The sculpture, Cattin' Around, was crafted by talented artist Mike Hollern. He created this whimsical, ferrous cement depiction of a sprawled alley cat in 1991. The piece was commissioned by the City of Missoula Public Art Committee.
Cattin’ Around features a small puddle of water on the cat’s back to create a birdbath. It was the creation of the skeletal steel for Cattin' Around that led to Mike's interest in creating welded steel sculpture. He has since created many pieces using the medium. Mike has always been eclectic in his choice of media, having done works in stone, bronze, wood, ferro-cement and now steel.
A short bio, from Mike's website, follows.
About Mike Hollern
Artist Mike Hollern is a native of the Big Sky Country and has made his living creating sculpture and creative landscape works utilizing native Montana stone for the last thirty years.
Samples of Mike Hollern’s works dot Montana as well as the Pacific Northwest and include several public art projects. Mike’s works run the gamut from the representational to the abstract and range from wood and bronze to landscaping and cement.
One of Mike Hollern's larger bronze works is located at the Grizzly Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana. He has created several pieces utilizing ferro-cement as a medium, most notably “Cattin’ Around," a large whimsical version of an alley cat located in Missoula, Montana. The creation of the skeletal work for “Cattin’ Around” led to a new interest in creating welded steel sculpture. Since then, Mike has created strictly sculptural pieces in welded steel as well as some functional works such as trellises, planters, fire pits, and fountains.
One of his latest creations utilized welded steel, stonework, and a bronze casting of an egret to form an indoor waterfall.
Familiar with a table saw, Mike has created numerous works in wood for his patrons, from custom-made dining room sets to one-of-a-kind entertainment centers.
Mike Hollern has one of the more beautifully landscaped yards under the Big Sky, shaped with tens of thousands of granite, glacial till rocks rocks brought down from Canada and left in the fields of Montana eons ago with the retreat of the glaciers. With his trusty old backhoe and occasional side help, Mike Hollern has created both private and commercial custom landscape works.
From Big Sky Sculpture