Shadows of the Past benefits local healthcare

Annual art show and auction attracts artists and art lovers to Choteau Sept. 7-8

Art Beat
Shadows of the Past: Artist Steve Nelson
Artist Steve Nelson completes a painting during the Shadows of the Past Quick Finish.

Nearly 50 Montana artists share their talents during the 29th annual Shadows of the Past Fine Arts Show and Auction, Sept. 7-8 in Choteau. This fundraiser for the Teton Medical Center is a well-loved tradition that attracts talented artists and art lovers from a large region.

This year’s auction features 71 works by 49 artists – including some of Montana’s best-known painters and sculptors. The roster includes Diane Hausmann, Tom English, Rob Akey, Don Greytak, Steve Lillegard, Leslie Kesler, Linda Tippets, Connie Herberg, Shirley Wempner, Nicholas Oberling, Dick Lauritzen, Sherry Tuss, Julie Wulf and Jeff Walker.

Eight of the artists meet Friday morning and spend the day painting “plein-air” in the vicinity; their works will be sold at the outset of Saturday’s live auction. Shadows of the Past officially kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday with an artists’ reception at the Choteau Pavilion.

Saturday brings a lecture on art collecting at 2 p.m. at the Stage Stop Inn with Loren Solberg. Shadows of the Past articipants head back to the Pavilion at 4 p.m. for evening of art, music, delicious food and drink. Highlights include a silent auction, Quick Finish and live auction. Tickets to the evening affair are $40.

The Rocky Mountain Front, out the back door and dressed in her finest colors of fall, is another reason to spend a weekend in this picturesque western town 60 miles north of Great Falls.

Since 2006, the auction has netted $215,978 for Benefis Teton Medical Center, a Critical Acute Care facility dedicated to providing medical care services to communities along the Front. Departments provide around-the-clock care for patients in need of medical assistance, including a 24-hour emergency room, hospital services, a long-term care wing, outpatient clinic, lab, x-ray, and physical therapy departments.

For more information visit Teton Medical Center  or find the event on Facebook.