Inside Art Crossing

Mission Statement:

To place public art that enhances the cultural experience for Bozeman area residents and visitors to the Gallatin Valley.

Vision:

The Gallatin Art Crossing (GAC) exhibit hosts a variety of artwork introducing viewers to many artistic approaches. The main focus of the organization is to select and place sculptures throughout the Bozeman area. All sculptures, unless noted on their plaque, are available for purchase during their tenure in the program An additional goal of the program is to add at least one piece to our permanent public collection each year. The community assists in this process by voting for their favorite sculptures online which helps the board select the People’s Choice Award winner. The winning piece, along with two to three other pieces are then voted on by the GAC board for possible purchase and permanent placement.

Founding Partners:

Board of Directors:

	KATY HELGESON Vice President Katy has a background in design and interactive programming and currently works for herself as a freelance designer in Bozeman, Montana. She believes that technology is wonderful but also believes it is important to remember that we live in an amazing place and there is no comparison to seeing and experiencing art first-hand. This is the driving force behind why she is involved with Gallatin Art Crossing and why she looks forward to using her skills to help increase the community’s awareness and support for the great things the Gallatin Art Crossing is doing in the Bozeman area.
	LESLIE LARGAY Treasurer Leslie grew up going back and forth between California and Colorado. She graduated from San Francisco State University and moved to Missoula, Montana in 1995 where she raised her 3 active children and did mortgage lending for 17 years. In July of 2016 she relocated to Bozeman and is building her mortgage business in Bozeman and the surrounding areas. When not working or spending time with her kids Leslie enjoys her friends, traveling, yoga, hiking, golf, and skiing.
	EMMA LAATSCH Secretary Emma Laatsch has an extensive background in art, education, and public art; she has a BFA from Bowling Green State University in Ohio as well as degrees in Art Education and Special Education from Montana State. Emma is a middle school Special Education teacher and frequently draws from her artistic background to engage students in cross-curricular activities. She is mother to an active and energetic middle school student as well as to a small herd of four-legged family members. She has a small art studio at her home south of Bozeman and works primarily in cast iron and carved stone. She has exhibited work in Montana, Ohio, Alabama, and Pennsylvania including a variety of public art projects and collaborative sculptural works. Emma has been an active supporter of the arts in the Bozeman area for 15 years serving in a variety of roles across the valley.
	SUSAN DENSON-GUY Susan has more than 30 years’ experience working with education and outreach programs at museums, art centers, schools and state education agencies. She has experience in administration; physical plant management; marketing; membership services; exhibit installation, maintenance and programming; working with nonprofit boards; event planning; fund raising; program evaluation; and writing successful grants. Community association and involvement in the arts and culture; student and child voice; and civic awareness have always been important in her life and work.
	JAKUB GALCZYNSKI Jakub is a Project Manager at Farmer Payne Architects. He is drawn to the poetic and theoretical aspects of the design practice. Jakub grew up studying Sculpture and Architecture in Chicago, IL. He attended Montana State University from 2005-2012, before starting his career in Jackson, WY. Jakub has worked on a variety of project types, including collaborations with local sculptors. He recently returned to the community of Bozeman in 2018. Jakub admires various local sculptures, therefore gets excited when thinking about Gallatin Art Crossing’s vision. When Jakub is not in the office, he enjoys birding and long trail runs with his partner Delilah.
	SUSAN GREGORY Susan Gregory moved to Bozeman from Norman, Oklahoma, in 2011 to become the Director of the extraordinary Bozeman Public Library. She received her graduate degree in Library & Information Science from the University of Oklahoma and has worked in public library administration for more than twenty years. Susan has worked with various non-profit arts organizations in Oklahoma and believes in the power of creating partnerships between the public library, arts organizations and the community. The Bozeman Public Library grounds have been enhanced with art works from both the Bozeman Sculpture Park and the Gallatin Art Crossing since the Library opened on East Main Street in 2006. Susan works closely with the Bozeman Public Library Foundation to promote the growth of art both within and outside the Library building. With monthly Library visitors averaging 30,000 a month, the Library has become one of Bozeman’s premier gallery spaces for fine art.
	JADE LOWDER Jade Lowder was born on a reservation in Montana.  He received his BFA in painting from Montana State University in 2012 and his MFA in painting from Washington State University in 2015.  While attending both programs, Lowder connected with many of his fellow classmates creating collaborative efforts that have gone on to host gallery shows, experimental shows(such as a Drive-Thru Art Gallery and 24 hour exhibition), living room shows and figure drawing groups.  His latest solo exhibition, Make Sense, was an exploration of space, pop-culture and identity. Currently, Jade resides in Bozeman, MT where he teaches Drawing and Painting at Montana State University and continues to make work and seek out new and exciting exhibition opportunities.
	JIM ZIMPEL Born in Saint Paul Minnesota, Jim moved to Chicago Illinois at age eighteen. He attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago for his undergraduate degree and eventually traveled to New York for a graduate degree from The Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts (Bard College). For approximately ten years, prior to accepting the Assistant Professor of Sculpture position at MSU, Zimpel taught courses at Columbia College Chicago and managed the Art and Design Department’s Fabrication Facilities. Zimpel exhibits nationally and internationally and has attended numerous residencies abroad. The latest of such ventures was a six-week Russian government funded residency in Saint Petersburg.