Hockaday Museum

The Hockaday Museum of Art is an American art museum located in Kalispell, Montana, dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of art and history related to Glacier National Park and the state of Montana. Founded in 1969 as a community art center and later evolving into a collecting museum, it occupies a distinctive position in Montana's cultural landscape by focusing on the artistic heritage of the Flathead Valley and one of America's most celebrated national parks.

The institution originated from a 1967 assessment by the Flathead Branch of the Montana Institute of the Arts, which identified a pressing need for a dedicated art center in Montana's Flathead Valley. The Flathead Valley Art Association formed to address this gap, and with strong grassroots community support, opened the Hockaday Center for the Arts on February 10, 1969. It was named in honor of Hugh Hockaday (1892-1968), a commercial artist born in Little Rock, Arkansas, who trained at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts, built a career in commercial art, and later settled in the Flathead Valley where he pursued landscape painting inspired by the region's natural beauty. The museum initially functioned as a community art center offering classes, workshops, and rotating exhibits rather than maintaining a permanent collection. In 1998, it rebranded as the Hockaday Museum of Art, signaling its transformation into a formal collecting institution. The museum received a 2019-2021 Cultural and Aesthetic Trust Grant from the Montana Arts Council and earned the Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar/Candid. In September 2024, the board approved a further name change to the Glacier Art Museum, effective in 2025, following strategic planning focused on accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums and strengthened ties to Glacier National Park.

The permanent collection concentrates extensively on art and artists connected to the Flathead Valley, Glacier National Park, and Montana more broadly. The museum's holdings span paintings, photographs, writings, and memorabilia, with particular emphasis on Western art traditions and the cultural history of the region. A central feature is the Crown of the Continent, a permanent exhibition devoted exclusively to Glacier National Park. This exhibition presents photographs, writings, paintings, and antique park-related memorabilia, with individual artists and works rotating periodically while the overall focus remains fixed on the park's cultural significance. The collection also supports educational programming and community outreach, including hands-on activities in a Children's Discovery Gallery.

The permanent collection includes works by prominent Western and Montana artists. Represented artists include Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926), Olaf C. Seltzer (1877-1957), Ace Powell, Bud Helbig, Jeanne Hamilton, Russell Chatham, John Fery, Leonard Lopp, and Frank Hagel. Hugh Hockaday's own works are preserved as part of his legacy. The collection also encompasses works by Joseph Scheuerle (1873-1948) and Gary Schultz. The Crown of the Continent exhibition draws from this holdings base to present rotating selections of park-related material.

The museum is housed in the Carnegie Library Building, constructed in 1903-1904 with funding provided by Andrew Carnegie. Designed by a local architect in the Colonial Revival style, the building features a distinctive octagonal entrance topped with a dome on the northeast corner. The library operated until approximately 1968 before its conversion to museum use. Located at 302 2nd Avenue East near Main Street in downtown Kalispell, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits within the East Side Historic District.

The museum is located at 302 2nd Avenue East in downtown Kalispell, Montana 59901, near Main Street. The facility includes the Carnegie Corner Gift Gallery, which sells original local artwork. Amenities include wheelchair access and public restrooms. The museum operates year-round to serve both local residents and tourists.