In 1982, artist Agnes Denes planted a two-acre wheat field in the shadow of the World Trade Center, an artwork dealing with corporate greed and world hunger. According to Denes, “‘Wheatfield’ was a symbol, a universal concept. It was an intrusion into the citadel, a confrontation of high civilization. Then again, it was also Shangri-La, a small paradise, one’s childhood, a hot summer afternoon in the country, peace, forgotten values, simple pleasures.”Forty-two years later, Denes, who celebrated her 93rd birthday in May, is revisiting those ideas from a different perspective: a crop of winter wheat at Tinworks Art, a nonprofit that features inclusive art in non-traditional spaces, at the corner of Ida and Cottonwood avenues in Bozeman’s northeast neighborhood. The seeds of Bobcat winter wheat were planted the fall before by Kenny Van Dyke, a local wheat farmer, after the soil had been tested by Montana State University students.Growing through the summer, tended by the Tinworks’ team and community volunteers, it was harvested last month and processed into flour by small-scale mills set up on site.Titled “Wheatfield – An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground,” Agnes’ vision was “a way to recast her iconic artwork in a different context and time” said Tinworks director Jenny Moore. “It’s an opportunity to inspire us to think about land value, how to treat the land and to look for solutions to environmental challenges that can endure.”The full circle ends with the planted wheat turned into loaves of bread, baked by local bakery Wild Crumb, and pounds of the milled flour distributed through the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.Tinworks Art is one of a few installations-only art venues in Montana. The exhibitions are varied but usually themed. This year’s exhibit, “The Lay of the Land,” focused on people’s interactions with the environment.Among the other artists at Tinworks, multimedia artist Lucy Raven examines the phenomenon of glacial dam breaks that leave their mark on the land over a geological time scale through large-scale works and video.“It’s an opportunity to inspire us to think about land value, how to treat the land and to look for solutions to environmental challenges that can endure.” Tinworks director Jenny Moore“She’s recording a natural force that shapes the land,” Moore said. “By recreating the conditions of dam breaks, and then using the sediment left behind, imprinted on silk fabric, she recalls the natural processes that have sculpted the landscape.”Photographer Stephen Shore’s exhibition highlights a series he produced during the pandemic.His goal was to write a memoir of his groundbreaking career titled “Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography.” His other goal was to start working with a drone.“I’ve taken a number of pictures over the years where I’m trying to see topographical transitions. Every now and then from eye level you can see it, but it’s never as clear as seeing it from above,” he said. “The recurring theme is to see how a stream passing through one neighborhood to another neighborhood changes.”For a different take on place, sound artist Robbie Wing incorporated railroad ties reclaimed from the Tinworks site, weaving together the aural world with the material landscape.“The physicality of sound can tell historical narratives,” Wing said. “I work with the idea of vibrational histories. The railroad connects many places across the U.S. and especially Montana. But those places have changed over time.”Moore said the presence of the railroad in proximity to Tinworks’ site is among its distinctive elements. She is excited that Wing is using the acoustic properties of place and the history of the railroad to emphasize the connection.Tinworks will host a daylong event on Saturday, Oct. 19, featuring live performances, music, food and libations. It will be the last chance to see this year’s installations, and the closing event is free and open to the public.In some ways, it is a celebration of Moore’s first year as director of Tinworks. She moved to Bozeman with her family in June of 2023.“Personally, I’m so grateful to be part of this community,” Moore said. “I didn’t know what to expect, or what the interest would be here for Agnes’ work. It was a leap of faith, bringing an installation like this to the community, particularly since the work depends so heavily on community engagement.”She said the artists who show their work at Tinworks are taking a leap of faith as well.This year Tinworks made notable changes to its buildings, installing walls (prior, it was primarily an industrial tin building), corridors, a dedicated welcome area for visitors, a dedicated family and community space for art camps and workshops and a studio for visiting ceramic artist Wills Brewer. With all the changes, however, it kept artist Chris Fraser’s “Asterisms,” the tin roof drilled with holes that allow sunlight to dance across the concrete floor, that was installed during Tinworks’ first show five years ago.“Tinworks has grown to be an art destination not only in the Gallatin Valley but on a national level,” Moore said. “Press attention has been very gratifying and played a part in introducing the rest of the country to the ways in which Montana contributes to the contemporary art conversation. But most importantly, to have Bozeman embrace the art and programs authentically was so rewarding. It came together in a meaningful way.”For more information, visit tinworksart.org. In-depth, independent reporting on the stories impacting your community from reporters who know your town.The post Artist’s iconic wheat field reimagined, comes full circle in Bozeman  appeared first on Montana Free Press.