Val Knight (1905–1990) was a self-taught modernist painter whose quietly passionate life in Great Falls, Montana, yielded a bold and deeply personal body of work. Rooted in early spiritual discipline and later shaped by formal studies under Jack Franjevic at the College of Great Falls. Works on exhibit emphasize her fused intuitive experimentation with modernist techniques across a range of media—oil, watercolor, pastel, encaustic, and even cattle markers. Her expressive landscapes and impressionistic portraits reflect the influence of European movements like Expressionism, Cubism, and Symbolism, yet remain unmistakably her own. Knight’s commitment to artistic exploration and community led to the founding of Gallery 16 in 1960, a vital cooperative for regional artists. She painted until her final days, leaving behind a vibrant, category-defying legacy. The works on exhibit are drawn primarily from the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art’s permanent collection—the largest museum collection of Val Knight’s art—offering a rare and resonant look into the vision of a truly original Montana modernist.

This exhibition is curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Exhibitions at the museum are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana, and the National Endowment for the Arts. We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana's cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, Davidson Family Foundation, D.A. Davidson, Montana Credit Union, Hotel Arvon, First Interstate Bank, Gordon McConnell, Theodore Waddell & Lynn Campion, an anonymous donor, and Kelly’s Signs & Design.