony, members of the Western Heritage Artists and management of the Holiday Inn hung the painting up in the lobby. A plaque will later be added below the painting.
Watson attributes the cohesiveness of the artwork to “the professional nature of our community. These Western heritage artists, they communicate, and that's what the key was. Don't be intolerant of other people's ideas. They all have merit. Like Henry Van Dike said, ‘Use what talents you possess. The world would be very silent if no bird sang, except those that sang the best.'"
To learn more about the Western Heritage Artists Association, click here.
