‘Forever Glacier’ a vibrant force of learning at Whitefish High School

A dye-on-silk painting of a grizzly bear, fur streaked with yellow, red, blue and every color under the sun, has become an icon of art depicting Glacier National Park.  

The grizzly painting, titled Ursos actos, or Pa’ksíkoy for grizzly in the Blackfoot language, is a part of Forever Glacier, an exhibit honoring the legacy of America’s wild places.  

Large and small mammals and their habitats in Glacier National Park is the focus of Forever Glacier. Each animal is portrayed with dye on silk, an ancient medium that is both colorful and visually strong.  

The educational components include skulls, pelts, an interactive 360-degree video, as well as written material about the habitats and the impact of climate change. The exhibit was created by the Cawdrey family.  

“The color for me is what gives the energy. I started with just the large mammals, one by one, because there’s so many animals,” said Nancy Cawdrey. “It has pieces from all four ecosystems of the park.”  

After being on display at renowned museums, including the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, the Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia, the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell and the Copper Village Museum in Anaconda, the exhibit has returned home to Whitefish – and in an unexpected location: Whitefish High School. The location is a testament to its mission to not only honor wild places, but to encourage young people to learn and engage. 

“The reason I wanted it to first be at the C.M. Russell Musuem is because they had every fifth grader in Great Falls come through the exhibits every year, and I thought it would be great for kids to see it.  

“It’s colorful and fun, and I had hoped it would inspire them to be as big as they can be, to be colorful, and maybe have a sense that these animals are a part of our legacy,” Cawdrey said. 

“So we put the whole museum exhibit together, with furs, skills and educational materials... and then Covid hit. And so very few people saw it,” Cawdrey said.  

Now, several years later, not only has the exhibit found a temporary home at the high school, but hopefully, every single student in the Whitefish School District will have a chance to be inspired by the colorful animals.  

Whitefish High School parents will also have the unique opportunity to view the exhibit during parent teacher conferences on Friday, Nov. 8. Parents are encouraged to view the original silk pieces upstairs.  

Cawdrey said that Claire Kniveton, art teacher at Whitefish High School, has been a great help in spreading information about the exhibit to teachers of all disciplines, from the arts, to science and social studies.  

More details on class activities as well as additional viewing opportunities for both students, and, hopefully, members of the public, are still being developed.  

Forever Glacier is supported by Western Masters, Inc., a nonprofit created by Nancy and Steve Cawdrey.  

For more information, visit foreverglacier.com.

    Forever Glacier paintings at Whitefish High School. (Photo provided)