OUR STORY
Sculpture Missoula began when Chuck Leonard, a sculptor, and Melissa Blunt wondered why did Missoula, which prides itself in its artistic community, not have a space devoted to outdoor sculpture?
That question resulted in a collaboration between the City of Missoula, Arts Missoula, and Sculpture Missoula to create an inclusive, barrier-free space to access sculptural art while establishing a means to support local and regional artists.
Space has been provided by the City, while all funding will be provided by Sculpture Missoula through private donations and grants. Sculptures will be located in Silver Park. The initial goal is to place 10 sculptures within the next two years. Following a juried art call, successful submissions will be installed in the park for one to two years. In return, artists will be given a stipend and their work will be available for sale to the public.
Patrons are encouraged to purchase pieces for their own collections or to donate back to the park. If a piece does not sell, the artist can then submit to another sculpture park in another community, thus developing a revenue stream. We also hope, if sufficient funds are raised, we will be able to commission work.
Success of this community sculpture park is totally dependent on private funding so we encourage you to donate. Most importantly, we encourage you to visit Silver Park often to enjoy public art! We anticipate the first art call will be in February 2025 with installations beginning August 2025.