Wednesday, May. 7th, 2025

Bozeman City Commission Appoints Interim City Manager to Permanent Role

BOZEMAN — The Bozeman City Commission announced today its appointment of Chuck Winn into the permanent role of City Manager for the City of Bozeman. Winn has been serving as Interim City Manager since February 2024.

“Chuck Winn stepped into the Interim City Manager role at the request of the commission and quickly earned the trust and respect of the City Commission, city staff and the community." Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham stated. "We're thrilled that Chuck has agreed to serve as Bozeman's next City Manager. We're a dynamic community and this is an important time in our history. Having an experienced leader with deep roots in the community will serve us well as we collectively plan our future.”


Winn is the longest-tenured city employee, beginning his public service as a volunteer firefighter, working his way up through the ranks to Fire Chief, then taking on additional leadership responsibilities as Bozeman's Assistant City Manager. He was then appointed to Interim City Manager after the resignation of the previous City Manager.


“Serving in the interim role has been an amazing privilege, and I am deeply honored to continue working for this city in a permanent capacity,” stated Interim City Manager Winn. “I remain committed to serving our community alongside our incredible staff.”

Winn’s appointment is scheduled to be confirmed by the City Commission on May 13 and become effective May 14, 2025.

Those interested in learning more about this appointment and the role of the City Manager can contact the City Manager’s office at 406-582-2306.

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A passion for printing: Montana State’s letterpress collection documented in artist books

Students in the Montana State University School of Art display pages from artist books printed by the on historical techniques using MSU's letterpress. Photo courtesy MSU School of Art

BOZEMAN
— More than 400 cases of metal and wood letters line the shelves of Montana State University’s letterpress studio.

The pieces of type, made from carving letters into wood blocks or by casting metal molds, range in size from the length of a pinky finger to 8-inch wooden letterforms. They are inked and pressed onto sheets of paper to form sentences and designs.

Letterpress art formed the basis of modern graphic design, from the first Chinese woodblock-printed text to the popularization of movable metal type in 15th century Europe. Artists at MSU have access to one of the largest type collections in the state, with some pieces dating back to the 1850s, said Ashley Fuchs, associate professor in graphic design for the School of Art.

“If this type could talk, it would have a lot of stories,” she said.

This academic year, Fuchs and her students printed each typeface in the collection onto hand-set artist books. Such books celebrate the artistry of how the book is made more than the physical book that’s produced, she said.

The books — filled with specimen pages showcasing typefaces for creative and educational purposes — put a creative spin on chronicling type by font style, size, origin and location in Haynes Hall’s Courier Press studio. Sales of the books, titled "Type Specimen M” and “Type Specimen S,” will help fund student educational trips to artist book fairs across the country.

“Organizing the collection is so important to preserve knowledge of what we have and acknowledge where it came from,” Fuchs said.

“Type Specimen M” documents MSU’s metal type collection. Fuchs and her students hosted workshops for 70 attendees to devise themes for each page over the course of four years. Topics range from contradictory food combinations, such as “SweeTARTS crumbled on pizza,” to “the vocal improvisation of scatting in jazz” and “commentary on pop culture.”

“These typefaces are vessels for a wide variety of opinions or historical time frames,” Fuchs said. “What individual letters can form together as a group and what they can say is a really interesting concept.”

Rylee Dunn, who graduated from MSU in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, helped Fuchs create the metal type book and led community workshops after taking the junior-level letterpress course. She said she enjoyed collaborating with other artists on a research-driven design project, working on a “living map of history” and merging it with the modern risograph printer. MSU’s risograph printed colored designs on transparent sheets overlaying the pages of historic letterforms.

As an added bonus, Dunn said it was impactful to see her name printed in the credits of a resource that art students will use decades from now.

“I remember as a young girl having the dream of being an artist ending up in a history book,” she said. “In a roundabout way, that dream has kind of been fulfilled.”

Dunn is currently a freelance graphic designer in Bozeman with previous experience in apparel design and development. Even though she has graduated, she still enjoys printing type by hand without the option to “undo.” It is important for modern designers to connect with historical processes to understand the thought and skill behind their work, she said.

Providing readers with a glimpse into the handmaking experience, “Type Specimen S,” documents MSU’s wooden type collection. For example, crackly wood type from a clothing company in Boston dates to about 1857, called a “twofer” for having both a letter and an image carved into opposite sides of a wooden block.

