Bozeman was founded in August of 1864 by John Bozeman, a frontiersman from Georgia who led wagon trains west to the gold fields in the Montana Territory along the Bozeman Trail, a cutoff of the Oregon Trail. The town served as a supply hub for prospectors looking to strike it rich near Bannack and Virginia City.
Bozeman became the county seat of Gallatin County in 1867.
The city of Bozeman is a college town, with a large School of Art. If you stroll through downtown Bozeman, you will find 50 to 60 sculptures, all with their own unique stories.
The Gallatin Art Crossing Sculpture Park may be one of Bozeman's most intriguing amenities.
The Gallatin Art Crossing (G.A.C.) 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.
Butterfly
Artist: Kirsten Kainz
Medium: Recycled Steel
Location: Emerson Center For The Arts & Culture
Location Sponsor: Emerson Center For The Arts & Culture
Kainz is a working artist. The natural world inspires Kirsten's work. Her art captures the best of what is beautiful and helps us find a place of honor for it in our lives. You may be familiar with her large iron animal sculptures found in many public places or her paintings of ephemeral landscapes and bold horses. Her subjects and materials evolve quickly and are unlimited. All of her work loops back to one common source which is her deep-seated love of the natural world.
While achieving her BFA in metalsmithing at SIU, Carbondale, IL & Curtain University in Western Australia. Working with metal stole her heart and now she includes painting in her practice.
Kirsten and her husband now live in South Western Montana where they raise their four wild girls, host many animals, run a brewery, and try to make the most out of living in a beautiful place.
Her paintings and sculptures are featured in public and private collections around the globe.
Source: Kirsten Kainz
Butterfly by artist Kirsten Kainz is an excellent transformation of recycle metal into a delightful work of art. The butterfly is supported by an auger. The wings are a filigree of artfully sculpted metal. This is a stunning piece and stand about 7 feet tall.