Yellowstone Art Museum

The Yellowstone Art Museum is making its collection available on-line.
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The YAM collects American art with an emphasis on progressive contemporary art from the northern Rocky Mountain and northern Plains regions. Collecting began soon after the museum's founding in 1964. In 1984, with a major grant from the Montana Cultural Trust (coal tax fund) and generous donations from private individuals, the YAM began to build what is now the largest permanent collection of significant contemporary art of the region.

Today all of the permanent collections number over 7,300 objects, including both art works and archival pieces. Key collections are:

The Montana Collection is the YAM's defining collection, including nearly 2,000 works of art inspired by the realities of today's West. Some of the many artists represented are Rudy Autio; John Buck; Deborah Butterfield; Freeman Butts; Russell Chatham; Robert, Gennie, and Josh DeWeese; Edith Freeman, Isabelle Johnson; Richard Notkin, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith; Bill Stockton; Peter Voulkos; Theodore Waddell; Jessie Wilber; and Patrick Zentz.

The Virginia Snook Collection is the largest public collection of the drawings, paintings, books, and memorabilia of cowboy illustrator Will James (1892-1942). The Snook collection also includes paintings and drawings by other historic regional artists, including Joseph Henry Sharp and Charles M. Russell.

The Poindexter Collection contains work by New York Abstract Expressionists. The collection was donated by the Poindexter family who for many years ran a leading contemporary art gallery in New York City and who had ties to Montana. The Montana Historical Society in Helena has a related Poindexter Collection.

The Vogel Collection includes 50 works of Minimalist and Conceptual art donated by Herb & Dorothy Vogel. The YAM was the Montana recipient of the Vogels' program in 2009 to donate 50 works to each of the 50 states from their immense and important private collection.

The Peter Norton Family Christmas Project Collection includes contemporary works by artists of international significance, including Nina Katchadourian, Takashi Murakami, Yinka Shonibare, Do-Ho-Suh, Kara Walker, and others.