It may be a little surprising that a scrappy railroad town like Livingston has become something of an artists’ colony. But the beautiful light and stunning scenery (not to mention the trout fishing) of the Paradise Valley work in counterpoint to Livingston’s raucous edge to make this one of the state’s most prestigious addresses.

Russell Chatham is Livingston’s most renowned artist. His oils and lithographs evoke the places where the plains come up against the mountains.

You’ll see mostly lithographs at Chatham Fine Art (120 N. Main St., 406/222-1566).

Tierra Montana (116 N. Main St., 406/222-3000) exhibits paintings, sculpture, and high-quality crafts, including the weavings of owner Ben Maestas.

Other galleries along the same stretch of Main Street are the Danforth Gallery (106 N. Main St., 406/222-6510), which focuses on contemporary Montana artists, and Livingston Center for Art and Culture (119 S. Main St., 406/222-5222), featuring regional artists and offering classes, workshops, and an open ceramic studio.

Within the Center for Art and Culture is the Parks Reece Gallery (406/222-5724), featuring Reece’s whimsical paintings and prints.

South of town in the Sleeping Giant Trade Center (5237 Hwy. 89 S.), find the Burl Jones Roche Jaune Galerie (406/222-8719), with Western art, including Jones’s bronzes.