Dana Kuglin – Art Around the Corner Foundation

Mortoise the Tortoise

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The intention of my work is to express man’s encroachment on nature and nature’s adaptation to man, through the use of man-made materials manipulated to express the image. “Mortoise the Tortoise” is a monumental-scale, local wildflower built to cause the viewer to have to change their observation through scale.

Meet the Artist

I was born in 1964 and am a fifth-generation Montana native. I graduated from Montana State University in 1990 with a BFA in Design. After graduating with a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University, I worked for nine years as a graphic designer. In 1997 I began my sculpting career on a full-time basis; since then I have produced over 300 original, three-dimensional designs. I enjoy working collaboratively and integrating sculptures into architectural designs. As far back as I can remember, my father has been collecting “junk” and refurbishing it to its original form. I realize now that I take what he does, and my love of nature, and mesh the two together. The use of repurposed materials to depict our interactions with the environment comes naturally from my father’s passion to collect things, and the daily need to be outdoors that was instilled by my mother. Without either of these, I would not be here.

Previous Entries

Wet Your Whistle, Craning to Hear

Dana Kuglin 2022 video interview

Understanding and remembering how vital water is to everything is the basis of this image. The iconic image of a reused fire hydrant represents the constant need of man for water, while the burst of water with the image of dancing cranes causes the viewer to remember our interconnectivity with all parts of the environment. The use of repurposed/recycled, man-made materials is a statement on the selfishness of putting ourselves first, rather than the importance in recognizing that we are only a part of, and not the controller of, the environment. Eventually, hopefully, we can learn to be a cohesive part; otherwise, nature will win out and adapt, with us or without us!

The Need for Leftovers

Thunderbird - 2019

$12,700
3'x17'x3'
In Thunderbird, the two high-flying spirits are an eagle and an osprey, circling together in symmetry.
Thunderbird - 2019

$12,700
3'x17'x3'
In Thunderbird, the two high-flying spirits are an eagle and an osprey, circling together in symmetry.
A Natural Uprising - 2018

2018
"A natural Uprising" is a continuation of my commentary on nature’s ability to adapt to the invasion of man on the environment. There are representations of redtail hawks and a black eagle riding on the same thermal, as they use the Rocky mountain front and it’s cities as a highway of migration. Each bird has an illustrated cut out of cityscapes/mountain ranges – cut out of the wings to cast the shadows of the landscapes they travel.