By TOM BENSEN
The Montana Museum of Art & Culture presents The Intimate Diebenkorn: Drawings 1949 – 1992
now through December 12 in the
Paxson and Meloy Galleries. The exhibition features 52 pieces, many of which have never been publicly viewed, and includes pencil and ink drawings on paper, collages of torn paper and watercolors. MMAC presents a Celebrity Artist Tour with Lela Autio, Thursday, November 19, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the UM PARTV Center Lobby. Enjoy this artist’s perspective as she gives a tour of the current exhibit.
The University of Montana Department of Music presents Chelsea Pierce, violin, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the UM Music Recital Hall; Celebrate Piano Series III: Philip Aaberg, November 18 at 7:30 p.m., in Dennison Theatre. Tickets available at the Adams Center GrizTix Box Office, 243-4051 or here; Student Ensemble Series: “New Music Missoula” November 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the UM Music Recital Hall; Jazz Series II: UM Jazz Bands November 20 at 7:30 p.m., in the Dennison Theatre, the Student Chamber Recital, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the UM Music Recital Hall; Call 243-6880.
The Missoula Art Museum presents Terrain: Plateau Native Art & Poetry through February 27, 2016; John Buck: Free for All through March 12 (pictured here); Good Wood: Carved And Cut From MAM’s Permanent Collection through March 12; A Few of My Favorite Things, an exhibition selected by MAM’s Senior Exhibition Curator Emeritus Stephen Glueckert, through December 23; MaryAnn Bonjorni: Legends Are History, through January 2.
Dolce Canto performs as guest artists during the annual AA Choral Festival in Missoula, Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Sentinel High School Auxiliary Gym (901 South Avenue West). Admission is free.
Fact and Fiction presents Noy Holland reading and signing Bird, 4:00 p.m. on November 21; and Christopher Kelly signing Italy Invades, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. November 22. Both events at F&F Downtown.
Shakespeare and Co. presents Matt Pavelich reading from his new collection of stories Survivors Said, November 19 at 7:00 pm.
The International Choral Festival and the UM School of Music will present their annual benefit performance of George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah” on Sunday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dennison Theatre on the UM campus. This free concert is a beloved community sing-a-long with a volunteer chorus, which has delighted local singers and audiences annually since 1995. There is still time to join the chorus, sign-up online here. Proceeds will equally support Missoula’s 10th International Choral Festival scheduled for July 13-16, 2016 and scholarships for UM choral and orchestral students.
The University of Montana has released the Summer/Fall 2015 issue of its UM Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone E-Magazine. The magazine is online here.
The University of Montana presents the President’s Lecture Series: Shakespeare 451: Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury and Humanities 8:00 p.m. November 19 at the University Center Ballroom. Marjorie Garber, Harvard University William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English and Visual and Environmental Studies, will present this lecture. Call 243-2981.
Howard “Kid Charlemagne” Kingston performs at the Loft of Missoula November 21 at 7:30.
Radius Gallery’s second annual holiday show kicks off November 20 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This year 73 artists have contributed a super-abundance of terrific artworks-over 200 small paintings, pastels, photographs, and mixed media pieces. Call 541-7070
The 21st annual Juried Student Art Exhibit at the University Center Gallery of Visual Arts runs now through December 10. Call 243-2813.
The Sound of Music is a Missoula Community Theatre production for the holiday season at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. “Premiere Night” is Thursday, December 3 with a catered reception and the regular run plays Friday, December 4-6, 9-13 and 16-20. For tickets, visit here or call the box office at 728-7529.
The Dana Gallery presents the Annual Christmas Show, opening Friday, November 20, from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Living Art of Montana presents “Faces of Living Art: a 22-Year Mask Retrospective”, an exhibit of masks created by Living Art workshop participants from 1993 through 2015 displayed at the Downtown Dance Collective throughout November.
The Missoula Community Theatre is holding an open audition for actors, singers and dancers to play the roles in The Drowsy Chaperone. There are approximately 15-20 characters to be cast, and the audition will take place Sunday, November 22, at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts from 12:30-4:00 p.m. on the third floor. Please use the Main Street entrance.
The Art Associates of Missoula monthly meeting for November will be held at the Montana Museum of Art & Culture on the UM Campus in the PARTV Bldg, Wednesday, November 18 at 10:15 a.m. for a docent led tour of The Intimate Diebenkorn: Works on Paper 1949-1992. Art Associates meetings are free and open to the public. For more information please call Susie at 544-0891.
Nancy Seiler presents Art Workshops throughout November and December at her studio at 330 Brooks Street. The first two are Monoprinting with GOLDEN OPEN Acrylics and GELLI Plate, November 19 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and again on November 21 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. $65 (includes all materials)
We’ll use stencils and other shapes to create one-of-a-kind works of art. Give a print as a holiday gift. Make cards. It’s fun and cleans up with water! Nancy is a certified GOLDEN Art Educator. Call 370-1254 to register.
The String Orchestra of the Rockies presents Dido-Queen of Carthage, featuring mezzo-soprano Kimberly James with the UM Women’s Choir, November 22 at the UM Music Recital Hall. Visit here or call 493-2990.
The New Brandhout Players present An Evening at Scar Latte’s, a concert of coffee music, a performance of Bach’s Coffee Cantata, and other selections by the Montana Baroque Flute Ensemble, Backyard Recorder Concort, featuring Lucien Hut, harpsichord and soprano Melody Anderson. November 22, 7:30 p.m. at Unity Church, 546 South Ave West.
University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance presents Treasure Island by Ken Ludwig, Adapted from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, November 24, 27-28, December 1-5 at 7:30 p.m. November 29 and December 5 at 2:00 p.m. Montana Theatre, PARTV Center, U of M Campus.
Join the annual holiday season celebration at the University Center for the UC Holiday Art Festival. The Art Festival will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5 in the University Center Atrium. The UC Holiday Art Festival features unique, hand-crafted art from local and regional artists, as well as live music, live art demonstrations and prize raffles. This is the perfect place to get your holiday shopping done. Come support local artists as they show their wares in the beautiful UC Atrium.
The UC Art Festival is the longest running art fair in western Montana and has a legacy of returning and new artists from around the state and beyond. The UC Art Festival is a non-profit art fair that funds student-run programming at the University of Montana. For more information, call 243-5622.
The Montana World Affairs Council announces the next guest in its Distinguished Speakers Program, U. S, Ambassador (ret.) Vicki Huddleston, who was Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana from 1999-2002. The program will take place at the Doubletree in Missoula on Monday December 7 at 7:00 p.m. Ambassador Huddleston will discuss U.S. – Cuban Relations 1900 – 2015: The Best of Enemies. For more information, call 728-3328.
MCT is participating in Toys for Tots this holiday season. Please drop off new, unwrapped toys for a deserving child at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts before December 23, between the hours of 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. You may also drop toys off one hour before each performance of The Sound of Music (Dec 3-6, 9-13 and 16-20). For more information, call MCT at 728-1911.
For more information about arts events in the Missoula area, visit our 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.