GREAT FALLS — Nicole Maria Evans, Interim Executive Director at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, has been named the 2024 Montana Museum Person of the Year.
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Evans was awarded the distinction during the annual Museum Association of Montana Conference in Bozeman.
“It's an honor to get the award and, it is surprising and enjoyable to receive it. I think for me and I think for anybody who receives an award who works in the museum field, I think it's kind of a great way to celebrate the hard work that everybody does,” says Evans.
The award recognizes the contributions of a board member, staff member, or volunteer whose efforts have elevated the stature of their institution to high levels of excellence.
Achievements in museum promotion, development, exhibit and interpretation design, community relations, or/and general service.
2024 at The Square featured exhibits like ‘WITHIN’, a contemporary look at the Blackfeet experience, ‘Il Maestro!’, a collection of works by Morton Levin and first exhibit to travel outside of Montana from The Square, and ‘Collecting Montana’, a collection of donated ceramics.
During 2024, Evans also traveled as a guest speaker to the National Museum of the American Latino at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and traveled to regional art museums to lecture about curating art exhibitions as part of a panel.
She has served on the Board of the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association, promoting access to contemporary art through traveling exhibitions since 2022.
Evans' community service work extends to the Great Falls Museum Consortium and Rotary of Great Falls.
Evans has since been invited to serve on the Board of the Museums Association of Montana.
