Six distinguished Montanans working in the arts have been recognized with the state’s highest honor, exemplifying excellence the visual, performing, literary, and traditional arts. The Governor’s Arts Awards, presented in the Governor’s name and administered by the Montana Arts Council, recognize outstanding Montana citizens and organizations whose achievements in the arts, or on behalf of the arts, benefit all Montanans. This year’s recipients will be honored in a ceremony at the State Capitol in Helena on December 3.
The 2026 Governor’s Arts Award recipients are:
Presented every two years, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize achievement and artistic excellence, dedication to Montana, ongoing contributions to the cultural community, and worthiness of recognition.
“Montanans have a unique ability to depict the natural beauty of our lands, mark significant moments in history, and represent the sights and sounds of the vibrant culture across our communities,” says Governor Greg Gianforte of the awards. “For generations, the Treasure State has stirred the creativity of writers, artists, and musicians, and we’re glad to honor these individuals for their talents.”
The 2026 Governor’s Arts Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, December 3 at 2pm in the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the Montana State Capitol in Helena. Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras will present this year’s awards, and the public is invited. A reception will follow with refreshments and hors d’oeuvres in the Capitol rotunda. The awards ceremony will also be broadcast on Television Montana (TVMT), the statewide government broadcasting service.
2026 Governor’s Arts Award Recipient Biographies
Jeff Ament: Rock Icon and Montana Philanthropist
Honored for dedicating his global success to improving life for Montana youth
Jeff Ament is a world-renowned musician, artist, and philanthropist whose journey from a small Montana town to the global stage has left an indelible mark on rock music and his home state. Born in Havre and raised in Big Sandy, Ament grew up as an ordinary kid with a passion for sports, art, and music. He trained on the piano as a child, then switched to bass guitar, which would eventually propel him to international acclaim.
After playing college basketball at the University of Montana and forming his first local band, Deranged Diction, in Missoula, Ament moved to Seattle. There, he became a pivotal founding architect of the 1990s grunge music scene. He was a seminal member of highly influential bands before co-founding the iconic Pearl Jam in 1991. Over a 35-year career, Pearl Jam has released twelve studio albums, achieved numerous gold and platinum records, and won Grammy awards. Ament holds the distinct honor of being the only native Montanan inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Despite achieving worldwide rock stardom, Ament remains deeply grounded in Montana, where his permanent residence is in Missoula. He has directed the fruits of his global success to improving his home state, through private projects and philanthropy. At his own expense, Ament has funded and built over 30 skateboard parks across Montana, heavily focusing on Native American communities to promote healthy lifestyles, community, and artistic expression—work that has earned him honorary tribal memberships. Ament’s dedication to expand opportunities for Montana youth, and give them a sense of belonging and creative community, also inspires countless other artists and bridges the world of global rock with the heart of Montana communities.
Clyde Aspevig: Master of the Montana Landscape
Honored for lifelong contributions to the tradition of Western art
Clyde Aspevig is a nationally renowned master of landscape painting. His work is exhibited in museums, galleries, and exclusive individual and corporate collections nationwide. In 1984, he became the first Montana artist since Charlie Russell to exhibit at the storied Grand Central Gallery in New York City. He is a 1994 recipient of the Gold Medal at the National Academy of Western Art, one of the most prestigious honors in Western art. He has also received the Autry National Center’s John J. Geraghty Award, and the Frederic Remington Award.
Raised on a homestead in Rudyard, Montana, Aspevig learned early to pay close attention to nature. He studied Art Education at Eastern Montana College, and trained his eye on the limitless landscapes and starry night skies of rural Montana. His works are fueled by a deep, lifelong curiosity about Montana’s landscapes, both grand and intimate.
Driven by a desire to preserve the environment and spark curiosity in others, Aspevig is a staunch advocate for conservation and community. He has dedicated time, resources, and art works to inspire people to more deeply experience Montana’s natural beauty. To inspire others to slow down and connect with nature, Aspevig co- founded landsnorkel.com, an initiative to encourage people—especially youth—to explore and experience the natural world. He frequently opens his studio for musical performances, collaborates with other artists, and invents new ways to enrich Montana’s vibrant cultural and natural heritage.
David Fjeld: Master of Montana Stained Glass
Honored for transforming the ancient art of stained glass into a regionally iconic art form that bring beauty and wonder into everyday life in Montana
A third-generation Montanan born and raised in Bozeman, David Fjeld is the embodiment of a truly influential regional artist. Fjeld has dedicated his life to the art of stained glass, creating more than 1,500 windows that have transformed the architectural and cultural landscape of Montana and the nation.
In his youth, Fjeld began working alongside his father at Lake Glass. He studied under Ray Campeau at Bozeman High School, then traveled to England in 1975 to study under master Patrick Reyntiens at the Burleighfield House Trust. He then trained at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School under Paul Marioni. He merged the centuries-old methods he learned with a distinctly Montanan artistic voice, and set up his first studio, in Bozeman, in 1973.
Fjeld’s original designs are deeply rooted in regional identity, frequently depicting Montana’s mountain ranges, wildlife, and historical narratives. His iconic installations are embedded into everyday life, gracing churches, schools, hospitals, and historic downtown spaces. In Bozeman, his meticulous craftsmanship defines landmarks like The Ellen Theatre, the Rialto, and Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital.
