On the Road with JRO ART: Montana Bound, Part 1

By Jennifer Rae Ochs June 19, 2025

On the Road with JRO ART: Montana Bound, Part 1

Expanding, Connecting, and Creating Across the American Landscape

There’s something undeniably exhilarating about taking to the open road with artwork in tow. This time, the journey leads to Montana, a new festival, a new audience, and a wide-open sky that holds the promise of fresh inspiration. As I load up my mobile gallery and begin the careful packing process, layering each piece with intention and care, I can feel the momentum building. Every mile is part of something larger—a creative expansion not just across landscapes, but within.

Traveling with JRO ART isn’t just about showcasing paintings or promoting wearable designs. It’s about connection, the real, visceral exchange between artist and audience. There’s a distinct kind of energy when someone encounters a piece that truly speaks to them. My work is deeply layered, both in technique and emotion. So when someone steps into my space, pauses, and really sees something—that connection is the heartbeat of this journey.

These festivals aren’t just weekends marked on a calendar, they’re lived chapters in an ongoing journey. Being on the road allows me to connect face-to-face with people from all walks of life, in real time and real space. The conversations that unfold aren’t just about my art, they’re about stories, memories, and what it means to live creatively. Whether we’re talking color palettes or life paths, these exchanges stay with me. They’re a reminder that art is not just something we look at, it’s something we live with, carry, and return to.

Montana, vast, rugged, and quietly powerful, has always left an impression on me, and this marks my very first exhibit in the state. I’m eager to experience how the landscape influences my work and shifts my palette. Every place brings its own rhythm, its own colors, its own cues. As a visual artist and designer, I don’t just observe these elements, I absorb them. The way dusk settles over the mountains, the texture of weathered wood and ancient stone, the cool clarity of glacial water… all of it finds its way into the next brushstroke, the next textile, the next creation.

Expansion is a word I’ve been sitting with lately. For JRO ART, it means growth across state lines, across mediums, and across boundaries, both real and imagined. After decades of cultivating connections domestically and beyond, it’s time to extend that embrace even further. This journey to Montana isn’t just about showing up at a festival. It’s about stepping into the next phase of what this work can become. It’s about presence, about building bridges, about saying yes to possibility, and above all, about embracing expansion in all its forms.

As I prepare for the upcoming show in Whitefish, Montana, I’ll be exhibiting a curated selection of one-of-a-kind paintings alongside various signature collections. Inspired by this unique destination, I’ve also created some new work that feels deeply connected to the spirit of the place. Each piece carries its own story, but together they form a dialogue between past creations and fresh inspiration drawn from this life journey.

This is Part 1 of a reflection, with the intention to share Part 2 after the show, once the full experience has unfolded. I’ll dive into the new connections made, unexpected moments, and how the land and people of Montana shaped the journey.

Until then, thank you for riding alongside me.

Here’s to the journey and the adventure ahead, the growth and process along the way, and the power and art of simply showing up and being present.

-JRO