Whitefish artists collecting supplies for Browning schools

When Susan Fletcher and Sue Cox heard about the lack of art supplies in Browning schools, they thought about their own history with art and wondered if they could have developed their passions without having the right tools.

The two have accumulated a massive pile of donated art supplies in the last two weeks which will be taken to six schools as well as artists in need in Browning on Jan. 4.

“We hope to be able to really support the schools and primarily the teachers, I think the teachers get so overwhelmed sometimes because there’s so much that they’d like to do and when there’s no materials, no art supplies, they can’t do it,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher and Cox have been working with Blackfoot artists in Browning since the summer. They were involved when Stumptown Art Studio, where Fletcher is board president and Cox an art instructor, hosted a Blackfoot art exhibition. The event led them to hear about children without crayons and high schoolers with sketchbooks of construction paper folded and stapled with a few sheets of white paper inside.

“That was their sketchbook,” Cox said. “That to me was horrifying. As an artist, that’s your stepping stone for everything you’re going to do, and if that’s all that they were given, it’s like saying ‘don’t set your sights too high.’”

“That’s when they’re just learning what they like, what they don’t like. So for us to be able to give them different types of paint and say ‘see what you like,’ that’s worth hundreds of dollars of investment that they never would be able to do,” she added.

The pile of supplies on Fletcher’s desk in her home studio has everything from used frames to new canvasses and brushes. They’ve also been able to track down some less conventional materials that are more specific to the needs of Blackfoot artists, like deer hides and certain types of animal bones. Supplies have been donated from local artists and businesses, like leftover paint and frames from studios in Whitefish, and also purchased using funds from Stumptown’s Art From the Heart program, an outreach project that brings art activities to people who might not otherwise get the chance to do art. Fletcher and Cox have also been working with Powderhorn Trading Post in Evergreen and Walking Man Gallery in Whitefish to secure supplies.

Cox said when they began collecting donations they expected to help 20 people at the most. They had requests from more than that in just the first three days, and Cox says they’ve been overwhelmed with both the generosity of the community and the scale of the project.

“I think it’s turned out to be a bigger project than we anticipated. I think we underestimated the needs and I think that certainly the younger generation in need of supplies was probably the biggest surprise,” she said. “But that’s the biggest time when they’re exploring everything, they don’t have the restraints that we do as adults. They can sit down and just explore who they are, what they like, what they’re drawn to.”

Helping children find art is important for helping them find themselves, Fletcher said.

“Art is so empowering because you just feel so good. You step away from even the silliest canvas and say, ‘I did that. There was a blank canvas and now it’s become an expression of me,’” she said.

Fletcher and Cox are accepting donations indefinitely, though the current pile of supplies will be donated in January. While the project spurred from recognizing a more immediate need, Fletcher said she doesn’t want people to think this is a one-time deal.

“We want to establish a meaningful and long-term relationship. This isn’t like a one-time shot like a care package. Everyone at Stumptown, the excitement is just oozing right now because of the possibility of the gift that we would receive, getting to keep a relationship and help them where we can with supplies,” she said.

To request supplies or make donations to this program, call Stumptown Art Studio at 406-862-5929 or info@stumptownartstudio.org.