On Thursday, December 10, the Hockaday Museum of Art invites visitors age 60 to enjoy free admission to the Museum for Senior Tour & Tea Day. Guests may enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and cookies from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and one of the Museum's trained volunteer docents will greet guests at the front desk area for an educational tour that begins at 10:30 AM. This month, the Hockaday offers guests an opportunity to experience two very popular exhibitions.

Wild and Free: Photographs of North American Wildlife is an exhibit by world-renowned wildlife photographer Donald M. Jones. The exhibit will feature hand-selected photographs of a wide array of animals and birds indigenous to North America. Don says "It was very difficult choosing the images for this show; there was certainly no shortage of subject matter. I pulled a number of images that were special for me-- images that I hope will draw a sense of calm and peace from those who come see the exhibit." Each image shown in Wild and Free represents a moment in time where Don was able to witness and capture a subject doing what he or she does in her routine of surviving another day. All of the images are printed on canvas and displayed with a gallery wrap. Don prefers canvas to the traditional paper or modern metal prints as he believes that "canvas gives feathers and fur a more realistic appearance."

The Museum continues its 14th year of exhibitions featuring artist members' works with the 2015 Winter Members' Salon. Hockaday members who are artists, either by vocation or by avocation, submit one piece of their recent artwork in the media of their choice. The 2015 Winter Members' Salon assures diversity with a wide variety of media that comprises glass, sculpture, pottery, textile, photography, jewelry, as well as paintings in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and dye on silk. Many pieces will be offered for sale at fixed prices with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Hockaday's mission "to enrich the cultural life of our community and region, and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park."

Senior Tour & Tea Day is sponsored by The Daily Inter Lake, Medical Arts Pharmacy, Sykes Pharmacy and KGEZ Radio in Kalispell.

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 private nonprofit organization, open year-round, Tues-Sat from 10am-5pm. The mission of the Hockaday is to enrich the cultural life of our community and region, and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park. For more information, please visit www.HockadayMuseum.org or call 406-755-5268.