This week’s Missoula Arts & Culture happenings are provided by the Missoula Cultural Council – Connecting Art, Culture and Community through Education, Advocacy and Celebration.
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Current exhibits at theMissoula Art Museum include Alison Reintjes: DoubleColumn through July 27; Chris Autio: Hands On through July 26; Blessingway: Prints by Melanie Yazzie through September 6; Bill Ohrmann: Tainted Revelations through October 11; Crossing the River: Hmong Story Cloths through October 25. Pictured above, the newly refurbished Edgar Paxson Murals will be exhibited through September 6, before returning to the Missoula County Courthouse. Helen McAuslan: The Kent State Paintings opens on August 1, the next First Friday Gallery Walk.
The Montana Museum of Art & Culture at the University of Montana presents Sandra Dal Poggetto: Meditations on the Field, opening July 17 in the Paxson and Meloy Galleries. Throughout the summer and early fall of 2014, Helena-based artist Sandra Dal Poggetto will be featured in a solo exhibition of new and recent works at the Montana Museum of Art & Culture at The University of Montana. Dal Poggetto uses an abstract language and fragments of the western landscape-hide, feathers, wood and wire-to create evocative paintings and drawings. She draws on and deconstructs both Euro-American pictorial language and American Indian visual traditions.
The Missoula Children’s Theatre’s final summer day camp is The Secret Garden, July 21-27. Deadline for sign up is July 18. There are limits on the number of participants in certain age groups.
The Missoula Downtown Association’s Out to Lunch and Downtown Tonight are now in full swing and continue throughout the summer. This week features Gladys Friday on Wednesday at lunch, and Cold Hard Cash Thursday evening. The last week of July features the John Floridis Trio Wednesday at lunch, and the Ian McFeron Band Thursday.
Missoula City Bandcontinues the summer season this Wednesday at Bonner Park. This week’s program features Gary Herbig, and the last week of July features songs from The Titanic.
The next outing of the Friendship Force of Missoula and Western Montana Polson Weekend with Kalispell, Great Falls & Spokane Friendship Force clubs August 1 and 2. Flathead Lake “brunch on the boat” cruise from Kwa-tuk-nuq. Anyone interested in learning more please call Shawn at (860-428-9301).
The Big Sky Film Series presents Free Summer Screenings at the Top Hat Lounge Monday Nights at 8:00 p.m. On July 21 –
Richard Hugo: Kicking the Loose Gravel Home, tracing the Montana poet’s life from his grim childhood, through his experiences as a bombardier in World War II, to his creative writing professorship at the University of Montana. On July 28 – Charles Bradley: Soul of America, telling the incredible rise of the 62-year-old aspiring soul singer, whose debut album rocketed him from a hard life in the Brooklyn Housing Projects to Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 50 albums of 2011. Charles Bradley will perform at the Top Hat on July 31.
Shakespeare and Co. presents Carol Bradley and Jamie Ford reading from their latest books Last Chain on Billie: How One Extraordinary Elephant Escaped the Big Top and Songs of Willow Frost, 7:00 p.m. on August 4.
Fact & Fiction Downtown presents Michael Leach discussion and signing Grizzlies on My Mind, 7:00 p.m. July 23; and Brian Krans, signing Assault Rifles and Pedophiles, 7:00 p.m. July 31; Malcolm Brooks reading and signing Painted Horses, 5:30 p.m. August 1; Dawn Luedeke signing To Tame a Montana Heart and Big Sky Brazen, 10:30 a.m. to Noon August 2. In addition, Fact & Fiction presents “Find Waldo Local in MISSOULA!” from now through July 31. For more information about hunting for Waldo and Woof in Missoula, call Fact & Fiction at 721-2881.
Don’t miss the Missoula Children’s Theatre performances of The Secret Garden; live on stage this Saturday, July 26 and 27 at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. in the air-conditioned theatre at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. This show features local school-aged children who auditioned today and will perform the hour-long original musical for friends, family, and the entire community. For tickets, call 728-7529, visit the website or stop by the MCT box office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. this week, or one hour prior to a performance.
A Carousel for Missoula is calling all children to fly, hop, gallop or stroll to the grassy field west of Dragon Hollow Playarea for the Sixth Annual Fairy Tale and Super Hero Festival, Saturday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. All participants will enjoy fun, food and activities at the Festival, and the first 500 will receive a Tooth Fairy bag to take home. Head Fairy and event organizer, Kari Watkins, encourages all children to dress as their favorite Fairy Tale character or Super Hero for this free event.
Two great bands are performing at the Free Cycles shop this coming Tuesday: H.O.B.O. Road Show and Dum Spiro Spero, July 22, from 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. $5 at the door- includes tasty refreshments at Free Cycles, 732 S. 1st St. West.
The Celtic Festival July 25-26. Photo courtesy of Make It Missoula.
Missoula Outdoor Cinema presents the following films: Jurassic Park (1993) 9:16 p.m. July 26; This is Spinal Tap (1984) 9:07 p.m. August 2; Sabrina (1954) NR 8:56 pm August 9 at 1001 Worden Street on the North Side.
The Wilma Theatre presents Nickel Creek Thursday, August 7 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets available at Rockin Rudy’s and online at TicketWeb.
The Clay Studio of Missoula presents a workshop by Sarah Jaeger – Form & Surface: Creating Unique Utilitarian Work,
Saturday, August 2, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. $95 for non-members, $85 for members, seniors, and students. Tuition includes lunch.
Summer Camps and Classes are offered atMissoula Writing Collaborative, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Zootown Arts Community Center ,The Missoula Art Museum ,Downtown Dance Collective, Montana Natural History Center, MCAT, and Tangled Tones Music Studio.
Susan Gibson, Tom Catmull, Jenn Adams and John Floridis all perform at The Crystal Theater, Thursday, July 24, at 8:00 p.m. This is an evening of shared songwriting by four of Missoula, Montana’s pioneer and veteran independent singer songwriters. These four singer songwriters began their careers in Missoula, Montana in the early and mid 1990’s at the dawn of the movement toward independently produced CD’s and recordings. Though they’ve all pursued their paths individually, they’ve frequently shared billing with one another, recorded together and even occasionally played in each other’s bands. Last year they joined each other on stage for the first time, and the show was so well received they’re doing it again. Tickets will be available through brownpapertickets and at Rockin Rudy’s.
Zootown Fringe Festival Aug 13-17.
Celtic Festival Missoula returns to Caras Park July 25 and 26. Featured bands are Enter the Haggis and the Young Dubliners.
The second Zootown Fringe Festival is August 13-17 throughout Missoula. Visit the website to learn more.
Registration is open for the Flamenco Montana Festival, featuring Teo Morca, Carlos Lomas, Vicente Griego, and occurs September 18, 19, 20 and 21. Early Registration discount through August 15.
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Tom Bensen has lived in Missoula since 1986, and has been the executive director of the Missoula Cultural Council since June 2004. He has directed First Night Missoula each New Year’s Eve since 1997. He is a member of Missoula’s choral ensemble Dolce Canto, and enjoys being outdoors, whether it is hiking, biking, skiing, walking the dogs, or mowing the lawn. His wife Susan works for Montana Public Radio, and their son Peter attends Hellgate High School.