Biography
Carol Hartman, born in 1948 in Sidney, Montana, USA, is a contemporary abstract painter based in Missoula, Montana. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montana State University in Bozeman (1971), a Master’s degree from California State University, Fresno (1984), and most recently completed a contemporary art program at the Royal Academy of Art (2023). Hartman works primarily in oil and mixed media and is best known for her conceptual abstracts that engage deeply with environmental concerns through bold color, dynamic composition, and immersive scale.
Hartman's work is characterized by a profound engagement with ecological themes and a distinctive visual language that combines abstract form with expressive color to highlight environmental fragility and human impact. Her practice often draws from direct observation and lived experiences, particularly during artist residencies in protected natural areas. Notably, her series Disruption—a monumental oil painting composed of seven interconnected canvases totaling 230 inches in length—responds to a catastrophic train derailment over the Yellowstone River. This work exemplifies Hartman’s capacity to merge aesthetic intensity with environmental urgency, utilizing billowing blacks, burnt oranges, and sulfuric yellows to evoke the physical and symbolic magnitude of ecological disaster. Her current output continues to integrate elements from her 25-year history with interactive art, fostering viewer engagement and awareness through large-scale visual narratives.
Carol Hartman has exhibited widely in prominent venues such as Gallery 10LTD in Washington, DC; SOHO 20 in New York City; the Chicago Art Institute; Jerry Solomon Art Gallery in Los Angeles; Pence Gallery at UC Davis; and Coconino Art Museum in Arizona, among others. Her work is held in notable collections including Montana State University, California State University Fresno, private corporations in New York City, and numerous private collectors across the United States. Hartman has participated in distinguished events such as the War Crimes Tribunal in Washington, D.C. (where her poster was selected by The Hague), Art San Diego (Spotlight Artist), the Florence Biennial, and has been featured in Distinctly Montana magazine. Her artwork has also been included in publications such as Voices of Yellowstone Capstone and International Contemporary Artists. She has undertaken residencies in significant ecological sites including the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Bighorn Canyon, and Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, reinforcing her commitment to creating art that reflects and protects the natural world.