Photo exhibit displayed in bank

RONAN - As of April 12, Community Bank members will notice a change in the Polson and Ronan bank branches as they make their way through the lobbies.

On display, among the usual ornamentations, is a historical photographic exhibit titled, "People, Place and Time."

The exhibit, which was funded by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Park Service, will be on display until April 23.

"The grants were given to create a sense of community and to educate people on the history of the reservation," said Mary Jane Charlo, who oversaw the project while temporarily working with the Tribal Preservation Department.

The exhibit has made its way around the Flathead region and has been shown at Arlee High School, Pablo Fitness Center, Glacier High School in Kalispell, the Tribal Complex and the People's Center.

"It grabs people's attention as they pass. They can't help but stop and take a look at it," said Chris Jackson, who works in the marketing division at Community Bank's main branch in Ronan. "It is very, very nice to have it at our bank."

The Community Bank decided to host the exhibit to commemorate their 100-year history of being in business.

Half of the exhibit is displayed at the Polson branch while the other half is at the Ronan branch.

Marcia Pablo, of the Historic Preservation Office said that the timing of the exhibit to coincide with the bank's centennial was coincidental.

"We wanted to do a history of the reservation in pictures that addresses all of the communities," Pablo said.

Charlo was responsible for collecting and scanning all of the historical photographs that were to be used for the exhibit. She went from town to town speaking with community members and asking them what historical mementos they could donate to the project.

"I wasn't getting responses from the communities," Charlo said. "Finally things started coming in slowly and I got a response from as far as Australia."

Charlo said that the preservation department had a goal to receive 6,000 photographs. They were able to collect about 1,500 photographs and only about 160 made it into the final project.

"This was very rewarding," Charlo said of the project. "I learned a lot and I appreciate my tribe even more for the persistence and dedication they have."