Five Valleys Land Trust

Five Valleys Land Trust exists to protect for future generations western Montana’s natural legacy—our water, wildlife habitats, agricultural lands, and community open spaces. Working across 10 counties in the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, upper Clark Fork, lower Clark Fork, and Mission-Jocko valleys, their conserved lands provide the space to recreate, support wildlife, and preserve working ranches.

Five Valleys Land Trust started with local conservation efforts along river corridors, driven by a vision to keep western Montana's rugged mountains and small communities wild and deeply lived-in. Today, they still safeguard connected landscapes and healthy waters facing growing pressure from development.

Western Montanans enjoy accessible open spaces across Mount Dean Stone, protected agricultural lands throughout five river valleys, and conserved wildlife habitats at the Rock Creek Confluence.

Five Valleys Land Trust Website

Five Valleys Land Trust (FVLT) operates across the traditional homelands of the Séliš (Salish), Ql̓ispé (Kalispel / Pend d'Oreille), and Ksanka (Kootenai) peoples, who make up the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). The organization's tribal initiatives focus on honoring Indigenous land stewardship, incorporating cultural histories into public spaces, and protecting connected landscapes across western Montana.

Key aspects of Five Valleys Land Trust’s tribal engagement include:

• Indigenous Place Names & Interpretive Storytelling: At public open spaces—such as the 300-acre Rock Creek Confluence preserve east of Missoula—Five Valleys incorporates Salish place names (such as Np̓nétkʷ, meaning "Logs in the Water") into public signage, educational exhibits, and audio interpretation to highlight Indigenous history and enduring cultural ties to the land.

• Landscape-Scale & Watershed Collaboration: FVLT collaborates with tribal entities, government agencies, and regional conservation groups to protect critical wildlife corridors, healthy river ecosystems, and open spaces across 10 counties. This work prevents habitat fragmentation and safeguards ancestral hunting, gathering, and fishing areas.

• Indigenous Land Stewardship: By partnering with private landowners and managing community open spaces, Five Valleys uses conservation easements to preserve native plant communities and natural hydrologic systems, supporting traditional ecological knowledge and long-term land health.

For prospective artists-in-residence, these initiatives offer a foundation to explore themes of land memory, traditional ecological knowledge, cross-cultural stewardship, and the deep histories embedded in Western Montana's river valleys and working landscapes.

Because Five Valleys protects a wide network of landscapes, this residency offers a flexible, place-based opportunity tailored to the selected artist’s creative practice and interests.

Artists will have access to a number of sites within a 45-minute radius, under Five Valleys’ care, including:

• Public Community Open Spaces: Managed public lands and trail systems (such as mountain community forests or public river access points).

• Conservation Easements & Working Lands: Private agricultural ranches, timberlands, or historic family homesteads protected under long-term conservation agreements.

During the residency, Five Valleys leadership will connect the artist with staff experts, local historical resources (including the organization’s 50-year history archives), and local land stewards to inform their work. Details of specific locations will be shared during the artist selection process.

The artist will be based in Missoula and will need a personal vehicle to access outlying land trust sites and rural conservation properties throughout the valley. Most locations are within a 45-minute drive of Missoula.

Missoula is located in a mountain valley at the confluence of three rivers. The town features contemporary museums, independent galleries, a variety of restaurants and grocery stores, and an active downtown anchored by the University of Montana. With riverfront parks, mountain trails, extensive bike paths, and a zero-fare public bus system, visiting artists can easily navigate the city and explore the surrounding region.

Artists coming from out of town will stay at Open AIR’s Blue House—a beautiful, fully furnished residence located in Missoula's vibrant University District, just one mile from downtown. Each artist will have their own bedroom and will share two bathrooms, the kitchen, dining room, living room, backyard, and laundry facilities. Applicants will have the opportunity to share their housing needs in the Artist-in-Residence application.

For additional information: About the Blue House

There will be opportunities to connect with local landowners in the surrounding areas, and there is potential for artist-designed engagement in the community open spaces. 

In addition to an artist presentation, the artist will have the opportunity to teach a compensated workshop on-site if interested.

• READ ADDITIONAL FAQ’s document

• Open AIR is committed to accessibility. If the application process or fee poses a barrier,  please reach out to Rachel at program@openairmt.org