exhibition sponsors

Henry Luce Foundation
Deborah Anspach & John Hanson
Jon Lodge

Paulson Enterprises
Bess Lovec
Sharon Shannon
Linda Snider
Nancy Curriden
Montana State University School of Art

related events

Member Exclusive Early Exhibition Preview of Northeastern Asia and the Northern Rockies
Friday, April 18, 2025 // 5 PM

The Chinese Experience in Montana Through Historical Photographs with Mark T. Johnson
Thursday, May 29, 2025 // 5 – 7 PM // 5 PM cash bar, 5:30 PM presentation

From Then to Now: East Asian Art in Private Collections with Todd Larkin
Thursday, June 5, 2025 // 3 PM

Montana Gallery

April 18, 2025 – August 3, 2025

Northeastern Asia and the Northern Rockies draws from the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Daryl S. Paulson Collection in Bozeman, Montana. Curated by Asian Art specialists Todd Larkin and Stephen Little, the exhibition examines the philosophical ties between Northeastern Asia and the Northern Rockies as represented through a selection of fine art and historical photographs. Objects include rare works of art produced in China, Korea, and Japan between the Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, including Daoist nature deities and immortals, Confucian scholar brushes and inkstones, and Buddhist guardian kings and compassionate bodhisattvas. The exhibition highlights trans-Pacific acculturation and highlights the prevalence of Daoist, Confucianist, and Buddhist philosophies through photographs of temples, shrines, deities, and rituals recreated in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.

Additional works by contemporary Asian American artists working in the Rocky Mountain region will be included for a broadened conversation on the continued influence of acculturation and resulting multi-culturalism. Featured artists include Sammy Seung-min Lee (Denver, CO), Beth Lo (Missoula, MT), Roger Shimomura.