The Enigmatic Art of Voldemar Podder

MontanaHistoricalSociety

MHS senior curator Jennifer Bottomly-O’looney shares images and stories of artist Voldemar Podder. Podder—a physician who was displaced from his native Estonia during World War II—spent twelve years in various European refugee camps where he learned to paint. Always continuing his artwork, he immigrated to the United States in 1956, landing first in Warm Springs, Montana, then, in 1963, relocating to Butte. Podder was a prolific artist whose unique and enigmatic style reflects the life he lived and the people he knew.