The Gallatin County Collective of Jim Madden, Mary Ellen Strom and Dede Taylor will produce WaterWorks. Planned for the summers of 2017 and 2018, we will use a series of bold site-specific performance events across the Gallatin Watershed to focus on drought and threats to water security in the face of the rapid population growth and environmental shifts predicted for the coming decades. 

WaterWorks will address the region's future around water and land use planning and management systems. The Missouri River Headwaters’ streams, wetlands, and rivers will become sites for art events created by interdisciplinary teams of artists, agriculturalists, naturalists, historians, and scientists, bringing town and county residents and leaders together to imagine and work towards a sustainable future for our community.

In 2017 we will mount four powerful art events to reveal complex hydrologic systems and make clear the essential nature of water for all living things. Learning activities and evaluative means will be embedded into the art experiences. Events will build on each other through the water season to engage our community and activate a shared vision for a resilient water future. In partnership with Future West, this collective will encourage the region to develop a comprehensive smart growth plan to expand sustainable water use practices and policies.