Mara-gai Katz, 71, died after a series of illnesses on July 11, 2024 in Bozeman, Montana. Mara grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, outside Boston. She worked, studied, and lived in both eastern and western settings until she found her professional and spiritual home in Bozeman.
Mara was the consummate artist—a jeweler, cardmaker, photographer, and architect. She imbued her projects with passion, integrity, joy, and her idiosyncratic visions. Mara was also a complicated, sometimes contradictory personality, who crafted a remarkable life.
Mara's artistic talents and her planned path forward became obvious in her early years. When she was about six years old, the community she lived in held an art show for kids as a summer activity. Mara submitted one picture she created and captioned, all on her own. The picture featured a young girl with long brown hair (much like Mara's) with her arms extended. And on each hand she painted a boxing glove. The caption was simple—Girl with Boxing Gloves.
So began a long, productive, and occasionally combative life full of love and achievement. Mara had strong visions and beliefs for her art, her architecture, and her personal goals. She had little interest in other people's rules and liked to set her own. She had a few causes and many people that mattered greatly to her. And she fought fiercely to create a life that was fully her own.
For instance, in her architectural practice, she deliberately designed homes for a wide variety of clients--some rich and famous and but most for those of less renown who simply loved her style. She worked in a number of architectural firms, but the work she performed best came when she ran her own firm, without others telling her what to do, how to do it, or who to do it for. With the body of work that her small firm produced, she received many client accolades as well as numerous regional awards and a national award. Mara also taught architecture at Montana State, where she was devoted to, and beloved by, students. Her relations with the administrators there were not always as harmonious.
Her strong views also came to the fore as she gained additional stature in her profession. She was a Board member of the non-profit Preserve Montana for many years, an organization that works to protect historical properties. In addition, she became a member of a Bozeman town board that was devoted to historical preservation. In that capacity, Mara incurred the wrath of some Bozeman citizens because the board, for the first time in Montana's history, directed that a property could not be developed due to its historical significance. Despite the controversy and the vitriol she received, she never backed down from that decision nor regretted it.
Mara's artistry came out in numerous forms, sometimes contrary ones. Many people looked forward to receiving Mara's beautiful holiday cards, each of which were individually created with her photographs or pen and ink drawings. She also loved color--turquoise and silver as a jeweler and as a photographer, the greens and brown of the Montana mountains along with the blue skies and snowy whites. Yet despite her color-loving artistry, she wore, almost exclusively, black clothing.
Mara had many passions beyond art, including music, horses, dogs, river rafting, sailing, and fast cars as well as her 2003 Toyota Forerunner. Mara loved skiing and hiking. And she repeatedly delighted in finding new places to travel.
The foundation for much of Mara's belief structure was the importance of freedom. She hated anything that she felt compromised her independence. And yet she created, time and time again, powerful, invisible ties that bound her—to the Montana mountains, to Canyon Ferry, to the beaches on both coasts, and to a small rocky beach near Cape Cod where she spent many summers. And there were ties to a host of people who loved her for the care, loyalty, and joy she provided them. And which they, in turn, reciprocated to her. We heard from many of them in the last few weeks with glowing reminiscences of how Mara contributed to their lives. And close friends and family filled her room, towards the end, with sweetgrass, Irish music, classical music, prayers, doughnuts, and stories involving Mara.
In the last year, as her health faltered, Mara took on a new muse, not an artist but rather a Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, who famously wrote: "Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light." And rage she did as she fought hard to realize the powerful vision she had for how to live the last phase of her life. The vision was simply not to be, but she continued the struggle for months. Finally, in the last few hours, she realized her vision was a bridge too far. Then her arms became too heavy, and late at night, she finally laid down the boxing gloves she'd worn for decades. And so she died quietly, peacefully, and without pain, and she made her last journey to a new place.
Mara had a partner, Bill Hamilton, who predeceased her. She leaves behind a brother, Jamie Katz, and his wife, Cynthia Piltch, and their daughter and son-in-law, Lee and Cam Mayer; her sister, Jo Hannah Katz and her children, Stanzie, Dawit, Yordanos, Hebrom, and Semhal; and her brother, Harry and his son Devereux.
For anyone interested in honoring Mara-gai's memory, or helping to carry on work that mattered to her, please consider making a donation to Preserve Montana, www.preservemontana.org [preservemontana.org].
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelsonfuneralservice.com [dokkennelsonfuneralservice.com]
