In These Uncertain Times…

January to May 2021
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Eve & Burl (2020)
acrylic on canvas
20x20”

Eve & Burl was selected for an open call exhibition at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. The exhibition featured local artists responding to the pandemic. Eve & Burl was inspired from a photograph Montana’s friend, Lu (@lu.adami.art, luadami.com), took of their sister, Eve (eveadami.cargo.site), and their cat, Burl, on top of a cabinet during the early months of the pandemic.

Santa Cruz Visual Artists Network Show

February to March 2021
R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Chance Encounter (2020)
acrylic on canvas
24x30”

Climbing Together (2020)
acrylic on canvas
24x30”

During the pandemic, the Santa Cruz Visual Arts Council put together a virtual network of local artists called the Santa Cruz Visual Artists Network. In the spring of 2021, three galleries split the work of the artists for a show. Montana’s two pieces, Chance Encounter and Climbing Together, were hung in the R. Blitzer Gallery on the west side of Santa Cruz. It was the first time Montana saw art in public during the pandemic; it felt powerful.

While working from home, Montana noticed a green sprout slowly growing out of a pot in her yard. She kept an eye on it, and after growing taller and taller, it produced five gorgeous sunflowers. These unexpected flowers springing out of a difficult time inspired Chance Encounter.

If you look closely at Climbing Together, you may find two hidden figures climbing the purpley pink rock. Climbing Together is about cherishing those friends that take you on adventures.

Loma Prieta Holiday Craft Faire

December 2019
Loma Prieta Community Center, Los Gatos, CA, USA

In December of 2019, Montana had her first show selling work at a booth at a craft faire in her childhood community center. Having an art show in the Santa Cruz Mountains after having lived on the east coast for four years meant so much to Montana. In retrospect, she is so grateful she was able to have this show before large gatherings would become things of the past.

Senior Capstone Show

May 2019
List Art Center, Providence, RI, USA

For Montana’s senior capstone show at Brown University, she dedicated a wall of small paintings to memories with her friends. The painting of the CIT lobby (the small painting on the far right) was purchased by Brown University’s computer science department. It now hangs in the third floor atrium of the CIT. The yellow floral painting was later purchased by a family friend of hers in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Solo Show

December 2018
List Art Center, Providence, RI, USA

Montana’s first show at Brown University held nine large paintings. Each painting had a hand painted label with its title. The show had a mix of paintings that, while addressing quite different subjects, were all personal to Montana. In 2017, Montana image transfered all of the code she had ever written at that point in her life onto the canvas. Meanwhile, the tree and seahorse paintings added a natural element to the exhibition. The large Buffy painting would become the best selling print on her Etsy shop two years later. The abstract piece, in retrospect, would now be considered a window into the direction of her future work. Additionally, three of the paintings in the show were personal responses to the grief of losing one of her closest childhood friends in high school. Tessa Joy Davis was an adventurous goofball that brought so much life to everyone who was lucky enough to know her.

Juega

May 2018
Casa de Porras, Granada, Spain

While studying abroad in Granada, Spain, Montana took a painting course at Casa de Porras with Spanish artist Alhambra García Caballero (@telasanimadasdealhambra). She painted as much as she possibly could in Granada, painting on her host family’s terrace and after hours in the painting classroom. She made so many paintings, Casa de Porras offered her an exhibiton in their lobby. She named the show Juega after all the fun she had creating a collection of loose, expressive work for the first time.

El Estreno de Juega

May 2018
la terraza, Granada, Spain

To open the exhibition at Casa de Porras, an opening reception was held on the terrace of Montana’s host mom’s house. It was a beautiful event with a rainbow and stunning views.

a little pic from when Montana first fell in love with painting in 2017

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