Arts-Entertainment
“...the Yellowstone to the west and the Boulder to the east...between those rivers lies a stretch of wilderness that has shaped my life.” — Paul Waldum
Waldum’s decades exploring the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness come to life through oil paintings, pastels, field sketches, serigraphs, and excerpts from his memoirs. His work captures the changing seasons of the backcountry, ascents across the rugged Absaroka Range, and time spent in the historic mining town of Independence. Together these pieces reveal both the grandeur of the landscape and the quiet, personal moments found within it. The exhibition coincides with the release of his autobiographical book, A Wilderness Defined by Two Rivers.
Paul Waldum was born and raised in Livingston, where the Yellowstone River and the Absaroka and Beartooth Ranges formed the foundation of his lifelong connection to the land. As an artist, photographer, and educator, he spent more than forty years teaching art and interdisciplinary studies, including many years in Montana State University’s Honors College. Waldum’s work—paintings, pastels, serigraph prints, photography, and sketches—has been consistently inspired by the mountains, rivers, and wilderness of Montana. His art has been exhibited in regional galleries and museums, reflecting decades spent exploring the landscape between the Yellowstone and Boulder Rivers. More than forty years later, his work continues to reflect those formative experiences in the mountains. His exhibition, Absarokas – Mountains Defined by Two Rivers, at the Depot Museum in his hometown of Livingston, brings together paintings, prints, and images inspired by the same landscape that forms the heart of this story.
A book release and artist reception are scheduled for June 13th. Beginning at 5 pm, Waldum will present a selection of his autobiography followed by a public reception of his work. The event is open to the public with limited seating and refreshments available.
The historic Livingston Depot Center now functions as a railroad history museum and community cultural hub in downtown Livingston. The beautifully restored Northern Pacific Railroad station, dating back a century, is a remarkable exhibit in itself. The Depot's flagship exhibit, “Rails Across the Rockies: A Century of People and Places,” provides captivating insight into Montana's railroad history and the grandeur of train travel. Particularly focusing on the Northern Pacific's pivotal role in Yellowstone's establishment as America's first national park, the exhibit highlights Livingston as the gateway to Yellowstone since the 1880s.
The Depot Museum is open weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday through Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children 12 or younger. Group rates and tours are available upon request.