Walk on the Wild Side

Celebrating art and nature in Downtown Bozeman.

Take a look around as you stroll down Main Street, your favorite trail, or on your daily commute: natural beauty abounds. Many local artists draw on natural muses, whether it’s the Bridgers to the east, a magpie perched in a quaking aspen, or coyotes yipping on the outskirts of town. The Downtown Bozeman Art Walks are a wonderful way to celebrate the natural splendor of our special corner of the state, and the artists who capture it.

Each summer, the Downtown Bozeman Association (DBA) partners with art galleries, retailers, and the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture to host the monthly art walks, from June to September. Local coffee shops and clothing stores open their floors to artists, offering them gallery space to display and sell their work. With dozens of businesses participating—and a new roster of artists each month—there’s something for everyone.

As vehicle traffic morphs into foot traffic from Grand to Church, the streets fill with chatter and laughter as people come together to enjoy the art of the area. Follow the DBA’s downloadable map—or just go where the crowd takes you—into galleries, boutiques, and jewelry stores. Take the time to chat with artists, locals, and tourists alike. Be sure to poke down side streets and meander along Mendenhall and Babcock, to peruse hotel lobbies, gift shops, and other off-the-beaten-path options, minus the Main Street bustle.

And if the interior offerings aren’t enough, an outdoor pop-up market draws strollers and artists alike. With canopy tents lining the street, color and creativity flow forth from all directions—whether it’s glass mugs painted with vibrant trout patterns, patchwork textile pieces resembling Montana mountain ranges, or images of local flora & fauna pyrographed onto keychains and Kinco gloves.

Come celebrate the deeply connected network of local artists who find inspiration from the plants, animals, and landscapes that surround us.

Birdhouse Collective hosts this market; they’re an organization dedicated to supporting local artists and makers. Founded in March 2024 by three local artists—Mia Thomas, Maren Stubenvoll, and Aubrey Fite—who happened to be booth neighbors, the group boosts both local community and commerce, connecting art enthusiasts with their new favorite pieces and artists with resources.

One of those artists is Allie Daly, who paints delicate, detailed scenes onto animal skulls and other bones. For Daly, the art is deeply meaningful—both from a personal perspective and an ecological one. “Each piece tells a story,” Daly explains. “It’s like a time capsule, capturing a period in the animal’s life. I’m inspired by the natural world and the cycles that sustain and connect all of us.”

A self-taught artist, Daly has experimented with nearly every medium, from doodling on her mom’s coffee table as a child to carving, jewelry-making, and painting. But her current focus—painting skulls—emerged just a few years ago. Each piece imparts what she calls a “micro story.” One skull shows a northern shrike (a type of raptor) paired with a yucca plant. The shrike impales its prey on yucca spines, saving it for later. Another piece depicts a kestrel with a grasshopper—two species bound by the timeless predator-prey relationship.

“Everything is a story,” Daly says. “For hunters commissioning a piece, we talk about the hunt—where they were, what the skull means. All those elements play into how the art is actually created.”

Her work doesn’t shy away from ecological tension, either. On a set of painted ram skulls, she draws attention to a non-native species brought from northern Africa to Texas for sport hunting. The rams are depicted alongside native species like the lesser long-nosed bat and the saguaro cactus—both of which are adversely affected by ecological disruptions.

Like other Bozeman artists, Daly’s inspiration always circles back to the landscapes around her—the very same ones we all hike, fish, and camp in on weekends. She and her husband live in the Bridgers, and she believes that without wild spaces, her art simply wouldn’t exist. “If I didn’t have access to the outdoors, I don’t think I would have that same inspiration,” she says. “That’s why access to public lands is so incredibly important. They bring art into our world.”

Another artist is Ronnie Turpin, whose work spans acrylic painting, photography, bronze sculptures, and jewelry—each piece rooted in a life shaped by wildlife, landscape, and adventure. For Turpin, artistry was a skill he worked to develop, inspired early on by his older brother who was a painter. “I have no formal training in the arts,” says Ronnie, “But I prayed that God would use my hands to produce works that would tell of his greatness.”

Turpin’s artistic journey took a major step forward when he opened a gallery in Jackson, Wyoming. There, he invited late artist JD Challenger—famous for his Native American paintings—to spend a summer working out of the space. The collaboration proved to be a turning point, bringing success, exposure, and a deeper understanding of what was possible within the art world. Big Sky country continues to shape Ronnie’s art, evident in the way he vividly captures Western themes with apparent appreciation and authenticity.

Today, his subjects range from women to landscapes and detailed portrayals of animals—particularly world-record game. Having successfully hunted record sheep himself, Turpin brings firsthand experience to these pieces. But his relationship with hunting has evolved. “These days,” he says, “I hunt with my camera.” That outlook is reflected in his gallery prints, which feature a variety of images from around the world, capturing wildlife in an especially close and intimate way.

Turpin’s art is also deeply personal. After the loss of his son, his work took on an added layer of meaning. Today, proceeds from his art go toward helping children in need.

So come celebrate the deeply connected network of local artists who find inspiration from the plants, animals, and landscapes that surround us. Grab a friend, or roll solo and make a new one there—with good company, beauty all around, free snacks, and wine, what more can you ask for?

In the meantime, get outdoors, look around, and get inspired. Next time you’re outside, take a moment and just be. Appreciate the beauty around you, listen for the song of a black-capped chickadee, look for the bright flash of a monarch butterfly, and feel the gentle tickle of the wind as it brushes past you. When you’re in nature, art is everywhere—give yourself the chance to enjoy it.

To learn more about the summer Art Walk series, visit downtownbozeman.org.