If you’re searching for authentic and breathtaking art and culture in Montana, then come visit us in the Madison Valley on the Backroad to Yellowstone!
There’s nothing quite like Montana culture and the remarkable outdoor art that we’re known for! From authentic western art reflecting the life of early settlers, to modern art installations created by famous Montana artists. Ennis, MT and the Madison Valley is the home of it all.
Montana Art & Madison Valley Art Galleries
BearFeather Studio
BearFeather Studio, opened in 1995 for the purpose of creating and inspiring. Through a mix of artwork, including music, written word, sculpture and fine art photography, visitors to BearFeather Studio don’t soon forget their trip.
The founders of BearFeather, Ken Hall and Penny Hall are two local Montana artists with an eye for great artwork. They tell stories through a variety of mediums, such as Native American music, leather artwork and storytelling. They believe that life needs to be fulfilled with a sense of peace and abundance, and that belief is reflected throughout their paintings, music and text.
Madison Valley’s beautiful scenery and wildlife is the inspiration behind BearFeather Studio, and “The Unlimited Universe” and its miracles are what these Montana artists create and share with their fellow life travelers.
RiverStone Gallery
offers a mix of contemporary paintings, fine metal jewelry and custom steel gates for your home or ranch. Right off of Main Street in Ennis, MT, you can stop by before or after a visit to the famous, Willie’s Distillery! Their deck is often full of colorful artwork, and you’ll spot the famous trout landmark donning the building almost immediately.
The two also collaborate on gold, silver, diamond and stone jewelry design, custom-made for visiting patrons. These award-winning Montana artists continue to shake up the custom jewelry world through innovative jewelry making techniques and style choices.
As an expert fly fisherman, Bern Sundell creates stunning paintings featuring the marine wildlife of the Madison Valley. There isn’t a trout in Madison River that he can’t paint – from brown and cutthroats to rainbow trout and more. His fish paintings have been featured on fishing merchandise like fly boxes and reels throughout the state of Montana.
The other half of the team paints trout as well, but only recently.  Lexi is an award winning artist from Montana who has won painting awards in international art competitions. She has also authored two books, entitled The Acrylic Painter’s A-Z of Flowers, and Creating Exceptional Color in Acrylics, with another on the way this year.  Her paintings explode with color!  Lexi also explores other subjects and  paints  popular  Montana birds,  moose, buffalo and horses. The latter few animals bode well to her approach of creating larger than life paintings that require a step ladder to reach the top of the canvas!
If you’re really looking to get a truly authentic experience and delve into Montana art and culture, then for a small price you can book an immersion day with Lexi. Everyone from novice to professional are allowed to plan a hands-on day with her to learn more about acrylic painting from the award-winning artist.
Montana Artists
The Montana mountains in Ennis including the Madison Range, Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range have offered spectacular views for Montana artist’s painting pleasure for decades. Ennis isn’t just the fly-fishing mecca of the world, it’s also full of authentic western art and culture. The artists of Ennis are original and breathtaking because the town of Ennis, Montana is original and breathtaking in nature.
Here are the some artist-lead studios in Ennis that you should see when you visit Montana:
Bern & Lexi Sanders
Ken & Penny Hall
Bonnie Cornely
Barbara Pierce
Cathy Toot
Montana Culture
South Central Montana culture has been thriving ever since the early settlers started calling Ennis their home. It can be seen from the abundance of artistic endeavors and outdoor art, such as when the Madison Valley Arts Festival takes place.
For almost twenty years, at Peter T’s Park in central Ennis, the annual Madison Valley Arts Festival takes place. There is a full jury that judges the arts and crafts presented at the western art festival, as well as live entertainment, authentic food, raffles, book signings, children’s activities and much more! If you’re looking for great Montana culture, there sure isn’t a better way to soak it up than at the Madison Valley Arts Festival!
Another great thing about Ennis is the abundance of outdoor art. To make things easy on you, we’ve created the Ennis Outdoor Art Tour Guide so you can easily walk your way through all the outdoor sculptures in the town of Ennis. Famous works from classic Montana artists like Jim Dolan and A.C. Lyon line the streets and sidewalks of Ennis and will inspire your day.
There is nowhere as breathtakingly authentic as Montana art and culture in Ennis. Visit us on your way to or from Yellowstone National Park off highway 287 and see what all the commotion is about. If you want a true western experience, then you know where to go – we’re waiting for you!