Montana banks using space creatively for larger-than-life branding, service, placemaking

“Space: the last frontier.” Viewers of the original “Star Trek,” which has officially attained cult classic status, have heard that line many times. Yet reimagining physical space and its uses is rarely the last thing community banks consider when building or remodeling. Often, it’s the first frontier..From the very founding of Three Rivers Bank of Montana in 1974, Jack King was very intentional about the bank building’s design. King’s feeling was “we’re not your average bank, not just brick and mortar,” so the bank architecture should not be just a concrete block, said Ashley King-Jones, King’s granddaughter who is senior vice president of lending. We “want to fit in with our surroundings.” Northwest Montana’s horizon is filled with mountains, rivers and lakes. The design of the building and the new logo reflect the mountain peaks and the three rivers flowing through Flathead County. “We want to be Montana,” she said.So the bank building is a very distinct A-frame with big windows, substantial exposed wooden beams, a lofted second floor, and antler chandeliers. King had an “affinity to having a high peak in pretty much everything he built. His house and lake house had a high pitch, and big windows, let the outside in,” Ashley explained. And the bank shares that view—literally and figuratively.The three offices of the $310 million Three Rivers Bank incorporate much of the nature seen in the area like river rock, detail work that includes representations of the rivers, art from a local artist, and animals that taxidermists preserved into likenesses of an albino elk and an albino black bear.From a marketing perspective, the chalet design sets them apart. “The A-frame definitely makes it easy to identify us,” Ashley said. “And when they hear our story, it resonates even more.”“Some banks, they don’t feel like they have a personality. It feels like you’re going into the doctor’s office or the DMV,” she said. “It’s not welcoming, not warm. That’s what we try the hardest to do. Be warm and welcoming.”The architecture and ambience have a secondary benefit. They “makes it easier to come to work in the morning: the beautiful artwork, flowers, different greeneries,” she said. There’s a “pride in location, pride in coming to work.”One of the bank’s Facebook posts sums it up. “Our branches are built to look like lodges because we’re not trying to look like a bank—we’re trying to look like Montana. ... If you came to Montana for a different kind of life, you deserve a different kind of bank.”SaaS BankingBank of Bozeman also uses its space to draw in community members in a way one might call SaaS: Space as a Service.The $105 million Bank of Bozeman in Bozeman, Mont., is a single-office institution. Each quarter, a different artist is invited to display their pieces on or near the walls of the lobby, community room and some of the offices. “We have a lot of wall space in our community room and lobby that can showcase local artists,” said Clinton Gerst, bank president. “Employees like having different art adorn our walls every quarter, and customers and visitors alike enjoy seeing inspiring art.” “Most of the time, it is one artist,” said Janie Weinber, bank marketing coordinator. “Customers can come through and view the gallery.” At the end of the quarter, the bank hosts an artist’s reception on a Thursday night replete with appetizers and drinks to which the entire community is invited. “It’s a fun night to showcase the artist,” Weinber said.Most of the art pieces are for sale, so if someone does purchase a piece during the exhibition, either the artist replaces the piece or the purchaser is asked to wait until the show is over to take it home.The program began as a happenstance when a bank customer who was a fine arts painter was having difficulty getting their work displayed, and this was causing financial difficulties. “It was a way to help our customer and bring potential customers into the bank,” Weinber said.Word has spread and artists have requested the bank showcase their art. Artists include “students at Montana State, artists in Bozeman, some from small towns around. Some are professional artists, some are artists as a hobby,” and they represent all ages and levels of experience and a variety of mediums, Weinber said.The gallery exhibitions are usually planned out six months in advance depending on what works best for the chosen artist and the bank. To date, the bank has displayed paintings, photography, and tapestries. One of the more recent artists was a ceramicist who made pottery planters and displayed them with the plants.There really aren’t any qualifications or eligibility requirements, Weinber said. “If it’s family friendly and would be a good fit for the bank,” then the artist is approved.Weinber doesn’t see any downsides to the program. “It’s great for the artist. They seem to really brag about having space to showcase their work in a different way. And also [great] for the bank,” she said. “We really focus on being a community bank in our area. [This is] a great way to showcase that—working with local people, local artists.”.The artist reception also brings a lot of the community in—people who wouldn’t normally be in the bank, which is a huge plus, Weinber said.“We are always thinking of ways to maximize the community benefit with our modest resources. We have a beautiful building that can serve our community in many ways, and this program is one of our employees’ and clients’ favorites,” Gerst said.Missoula bank leverage blazes trailA third Montana bank uses space for placemaking which “capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, and it results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people’s health, happiness and well-being,” according to the Project for Public Spaces.Instead of bringing people into First Security Bank Missoula, the goal of the FSB Trail Cash program was to get people enjoying the outdoors.For Earth Day 2026, the bank created its scavenger hunt on local trails in Missoula, where the bank has 10 offices, to get people outside and “get our name out into the community in a fun, cool, and engaging way,” said Brandi Massey, bank marketing coordinator. “Since Missoula is a small mountain town, people love the outdoors. Hiding the trail cash at local trailheads each day was a fun way to remind our community why we all live here.”Each day for five days surrounding Earth Day, the bank would post a clue on where to find its Trail Cash bag on its social media pages. The dry bags included a Yeti mug, a cup koozie, ChapStick, stickers, and a golden ticket worth $100 that could be redeemed in any of the FSB branches..“I tried to find trails that were spread out. That way, all branches would be included,” Massey said. The bank has seen a great response to the inaugural event with even non-customers talking about the program and the bank’s social media pages seeing increased traffic and interaction.“This is a great way for our brand to stay connected within the communities we serve,” Massey said. “We plan on doing this again next year.”First Security Bank Missoula is part of the $32 billion Glacier Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Kalispell, Mont.