ERA Landmark proudly announces our current Guest Artists showing in our downtown Bozeman office! Stop by to view the Art Pod's beautiful mixture of artwork now and stop by on April 29th from 4-6 pm for a reception!

About Art Pod

In the Spring of 2006, after finishing a 12-week Artist's Way Workshop, Mardie Louis realized her need:  "As an artist, I do not need to be rich, but I do need to be richly encouraged.  I decided to open my home to a "creative cluster" of like-minded artists.  My goal was to create a group that would break down isolation where the artists believed in each other and their creativity.  Creativity and success flourish in clusters and are born of generosity."

Coming together with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, skills, and talents, this group has remained cohesive, nurturing, and compassionate through the years.  Membership in the group has remained constant, despite individual life changes with each artist contributing to provide a safe and supportive space for the group to pursue its love of creativity.

The Art Pod group began meeting weekly as a drawing group returning to basics and has evolved into creators of collage art, ceramic art, oil & acrylic painting, watercolor, pen & ink, charcoal portraiture, calligraphy art, pastel, dye on silk, and more. The members have been happily creating together and showing their art for fifteen years.

The group decided to call themselves the "Art Pod" because of their passion to create and the close friendships that developed.  The Art Pod consists of past members of the Montana Institute of the Arts (M.I.A.) and several were officers.  M.I.A. later became the Southwest Montana Arts (SMArts). Since the recent dissolution of SMArts, the members are now part of BAM (Bozeman Art Museum).

Meet the Artists

Margaret Bach "Margaret Bach has been painting flowers and landscapes since she was a young girl. Having a passion for the natural world and a poet's soul, she is inspired to take a closer look with a desire to express herself through her art."

Gloria Dennis "After a move to Montana in 2000, and a few years in private practice as a clinical social worker, I retired to enjoy traveling and spending more time painting in watercolor, oil, and photography. My interests are ever-changing but finding form-shape-color-light and shadow in landscapes are always present in my work."

Cheryl Farmer "Cheryl Farmer has been painting watercolor, pastel, and oil paintings since 2002. She loves working with color in painting."

Marge Fehrer "Marge Fehrer is a native Bozemanite who works in both watercolor and dye on silk since 1975."

Merna Kolstad "I enjoy painting flowers and scenery from Montana in watercolor. Painting is a relaxing hobby for me."

Mardie Louis "The scent of clove oil and turpentine always evokes loving memories of my two artistic grandmothers who both told me, 'People aren't born with artistic talent, they learn the skills by taking lessons!' Their philosophy encouraged me to explore all kinds of creative directions including pottery, 'lost wax' and 'sand casting' methods of jewelry-making, pyrography, and painting."

Shirley Pass "A Bozeman native who works in watercolor and acrylics. Landscapes, figures, and travel are her passions."

Shirley Robinett "Shirley Robinett has developed her own style of collage by using painted paper or recycled paintings. She cuts or tears them into pieces and then assembles them into layers, often adding a variety of materials to adorn each image. Each brilliantly-colored and whimsical image tells its own story and is often a reflection of her own personal struggles and triumphs. Robinett earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from Montana State University and currently resides in Bozeman, Montana."

Eileen Tenney "Spontaneity and imagination are almost always part of Eileen's work. Now knowing what she's going to put on the paper or canvas is the most rewarding process for her. Clay was her medium of choice for many years, before adding drawing, painting, and collage. Her art has always come from the inside out. She enjoys the camaraderie of her artist friends and meeting with them weekly has added pleasure to her life."

Priscilla Westesen "I have enjoyed creating artwork since being a child and always have loved color and design. As an adult, good times are working on a painting in mostly watercolor or acrylic and getting 'lost' in the process as hours fly by. Art friends and workshops have added enjoyment to this art-filled life."

Our Pledge

ERA Landmark has always approached hanging artists in our office a little differently - instead of taking a commission from art sales, we ask our artists to donate a small percentage towards a local charity or nonprofit near and dear to their hearts. The Art Pod has pledged to donate various percentages of their art proceeds to Reach, Inc. a local nonprofit organization in Bozeman providing services to adults with developmental disabilities. To further help support Art Pod's cause, ERA Landmark will be price matching a donation of up to $250 as well towards the same association.

Join Us For a Reception!

There's no better time to come meet and greet all of these talented artists than April 29th from 4-6 pm! Hosted by ERA Landmark, there will be wine and light appetizers and great conversation all around! We hope to see you there.