Almost without exception, visitors to the museum praise the exhibit displays, environments, and accents.
 
Credit for this belongs to museum artist Melanie Richard and her desire to use the artistic talents God has given her to His glory.
 
Her love and appreciation for wildlife can be seen in her extraordinary art work.  Her mother said “she was born with a pencil in her hand.”  She has drawn, painted and sculpted since she was in pre-school.  While in 8th grade she taught 1st and 2nd grade Art class in a small country school.  At Sentinel High School in Missoula, MT she began selling wildlife art and painted her first 2 murals.  She also did cartooning for the high school math packets (teaching materials for students) and scientific illustration for science packets.
 
She received a science scholarship to study zoology at the University of Montana in Missoula but changed majors at the end of her first year to study art and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors.
 
Melanie has painted several large murals for her home church, Faith Evangelical in Billings, MT, where she also volunteers as a consultant and decorator.
 
For many years she has volunteered at ZooMontana as an Education animal handler, small habitat designer, sculptor and muralist.
 
She is married to Park Richard who Melanie says “makes all volunteering possible” and they have two sons, Daniel, currently serving in the Marine Corps, and Micah who is a home school freshman.
 
The Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum is privileged and honored to have Melanie as a very important part of our volunteer staff.

Check out the following video presentation chronicling Melanie's artistry for the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum: