Livingston Depot hosts Barbara Van Cleve artist’s reception & book signing

The Livingston Depot Museum will host a FREE public reception Friday, June 15th at 5:30pm in connection with its special exhibit, “Pure Quill: The Photographs of Barbara Van Cleve.” Van Cleve will speak about her photography and sign books, and light refreshments will be served.
“Barbara’s works are not just well-taken photos but a captivating insight into a rich Montana legacy and the Western experience,” said Depot Museum Director Laura McCarthy Cota.
The expression “pure quill,” in the language of the West, means “authentic; real, through and through,” and Van Cleve’s photos lend the expression a vivid authenticity that spans years. Born and raised on a working cattle and horse ranch in Montana’s Crazy Mountains, Van Cleve has focused her lens across decades on the land, people, and animals that animate it. In bold compositions and captivating textures, her photographs give the viewer a sense of the West’s vibrant personalities and real spirit. The Pure Quill exhibition was generated by the Sweet Grass Arts Alliance in Big Timber, under the auspices of the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association, and will tour participating Montana galleries through next year.
The Depot will also host other events during the summer including the Festival of the Arts, July 2nd–4th, and the Roundhouse Roundup on Thursday, July 19th.
This year, the Depot Museum exhibits are open through September 23rd. The Depot’s popular ongoing main exhibit “Rails Across the Rockies: A Century of People and Places” introduces visitors to the rich history of railroading in Montana. It pays special attention to the Northern Pacific and its central role in the opening of Yellowstone, America’s first national park, through Livingston beginning in the 1880s. In addition to its main and special exhibit, the museum also presents “The Livingston Depot in History and Architecture,” “Film in Montana: Moviemaking under the Big Sky,” and “Dude Ranches & Romancing the West,” examining how the national park contributed to early ecotourism and how dude ranching romanticizes, reflects, and shapes the region.
Operated by the Livingston Depot Foundation and located at 200 West Park, the Depot is open Monday through Saturday from 10am–5pm and Sunday from 1–5pm. There is a nominal admission, and group visits are also welcome by special arrangement. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Depot office at (406) 222-2300 or visiting www.livingstondepot.org.