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Sculpture Missoula honored for Silver Park project; public reception set for Sept. 17
Summary
Sculpture Missoula received Arts Missoula’s cultural vision award for creating the Silver Park Sculpture Park, a 15-acre reclaimed site; organizers invited volunteers and buyers and scheduled a public reception Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. to unveil five new works.
Missoula — Sculpture Missoula was honored at Arts Missoula’s annual awards for its work to transform an industrial site into Silver Park Sculpture Park, a 15-acre public green space that hosts rotating public sculpture and supports artists.
Accepting the award, co-founder Chuck Leonard described the project’s origins and collaborative model, saying the park uses juried national calls with two-year installations, artist stipends and private funding to sustain the effort. "The result is Silver Park Sculpture Park, an industrial site that has been reimagined into a 15 acre public green space where art, history, and landscape meet," Leonard said.
Leonard said Sculpture Missoula installed five sculptures in the first cycle (the transcript lists five works installed in fall 2025) and will place five more this coming September. He asked the community for volunteers and financial support, and invited the public to a reception "September 17th at 4:00" in the Silver Park pavilion to celebrate the new installations and meet the artists.
Leonard described partnerships with local volunteers, Hellgate High School welding classes, the Rotary Club and University of Montana art students during installation work, and noted that individual pieces remain available for purchase to help sustain the program. The project operates under a contract with the city for use of public space while Sculpture Missoula manages calls, insurance and maintenance.
The reception date and volunteer appeal provide concrete opportunities for community involvement; Leonard and Arts Missoula encouraged attendance and continued support to sustain public art and artist livelihoods in Missoula.
