Montana American Masters:

• Are recognized as exemplary practitioners of visual traditional art forms, and their work reflects the highest quality of craftsmanship, design, and authenticity.
• Have listened to the heartbeat of their community, learning their art form through informal study and by carefully watching, listening, and doing.
• Create works in depth and brilliance that deepen our awareness of the rich and diverse cultural and artistic traditions of the people of Montana.
• Actively participate in their art form, as a practitioner, a mentor, or teacher, in order to promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector.
• Adhere to cultural artistic traditions to preserve their art form, in the process contributing to the public visibility of traditional arts, crafts, and artists.
• Understand that as a reflection of their culture, their art is a living form that continues to be shaped by creativity and innovation.
• Act as a model for excellence and a conduit for process and inspiration, influencing other generations of artists working within the region and beyond.

Who is eligible to be selected for this honor?

• Awards are made to individuals, not to groups.
• No posthumous awards are given.
• An individual must be a practicing artist in traditional arts.
• The individual must have a valid Montana address as a permanent resident of the state.

What are the review criteria?

The folk arts are complex with a diversity of aesthetics requiring a broad range of criteria to encompass all the art forms. Consideration must be given to the traditional methods and techniques used, the skill of the artist, and the method in which they learned their art.

This award focuses on master artists, how they learned their art form, their body of work, and their contribution to their community and art form. As the embodiment of a tradition, the body of art should be of high quality, considering aesthetic excellence, workmanship, and authenticity. The artist's contribution should speak to how a cultural way has been sustained.

1. Artistic Excellence

The aesthetic qualities of the body of work depend on its design and how that design creates visual appeal, marries with the materials, and satisfies function. The design:

• Is visually appealing.
• Has components (color, texture, shape, proportion) that are balanced and relate to each other as a whole.
• Satisfies and even enhances the function.
• Reflects the artist's understanding of materials, their limitations and possibilities.
• Displays the artist's investment of time, thought, knowledge, and skill.
• Shows strength in the originality or tradition use of design.

2. Craftsmanship

The technique with which the art is executed in the body of work is important both to enhancing the design and in fulfilling the intended function of the pieces. The work:

• Demonstrates the artist's technical skill in working in the medium.
• Proves the artist's proficiency in the tools and techniques required for the work.
• Proves the artist's working knowledge of the medium, its qualities, and its limitations.
• Is constructed soundly, with a view to fulfill its function.
• Shows that the artist has paid attention to all details in the work.
• Illustrates the artist's mastery of the execution of the art form.

3. Authenticity

The authenticity of the work speaks to both honouring the past and giving to the future. The body of work of a Master artist:

• Reflects established traditions, forms, mediums of the culture or group it represents.Has become a significant part of its artistic tradition.
• Reflects individual growth and creativity within the tradition.

4. Contribution

Traditional arts are not created in a vacuum. Therefore it is important that the selection criteria for a Master include the individual's contribution to the community through sharing the art form and raising public awareness. A Master is:

• Held in respect by his or her peers and in the community, a position proven by the level of support and the awareness of their art form in the community.
• Has made on-going contributions to the excellence, vitality, and public appreciation of their art form through teaching, advocacy, organizing, and preserving their artistic tradition.
• Has contributed to the awareness of their art form by significantly increasing the public visibility of traditional arts, crafts, and artists.

MCAM Guidelines PDF

What is the Montana's Circle of American Masters?

“Montana’s Circle of American Masters in Visual Folk and Traditional Arts” celebrates the contributions of Montana’s master artists in visual traditional and folk arts. A member of Montana’s Circle of American Masters is a person who throughout their lifetime of work in the traditional arts has created a notable body of work. Of significant cultural and artistic stature, their work is representative of the historic, traditional, and innovative arts and handcrafts distinctive to the State and is worthy of note on both a state and national level. 

What are visual folk and traditional arts?

The visual folk and traditional arts include fine handcraft and decorative arts that are indigenous to a community (ethnic, geographic, linguistic, religious, occupational) or family. They reflect the aesthetics and values of the community in which they arise and are often symbols of a group’s identity. Examples include (but aren’t limited to) quilting, beading, saddlemaking, tole painting, ledger art, or calligraphy. Dance, songs, poetry, instrumental music, storytelling, and local architecture are forms of traditional arts not designed as visual. Food traditions, dialects, ways of celebrating, ways of work, and belief systems are placed in the broader category of folklife. All these grassroots ways of knowing have woven Montana’s rich heritage. 

