Entry No. 23 — the Bozeman file — filed under: art-immersive
Big Sky Public Art Trail (Arts Council of Big Sky)
The Arts Council of Big Sky has stewarded a growing collection of outdoor sculptures stitched along Town Center walkways and an emerging public trail system. Highlights include Pedro S. de Movellan's kinetic 'Gibbous,' a bright-orange anodized-aluminum work whose spherical forms shift like a waxing moon, and Brad Rude's whimsical wheeled wolf 'To The Skyland.' Self-guided and free, it turns an ordinary mountain-town walk into a sculpture hunt.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but behind Big Sky's resort facade lies a deliberate attempt to turn ordinary roundabouts and pedestrian paths into an outdoor sculpture hunt. Anchoring the collection at the Huntley Drive roundabout is Pedro S. de Movellán's 'Gibbous'—a 15-foot kinetic work crafted from bright-orange anodized aluminum and stainless steel that catches mountain drafts to shift like a waxing moon. Crucible Design Studio even installed 'STRATA,' a 350-piece wooden viewing bench outside The Franklin, specifically so visitors can sit and watch the sculpture spin.
Walk over to Fire Pit Park and you will run into Brad Rude’s 'To The Skyland' (nicknamed 'Wolfie'), a bronze wolf striding forward on vintage red bicycle wheels with a walking stick. In Town Center Plaza sits Winslow’s 'Continuity,' a carved block of California black granite pierced with an organic viewing portal. If you push out to dirt trailheads like Hummocks, Uplands, or Ousel Falls, the installations get smaller: quiet metal plaques display haikus written by local high school students.
The nerve center for the trail sits at 77 Lone Peak Drive. In February 2026, the Arts Council of Big Sky opened the Big Sky Center for the Arts inside the renovated shell of Choppers—a former sports bar, grill, and casino. What used to be a rowdy bar space now anchors the town's public art program and serves as the starting point for exploring the scattered outdoor pieces.
What it's like
Park in Big Sky Town Center near Fire Pit Park or Lone Peak Drive and start exploring on foot. The walk is completely self-guided and informal, carrying zero admission fees or velvet ropes. If you go between November and May, snowplows often heap deep drifts around roundabout sculptures and trail kiosks, so wear waterproof boots. Summer and early autumn offer clear pavement and dry dirt trails for catching both the Town Center bronzes and the trailhead haikus in a single loop.
The move: Park in Town Center and do a self-guided sculpture walk, hunting down the kinetic 'Gibbous' and the wheeled wolf along the trail.
📍 Before you go Free, self-guided, year-round but easier in snow-free months. About 45 miles south of Bozeman in Big Sky; the Big Sky Center for the Arts (former Choppers building) opened Feb 2026 as a hub.
- 📍 Big Sky
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Big Sky Town Center, Big Sky, MT 59716
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Art for the People at Moonlight Basin — Extend your sculpture hunt eight miles up the mountain to inspect Moonlight Basin's collection of more than a dozen outdoor artworks.
- Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout — Pair a casual paved art walk in Big Sky with a grueling 4.5-mile hike up to a 1962 glass-walled fire lookout cab in Gallatin Gateway.
- Bozeman Sculpture Park — Compare Big Sky's resort-funded outdoor pieces with Bozeman's library-adjacent public sculpture garden 30 miles north.
- Norris Hot Springs — Soak tired feet in a fir-planked geothermal pool on your drive back toward Bozeman after finishing the trail.
Good to know
Where is the Big Sky Public Art Trail located?
The sculptures are scattered around Big Sky Town Center plazas, roundabouts, and nearby trailheads, about 45 miles south of Bozeman along US-191.
Is there an admission fee or set schedule?
No. The entire trail is free and open 24/7 since all sculptures are positioned outdoors along public sidewalks, parks, and trail kiosks.
What is the Big Sky Center for the Arts?
Located at 77 Lone Peak Drive, it is the home hub of the Arts Council of Big Sky, housed inside a former sports bar and casino building that reopened as an arts space in February 2026.
Can I do the sculpture walk during the winter?
Yes, though heavy snow can bury trailhead haiku signs and build up around roundabout installations; Town Center sidewalks are generally plowed for easy winter walking.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: bigskyarts.org · explorebigsky.com
last checked: 2026-06-24