Flathead River in Paint Art Auction supports Owen Sowerwine Conservation Project

“Flathead River in Paint” Gallery Opening – Wednesday, Nov. 9th, 6-8 pm

Join the Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners this Wednesday, at 6 pm, for the “Flathead River in Paint” event at the Montana Modern Fine Art. The event will kick off a fundraiser led by the Flathead Land Trust to support the Owen Sowerwine conservation project.

Paintings completed by 14 artists in “plein air” will be on display at the Montana Modern Fine Art gallery for one week following the event. An online silent auction of the paintings will provide funding to permanently conserve Owen Sowerwine, with half of the proceeds going to the painters.

The “Flathead River in Paint” event is also a celebration of twenty years of conservation by landowners and Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners. The paintings capture the beauty and diversity of protected lands along the Flathead River and Lake.

For more information about the artists, please visit www.flatheadlandtrust.org/event/flathead-river-paint.

The Flathead Land Trust has proposed to purchase a conservation easement on Owen Sowerwine to protect its natural values, continue current public uses, and provide funding for K-12 schools. This proposal recently received extensive positive support from the public through a scoping process with the Department of Natural Resources Conservation.

Owen Sowerwine conservation project video

Because of this public support, Flathead Land Trust, the Flathead Lakers, and Flathead Audubon are beginning to fundraise in earnest for Owen Sowerwine as they need to raise an estimated $775,000 to complete this important conservation project. Two large funders have committed to providing a third of the needed funding and the partners have until September 2023 to raise the remainder (Photo credits: Eric Witts, Flathead Lakers).

You can support the project today with a donation to the Flathead River to Lake Conservation Fund to help fund this project. Thank you!