Traditional arts are learned informally, through careful observation and practice, usually from elders and masters and often passed on from one generation to the next. They can be self-taught within a tradition. Although inherently created for specific use, traditional arts can move beyond functionality. Many of these arts, in spite of having roots in utility (quilt design, wheat weaving), have become primarily decorative. Because of this marriage of function and aesthetics, both qualities must be inherent in the art of fine handcraft. 

What is the purpose of this program?

The purpose of Montana’s Circle of American masters is to: 

• Identify and highlight Master Artists and their work exemplifying aesthetic achievements in the visual traditional, folk, and native arts in Montana;
• Recognize exemplary artists and their lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to the State’s traditional arts and fine had crafts heritage; 
• Honor and preserve the State’s diverse artistic and cultural heritage; 
• Deepen our awareness of the rich and diverse cultural and artistic traditions of people in Montana through educational programs, documentation, and media resources. 
• Promote public awareness of the importance of the creative sector, especially folk and traditional arts. 

What are the program's guiding principles?

As the state’s most eminent and notable folk and traditional artists, Montana American Masters: 

• Are recognized within their community as exemplary practitioners of visual traditional art forms, their work reflecting the highest quality of craftsmanship, design, and authenticity.
• Have listened to the heartbeat of their community, learning their art form through informal study and by carefully watching, listening, and doing. 
• Create works in depth and brilliance that deepen our awareness of the rich and diverse cultural and artistic traditions of the people of Montana.
• Actively participate in their art form, as a practitioner, a mentor, or teacher, in order to promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector. 
• Adhere to cultural artistic traditions and work in order to maintain the aesthetics and preservation of their art form, in the process contributing to the public visibility of traditional arts, crafts, and artists. 
• Understand that as a reflection of their culture, their art is a living form that continues to be shaped by creativity and innovation.
• Act as a model for excellence and conduit for process and inspiration, influencing other generations of artists working within the region and beyond. 

What are the benefits of this honor?

Honored traditional artists will benefit from their designation as  a Montana American Master in several ways: 

• In a Capitol Rotunda ceremony, join the ranks of artists of their ilk, Montana’s best traditional artists. 
• Have professional photographers record their work free of charge, with that record then archived.
• Have the opportunity to share their knowledge and work on the Montana Arts Council website. 
• For state and regional exposure, provide work for a catalogue and potential exhibition. 
• If they so wish, be featured in a special web gallery space on the State’s Made in Montana site.
• Participate in a video interview. 
• Share information about their art form to a wider public. 
• Have the opportunity to participate in events such as the National Folk Festival in Butte, Montana. 
• Receive recognition at public events and through state, local and national publications. 

Who is eligible to be selected for this honor?

• Awards are  made to individuals, not to groups. 
• No posthumous awards are given. 
• An individual must be a practicing artist in traditional arts. 
• The individual must have a valid Montana address as a permanent resident of the state. 

How is a member of the Montana's Circle of American Masters selected?

Step 1:

• Any Montanan may recommend for consideration an individual who meets the eligibility criteria. To start the selection process, fill out the Nomination Form as completely as possible, including the short artist’s bio. This form provides necessary basic information about the artist.

Step 2:

• Gather the supporting information requested in the form of letters showing community support, newspaper and magazine articles, website sources or any videos (Section 7).

Step 3:

• Gather the requested photographic documentation of the artist and their work (Section 8). Photographs should be of high quality in order to fully and accurately represent the depth and brilliance of the body of the nominee’s work. 

Step 4:

• Submit the materials gathered. Electronically is preferred, to: mac@mt.gov. Hard copies can be submitted to: Montana Arts Council, PO Box 202201, Helena, Montana 59620-2201.

Step 5:

• The Montana Arts Council will review the materials received and will contact the artist in order to gather any additional information and documentation necessary to prepare the information packet for review by a recognized expert in the medium in which the nominee works.

Step 6:

• When an information packet is ready for review, the recognized expert will examine the nomination and supporting materials using the guiding principles and review criteria.

Step 7:

• The expert will make a recommendation to the Montana Arts Council for Circle of American Masters recognition. The Council will make all final decisions.

What is the deadline for submitting materials?

• Nomination forms are accepted year-round and are submitted for review when they are deemed complete and all supporting information has been gathered. The Council receives recommendations for the Circle at its regular meetings held twice to three times a year.