{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://downing.house.gov/media/press-releases/downing-recognizes-erin-graf-july-montana-innovator", "DOWNING RECOGNIZES ERIN GRAF AS JULY \u201cMONTANA INNOVATOR\u201d", "2026-07-30", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Troy Downing", "D000634", "downing.house.gov", "downing", "https://downing.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Troy Downing (MT-02) recognized Erin Graf as a \u201cMontana Innovator\u201d for the month of July. Conducted in partnership with the Montana 250th Commission, the initiative highlights notable Montanans ahead of America\u2019s 250th anniversary. Each month features a different theme, with July honoring achievements in arts, culture, and literature.\n\nRead the full recognition below:\n\n\"This month, I am proud to recognize Erin Graf, a Harlowton native who has dedicated her career to capturing the beauty of God\u2019s creation through the landscapes of rural Montana.\n\nErin studied fine art at Montana State University from 2001 to 2006, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking and a bachelor\u2019s degree in K-12 art education. She also received MSU\u2019s Award of Excellence for Art, presented to the top graduating students in the department.\n\nPrimarily a self-taught oil painter, Erin became a full-time artist in 2015 after spending a decade coaching track and field at Montana State.\n\nIn 2019, she held her first solo museum exhibition at the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. The four-month exhibition, titled Montana: Prairies to Peaks, featured 35 works. Erin also served as the museum\u2019s artist-in-residence, and two of her paintings were added to its permanent collection.\n\nErin co-founded the Three Rivers Artists Guild and previously served as president of Southwest Montana Arts. She also served for five years as chair of the Bozeman Art Museum\u2019s Board of Directors. Her work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and she regularly uses her art to support important causes.\n\nThrough her work, Erin shares Montana\u2019s remarkable landscapes with audiences across the country. It is my honor to recognize her as a Montana Innovator who embodies the spirit of arts, culture, and literature in our state.\"", 1, "2026-07-31T07:49:23Z", "2026-07-31T07:50:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://downing.house.gov/media/press-releases/downing-recognizes-erin-graf-july-montana-innovator"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8492190390825272, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}