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by Michele Corriel
Set in Bozeman, the Javier Moreno Gallery stands as both a sanctuary for artists and a vibrant gathering space for the community. With thoughtfully curated walls, the gallery invites visitors to linger among artwork that speaks to Montana’s spirit and beyond. Moreno, whose vision is rooted in wide-ranging and artistic variety, has crafted an environment where every corner offers the possibility of discovery.
“My heart has always been on the side of the artist. I know how hard it is to try to get your yourself out there.”
–Javier Moreno, Owner, Moreno Fine Art Gallery
The gallery’s mission is clear: to showcase an extraordinary breadth of talent —local, national, and international—while nurturing connections between artists and patrons. Moreno’s approach is hands-on, fostering relationships that extend past simple transactions into genuine support for creative growth.
CREATING VIBRANT SPACES
Working as an engineer in Big Sky, Whitefish, Jackson, and Bozeman, Javier Moreno discovered the need for an art gallery that offered people something beyond the usual fare. “I visit galleries at least once a month because I just love art and I noticed that most of them displayed very typical Western pieces,” Moreno says. “They weren’t really offering a lot of choice for art lovers and art collectors.”
While Montana’s artist community is diverse and teeming with talent, many collectors who have vacation homes in Montana bring in artwork from other places and may not collect Montana artists. Here lies a missing opportunity for collectors of all kinds. Moreno enjoys giving some lesser-known regional artists exposure through his gallery and website.
“We try to show two to four pieces from all the artists depending on the size of the artwork. We spread the art throughout the gallery, but we have an area in our gallery where we have the main exhibition.”
–Javier Moreno, Owner, Moreno Fine Art Gallery
As an artist himself, Moreno understands the journey. “My heart has always been on the side of the artist,” he says. “I know how hard it is to try to get your yourself out there. The art world is very competitive. Just getting people to look at your stuff isn’t the easiest thing, even with Instagram.”
With over 20 artists in his stable, from photographers to oil painters, from abstract painters to figurative painters, Moreno offers a wide range of artistic work. Aside from the primary exhibiting artist, Moreno keeps works from the rest of his artists up in the additional spaces.
“We try to show two to four pieces from all the artists depending on the size of the artwork,” he says. “We spread the art throughout the gallery, but we have an area in our gallery where we have the main exhibition.” The gallery is large and there are nooks all over the space for plenty of work to be shown. They also host events and fundraisers for various causes and nonprofit organizations.
From his own experiences, Moreno knows that art, whether making it or having it in your environment, is vital for a person’s mental health. “As a kid, I suffered trauma,” Moreno says. “Fortunately, a neighbor realized what was going on and took me under her wing and introduced me to art. I don’t create art for art’s sake; I create it because it saved my life.”
“As a kid, I suffered trauma. Fortunately, a neighbor realized what was going on and took me under her wing and introduced me to art. I don’t create art for art’s sake; I create it because it saved my life.”
–Javier Moreno, Owner, Moreno Fine Art Gallery
That kind of drive is not only what helps him in his own creative endeavors, but also what allows him to understand and promote other artists. “I just want to help these artists,” Moreno says. “I also want to provide our community with some really cool art.”
His own work delves into abstraction and culture, wildlife and landscape. Currently, he’s been working on some iconic portraits of classical Western figures, like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
Across Moreno’s paintings, colors jump from the canvas. His pieces, from abstract ones to more recognizable portraits and landscapes, all speak to an inner world where reality seems to take a step back. Swirls of cloud-like colors spread out before the viewer.
Having studied art at the Milan Art Institute, he brings with him a vast knowledge base. He says, “The Art Institute was really good, but I was at the point where I felt I learned as much as I could.”
Then came the time to stretch himself and see what he could do. “I’ve been painting professionally, selling work, since I was 12 years old,” Moreno says. “I’ve been doing art my whole life. In the military, I couldn’t focus on art full-time, but the art was always there.”
In 2012, Moreno started sending his art out, entering competitions and unsurprisingly, he won awards. “I started selling my work privately,” he says. “I sold my work for good amounts of money. I found a collector who told me I need to get my art out in the world. Once I started showing it and applying to all these juried events, I got accepted into everything. My art just kind of took off.”
Moreno is quite prolific. “I literally finished 60 paintings that are ready to sell,” he says. “I was creating two to three paintings a week, and they were just taking over the house.” That is one reason he opened the gallery.
An interesting aspect of his work is that he starts with an acrylic underpainting. “It dries fast and then I paint over it with oil paints,” he says. “It’s really a great method. It may not be for everybody, but I really like it because my oils come across as more vivid. Mainly because the oils don’t penetrate the canvas as much and so I get a very lustrous, very vibrant effect.”
This can be seen in his portrait of Clint Eastwood, complete with a hard squint in his eyes and the burning embers of his trademark cigarillo in his mouth. Moreno adds tension by including an abstract background that sums up the character Eastwood portrays.
“I have about 30 new abstract paintings right now,” he says. “They are all about the feeling of where I am right now.”
He’s also built up a solid portfolio of Western paintings, wildlife art, and landscapes. “I do a lot of sketches, and I do a lot of plein air painting, which I really love. I plan to do a lot more of those,” Moreno says. “When I have ideas, I just can’t wait to get them on canvas.”
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