Montana’s Big Sky Country puts me into a state of euphoria whenever I drive its  mountainous plateaus and sculpted vistas. Helena, the state capitol, abounds with artistic energy, like Missoula. I could live here, I think.

I made a stop at the Holter Museum of Contemporary Art to see an exhibit of new work by Phoebe Toland. I first saw her prints and sculpture at the Missoula Art Museum during a site visit three years ago. This exhibit, titled Resonance, is a huge leap for the artist into new territory—installation! Exquisite presentation.

And thanks to a tip from visitor services staff, I learned a concurrent show of Phoebe’s earlier work, titled Natural Causes, was on exhibit at the downtown  Turman Larison Contemporary Gallery—a block away from the Holter. My lucky day!

I am intrigued by her collaging technique that combines prints with art papers, building work layer upon layer, gluing multiples together in such a way the seams in the final piece are indistinguishable.

Her work has me thinking about printmaking again. What if … ?