Jason Rigg, a senior at MSU studying graphic design, helped print the book’s cover and will assist Fuchs in her latest project, “Type Specimen U,” to conclude the “MSU” book trilogy. The printing process is nearly complete and features MSU’s halftone portrait collection, in which photographs are developed onto metal sheets and placed onto wooden blocks for printing, he said.

Nearly all the portraits can be traced to Park High School’s senior class of 1955 in Livingston. Most images were unidentified, but Fuchs matched an obituary to a Livingston man’s halftone portrait, which displayed his name in faded cursive. Scouring digitized yearbooks from the town’s historical society, Fuchs then identified the man’s entire graduating class.

Rigg likens the discovery process to a treasure hunt. He helped organize and identify pieces of the portrait collection as part of an independent study with Fuchs.

While initially wary of the letterpress — Rigg is dyslexic, and letters are carved into pieces of type so they appear backward — he quickly fell in love with the medium, which he said is a combination of Lego and art.

“Now it’s my favorite thing in the world,” he said. “I would live in a letterpress studio if I could.”
Last summer, Rigg interned with Hatch Show Print, one of oldest print shops in Tennessee, where two MSU School of Art alumni work full time. He produced designs for six clients, including restaurant chain Raising Cane’s and performance artists Pat Benatar and Luke Bryan.
Fuchs, who hangs a “Print nerd for life” poster on her MSU office door, said she feels a deep sense of pride from instructing the next generation of letterpress designers and “carrying the baton forward.”

“I know I’m not going to be here forever, and MSU’s studio will outlast me. The materials will outlast me,” she said. “But I’m hopefully contributing to the larger sense of conserving this craft and this shared history.”

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Give Big Gallatin Valley Raises $2.8 million for 259 local nonprofits

One Valley Community Foundation’s Give Big celebrates a major milestone, surpassing $20 million raised over the past 11 years.

Gallatin County, MT — Community generosity took center stage as One Valley Community Foundation’s 11th annual Give Big Gallatin Valley raised over $2.8 million for nonprofits serving Gallatin County. The 24-hour giving initiative, held May 1–2, rallied over 5,500 donors in support of 259 local organizations, providing essential unrestricted funding to nonprofits working across every sector—from housing and healthcare to education, arts, conservation, and more.

This year’s effort also marked a major milestone: since its founding in 2015, Give Big Gallatin Valley has raised more than $20 million for 489 nonprofits throughout the region.
“Give Big is about more than just fundraising—it’s about community,” said Bridget Wilkinson, President & CEO of One Valley Community Foundation. “Each gift is a vote of confidence in the nonprofits that serve our region every day. Surpassing $20 million raised since 2015 reflects not only the power of this initiative, but the deep care Gallatin County residents have for one another.”

Although the official giving window has passed, the platform at GiveBigGV.org will remain open through Tuesday, May 6 at 11:59 p.m., allowing community members a last opportunity to give.
Now entering its second decade, Give Big Gallatin Valley, powered by One Valley Community Foundation, continues to be one of the region’s most impactful and unifying annual traditions.
“We are honored to invest in Give Big through our partnership with One Valley Community Foundation to support regional nonprofits and to strengthen the bonds within our community; Community giving encourages a legacy of generosity, purpose, and shared success where every contribution makes a meaningful impact,” said Ryan Rodriguez, Senior Program Officer at Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Give Big’s headline sponsor since 2018. Because Strong, Vibrant Communities Don’t Happen by Accident

About Give Big Gallatin Valley
Give Big Gallatin Valley is a 24-hour celebration of giving powered by One Valley Community Foundation. Since its inception in 2015, the initiative has raised over $20 million for 489 local nonprofits through the generosity of thousands of donors. Give Big connects people who care to causes that matter and fosters a stronger, more vibrant Gallatin County. Learn more at GiveBigGV.org.

About One Valley Community Foundation
One Valley Community Foundation is the nonprofit organization that identifies and addresses the priorities and concerns of Gallatin County with the intent of making the greatest positive change while charting a path and helping to maintain what makes our Gallatin Valley communities unique. One Valley does this by connecting donors with the causes they care about, managing funds to strengthen local communities, offering tools and opportunities to support local nonprofits, and facilitating collaboration to accelerate solutions to regional challenges. One Valley hosts multiple community-wide initiatives, including the Gallatin County Regional Housing Coalition, a convening of diverse partners working to address housing affordability and attainability in Gallatin County. For more information, visit www.onevalley.org.

