FAQ

How do I repair a work of art or family heirloom?

The Museum does not endorse specific conservators. Excellent information on selecting a conservator is available on the American Institute for Conservation website at aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html.

How much is my piece worth?

We regret that we cannot perform appraisals or issue certificates of authenticity. Click here to see a PDF list of certified appraisers. An auction house such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s – or an online auction site like ebay.com or artprice.com – can help you learn more about the value of your object. Our curatorial staff, however, will be pleased to offer observations within their areas of expertise pertaining to the historic and aesthetic qualities of a work.

How can I donate a work of art to the museum?

We appreciate your consideration and our curatorial staff will be happy to review the object to determine if it fits our collecting guidelines and programming needs. Please send a photograph and a letter about the object to the curatorial department’s attention at the Yellowstone Art Museum, 401 N. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101 or call to make an appointment (406) 256-6804, x228.

How do I show my work at the museum?

Please read carefully. If you are an artist and would like to introduce your work to Yellowstone Art Museum’s curatorial staff, or if you are a collector who would like to share information about your collection, please follow the guidelines below.

1. You may submit artwork in the form of slides, photographs, a URL where we can view the work online, or CDs with images (up to 20) saved in .jpg format. Please label your slides or photographs with the artist’s name, title of the work, date, and dimensions. Please do not bring your work to the Museum unless you already have an appointment.
2. Include a cover letter introducing yourself and the images you are submitting for review. If you are the artist of the work, please give a brief description of your project. If you are a collector and are submitting images of work you own, please provide us with as much information as possible about the work, including artist, date, medium, size, and provenance information (history of ownership).
3. Send your material to: Curatorial Department, Yellowstone Art Museum, 401 North 27th St., Billings, MT 59101. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your materials returned.

 Please Note

• The Yellowstone Art Museum does not perform appraisals or authentications of any works of art.
• The process of reviewing your slides or photographs may take up to several weeks. We will contact you after we have reviewed your submission.
• We cannot make studio visits, see the work in person, or make visits to private collections during the initial phase of the review. If there is sufficient interest, we will contact you about further steps.
• Please note that while we are happy to review your work, our exhibition schedule is planned approximately three years in advance, and is carefully balanced to present our viewers with a varied artistic program in accordance with the Museum’s mission. Therefore, we are only rarely able to accommodate unsolicited submissions for exhibitions.
• An excellent opportunity for emerging artists to introduce themselves and their work to YAM curatorial staff is to submit work for the Annual Art Auction.

How do I apply for the Art Auction or Summerfair?

Please visit our Art Auction and Summerfair pages for further information.

How do I submit work for the Consignment Gallery?

FOR ARTISTS – CONSIGNMENT GALLERY

Regional fine artists are encouraged to submit work for consideration to be included in the YAM Consignment Gallery.  The Gallery does not exhibit consigned works from mid-January to mid-March and may also be unavailable at other times of the year.

Please note the following guidelines:

1. Interested artists should submit images of their work for consideration according to the instructions on the Consignment Submission Form.
2. It is unlikely that more than two works will be selected from any one artist.
3. All work is subject to curatorial review and approval, and all YAM decisions regarding acceptance of work are final.
4. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional work of many kinds are acceptable, including paintings, drawings, artist prints (no reproductions, please), sculpture, mixed media, photography, and fine craft. Unusually large, fragile, perishable, or dangerous work may be excluded.
5. All 2-D works must be appropriately framed and ready to hang. All 3-D works must  have proper supports, hanging devices, and, if needed, instructions for installation.
6. Only the work accepted will be included; no substitutions! Upon receipt of the work, the YAM reserves the right to disqualify work that was not adequately represented or not suitably prepared for exhibition.
7. The YAM will retain 40% of all sales and will pay 60% to consigners within 30 days of the date of sale.
8. All artists whose work is accepted must complete a consignment agreement. A parent or guardian must sign for artists under the age of 18.
9. Consignment agreements will be written for six-month periods, renewable for an additional six months by mutual consent of the consigner and the YAM. If an artist’s work does not sell within a year, it must be returned to the consigner.
10. The YAM re-hangs the YAM Consignment Gallery at regular intervals. We will work to show any piece accepted on consignment as soon as possible, and in time increments no shorter than 30 days. If this is not possible for any reason, we will notify the consigner.
11. Cost of transport of consigned works to and from the YAM is to be borne by the consigner. Arrangements for packing and shipping of sold works will be undertaken by the YAM at the buyer’s expense.
12. The hours of the YAM Consignment Gallery will coincide with the YAM’s regular hours.
13. Individual consigned works may or may not appear on the YAM’s website or in advertising, at the discretion of the YAM.

Attention, collectors of contemporary regional art!

A limited number of secondary market sales will be considered. The same terms described above apply.

Loan requests

The Yellowstone Art Museum welcomes requests to borrow works from the permanent collection for exhibition in other museums.  Allow a minimum of three months for a loan request to be reviewed.  Please note that the YAM is not able to consider requests for loan from the Virginia Snook collection of Will James’s art. 

Please send all requests in writing to Susan Barnett at curator@artmuseum.org or 401 North 27^th Street, Billings, MT  59101.  Include the artist and title of the work you wish to borrow, the name of the exhibition, and the timing and duration of the loan.  Borrowers whose loans are approved will be expected to cover customary loan costs and supply a current Standard Facilities Report.

Businesses and public agencies with offices open to the public are welcome to borrow works from the YAM’s Community Collection of contemporary regional art.  To learn more about the guidelines for these loans or to learn more about what’s in the Community Collection, contact Lisa Ranallo at registrar@artmuseum.org or (406) 256-6804, x227.

Scheduling a visit

Scholars who wish to study portions of the museum’s permanent may submit a letter stating their study objectives to the YAM’s Curator, Susan Barnett, at curator@artmuseum.org or (406) 256-6804 x230. Museum staff will consider requests and accommodate legitimate scholarly visits as staff time allows.

Scholars wishing to view specific works in the collection at the YAM’s Visible Vault may make an appointment with the YAM’s Registrar, Lisa Ranallo at registrar@artmuseum.org  or (406) 256-6804 x227.