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Throughout the hatchery grounds life sized historic and art exhibits are found , along with interactions with nature and wildlife .

Walking through the 11 acre site , the path wanders past a boat used in the early 1900s at Yellowstone Lake to harvest trout eggs by D . C Booth and hatchery staff ; a replica of Fish Railcar # 3 used to transport fish across the country from 1870s to 1940s ; a replica of the hatchery ’ s Ice House ; the Historic Booth House built in 1905 ; and the National Fish Hatchery Museum housed in the original hatchery building built in 1899 .

Hatchery raceways and ponds that are home for 50,000 trout . The underwater viewing area provides a peek into the habitat of a pond filled with rainbow , brown and cutthroat trout . Wildlife , ducks and other birds , fauna and flora are present throughout the hatchery grounds .

The historic and active components of the site provide tremendous opportunity for artists to glean ideas and inspiration for their creative endeavors . An underlying aspect of the art generated is the appreciation of nature and the interaction with the outdoors .

SCULPTURES

Two life size sculptures created by local artist , Jim Maher , are found on the grounds . The “ Generations ” sculpture features a grandfather and granddaughter going fishing complete with fishing poles . The “ Spring Stocking ” sculpture depicts an early fish stocking into a Black Hills stream .

TERMESPHERE

Dick Termes created the “ Ripple in Time ” termesphere which depicts over a century of hatchery history , along with fish culture and the love of fly fishing .

150TH FISHERIES ANNIVERSARY QUILT

A quilt featuring 70 hatcheries was created for the 150th anniversary of federal fisheries . Quilt blocks were gathered from federal hatcheries in the United States . Local volunteers put the quilt together , creating an artistic masterpiece which shares visual depictions of all the hatcheries in the United States . The quilt has traveled to many states , being displayed at USFWS events .

PHOTO CONTEST

For the past several years , visitors to the hatchery have submitted their photos to the “ Capture the Hatchery Photo Contest .” The photographers ’ unique ways of seeing and preserving aspects of the hatchery through the camera lens has been eye opening . The hatchery has incorporated many of the photographs into reports , souvenir products , displays , ads and promotional materials .

PLEIN AIR PAINTING

Throughout the years , artists arrived at the hatchery with paintbrushes , canvas and easels . After finding a perfect location they spend time capturing the hatchery on their canvas . Included in this artistic endeavor have been a plein air group for the 125th anniversary , and several groups of Black Hills University art students .

HATCHERY – PAST AND PRESENT

Pat Rogge , a Spearfish artist , created a painting depicting a current view of the National Fish Hatchery Museum , raceways and visitors , along with apparitions of long ago hatchery employees in the forefront .

BOOKS

The “ Let ’ s Feed the Fish ” children ’ s book , published for the hatchery ’ s 125th anniversary , is overflowing with watercolor art created by local artist , Bill Feterl . A pocket size picture book , “ Birds of D . C . Booth ” features 16 photos of birds taken on the hatchery grounds by photographer Shelly Burkhard . “ America ’ s Bountiful Waters ”, a table top book published by USFWS , features photos taken through the years , along with a selection of artwork by Bob Hines , an artist commissioned by the USFWS . A children ’ s coloristory book by Jo Powell tells the story of the hatchery through text , coloring and activity pages .

ARCHITECTURE

The interior and exterior structures of the National Fish Hatchery Museum built in 1899 feature the architecture style of Hector Von Bayer . Von Bayer is well known for his influence in the late 1800 ’ s and early 1900 ’ s across the United States . Many other structures including the Yellowstone Boat , the replica Railcar , the stone walls and the Booth House have historic structural qualities that have been preserved through creative artistic talent .

NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS

The beauty of plants , wildlife and environment surrounding visitors provide opportunities to find inspiration and content for artistic creations . Spring , summer , autumn and winter provide different dynamics of the look and feel of the hatchery grounds .

Artists visiting the D . C . Booth Fish Hatchery effectively combine the visual aspect of art with the atmosphere of history and the outdoors . Artistic masterpieces featuring the hatchery describe , examine , and analyze past events while stimulating thoughts , emotions , beliefs and ideas through the senses .

Truly , the story of fisheries and D . C . Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery continue to flourish as the hatchery ’ s history is shared through art .

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