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Gallatin County Sheriff's Office investigating multi-agency vehicle pursuit

On May 6, 2025, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, and Montana Highway Patrol, were involved in a vehicle pursuit following a reported road rage incident involving a weapon.

At approximately 1:21 p.m., law enforcement responded to reports of a road rage incident in which a weapon was brandished. The suspect fled the scene, prompting a multi-agency pursuit. During the incident, a Bozeman Police vehicle was struck by the suspect’s vehicle. One officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and his K-9 was uninjured. One adult male is in custody.

The Bozeman Police Department has requested the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office investigate the matter. This is an active investigation; more details will be released later.

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Baldy Mountain Stranded Hiker Rescue

On May 3rd, 2025, at 6:32 p.m., Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call from an individual who was stranded on Baldy Mountain. The subject had attempted to travel from the Bridger Ridge trail toward the Sipes Canyon trailhead and encountered deep snow. After “post-holing” in waist deep snow in shorts and a t-shirt for a time, the subject had superficial injuries to the legs and was cold and exhausted.

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies requested GCSSAR assistance to locate and assist the subject. The subject had adequate food, water, and cell phone battery, but no warm clothing. The determination was made that the safest course of action would be a helicopter rescue, which would more quickly mitigate the risk of hypothermia and not require rescuers to risk their own safety while post-holing in the dark.

The subject remained in contact with rescuers via cell phone and was able to regain the ridge, where they were picked up by the GCSSAR Heli Team and Central Copters Inc. and flown to the Search & Rescue facility at the Bozeman Fairgrounds. The subject did not require any further medical attention and was given a GCSO courtesy ride to their hotel.

Gallatin County Sheriff Daniel Springer would like to thank Central Copters and the SAR Heli team members who ensured a successful rescue. Furthermore, he would like to remind hikers that conditions at altitude are often not the same as at the trailhead, especially in the spring, so it is always a good idea to bring warm clothing and dress in layers. Finally, when pressed for time, a shortcut may seem like a good idea, but it is better to return by the known safe route you took to get there, as alternate routes may have unexpected hazards.

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Tuesday, May. 6th, 2025

How Can I Select Prescription Drugs Online?


There are legitimate pharmacy websites that provide privacy, convenience, cost savings, and security while buying medications. Every webpage is different. Many dangerous internet pharmacies advertise that they can provide prescription medications at steep discounts, frequently without a prescription, according to the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Outside of the regulations that licensed pharmacists observe, these online pharmacies frequently sell unlicensed, fake, or otherwise dangerous medications. People can get medical certifications and consult with qualified physicians remotely through NextClinic, an online healthcare portal.

Speak with a medical professional

The healthcare professional will evaluate your symptoms, medical history, and any pertinent lab or diagnostic data during the remote consultation. For discussing your health issues, the physician will diagnose you and decide whether you need prescription medicine for therapy. To guarantee precise diagnoses and suitable treatment regimens, telehealth practitioners are taught to pose probing questions.

The pharmacist manages drug interactions and keeps an eye on your prescriptions.

It is crucial that you inform the pharmacist about all of your medications, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. This makes it easier for the pharmacist to keep an eye out for any possible interactions and give you the information you need to safely manage your prescriptions online.

The Pharmacy Complies with Privacy Laws to Protect Your Personal Information

Trusting a pharmacy is having faith in their ability to protect and maintain the privacy of your sensitive health information. Select a pharmacy that provides comprehensive details about how your prescription and private data are safely kept on a server that complies with HIPAA. Make sure that only your healthcare practitioner has access to your information and that they have your consent.

Bonus: Resources and Information

In order to educate their clients and strengthen the bond between them and their pharmacy, certain online pharmacies may produce material (blogs, email subscriptions). This might provide you with a better understanding of the pharmacy's values and resources, even though it might not directly address the pharmacy's reputation. Therefore, before making a choice, it could be wise to look over the pages on their website.

Verification Procedure and Prescription Requirements

Prescription validity: A legitimate prescription is crucial since it guarantees that you are getting the appropriate drug for your particular ailment. It also aids in stopping the usage or misuse of specific drugs.

