A Week in the Life of a Hutterite Child
Dufresne & Cobb Foundations Gallery
August 15 – October 18, 2008
Reception August 21, 2008 - 5:30 – 7:30 pm*
We invite you to examine rural life through the eyes of children from Hutterite colonies in Central Montana. The communal and religious life led by members of these colonies is often misunderstood and curiosity about these communities has often given way to myth. Cheryl Bannes, artist and traveling art educator has worked in the Montana Arts Council Artist in Schools and Communities Program in Central Montana for six years. During this time, she has served as an Artist-in-Residence (also sponsored by Vision, Strengths and Access (VSA) of Montana) and has worked with many of the Hutterite colonies providing art instruction to the children. With funding from the Jerry Metcalf Foundation of Helena, Montana, Cheryl distributed instant, disposable cameras to participating students who selected a particular week in which to document their visual experiences. The exhibition is a survey of photographs culled out from over 1,200 photographs taken by the children. The images reveal the enthusiasm of youth and the commonalities of life we share in the largely rural Montana environment.