The city of Bozeman is a college town, with a large School of Art, hence scads of resident artists. This lead to a sincere dedication to the arts by the City of Bozeman, resulting in dozens and dozens of works on display throughout the city. Certainly the largest gathering of art works is at the Bozeman Public Library, the majority of the works located in an art park behind (south of) the library,
Bozeman Sculpture Park.
The work of sculptor Danny Kraus,
Wind Catcher is a somewhat imaginative kinetic sculpture. In order for
Wind Catcher to actually function obviously required more than simple imagination, as the centre section, which spins slowly when it catches the wind, is completely symmetrical. We never did figure out the aerodynamics behind how it works, but it does. The outer, diamond shaped frame, while mounted such that it can be made to turn, cannot be turned by the wind, but CAN be turned by any passerby.
Constructed entirely of various pieces of steel plate and tubing,
Wind Catcher stands about 8 feet (2 - 2.5 metres) in height, supported by a large section of steel pipe.
Danny Kraus
For over three decades, Kraus called a patch of ground alongside the Jocko River outside of Arlee his home. But over the course of his lifetime, he sought out encounters with the forces of nature all over the globe—working on fishing and research vessels on the Pacific, working with big cats in Africa, and elephants in Oregon.
His sculptures give voice to the elemental forces he so loves, and their imprint on him. Holding a drawing he made of Buddhist monks meditating in front of Mount Fuji, Danny makes a point about how and why he makes art. Like those monks, his art making process allows him to be “still before the hugeness of the world but creating and entering into the beauty of it, and becoming part of it and not separate from the nature.
From Gallatin Art Crossing
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 (G.A.C.) 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 G.A.C. board for possible purchase and permanent placement.
From Gallatin Art Crossing