Procedures for verification: Before distributing prescription drugs, trustworthy internet pharmacies will always need a legitimate prescription from a certified medical practitioner.
Select a trustworthy telehealth supplier

Choosing a reliable telehealth provider is the first step when ordering prescription drugs online. Seek out a service with a user-friendly UI, a license, and good client evaluations. Making sure the telehealth provider respects patient privacy and confidentiality and conforms with state and federal laws is crucial. Doctors will evaluate your needs and provide prescriptions online the same day if you just submit your request using our safe portal.

Verify the legitimacy of the drug sale

An authentic online pharmacy would never put illegal pharmaceuticals on its website. The Pharmacy Council ought to certify these online pharmacies. Finding out the pharmacy's licensing by researching its details on other pertinent websites is a crucial way to confirm the e-pharmacy you choose to purchase medication from. Steer clear of buying prescription medicines from websites or mobile applications that frequently sell them without a prescription.

Support for Customer Service

A pharmacy should maintain a relationship with its customers even if it operates online. Seek out a drugstore that respects client opinions. Choose one that is also simple to get in touch with. Is that their sole email address? Or do they offer open direct messages on social media and a phone line to assist you or respond to any inquiries you might have? The more accessible, the better!

Authenticity and Product Quality

Medication source: It's critical to pick an internet pharmacy that purchases its drugs from reliable producers and distributors. Examine their suppliers' details and see if they have relationships with reputable pharmaceutical firms.

Medication authenticity: Genuine drugs will have distinct batch numbers that can be compared to the manufacturer's documentation. Additionally, take note of the medication's packaging. Make sure the packaging seems authentic and professional, and look for tamper-evident seals.

Fill out a medical survey

This includes explaining your symptoms and documenting any pertinent information. The information you give will be used by our medical staff to assess whether the drug you have chosen is suitable for your condition. Please take note that we handle data with extreme caution, guaranteeing its privacy and confidentiality. We will authorize the prescription if you have identified the appropriate course of action, enabling you to finish your order.

Get your prescription filled online

The healthcare practitioner will electronically send the prescription to a partner pharmacy or the pharmacy of your choosing if they decide that prescription medication is necessary. To ensure a smooth process, some telehealth companies might even offer pharmacy services of their own. To guarantee that the medication is delivered to the right place, precise contact and address information is crucial.

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Monday, May. 5th, 2025

City to Invest $26 million in 2025 Infrastructure Construction Projects

BOZEMAN  — The City of Bozeman’s Department of Transportation & Engineering and Department of Utilities announce 12 capital projects totaling $26,315,882 coming in the 2025 construction season. These improvements focus on a shared commitment to renovating existing infrastructure while investing in new capacity to mitigate the demands from growth within the Gallatin Valley.

Utility renovation and replacements include 5,012’ of sewer main, 7,375’ of water main, and 1,236’ of storm main along eight different streets across three separate neighborhoods. Capacity projects will construct a sewer lift station and force main from the Riverside Community to the city Water Reclamation Facility for improved environmental quality by reducing nutrient impacts on the East Gallatin River and improvements to the city’s water infrastructure on its Sourdough Intake. City Streets Division will perform more than one mile of street paving associated with the utility improvements to reduce impact on the community and save taxpayer funds that would typically be spent on contractor services.


Transportation improvements include a mill & overlay of S 19th from Main Street to Kagy Boulevard in coordination with the ongoing Montana Department of Transportation mill & overlay of N 19th from Main Street to I-90 creating smooth pavement for over 3.5 miles of the busiest arterial street in southwest Montana. The city will also continue its “Friction Seal” treatment of local subdivision and downtown streets to reduce the impacts of traditional tar and chipping. Three safety projects will add a mid-block crosswalk on Oak Street near Gallatin High, construct permanent median restrictions at Oak Street and Flanders Mill following the city’s successful pilot project, and complete permanent construction of the city’s Black Avenue Bicycle Boulevard. Finally, new capacity to manage growth will include the connection of N 27th between Baxter and Cattail with a 2-lane Collector street, shared-use paths on both sides of the street, a traffic signal at Baxter Lane, and a roundabout at Cattail Street.


Project funding includes a mix of grants, Impact Fees paid by development, and city assessments for improvement to existing infrastructure.

