The Hockaday Museum of Art presents Open Space, an exhibition by Alan McNiel, along with Featured Works by Theodore Waddell, March 5 - April 18, 2015. Both displays feature Montana's wide open spaces and four-legged inhabitants.

The Hockaday announces an exhibition of Montana artist Alan McNiel's works entitled Open Space that will be on display March 5 through April 18, 2015 in the Museum's main galleries. Featured Works by Theodore Waddell will complement the new exhibition's theme and be installed in the Museum's entrance gallery.

Alan McNiel's Open Space is series of paintings documents a unique time in history - a world with connections to the old west and the twenty-first century. Works in "Open Space" are both a reflection of the wide open spaces that surround us here in the Rocky Mountain west and also the idea of open space within a painting - where there's plenty of room for the thoughts and imaginations of others. Alan McNiel earned a Masters degree from the University of Montana, and has worked as an independent studio artist for over 25 years exhibiting in museums, galleries, and art festivals throughout the west.

Theodore Waddell is a native Montana cattle rancher renowned for painting freely rendered range animals roaming the vast plains of Montana. His paintings are a combination of rough strokes, thick paint and fine lines scratched into the canvas. When studying the work we get a glimpse of the fragility of life, our own mortality and the artist's sense of "how magical it all is!" Featured Works by Theodore Waddell will feature recent works from the artist as well as a selection from the Hockaday's permanent collection.

The opening reception for Open Space and Featured Works by Theodore Waddell will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, and the public is invited to enjoy free admission to the event. Visitors may return to the Museum during the exhibition and learn more by taking one of the docent-guided tours held Thursday mornings at 10:30 AM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM (included with guest admission). The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Hockaday Museum of Art is located in the cultural district of downtown Kalispell at 302 Second Ave East. It is housed in a 1904 Carnegie Library building that appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, open year-round, Tues-Sat from 10am-5pm. A wheelchair accessible entry and elevator are provided. For more information, please visit www.HockadayMuseum.org or call 406-755-5268.