Hi, I’m Lena Olson- an interdisciplinary teaching artist. My work is grounded in a deep relationship with the natural world and a commitment to traditional craft, ecological awareness, and hands-on learning.
I’m from Bigfork, Montana, a uniquely bio-diverse region shaped by a legacy of wildlife and wilderness conservation. Nestled between the Flathead and Swan Valleys, near Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and the Mission Mountain Wilderness, this is the ancestral land of the Ql̓ispé (Kalispel), Ksanka (Kootenai), Pikunni (Piegan/Blackfeet), and Ktunaxa (Kootenai) peoples.
My connection to place and the land-based knowledge of those who came before me is central to both my life and creative work.
Raised in hunting, fishing, and foraging camps, I developed a lifelong respect for land stewardship and traditional ways of knowing. I now live and teach in the community that raised me, where my work focuses on revitalizing ancestral European land-based skills while remaining accountable to the Indigenous Nations whose lands I live and work on (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes).
I hold a BFA in Painting, a BA in Spanish, and a minor in Art History and Criticism from the University of Montana (2016). My interdisciplinary art practice includes earth pigments, painting, ceramics, basketry, hide tanning, fiber arts, and meditative nature-based practices like sumi-e with handmade brushes.
My artistic practices are grounded in a broader nature connection framework, informed by over ten years of experience with the 8 Shields Institute, formal studies with Animus Valley Institute, and independent land-based research.
As a licensed K–12 art educator, I’ve worked with learners of all ages through public, private, alternative schools, and nonprofit organizations since 2016. I currently teach ceramics and traditional fine arts at the Alternative High School in Kalispell, Montana, and design immersive experiences for retreats, private events, and classrooms—often rooted in ecology, identity, and Indian Education for All.
Whether I’m felting wool, pit-firing wild clay, weaving willow, or painting in the woods, my work is woven with curiosity, respect, and a love for learning with my hands.
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