Dave and Carmen Hodges are local artists and gallery owners in Big Timber, Montana, preserving creativity in one of the town’s few surviving pre-fire buildings. Dave’s work can also be seen at the historic Carnegie Library, a cornerstone of community life since 1913.

“Hello. My name is Dave Hodges from Big Timber, Montana. Big Timber is a small community located in south central Montana. While driving through the area, you will be taken aback by the beautiful landscape. Blue-ribbon trout streams wind through groves of cottonwoods and bright green hayfields. All heading towards their origins in the snow packed mountains, the Absaroka range to the south and the jagged Crazy Mountains to the north. Lewis and Clark called this area "rivers across" because the north and south flowing streams both joined the Yellowstone River across from each other.

The Carnegie Public Library in Big Timber was built in 1913 along McLeod Street. And an additional $1.2 million dollar addition in 2007. The historic Main Street in Big Timber is named after W.F. McLeod, who was an early settler in the area. As one of the library fundraisers myself, I have a vested interest in the beauty of the building. Outside of the updated library sits one of my bronze statues entitled "Sharing the Story", depicting two children on a bench where the young girl is reading Charlotte's Web to her younger brother.

A couple blocks further south on McLeod Street in the city park is a ten foot statue of a running horse entitled "Free Spirit". I was commissioned to build this statue in 1999 by Christine Solberg's estate, as she wished to gift a bronze statue of a horse to the city of Big Timber. Interestingly, Christine Solberg made our wedding cake for my wife Carmen and I in 1977.

Another of my life-sized statues sits in front of the local Crazy Mountain Museum. "A Mother's Touch" depicts a life-sized Dutch belted dairy cow with her calf at side. Commissioned by Berniece Ostrum, who brought the first of this European breed into Montana in 1952. It was delivered in a wooden crate on the train from Washington State. And she ended up with a herd of 250 mother cows.

We would like to invite all travelers to visit our gallery, Hodges Fine Art, sitting in the middle of the business district since 2001. It was one of the original buildings of Big Timber. Ours even predated and survived the devastating fire of 1908. It's the only building in town with a grand-fathered roof over the sidewalk! We have had customers and visitors from every state and many countries around the world. Visitors with most occupations and interests known to man, from fisherman to two United States Supreme Court Justices.

Hope to see you soon! Dave Hodges.”

Visit:

314 McLeod St, Big Timber, MT 59011