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Catching on: FWP, MSU ask anglers for help with trout research in southwestern Montana

BOZEMAN – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff, in cooperation with Montana State University, have begun the second year of tagging trout in the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby and Madison rivers.

This effort is part of ongoing research aimed at understanding trout declines and fish health concerns in rivers in the upper Missouri River Basin. When anglers report these tags, it helps researchers better understand how environmental conditions and other factors contribute to population recruitment, survival and mortality of trout.  

“This is a great chance for anglers to take an active part in this research that will benefit the fishery,” said FWP Fisheries Manager Mike Duncan. “We need your help. Please report the tagged fish you catch.”

Each tag has a unique number and will be attached to the fish near the dorsal fin. Anglers who catch a tagged fish should use clippers to remove the tag as close to the skin as possible while minimizing handling time and exposure to air for the fish, then submit a report for each tagged fish they catch from the four rivers mentioned above. These reports will include information such as the tag number, date, location, condition of the fish, gear type used, and whether the angler released or harvested the fish.

A how-to video on this process is available on FWP’s website.

Anglers who submit reports may be eligible for rewards. Anglers who report blue tags will be entered into regular drawings for gear and fishing trips. Yellow tag reports are each worth $100.

Anglers may encounter fish that are still carrying tags from last year. These tags may be covered with a thin film of algae, making them less noticeable. However, the same reporting process and reward opportunities apply to these tags.

Anglers can submit reports by visiting mtcfru.org/msutag or by calling 406-994-2384.

Anglers and other river recreationists may also meet staff from MSU while on the river. These creel clerks will be interviewing recreationists as part of the research effort.

This research kicked off in 2024 after annual sampling in 2023 found fish numbers to be at or near historical lows in sections of the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers. Since then, FWP has been working closely with MSU to study fish mortality, recruitment and health.

To learn more about the cooperative research, click here.

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Friday, May. 2nd, 2025

Tinworks Art Announces 2025 Exhibition A Kin to Clay

Bozeman, MT—For its 2025 exhibition season, Tinworks Art will present A Kin to Clay. Celebrating the remarkable legacy of clay in Montana, this exhibition explores the relationship between a diverse but connected group of artists who have worked with clay and earthen materials to uncover shared histories and creative affinities.

“Clay and earthen materials are distinct because they hold the stories of the landscapes and hands that have shaped them,” said Jenny Moore, Director of Tinworks Art. “When artists work with these materials, they participate in a dialogue that spans generations and cultures. This exhibition invites audiences to see clay not as a material, but as a vessel of cultural memory that embodies resilience, transformation, and a profound sense of place. These ideas are central to our vision at Tinworks Art.”

At the heart of the exhibition is the work of beloved Bozeman artist and teacher Frances Senska (1914- 2009). Senska, who founded the ceramics department at Montana State Universtiy in 1946, is celebrated for her dedication to working directly with the land and her community—digging wild clay, building her own kilns, and nurturing generations of artists such as Montanans Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos. She was also instrumental in establishing the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026. A selection of Senska’s double-spouted vessels and ceramic partridges will be on view, alongside the work of Marguerite Wildenhain (1896-1985), the first female master potter of the Bauhaus. Wildenhain fled Nazi Germany and later founded Pond Farm, a pottery studio in Northern California where she trained Senska. She also led an early influential workshop at the Bray.

The exhibition continues with A Clay Sermon, a video installation by Chicago-based contemporary artist and potter Theaster Gates that he filmed while in residence at the Bray. His practice evokes the power of ceramics to carry stories of labor and craft, survival and strength. His video installation will be presented alongside a selection of his Brick Reliquaries and work inspired by Peter Voulkos. The exhibition will also include vessels by poet-potter David Drake (c.1800-1870s), an enslaved man in South Carolina who signed and inscribed poetry on his crafted pots as an act of resistance at a time when it was illegal for enslaved people to be literate. Gates inspired a reconsideration of Drake’s pottery, as a testament to the human will to endure and to create, and has included Drake’s pottery in several of his own exhibitions.

Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile will be onsite through June 2025. Chaile, known for his monumental earthen sculptures, will reconstruct his adobe vessel Ella vendrá a pagarle todo (She will come to pay him for everything), first presented at BAMPFA, which references family members and Indigenous ancestors, as well as forms that repeat throughout visual culture, taking on new significance with each new context. In addition, Chaile will present a new work in the form of an earthen communal oven. Each month through the exhibition season, Tinworks will invite the community to bake bread in the oven sculpture from flour harvested last year from Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield—An inspiration. The seed is in the ground.

