By TOM BENSEN
Shakespeare and Co. presents Kris Dinnison, Stephanie Oaks and Trent Reedy, reading and signing You and Me and Him, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly and Divided We Fall, 4:00 p.m. on July 26; Carl Fiedler and Stephen Arno, reading and signing Ponderosa: People, Fire and the West’s Most Iconic Tree, 7:00 p.m. on July 28.
The Montana Museum of Art & Culture presents Human Condition: The Art of Ben Steele and Hometown: Images of Missoula from the MMAC Permanent Collection in the Paxson and Meloy Galleries, now through September 12. From Goya to Picasso: A History of War in Art
Presented by artist and scholar Henry Freedman
Thursday, July 30, 7pm
UM PARTV Center – Masquer Theater
Celtic Festival Missoula returns to Caras Park July 24-25, featuring the Young Dubliners, the Tossers and the Screaming Orphans, as well as local bands the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band, the Craciers, and the Missoula Irish Dancers.
The Missoula Downtown Association presents Out to Lunch on Wednesdays 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and Downtown Tonight Thursday evenings 5:30-8:30 p.m. through the summer at Caras Park. This week features Erin & the Project on Wednesday and The Cold Hard Cash Show on Thursday. All events are free.
The Missoula City Band presents free concerts in Bonner Park beginning at 8:00 p.m. each Wednesday. This week’s program is Concert in the Park.
Fact and Fiction presents Peter Bowen reading and signing Bitter Creek, 7:00 p.m. on July 21; and Rinker Buck with a presentation and signing of The Oregon Trail, 7:00 p.m. on July 23. Both events are at F&F Downtown; Find Waldo Missoula continues throughout July. Grab a passport and look for Waldo in 25 Downtown businesses. When you find him, enter drawing for books.
The MCT Summer Day Camp presents Rumpelstiltskin day camp, July 20-26. Class size is limited. New this year: MCT is providing the option of aftercare for your kids M-F from 4:00-5:30 p.m. for an additional cost. Call 728-7529 visit the MCT Box Office or the website. On Friday, July 24, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., MCT is throwing a party for kids of ALL ages! This free celebration of children and the performing arts will feature raffle prizes, ice cream treats, courtesy of Cold Stone Creamery, and live music by the Whizpops. The Missoula Children’s Theatre invites kids and their families to this block party, which will be held on the Adams Street side of the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Information will be shared about this year’s children’s season, which includes afterschool performing arts classes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for grades 6-12; Go West for grades K-5 this fall; the world-premiere of The Snow Queen for grades K-12 in January/February, and the 2016 spring day camp of The Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe for grades K-12.
The Missoula Art Museum presents Jeneese Hilton: Raven Reviewing Modern through August 22; The Andy Warhol Collection from Museum Of Art at Washington State University through August 15; John Thompson: A Celebration through August 29; Montana Triennial: 2015 through September 4; American Abstract Artists through August 29; Chasing Time: Montana’s One-Room Schools, through September 19 (pictured here); Kathryn Schmidt: Seen In Broad Daylight through October 24.
John Noltner will speak about his multimedia project, “A Piece Of My Mind” on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at 7 pm at the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center. Founded in 2009, A Peace of My Mind is a multimedia art project that fosters public dialogue about issues related to conflict resolution, civic responsibility, and peace. With engaging portraits and compelling personal stories, nearly 100 diverse subjects describe what peace means to them, how they work toward it in their lives, and some of the obstacles they encounter along the way. Call 543-3955.
The Fine Grain Group is a small group of photographers who are committed to the art of photography. They meet regularly to share work and critiques. Nine of the members recently opened a group show at the Catalyst, showing a total of 21 images. 111 North Higgins downtown.
Radius Gallery presents Scapes: Land, Sea, Mind, an exhibit featuring 80 artworks and 61 artists, now through August 8. This week features Karen McAlister Shimoda: Urban Development: East of Main (pictured here), and Urban Development: South of Main, Ink on Drawing Film. These works look like a slowly disintegrating leaf, and are also also aerial shots of downtown Missoula.
Award-winning bluegrass entertainers Monroe Crossing return to Missoula to present “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” with Missoula’s Dolce Canto as part of the Snowbowl Mountain Music Series on Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m. Visit the Dolce Canto website for more information.
Tell Us Something presents “Why I Stayed”, July 25, at 7:00 p.m. at the PEAS Farm, 3010 Duncan Drive. About one hour of live storytelling based upon the theme “Why I Stayed”. Six storytellers from the Missoula Community share their true personal stories from memory. An alcohol-free event.
A Carousel for Missoula presents the Fairy Tale and Superhero Festival on July 25, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, in the grassy field to the west of Dragon Hollow. This annual event is free to participants. Children attending the event may enjoy a variety of activities, meet local superheroes from the Fire Department, Police Department and Sheriff’s Office, and receive some great giveaways and treats. Call 549-8382.
The Missoula Outdoor Cinema is back at it for another summer at 1001 Worden Ave (Head Start) every Saturday evening at dusk. The July 25 film is A Hard Day’s Night.
The Missoula Writing Collaborative presents the Words with Wings summer camp. This week long intensive writing program is perfect for young writers ages 8-14 and will run July 23-17 and July 20-24. For more information or to register visit here
Tangled Tones presents Summer Camps 2015, for various ages and interests. Summer of Rock and Digital Recording Camp. Visit here for more information.
Kids and kids at heart are invited to join Missoula Parks and Recreation for Kidsfest 2015, a free summer celebration for Missoula families at Caras Park on Tuesday, July 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission and most activities are free. Kidsfest features a wide variety of interactive games, arts and crafts, educational booths, live entertainment and fun activities for all ages. Families can enter a raffle drawing with great prizes and purchase food and beverages from local vendors. The Salamanders, a local all-ages rock band, is headlining the event. For more information about visit the website or phone 721-PARK.
The Missoula Symphony Orchestra returns to Caras Park on Sunday, August 9 at 7 p.m. for its 11th annual Symphony in the Park concert. Music Director Darko Butorac will lead the orchestra through a lively program of movie scores, dance numbers and light classics. Food and beverage may be purchased from on-site vendors and lawn chairs are encouraged. The event is free and fun for the whole family. For more information on Symphony in the Park and the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, please call 406-721-3194 or visit the website.
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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.