Clark Fork Coalition

The Clark Fork Coalition is dedicated to protecting and restoring the Clark Fork River basin.

For almost four decades, the Clark Fork Coalition has worked to restore and sustain the Clark Fork River and its tributaries, ensuring it can flow with clean, cold, and abundant waters for generations to come.

The Clark Fork Coalition applies scientific, technical, legal, and educational expertise to address the challenges faced by our rivers and advance restoration opportunities now unfolding throughout the watershed.

The Artist-in-Residence will be housed in the Dry Cottonwood Field Center, a house with a live/work space located on 5 acres in the Deer Lodge Valley.

Clark Fork Coalition Website

The Artist-in-Residence will be housed at the Dry Cottonwood Field Center.

The Dry Cottonwood Field Center was built about 15 years ago, so everything is modern, although the house has a rustic feel with wood floors, wood furniture, and a fireplace in the living room. An enclosed sunroom off the back of the house can be used as a studio space. The Clark Fork River is just a quarter mile away, and the neighboring ranch is part of a large block management area during hunting season.

The house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There are two twin beds in each bedroom. There is a fully stocked kitchen, charcoal grill, washer and dryer, wifi, and laptop-friendly workspace. The yard has a horseshoe pit as well as a fire pit.

The house offers 360-degree views of the mountains and the Clark Fork River. The house is in an ideal location for fishing, hunting, bird watching, and hiking.

The Artist-in-Residence will need a car to get to and from the site.

While the house is single story, there are three stairs leading up to the house and no wheelchair access.

The artist will have access to Clark Fork Coalition staff based in Anaconda and Missoula and be invited to gain insight into the ecological importance of the Clark Fork River and the impact of restoration and protection efforts.

The artist may have access to additional partners, including those that occasionally access the Dry Cottonwood Field Center, such as state agencies, local universities, and other partners doing research on the river.

Additionally, this artist is in geographic proximity to other Open AIR artists working in Butte and Philipsburg and will be invited to connect with one another during their residency.

In addition to a public presentation, if the artist is interested in engaging with the community, the Clark Fork Coalition can help facilitate connections has an office in nearby Anaconda.

The Dry Cottonwood Field Center is located on 5 acres in the Deer Lodge Valley, near Galen, just a mile east of I-90. It adjoins a privately owned working cattle ranch. The Clark Fork Coalition ran the ranch for 16 years while working with the state on Superfund cleanup and restoration along the river. In 2021, the Coalition’s partners sold the ranch to a Montana family while the Coalition retained the field house, conservation easements, and public river access.

The towns of Anaconda and Deer Lodge are just a 15-minute drive away. There are a number of nearby public access opportunities for fishing, hiking, and nature viewing if you would like to explore the area. There is also public access to the Forest Service land up Dry Cottonwood Creek Road, and the Continental Divide trail is nearby.

A Clark Fork Coalition office branch is located in Anaconda, Montana.