Artists Revive A Forest with Eco-Friendly Sculptures in Lincoln, Montana

Artists are transforming 37 acres of forest in Lincoln, Montana, with nearly two dozen new sculptures.

Justin Tyler Tate and Jesse Blumenthal, working with Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild, are creating public art that intertwines with local land management practices. This initiative marks a significant shift in the use of a Forest Service-managed site that had been silent for several years, reactivating it as both an environmental and cultural space.

Since May, the artists have explored the site and crafted sculptures from local materials like shipping pallets, windfall spruce, and native plants. Tate describes the work as architecture designed primarily to benefit non-human species and support the surrounding environment. Blumenthal emphasizes that each piece responds specifically to Forest Service land management and seeks to deepen public awareness of the landscape. Visitors, estimated at around 50,000 annually, can observe the sculpting process in real time as the artists continue their work through next week.

This project could offer Montana’s business community insights into how art and environmental stewardship may intersect to enhance public land value and visitor engagement. The blend of culture and conservation on a large forest site might inspire similar creative collaborations elsewhere in the state’s varied landscapes.

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Where art meets the wild: artists create new sculptures in Lincoln
By Madelyn Heath, KTVH