Your Friend, Ranger Doug is proudly presented for the first time in exhibition format at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art from June 3, 2022, through October 5, 2022. This insightful, touching, and informative film is a short documentary made by Celine Francois, Claire Jantzen, Kayla Borkovec, Lexi Johnson, and Sara Nell through Chapman University. In the film, 93-year-old Doug Follett has been a Glacier National Park Ranger for 58 years. Through his lifetime in Whitefish, MT, a small town nestled below the park, his charisma and accomplishments made him a local celebrity. However, as Doug approaches the end of his life, he simultaneously watches the lifeblood of the exquisite environment melt away. Doug and other GNP experts study and communicate the undeniable decay of the glaciers. Through moments of reflection, Doug uniquely parallels this loss to friends and family who have passed, and his regretful absence for one in particular. By sharing the history and his personal encounters through poetic prose, Ranger Doug proves that a simple conversation can keep those who have passed, and the natural environment alive.

When viewed in relationship to the diverse art exhibitions at the museum this summer, the film coincides with a concern and extended effort by the museum to provide a thoughtful and critical understanding of the people we know, and the place we call home in Montana. Providing experiences that promote cross-cultural and cross-generational connections, that bring us together to build a creative and enlightened future.

This exhibition was curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Exhibitions presented by The Square are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council a state agency funded by the State of Montana, Humanities Montana, National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor, and National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, and generous support from Davidson Family Foundation, First Interstate Bank, and D.A. Davidson. Special support from Montana Woman Magazine and Printing Center USA.