Montana master presents talk at Yellowstone Art Museum

Harold Schlotzhauer Presents a Gallery Talk at the Yellowstone Art Museum

 Learn more about the work of “Montana Master” artist Harold Schlotzhauer as he leads museum visitors on a gallery talk of the Yellowstone Art Museum’s current exhibition Harold Schlotzhauer: The Shape of Motion.

The talk takes place 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 19th.  The exhibition is the third in the YAM’s series of Montana Masters exhibitions, which focus on the work of a diverse selection of mature artists who have contributed significantly to Montana’s respected artistic reputation and traditions. The YAM is pleased to continue the series with the presentation of work by one of Montana’s most prolific and distinctive painters. With decades of experience behind him, Schlotzhauer continues to explore the intersection between the observable and the imagined, creating a vivid visual language that soars beyond the edges of the picture plane. 

His brand of Modernism is bold and playful, but dazzlingly serious in its intent to create engaging images that make the intangible real.  Shapes, lines, and sweeping color dance together in choreographed movement to elicit a personal response from the viewer.  Schlotzhauer’s visual language is inspired by myriad sources, including traditional Asian arts, graffiti, children’s toys, and the rhythms of nature.

 The exhibition surveys 50 years’ worth of Schlotzhauer’s art exploration, beginning with his art student days in California, where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree with high distinction in 1966 from California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, through his retirement from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, after teaching there for 28 of his 41 years of teaching in higher education.  He was subsequently appointed Professor Emeritus by the University.  Since his retirement in 2008, Schlotzhauer has continued painting at his longtime Bozeman studio, which overlooks his home in the Gallatin Valley. This bold exhibition comprises colorful paintings, sculptures, kites, and various embellished skateboards, snowboards, balance boards, and surfboards.

 A gifted educator and speaker, Schlotzhauer’s wisdom shines on the subject of Modernism, imparting knowledge that is accessible to art lovers at every level of their own art appreciation. This talk is part of the museum’s Distinguished Speakers series, which responds to current topics and issues addressed by museum exhibitions.

The young militant by Harold Schlotzhauer at Yellowstone Art Museum

About the museum

Admission to the Yellowstone Art Museum is free to members.  Non-members can enjoy the talk and the other exhibition offerings for a modest admission. The Shape of Motion remains on view through July 3, 2016. Visit the museum’s website, artmuseum.org