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Animals Unleashed at YAM

Yellowstone Art Museum

There’s a new exhibit at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings that’s all about animals. Visitors can even see some of these live critters up close Saturday, Nov. 5.

It’s called Unleashed: Critters from the Permanent Collection. YAM Senior Curator Bob Durden said the art is from the museum’s very own large collection.

“The visitor can see the usual range of wildlife so familiar within our region—antelope, elk, deer, domesticated cattle, horses, and a few surprises that are kind of hidden in the collection that we pulled for the first time,” Durden said.

He said it’s an opportunity for YAM to have some fun, and do something that is family and audience friendly. They have set up a bird wall and spotting scope so people can birdwatch in the gallery.

“Often time museums are pegged as being elitist institutions,” Durden said, “and this is an opportunity to let our hair down a little bit and have some fun and show that even museums have a sense of humor.”

Credit Yellowstone Art Museum
Jerry Cornelia's "Buford Firmly Believed That His Charm and Sense of Romance Could Easily Make Up for a Little Thing Like a Pot Belly

And there’s a tie in with ZooMontana.

There is a scavenger hunt for visitors age 18 and under to identify animals in the exhibit that are also residing at ZooMontana. The young participants can pick up a scavenger hunt form and visit both places to find those animals in common. Those participants coming from one institution in the scavenger hunt will receive free admission at the second.

And at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 5, ZooMontana will even bring some of their critters to the museum.

Durden said it is always pretty lively and fun. “Not sure what the zoo folks are bringing over but it’s always an interesting time, “ he said.

The Unleashed exhibit is up at the Yellowstone Art Museum  through Dec. 30.

Kay Erickson has been working in broadcasting in Billings for more than 20 years. She spent well over a decade as news assignment editor at KTVQ-TV before joining the staff at YPR. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, with a degree in broadcast journalism. Shortly after graduation she worked in Great Falls where she was one of the first female sports anchor and reporter in Montana.