Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 24 Other than yOur PersOnal COlleCtiOn, where Can One finD yOur father's wOrk? Lester Bridaham's works are in the permanent collections of several museums around the world: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; The Museum of the City of New York, NY; Western History Department, Denver Public Library, Colorado; the Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado. He has exhibited at: Opportunity Gallery, NY, NY, 1928; GRD Gallery, NY, NY, 1932; Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, Hartford , CT. , 1935; The Art Institute of Chicago, 1946; the Den- ver Art Museum, 1970; the University Club, Chi- cago, Illinois, 1995; Beale Park Art Center, Boze- man, Montana, 1997; Ecce Gallery, Bozeman, Montana 2013. lester briDahaM liveD his last Days in bOzeMan while in his 90s. hOw DiD he sPenD theM? He moved here after my mother died in 1989 and had an apart- ment at Hillcrest, near the hospital. He and I inventoried and photographed all of the collec- tion, and I took notes on every paint- ing and his recollections of the artist and how the work was done. We started The Bridaham Collec- tion art gallery and opened a gallery in the US Bank Building for a time starting in 1990. Lester was thrilled and said that he had always hoped something like this would happen. tell us abOut sOMe Of the Other artists yOu Prize in yOur COlleCtiOn — yOur favOrite artists anD their wOrks. Vance Kirkland was head of the University of Denver Art Department from the 1930's until 1970. He was a versatile artist who had shows all over the world. I have three of his paintings; each is differ- ent and interesting. Julio De Diego was a great friend of my father's. Julio, a larger than life character, was married to Gypsy Rose Lee, and was a graphic designer and artist from Spain. I have some of his early etchings from Spain and paint- ings from the 1940's. My father discovered Martin Saldana, a naive artist from Mexico, who started painting in Denver, Colorado, late in life when he was invited by mistake to a children's art class at the Denver Art Museum. My father started buying his paint- ings in the 1960's, eventually owning nearly all of Saldana's works. Sal- dana's joyful and colorful remem- brances of growing up on a ranch in Mexico are just delightful. Some of the pieces my father sold are now displayed in the permanent collec- tions of museums around the world. thank yOu, vivian. we enJOyeD getting tO knOw the briDahaM COlleCtiOn! NotE: NEarLy aLL oF tHE pIECES IN tHE CoLLECtIoN arE CurrENtLy For SaLE. vivian briDahaM, Managing brOker, bOzeMan big sky sOtheby's internatiOnal realty bOzeMan, MOntana 406-586-4408 OffiCe 406-580-7516 Cell www.bridahamcollection.com www.bigskysothebysrealty.com My Secrets of the Grand Canyon 1989, Watercolor Erotic Banyanistics 1943, Drawing Chew Four Freedom's Twist 1935 Watercolor

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