A group passes beneath a painting of two entwined rabbits outside of Erotique on July 6, 2020. The bunnies were second series Rachel Driscoll made for the downtown business.
Rachel Driscoll flips through “the morgue,” a box of old print outs and magazine clippings, in her apartment on August 10, 2022. Driscoll uses the clippings as reference photos for her paintings.
Rachel Driscoll arranges the panels in her western series at Tinworks’ “Bring Your Own Art Show,” on Sept. 2, 2022. This was the first time that all four of Driscoll’s series were on display together.
A couple walks by Erotique on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2018.
Rachel Leathe/Chronicle
If you stare at Rachel Driscoll’s work long enough, it will wink back at you. And that’s exactly what she wants.
“It’s kind of fun to have an assignment of it having to be socially acceptable and still be a little naughty,” she said.
For the last handful of years, Driscoll has been dreaming up humorous and risqué paintings for the outside of Erotique, downtown Bozeman’s adult store. Driscoll has made four series, each with five panels, that are swapped out seasonally.
Rachel Driscoll works on the western series in her apartment on August 10, 2022.
Rachel Leathe/Chronicle
The paintings are commissioned by the store’s owner and Driscoll's longtime family friend, Billy McWilliams.
McWilliams said it’s been fun to watch her grow as an artist. He also enjoys watching people’s reaction to the work.
“We have a camera on the inside that shows the outside (of the store) and it’s great, people are taking pictures of the art and taking selfies with the art and pointing it out. People tell me they drive by and they have to look at the art.”
In fact, people love the panels so much that they voted for Erotique as Bozeman’s Choice Window Display in the 2023 Bozeman’s Choice poll.
“I feel like that’s a coup because it’s not even on Main Street, not even windows,” Driscoll said.
A group passes beneath a painting of two entwined rabbits outside of Erotique on July 6, 2020. The bunnies were second series Rachel Driscoll made for the downtown business.
Rachel Leathe/Chronicle
Driscoll, who grew up in Bozeman, said that she’s happy to have involvement with a block of Main Street that holds particular significance for her. She started working at Cactus Records when she was 15 and lived across the street in the Baxter for a time.
“I do think that it’s really important to keep little pockets of character in what downtown has become and try to fight for that as much as possible,” Driscoll said.
Rachel Driscoll arranges the panels in her western series at Tinworks’ “Bring Your Own Art Show,” on Sept. 2, 2022. This was the first time that all four of Driscoll’s series were on display together.
Rachel Driscoll flips through “the morgue,” a box of old print outs and magazine clippings, in her apartment on August 10, 2022. Driscoll uses the clippings as reference photos for her paintings.