Denes will continue her activation of Tinworks’ field with a new ecological artwork, Sunflowers—to Follow the Wheat. The field of bright pink sunflowers chosen by Denes will help rejuvenate and restore the land at Tinworks, demonstrating nature’s resilience while bringing a sense of surprise and beauty to the community.

A dynamic element of the exhibition is an open call from Tinworks to Montana’s clay community to submit work for inclusion in A Kin to Clay. These works will highlight the vibrant and diverse contemporary ceramic practices found throughout the region. Displayed as an acculumation, they echo the way generations of artists-in-residence left vessels throughout the grounds of the Bray, in reflection of both this creative community and of the transmutation of raw earthen material to enduring creative expression.

More information can be found at tinworksart.org

Long-term View

Support

In addition to seasonal exhibitions, Tinworks presents work on long- term view by artists who have been commissioned to make new work for the site or who have been in residence.

Layli Long Soldier’s I don’t trust nobody but the land was commissioned in 2023. Installed on the façade of a former grain storage building and highlighting a line from Long Soldier’s published poem, Whereas, the work is a multi-dimensional exploration of Indigenous identity, cultural memory, and the interplay between language and landscape.

Wills Brewer, 2024 artist-in-residence, created A Repetition of Histories, layering harvested seed and soil, discarded brick, regional clay, sand, and compost to create an adobe work representing regeneration, reciprocity, and the development of Bozeman’s NE neighborhood. His lightbox photograph,
A Tornado is a Ladder You Can’t Climb Down, is inset in Tinworks’ north facing façade, in dialogue with the public trail on Tinworks’ site that will soon be developed into a city street.

Public Programs

Family and Community
June 21 through October 18
Tinworks’ free family and education programming includes daily drop- in activities in our Family and Community Space, summer art camps, family resources, workshops for adults and children, monthly film screenings, and a variety of poetry, storytelling, and creative events. Tinworks offers free exhibition tours and accompanying activities for area schools, clubs, and social groups.

Roots in the Sky
August 23 and 24
Montana’s premier chamber choir, Roots in the Sky presents
Lucid Bodies, a meditation on the legacy of earthen materials and our ties to the landscapes we call home through works by Alex Berko, Michael Gilbertson, Caroline Shaw, and Dale Trumbore, and including four world premieres of pieces written for Roots in the Sky as part of its 2025 Choral Composition Program.

Gallatin Clay Tour
September 6 and 7
Visit curated open studios across the Gallatin Valley for presentations of new work by regional artists working in clay and ceramics.

Isabel Shaida and Naomi Shafer
October 3, 4 and 5
Movement artists Shaida and Shafer present Kafka’s Monkey,
a theatrical adaptation of Franz Kafka’s A Report to an Academy. A daring one-woman performance that touches on themes of origin, autonomy, and collective responsibility.

Tinworks is grateful for all of our supporters whose generosity makes everything we do possible. A special thanks to our Board of Directors, Founding Director’s Council, American Bank, KGLT, Minarik Architecture, and Yellowstone Public Radio for their continued commitment to our exhibitions and programs.

Partners

A special thanks to our partners: Bozeman Public Library; Gallatin Conservation District; Gallatin Valley Food Bank; KGVM; KGLT; MSU, College of Art and Architecture; MSU, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology; MSU, Hilleman Scholars; and The Rialto.

About Tinworks Art

Tinworks Art is a non-profit art space in Bozeman, Montana. Tinworks brings together artists, their work, and community in evolving spaces, where art meets the American West. Tinworks welcomes everyone and presents exhibitions that are free to all.

Tinworks Art is located at 719 N Ida Ave in Bozeman, Montana and is currently open seasonally through the summer and fall. For more information and hours of operation, visit tinworksart.org.

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Regarding the Proposal for Gallatin County to enter into an interlocal agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain non-local undocumented immigrants at the Gallatin County Detention Center

BOZEMAN - One of the key functions of the County Attorney is to provide legal advice, much like general counsel, to the Gallatin County government, including the County Commission. In this role, County Attorney Audrey Cromwell identifies legal risks that can inform County decisions and equip the Gallatin County Commissioners to 1) work within the bounds of the law and 2) ensure the County is not exposed to unnecessary legal risk or costly litigation. 

