July 28 – December 2026

This exhibition presents a rare collection of vintage 1871 William Henry Jackson alberttypes that are the first depictions of Yellowstone National Park. Jackson was privileged to be appointed the official photographer for Ferdinand Hayden’s epic governmental exploration of the Yellowstone Plateau during the summer of 1871. These images created the first large assemblage of photographic images taken in Yellowstone and were used to produce multiple alberttype copies to be used in the congressional effort to establish Yellowstone as our first national park.

March – Sept 12, 2026

Between 1930 and 1941, Montana experienced one of the worst droughts in modern history. Coupled with America’s Great Depression, Montanans struggled to scratch a living. Throughout the 1930s, the Farm Securities Administration sent photographers, Arthur Rothstein and Marion Post Wolcott to document the realities, grit, and hope the times. Their images create one of the most vivid and lasting collections of New Deal Montana.

 

Exhibit Sponsor: First Montana Title

March – December 2026

From its earliest days, Billings has been a city shaped by transportation, commerce, and community gatherings—and nowhere was this more evident than in its breweries and saloons. Having a Beer in Billings explores the role of beer in the city’s social and economic life. Through artifacts, photographs, and stories, visitors will discover how beer helped bring people together, fueled early business ventures, and left a lasting mark on Billings’ culture. Raise a glass to history, and step into the city’s spirited past.

 

Exhibit Sponsors:

Bill and Anne Cole
Montana Brewing Company
Angry Hank’s Microbrewery

Hazel Hunkins Hallinan, Billings Suffragist (WHC Traveling Display) – On view at the Western Heritage Center for August of 2020.  A 1908 graduate of Billings High School, Hazel Hunkins Hallinan was one of the most influential feminist leaders of the 20th century.  This exhibit will travel throughout Montana beginning in May of 2020.

C&A Grant from the Montana Arts Council sponsored:  “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.”