Billings artist Jon Lodge opened his solo exhibition "Carbon Strata" at the Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) on September 5, 2025. The sprawling multimedia show fills one of the museum's largest galleries with works climbing walls, filling skylights, and spilling onto windows and outdoor spaces, exploring abstraction and the elemental concept of carbon as a unifying thread in life and matter. Lodge, an 80-year-old multimedia creator with a decades-long career, has a long history with YAM as a supporter, donor, and collaborator, including a solo show in 1999.
The exhibition arrives as YAM faces a 77% cut to its county funding, making the show a rallying point for community support amid protests and commissioner meetings. Lodge's work emphasizes the beauty of everyday materials and collaborative creation, involving museum staff and personal friends in installation. The show underscores the resilience of regional art institutions and the power of art to foster connection during institutional challenges.