Art by Artist-In-Residence Terri Porta Being Installed

Following more than a year of development under the Mobilize the MAGIC City project, art sculptures by Billings' first artist-in-residence, Terri Porta, will be installed soon. The first two sculptures will be installed on new bulb outs at the intersection of 10^th Ave. N and Ave. C on Friday, April 19. The installation date of the third art piece is being scheduled.

Porta, selected through a competitive process in late 2022, aimed to engage the community and create two creative placemaking hubs along Billings' first neighborhood bikeway. The neighborhood bikeway is a route that follows local streets where bicycle travel is prioritized. It runs from North Park to north of Rose Park.

After engagement with art classes at McKinley Elementary School, which is along the neighborhood bikeway, Porta decided to feature children's artwork in her pieces. Her artistic decision to work with the children of Billings is rooted in her own journey as an artist and mother, and discovering her own artistic ability in the midst of her son's youngest years, with him becoming a source of inspiration.

Porta further engaged students during the United Way CARE Academy at Highland Elementary and the community-wide Saturday Live event. During these art sessions, she asked students to think about the world they live in every day. Her goal was to celebrate and empower the children and their community involvement.

The students' art takes center stage in Porta's pieces, which she dubbed "giant public art hugs." Placed at 10^th St. W and Ave. D, "Kids' Fridge" features artwork from 180 students on tiles that spin in the wind. Porta likes to showcase physical movement and encourage interaction with her work. The pieces will be placed on new concrete bulb outs intended to help slow traffic along the bikeway.

At the small triangular park located at N. 32^nd St. and Ave. C, "Funky Frames" will feature six works of art created collaboratively by the students in the Highland United Way CARE Academy. The piece will be placed on a circular concrete base featuring quotes from six Montana artists meant to encourage creativity in students and the community.

Both installations feature a vibrant pink frame, which is one of Porta's signature colors and is reminiscent of the bitterroot flower, Montana's state flower. According to Porta, "these sculptures are more than a piece of art in a park, they are a conceptual exercise of childhood recognition and a journey into universal principals."

Porta, along with the Mobilize the MAGIC City leadership team, comprised of the City of Billings, the Billings Arts Association, Healthy By Design, a community health coalition sponsored by Billings Clinic, Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital, and Riverstone Health, and Triia, an arm of the Native American Development Corporation, engaged the community in a range of events to help inform Porta's installations. From walks in the park, to bike rides, to tabling at events like Strawberry Fest, the opening of the Eagle Seeker Community Center, the Active Life Festival, and more, Porta and the team learned about community values, the types of art the community wanted to see, and the value that the community sees in public art. Through these activities, project staff learned that the community views neighborhood beautification, community pride, and crime prevention as the top three values public art brings to the Billings area.

In addition to Porta's pieces, artist Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee) will be installing two sculptures in the boulevard at 7^th Ave. N. and N. 22^nd next to North Park. This installation features new concrete bulb outs. Gladstone's pieces represent traditional Blackfeet symbols for men and women and will be painted with the Rimrocks, the Yellowstone River, the Billings Skyline, a teepee and traditional beadwork styles from the tribes that traditionally call this area home. More information about Gladstone's sculptures will be available in an upcoming press release.

Funding for this project was made possible through the National Endowment for the Arts' Our Town grant program and private donations.

A series of ribbon cuttings will be planned for this spring and summer to celebrate the three new art installations. Details will be forthcoming.

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