MINE: Excavating Ecologies – Brown Bag Presentation
Open AIR’s place-based Artist-in-Residence program connects artists from across disciplines with culturally, historically, and ecologically significant locations through partnerships across Montana. This fall, we welcome artists Eric Jensen, Lane Chapman, and Manette Bradford to share their creative process and experiences during their recent residencies in the Upper Clark Fork region.
Jensen and Chapman completed residencies in partnership with the Clark Fork Coalition, sharing a studio at the Cottonwood Field Station for close collaboration and creative exchange. Bradford’s residency took place at the Hungry Hill Art Center in Butte, Montana, a location deeply rooted in the region’s mining heritage.
About the Artists
Manette Rene Bradford – Artist-in-Residence at Hungry Hill
Raised in a family of visual artists, Manette developed a deep understanding of craftsmanship and creative process from an early age. She earned her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2001 and was awarded the Montana Art Gallery Director's Association Exhibition Sponsorship for Unsettled Lands, a touring show (2024–2026) appearing at institutions including the Montana Museum of Art and Culture and C.M. Russell Museum. She has exhibited in solo and group shows in San Francisco, Chicago, and across Montana, and was featured on Resounds: Arts and Culture on the High Plains in 2023. She lives and works in Red Lodge and Billings, Montana.
Visit Manette's Website »Eric Jensen – Artist-in-Residence at Cottonwood Field Station
Eric is an abstract landscape painter interested in uniting diverse ways of understanding the natural world. Drawing from science, spirituality, and contemporary art, his work seeks to inspire ecological preservation and shift cultural values toward sustainability. Born in Utah and raised in Virginia, Eric earned his MFA in painting from the University of Montana and now lives outside Missoula. His practice critically examines how society perceives the land and integrates art with conservation efforts.
Visit Eric's Website »Lane Chapman – Artist-in-Residence at Cottonwood Field Station
Originally from small-town Arkansas, Lane began as a painter and illustrator before moving into ceramics. She earned her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2017, followed by residencies at the Flower City Arts Center (NY), The Clay Studio of Missoula, and Wildfire Ceramic Studio. Currently an MFA candidate at the University of Montana, Lane’s work continues to explore form, function, and material experimentation in clay.
Visit Lane's Website »
Event Details
The Brown Bag presentation will be held at noon on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in the auditorium at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives (17 W. Quartz Street). The program lasts about an hour. Guests are encouraged to bring a sack lunch; coffee and water will be provided.
Brown Bag Lunches take place on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, featuring topics of local interest. For more information, call (406) 782-3280.