Montana State alumnus designs cover of national magazine and new Montana license plate

BOZEMAN — Montana State University alumnus James Corwin’s art is zipping across Montana highways and flipping through thousands of readers’ hands across the nation this summer.  

Corwin, who graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in studio arts from the College of Arts and Architecture, designed a new Montana license plate released in August. His artwork also appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, a 204-year-old, nationally distributed magazine known for depicting American culture.  

“It’s so exciting being able to wake up every day and be immersed in this atmosphere of creating beautiful art and bringing people into that experience by sharing it with them,” he said. 

James Corwin, a Montana State University alumnus, graduated with a bachelor's degree in studio arts in 2014. Submitted photo.

Based in Missoula, Corwin creates hyper-realistic paintings of wildlife, including Montana-inspired wolves, bears and bison. He also owns an art gallery displaying his work and that of local artists in Hamilton. It opened in 2021 to accommodate Corwin’s growing studio, business team and art classes.  

On Aug. 4, Montana released Corwin’s new license plate, commissioned by the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation in January. Proceeds from purchasing the plate will fund the foundation’s wilderness stewardship, trail maintenance and youth programs in the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas.  

Corwin’s plate design features Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Mountains, towering above golden cottonwood trees and a family of elk. He began with an image in his mind and a reference photo he created by compiling images in Photoshop. He said he paints for several hours each day until a piece portrays a “magical spark that feels alive,” often while listening to podcasts or chatting with his business team through his headset. Corwin creates more than 20 original paintings each year and fulfills more than 100 prints per month across the U.S. and internationally for his existing pieces.  

One of the most special orders he received this year was for the July and August edition of The Saturday Evening Post, which is distributed to at least 350,000 subscribers. Three of his pieces have been used for cover art since 2022, and the latest depicts a crane dancing in a grassy marsh during sunset. 

The painting "Moon Dancer II," created by wildlife artist James Corwin, was selected for the July and August edition of the national magazine The Saturday Evening Post. Submitted photo.

Historically, the magazine’s covers were considered its most defining feature due to iconic artists like Norman Rockwell, according to The Saturday Post. The American illustrator created more than 300 covers for the magazine inspired by life in the U.S., from a family installing a new television set to a young couple sitting in a diner after prom.  

“It’s such a privilege and a gift to be included among history’s great artists,” Corwin said. “It probably wouldn't have been possible without MSU’s encouragement to do painting full time.” 

Corwin, who is from Kalispell, enrolled at MSU during his sophomore year after transferring from Marietta College in Ohio. He initially pursued a degree in art education but decided to graduate with a bachelor’s in studio arts after receiving encouragement from his advisers. Corwin’s art was gaining traction at local markets in the Flathead Valley, and he began to think pursuing painting as a career was not only realistic, but it was also bound to lead to something special.  

“It was clear to me that James was well on his way to becoming a successful artist and a business owner,” said Dean Adams, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture who taught Corwin’s professional practices course. “He was already exploring a career in art and exemplified the entrepreneurial mindset common in many of our students. I appreciate his current business model for selling his own work while also supporting other artists.” 

Painting landscapes came naturally to Corwin during his undergraduate years, he said. He often explored Montana’s outdoor classroom by painting plein air — painting a subject while in nature — and spent hours in the School of Art’s studios in Haynes Hall. There, he discovered the fundamentals of form and shape by taking courses across all mediums, such as sculpture, ceramics, printmaking and drawing.  

He said his intermediate drawing course felt as though it was art academy class in Florence, Italy, with its tight-knit group of artists bending over their charcoals and observing nature, inanimate objects and human subjects. After class ended in the afternoons, Corwin often painted his friends while they posed on chairs in front of his canvas, which shaped his understanding of anatomy for his current wildlife paintings.  

“It was a wonderful experience to have that freedom to explore myself artistically and see what I was — no pun intended — drawn to, which was ultimately painting,” he said. 

Josh DeWeese, School of Art director and professor of ceramics who taught Corwin’s intermediate drawing class, said exploration is at the core of the School of Art. Students try several mediums outside their comfort zones during their first years in the program, ultimately finding an art form that they are passionate about and can turn into a career.  

DeWeese said he is impressed with Corwin’s ability to pursue a career he loves with entrepreneurial savvy, which MSU recognized with an alumni award in 2023.  

“Our most significant role as educators is for people to find the thing they’re most passionate about,” DeWeese said. “Becoming a professional is important, but trying to discover more about yourself is the most important.”