Tippet Rise.
The power, beauty and the riding at this creative place are all breathtaking. Open to the public last year, Tippet Rise is “an Art Center that celebrates the concept that art, music, architecture and nature are inextricably linked to the human experience, each making the others more powerful.” Nestled at the base of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana, the land itself is a massive sculpture garden – a 10,000 acre working sheep & cattle ranch with singletrack trails for hiking/biking from one extraordinary large-scale, man-made sculpture to the next.
The Domo (above) was created by Ensamble Studio of Spain: equal parts concert space, sculpture and land art, the structure emerges from the earth as though gravity lost its grip for one perfect moment. Not only is it a massive, organic art installation, it serves as an acoustic sound stage for premiere classical musicians to perform during a summer concert season. The bike ride to Domo begins down below at the aptly named Olivier Barn and ascends a gradual but steady rise up the new Meridien Trail through ranch land, box gulch, cattle gates and prairie scrub. Just when you think you must have veered off the trail, a ranger appears with ice water, an atta girl and some insider info. Everyone at Tippet a) loves working there and b) wants you to have the best time ever.
Imagine all this with a world class string quartet, wine and a sunset. This place is a dreamy wonderland. For a small taste, check out this beautiful little film called Sun Streaming >
The vision of a philanthropic, creatively gifted couple, Cathy and Peter Halstead, Tippet Rise has become the hottest ticket in the West. This season’s concert series sold out in seconds; reservations for tours and biking are super limited. Tippet Rise Art Center, Fishtail MT
Photos courtesy of Ron Wu Photo
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