Fjeld is also honored for his work in historic preservation. He has completed over 25 major restoration projects, including the Holy Rosary Church and historic windows from the Bozeman Opera House. Following a devastating downtown explosion in the mid-2000s, he played a critical role in restoring Main Street’s historic character. Nationally, his work has been featured in a Filson flagship store and the film A River Runs Through It. A deeply humble innovator, mentor, and musician, Fjeld has permanently shaped how art is lived with and experienced across Montana.
Sarah Jaeger: Montana’s “People’s Potter”
Honored for her lifelong dedication to developing, teaching, and sharing her mastery in the field of functional pottery, and for expanding ADA accessibility in the ceramic arts.
Acclaimed ceramic artist Sarah Jaeger is one of the most prominent functional potters of her generation, having dedicated nearly 50 years to her craft. Jaeger studied at Harvard, and earned an MFA at the Kansas City Art Institute. She moved to Montana in 1985 as an artist-in-residence at the renowned Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, where she permanently established her home and studio.
Jaeger is celebrated for her original, functional porcelain pottery, which translates patterns of the natural world into vibrant, everyday objects. Her masterful creations are highly sought after, finding homes in museums, private collections, and kitchens across the nation.
Jaeger was awarded an Emerging Talent Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), a Montana Arts Council Fellowship, and a prestigious $50,000 United States Artists Target Fellowship. She was profiled in the acclaimed PBS documentary Craft in America. In 2019, Montana Clay named her Montana’s Potter Laureate, affectionately calling her “The People’s Potter”.
Beyond her studio, Jaeger is a devoted community leader and educator. She served nine years on the Archie Bray Foundation board and 18 years on the local community land trust board. More recently, while navigating a neurological condition, she has become a powerful advocate for ADA accessibility in the ceramic arts. She continues to teach and share through her “Speaking of Pots” discussion series and other workshops. A true village potter, Jaeger continues to enrich Montana’s cultural fabric.
Carrie Krause: Montana’s World-Class Musical Pioneer
Honored for bringing high-quality baroque music to deeply rural communities and unlikely places across Montana
Violinist Carrie Krause seamlessly bridges the worlds of prestigious international performance and deep-rooted community artistry. Raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, Krause holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and The Juilliard School in Historical Performance.
Krause has performed under legendary conductors like Jordi Savall and Ton Koopman. Her international engagements include prestigious appearances at the Utrecht Early Music Festival, the Leipzig Bach Festival, and the world-renowned BBC Proms in London. Nationally, she has served as associate concertmaster of Apollo’s Fire in Cleveland, guest artistic director and concerto soloist with Seattle Baroque, and concertmaster for ensembles across the country.
Despite her global footprint, Krause’s heart and home are in Montana, where her artistry profoundly enriches the cultural landscape. She serves as the concertmaster of the Bozeman Symphony, the Opera Montana Orchestra, and the Montana Ballet Orchestra. In Bozeman, she maintains a studio of more than 30 students, inspiring emerging musicians to expand music’s reach beyond the concert hall.
As founder and artistic director of Baroque Music Montana (BaMM), she organizes over 40 performances annually across Montana—many free to the public. BaMM’s acclaimed albums and performances are frequently broadcast on Montana PBS and national radio shows like Performance Today.
Krause is uniquely dedicated to rural outreach. She created “Bach on the Trails,” a project that places musicians and dancers at various Montana trailheads to perform pop-ups for hikers. She created the 2023 “Six High Places” project, bringing music and dance to mountain peaks like Livingston and Hyalite. She also champions community music-making through the Second String Orchestra for amateurs and the Bozeman Chamber Ensembles for youth. Her imaginativeness in bringing Baroque music to some of Montana’s unlikeliest places helps enrich Montana’s cultural and musical landscape.
Diane Scalese: Master Western Engraver
Honored for applying her mastery to teach and empower others in the craft of silversmithing, for her dedication to this cultural art so important to Montana.
Diane Scalese is a trailblazing artisan whose mastery of traditional western engraving has revitalized a classic American craft. She began building custom bits and spurs for local ranchers in Dillon in 1986, collaborating with her husband, Bob. Their exceptional craftsmanship quickly earned them widespread recognition; in 1989 they were commissioned to create the Montana Centennial Spurs, now housed in the permanent Centennial Collection in Helena.
Scalese has left an indelible mark on firearms, jewelry, and saddle silver, and is particularly renowned for her intricate work in the traditional western bright cut style. In 2001 she became the second woman to ever hold Master Engraver status by the Firearms Engravers Guild of America. In 2019 she became the first female Colt Master Engraver recognized by the Colt Collectors Association of America.
Scalese was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2018, and into the Montana Circle of American Masters in 2011. From displaying her art at the C. M. Russell Museum to volunteering for the Montana Arts Council, Scalese remains a generous, humble champion for the traditional arts.
Scalese has dedicated decades to teaching and mentorship. She gives classes across the country, and has conducted demonstrations in Belgium, Germany, and Italy. In Montana she has long mentored others—particularly young women and rural Montanans—in developing their craft, establishing home-based businesses, and preserving Montana’s rich heritage of leatherwork and saddle building.
