A Brush With Death
Funeral Director Dwight Cushman (b. 1976) creates drawings and paintings that explore the intersection of funerary traditions with the American landscape. His artwork blends rural themes with elements of dark romanticism and the supernatural. By documenting the rituals of grief and incorporating the symbolism of memento mori, Cushman examines how we navigate loss and the passage of time.
His paintings utilize the bleakness of the badlands to create a foreboding atmosphere, often focusing on the darker aspects of human nature such as vengeance, madness, and the weight of the past. Through the use of recurring archetypes including skeletal figures, Cushman uses the harshness of the frontier as a metaphor for internal psychological struggle and unresolved history.
Cushman’s work frequently challenges modern taboos surrounding death, framing it not as an end to be feared, but as a catalyst for reflecting on life’s impermanence. His art invites a direct dialogue on the price of love and the necessity of grief, suggesting that the act of saying goodbye is an essential part of the human experience. Through this lens, the decaying landscapes and moral ambiguities of the West become a backdrop for a deeper understanding of our own mortality.
His paintings utilize the bleakness of the badlands to create a foreboding atmosphere, often focusing on the darker aspects of human nature such as vengeance, madness, and the weight of the past. Through the use of recurring archetypes including skeletal figures, Cushman uses the harshness of the frontier as a metaphor for internal psychological struggle and unresolved history.
Cushman’s work frequently challenges modern taboos surrounding death, framing it not as an end to be feared, but as a catalyst for reflecting on life’s impermanence. His art invites a direct dialogue on the price of love and the necessity of grief, suggesting that the act of saying goodbye is an essential part of the human experience. Through this lens, the decaying landscapes and moral ambiguities of the West become a backdrop for a deeper understanding of our own mortality.
Participation
2026- Carbon County Art Guild - The Rocky Mountain Regional Juried Exhibition April 3-27 2026 - Reception 2-4PM April 11, 2026
2026 - AVAC Quick Draw & Art Auction Anipro Event Center, Absarokee, MT
2026 - AVAC Quick Draw & Art Auction Anipro Event Center, Absarokee, MT
2026 - BAiR + Group Show Roosevelt Center Red Lodge, MT (March 11 - April 27)
2025- Montana Shakespeare in the Parks - Commemorative Art
2025- Roosevelt Center Red Lodge, MT Group Show
2024- Carbon County Art Guild Exhibitions: "Inspired by Song" + "Art in the Beartooth's Silent Auction" + Member Show + Community Show
2023- Wyoming Game and Fish Collectible Conservation Stamp Art Show - Cheyenne, WY
2023- BAM - Bozeman Art Museum - Plein Air Quick Draw
2023- Plein Air Fest - National Museum of Wildlife Art Jackson, WY
2022 - SAGE Gallery 12th Annual National Juried Show Sheridan, WY https://www.artinsheridan.com/juried12
2022- Plein Air Fest - National Museum of Wildlife Art (Jackson, WY) https://www.wildlifeart.org/events/plein-air-fest-etc
2022- Wyoming Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition - WY State MuseumCheyenne, WY
2018- CM Russell Museum Quick Draw Artist Great Falls, Montana
Professional Experience
2025- Gallery Assistant (Seasonal) Kevin Red Star Gallery Red Lodge, MT.
Articulated the cultural significance of Contemporary Native American art to collectors and tourists while assisting in facilitating sales and maintaining artist-collector relationships.
Articulated the cultural significance of Contemporary Native American art to collectors and tourists while assisting in facilitating sales and maintaining artist-collector relationships.
Community Outreach
2017-2018 Sunday Painter www.sundaypainter.org - Produced more than 45+ indoor/outdoor drawing and painting workshops Great Falls, Montana http://www.sundaypainter.org/
Press & Publications
2025- Montana Shakespeare in the Park Event Program "Meet the Artist" Contest Winner Profile & Artwork sold at MSIP merchandise stands during live Shakespeare events.
2023- Exhibition Catalog "Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region" The Brinton Museum - Sheridan, WY
2018- Great Falls Tribune Montana Public Radio 89.9FM KRTV KFBB-TV KULR-8 ABC-FOX MONTANA Powell Tribune KTVQ KXLH KGPR
2022- Video Blog Interview - Yellowstone National Park : https://thatparkplace.com/putting-around-the-usa-waterfall-at-grand-canyon-of-yellowstone-a-video-interview/
2022- Powell Tribune - Powell, WY Cover Story "A Brush with Death" - April 21,2022
2022- County10.com 6 Local Artists Featured in Wyoming Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition - Wyoming Arts Council - Wyoming Arts Alliance
2018- KRTV NEWS - Broadcast News Story - Sunday, 1-28-2018 Montana