[1] Lela Autio organized an exhibit of contemporary textiles — then a pioneering artform — created by Nancy Erickson, Dana Boussard within the space.
Autio, Missoula Mayor George Turman and his wife Kay and other community members and artists, organized in support of the conversion of the building to an art museum.
[11] It has grown to include artworks by prominent Native American artists like Corwin Clairmont, Gail Tremblay and George Longfish.
[13] The museum’s location and grassroots origins also contribute to the close relationships with Modernist artists from Montana.
Collection highlights include works by Rudy Autio, Frances Senska, Lela Autio, and Robert and Gennie DeWeese, as well as Maxine Blackmer, Freeman Butts, Walter Hook, and more.