Growing up in Helena, Montana was nothing special. My average day consisted of kicking the shins of boys who stomped on ant hills for fun and secretly rewarding myself for good grades with Italian cream sodas in the public library’s foyer. My mom would then pick me up, drive down Broadway, and pass the infamous Park Avenue Bakery on our way home. On special evenings, she’d even buy me a cranberry almond scone or hot chocolate, whichever I craved most. Aside from these general routines, consistency was rare for me, the independent little girl whose single mother was forced to rely on librarians as guardians because after-school babysitters were too expensive.
Some things were constant, though, such as the comfort of driving past the Women’s Mural located just down the street from my usual haunts on the daily commute to Smith Elementary. Cheesy as it sounds, I really loved seeing that mural. It’s easy to find sentimental attachment to symbolic moments in your childhood but I have always found solace, not just in hindsight when admiring the colorful cracked wall with faded paint.
In 1979 artists Marilyn Sternberg, Ann Appleby, and Delores Dinsmore took on the admirable task of paying homage to the remarkable women in Montana’s past, present, and future. Appropriately dubbed “The Women’s Mural,” this artistic masterpiece is meant to embody womanhood and remind onlookers that history is not just his story.
The mural consists of three sections, each with its own center of focus. As I understand, the far left side depicts one woman at three stages of her life: one in which she is a little girl running around the cabin she lived in, then, a young pioneer, and lastly an old lady who has spent a lifetime in the state I too once called home. The eye naturally drifts from that story of age to the fiery image of a school teacher, then past the free-spirited rider of a bucking horse, landing on a grouch of fiercely capable suffragettes petitioning for the right to vote. Two-dimensional storefronts and saloons remind everyone of the diverse livelihoods of Montanan women while also acting as a bed to a resting mother and child.
Then, the mural shifts to the third section in which the indigenous peoples of America are rightfully represented as the true Montana natives who coexisted with and thrived in the state’s natural environment. This part of the mural has always been my favorite, both from an artistic and historical standpoint. For far too long, the indigenous peoples have been excluded from discussions and recognition of the past and to see such a large mural have a section dedicated only to the tribal members who suffered at the hands of our ancestors is somewhat of a step in the right direction.
Obviously, the central figures of this vast painting deserve the spotlight but we can’t ignore the surrounding details that bring the vibrant mural to life. The seemingly effortless transition between bright blue skies to a midnight black eclipse in this mural is an astounding addition to the piece. While the artists were detailing the sketches and layout for this massive work of art, the woman who inspired the sleeping mother and child had given birth, and shortly thereafter, an eclipse captured the eyes of people across the world. Thus, this monumental moment was forever captured and put on display in one of the most exposed and high-traffic areas in all of Helena.
When one actually approaches this painting, the fine details stand out even more. There is a magnificent sun setting behind a joyful child, a painter bringing a swaying field to life, and glacial mountains backed by swirling swathes of clouds quickly overtaken by a muddy brown sky. There is a river from which a majestic falcon steals its meal and flies over a luscious, golden embankment and detailed feathers that transition into a blooming sunset. This entire mural is an ode not only to women but to the raw and divine beauty of nature as well.
Despite my love for this work of art, I did not grow up knowing the meaning behind each woman depicted in this painting. It wasn’t until today that I learned of the eclipse — for the past 18 years of my life I had assumed the sun and moon were actually an owl’s glistening eye. I thought the sleeping mother was meant to represent the Sleeping Giant, a local legend honoring a small mountain range that looks remarkably like a woman laying down to rest. I didn’t even know who the painters were, when they did the painting, or why they painted it. What I did know, however, was that every time I looked into the fierce and gentle eyes of every woman on that wall, I felt proud to be a girl — I felt worthy of being called a woman too.
The location of the Women’s Mural is also highly significant. Though it may seem to be nestled on just another average street, this mural can be found at the very heart of Helena. This city was first established during the Western gold rush where miners sought their riches on what is now Last Chance Gulch. Today, Last Chance Gulch is a bustling walking mall with excellent ice cream, the entombed remains of an old trolley, various mom and pop businesses, the best second-hand book stores Helena has to offer, and, of course, countless murals, statues, pottery, plaques, and other forms of art dedicated to the story of Montana.
The Women’s Mural is the largest mural in the city (which is saying a lot because for a town this small we sure have a bunch of murals) and certainly the most well-loved. It would be wrong to assume that it is special only to me because, in reality, this mural is a safe haven for nearly every woman in Helena. Painted by women, of women, and for women, the Women’s Mural stands as a testament to our strength, our resilience, and our endurance in a society dominated by men.
