Williston area residents are enjoying a rare opportunity as a work of art filmed in western North Dakota opened Thursday evening at the Old Historic Armory.

Called "The Plains of Sweet Regret," New York video artist Mary Lucier uses an 18-minute, five-channel video as a platform to convey some observations about the population shifts the area has experienced. The video incorporates four video projectors and two plasma screens.

Old school desks litter the room as a creative way to provide seating for attendants and an added a rugged feel to the exhibit.

The first two segments of the video contain footage from in and around Burke County, while the third installment shows the Roughrider Rodeo in Devils Lake. The North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks commissioned Lucier to undertake the exhibition in 2000, which then opened at the North Dakota Museum of Art in April of 2004.

North Dakota Museum of Art founding director and curator Laurel Reuter said Thursday's turnout was very positive for the event. "There have been lots of people peeking in throughout the day," she said.

She noted the interest has been terrific so far and expects it to keep building within the next few days while the exhibit is on display.

"People like it," said Reuter.

She said the first person who came Thursday told her they are from a place near Corinth that is on the banner display outside of the Old Armory.

"There's a lot of people who come because they are close to places in the video," said Reuter.

She also spoke about why she chose to bring the display to Williston, where this is the first time it has ever been shown in the state.

"Overwhelmingly, what we find is that people are very pleased with the amount of respect the artist brings to the work, and her respect of the place and the times," said Reuter.

She also said it is a good opportunity for people in the area.

"It's seldom that such a major work can come to a small community, so I was really pleased the National Endowment of the Arts were able to bring it back to the places it came from," she said.

And that is precisely why she chose Williston.

"I wanted it to be near Lignite and Corinth and these places that were filmed, and I just thought this is as close as I can get," she said.

Reuter also said they received a wonderful reception from the local chamber, which was very happy to help and made it possible to bring the exhibit hee.

So far, the exhibit has traveled quite far, and has a few more places to go. The third rodeo movement premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as part of its grand opening events in February of 2005.

The full piece has been shown at the University of Michigan Art Museum in Ann Arbor, the University of Wyoming Art Museum in Laramie; the Lennon Weinberg Gallery in New York City, the Nicolaysen Museum in Casper, Wyo., and the Laboratory of Art in Lakewood, Colo.

Diane Hagen of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce said about 40 volunteers were needed to make the exhibit a reality in Williston. Reuter also said it was a long process to get it to Williston.

Three of her staff members left at 7 a.m. on Sunday from Grand Forks and drove here in two trucks. They built the walls in Grand Forks, so they started a week ago before transporting the exhibit.

Linda and Rick Owings, of rural Lignite, appear throughout the film. Their daughter, Emily, worked as Lucier's assistant during the shooting of the film.

"She knows all of the farms, all of the families," said Reuter.

Music for the production is provided by New York-based jazz musician and composer Earl Howard, who created the original sound and electronic music in collaboration with Lucier.

The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 1-7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is on display until Sunday, Sept. 21.

Following showings in Dickinson and Bismarck, the show goes to the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Birmingham Art Museum in Alabama.

The National Endowment for the Arts funded half of the costs for the North Dakota Museum of Art to bring the exhibition to Williston, Dickinson and Bismarck.