Tinworks Art: In Conversation brings together artists, writers, scientists, and creative thinkers from various fields to discuss the topics of our time. Monthly from March through June, Tinworks will convene thought leaders from the region and beyond for a pilot series On Food and Farming. The conversations have been developed in consideration of artist Agnes Denes’ new work, Wheatfield—An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground, presented at Tinworks for the 2024 exhibition season, and in collaboration with Mary Stein, a community leader in sustainable food systems endeavors and recently retired program leader of the Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems degree program at Montana State University.

Tinworks Art: In Conversation are ticketed evening events, open to the public, hosted by The Rialto Theater in downtown Bozeman. Doors at 7pm, event at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Tinworks’ website, www.tinworksart.org

Tinworks Art is an artist- and community-centered non-profit organization. Tinworks enriches the cultural and social fabric of Bozeman by supporting inclusive, immersive contemporary art experiences in non-traditional places.

We recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time. If you are unable to use your ticket please contact us at info@tinworksart.org to pass your ticket on to another. You can also sponsor someone who may otherwise be unable to participate by purchasing a “Gift Ticket”. If tickets sell out, select the “Waiting List” option for tickets which may become available. We recommend waiting list folks come to the Rialto the night of the event to be sold available tickets the most quickly. 

Parking downtown can be tricky, so we recommend arriving with plenty of time and using the parking garage located on Tracy Avenue or coming via public transportation.

Liz Carlisle, Agroecologist. Professor. Country Music Singer, Author

Born and raised in Missoula, MT, Liz Carlisle is Associate Professor in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Barbara, teaching courses on food and farming. Working as an aide to organic farmer and U.S. Senator Jon Tester led her to a decade of research and writing collaborations with farmers in her home state. Carlisle is a frequent contributor to both academic journals and popular media outlets, focusing on food and farm policy, incentivizing soil health practices, and supporting new entry farmers. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography, from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Folklore and Mythology, from Harvard University. She is the author of three books: Lentil Underground, Grain by Grain (with co-author Bob Quinn), and Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming. Prior to her career as a writer and academic, Carlisle spent several years touring rural America as a country singer.

Host: Bruce Maxwell, Agroecologist. Professor. Food Systems Changemaker

Originally from Hamilton MT, Dr. Bruce Maxwell was Professor of Agroecology/Applied Plant Ecology, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Science at Montana State University for 32 years. He served as Director of the Montana Institute on Ecosystems from 2019 to 2022 and as LRES Department Head in 2008 and 2009. Maxwell was instrumental in creating the interdisciplinary Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS) undergraduate degree program at MSU. He has received national awards for best researcher, outstanding teaching, best peer reviewed research papers and outstanding graduate student from the Weed Science Society of America; published over 130 scientific peer reviewed journal articles and 13 invited book chapters; and been a member of two National Academy of Science National Research Council Committees on Agriculture.