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s office has recently proposed entering into an interlocal agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain non-local undocumented immigrants at the Gallatin County Detention Center. The proposal to dedicate 10 beds to hold a potential 1,200 non-local ICE detainees annually, exposes Gallatin County to significant legal liability and compromises the County’s ability to serve its own community members. 

Under the Tenth Amendment, states and localities cannot be compelled to enforce federal immigration laws (Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997)) and any voluntary participation exposes those governments to legal risks when constitutional rights are infringed. The U.S. Constitution ensures that every person in the United States—regardless of immigration status— has the fundamental right to due process. Undocumented status is a federal civil enforcement, rather than criminal: ICE detainers and administrative warrants are issued for alleged civil violations of immigration law, not criminal charges and, as such, are not reviewed by a judge to determine if they are based on probable cause. The civil nature of these warrants coupled with the federal government’s current willingness to circumvent constitutional safeguards in the name of expediency has led to recent errors and documented violations of due process (See recent U.S. Supreme Court cases Noem v. Abrego Garcia, 145 S.Ct. 1017 (2025) decided April 10th, 2025 and A.A.R.P. and W.M.M. v. Trump, 24A1007, order issued April 19th, 2025). 

By entering into an interlocal agreement with ICE, detentions at the Gallatin County Detention Center later found to be unlawful could cost Gallatin County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, in litigation costs. In January 2025, Suffolk County in New York faced a federal class-action lawsuit concluding with the court finding the county’s detention practices of undocumented immigrants unlawful and the county responsible for up to $60 million in damages. Additionally, in Galarza v. Szalczyk, 745 F.3d 634 (3d Cir. 2014), a U.S. citizen was wrongfully held on a civil ICE detainer leading to significant damages against the local government. These and other cases indicate the significant risk associated with inadvertently participating in unlawful ICE detentions. 

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department’s assertion that under the proposed ICE contract, only undocumented immigrants charged with crimes would be housed at the County’s already overburdened facility, does not align with the realities of current ICE enforcement practices, which present a real possibility that individuals without criminal charges may be detained and sent to the Gallatin County Detention Facility. This recently occurred in Bigfork on March 4, 2025, where 17 immigrants were arrested at a job site and held solely on civil ICE detainers. 

Additionally, a commitment to house non-local detainees risks increasing resource expenditures and compromises the County’s capacity to serve its own community: all undocumented immigrants housed at the Gallatin County Detention Center, although purportedly held for brief 72-hour periods, would be subject to intake, housing protocols, security supervision, medical screening, and constitutionally mandated healthcare. If a detainee suffers a medical emergency or mental health crisis while at the Gallatin County Detention Facility—including suicide, injury, or death—the potential for Gallatin County to be held liable is significant. 

Gallatin County already participates in the federal 287(g) Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program, a robust, limited cooperation initiative that allows trained local law enforcement officers to perform certain functions of ICE officers. This collaboration ensures that undocumented individuals charged with crimes in Gallatin County are properly flagged and held for ICE. Gallatin County’s engagement with 287(g) preserves a clear distinction between criminal prosecution—the County’s statutory responsibility—and civil immigration enforcement, which remains a federal obligation. In the past year, only 1.4% of Gallatin County’s jail population consisted of individuals flagged for ICE holds, indicating that the current system effectively identifies and processes local cases without overburdening local resources or creating exposure to legal liability from broader, non-local, non-criminal immigration enforcement and detention activities. 

“Gallatin County’s participation in the federal 287(g) program—which ensures that undocumented individuals charged with a crime in Gallatin County are flagged and held for ICE—is extremely effective,” states County Attorney Audrey Cromwell. “Given constitutional concerns regarding due process, significant legal liability, and added strain on overburdened County resources, I have advised the Commission against entering into an additional interlocal agreement with ICE to detain non-local undocumented immigrants in the Gallatin County Detention Center. Nothing about this detention contract makes Gallatin County a safer place to live, work, or go to school—in fact, voluntarily becoming a detention center for ICE could not only expose the County to significant liability, but also damage relationships within our community, leading to lower rates of crime reporting, witness cooperation, and engagement with victim services.” 

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