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Home My WebLink About06-09-25 Correspondence - MT Arts Council - ARTeries_ News from the Montana Arts Council for Early June 2025From:Montana Arts CouncilTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]ARTeries: News from the Montana Arts Council for Early June 2025Date:Thursday, June 5, 2025 3:01:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. ARTeries - The Lifeblood of Arts In Montana White Divider Christopher Gregory-Rivera Terracotta figure from the Middle Niger civilization Terracotta figure from the Middle Niger civilization, 13th century. Photo by Christopher Gregory-Rivera for The New York Times. Art Celebrates Kinship A few days ago Holland Cotter, art critic for The New York Times, wrote an astoundingly beautiful celebration of an exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring centuries of artworks from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. It’s a glimpse of human creativity across many continents, centuries, and cultures. My Dad used to say viewing a photo of a work of art is like kissing through a screen door. But even online, seeing this panoply of art was a ravishing experience. Most of these artists are unknown and long dead, yet their art still sings to our spirits across all these miles and time. The beauty, the energy, the gracefulness, the passion—the sheer kinship of humanity expressed—astounded me. How could a primitive terracotta figure from the 13th-century Middle Niger civilization speak so profoundly to a 21st-century woman scrolling over coffee at her kitchen counter? Sometimes art is like a whale song, sent out across impossible distances between artist and beholder: I am here … sharing, on some cellular level, the experience of being alive. It reminds us that all of us are kin to one another. In your work this week, be reminded that the real importance of your art is not reflected in sales or funding or audience size. The lasting value of your work is in creating those ephemeral moments of kinship and delight—moments you may never see or predict, but that could not happen without you. Be of good courage. Krys Holmes Executive Director krys.holmes@mt.gov NEA News The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee is right now considering funding levels for the National Endowment for National Endowment for the Arts Logo the Arts (NEA) and other agencies for the FY26 budget. There is a rising tide of voices —from all political views—who support the arts. They include board members and community leaders, who are expressing strong support for the NEA. Montana’s Rep. Ryan Zinke serves on Interior Appropriations, and is making important decisions this week and next. Who are the strongest voices for the arts in your community? On your board? If they are inclined to reach out to Rep. Zinke, now would be a meaningful time. Poet Laureate The Montana poet laureate program opens nominations this week! Updated guidelines and nomination form are available here: Montana Poet Laureate. The poet laureate is chosen among Montana poets whose work inspires Montanans, enhances the state’s cultural life, and demonstrates worthiness of recognition. Each poet laureate has defined the role in different ways, but the goal is to engage people in poetry—spoken and written—across the state throughout the two-year term. Nominations are considered by the Arts Council, and the final selection is made by the governor. Deadline for nominations is June 30. Current Poet Laureate Chris La Tray, along with beloved historian Jon Axline, are 2025 recipients of Montana Historical Society (MHS) Heritage Awards. Chris receives his award at the Métis Heritage Festival in Choteau this Saturday. You never know where the poet laureate path will take you. Poet Laureate and MHS Heritage awardee Chris La Tray, inspiring students at the Poetry Out Loud finals in Helena this spring. Summer reading: To get in the mood to think about a new poet laureate for Montana, start by ordering a copy of This Place the Gods Touched Earth. This anthology collects works by all 13 of Montana’s poets laureate from 2005-2025, and is available from Montana Historical society Press: Montana Historical Society Store. This Place the Gods Touched Earth: An Anthology of Montana's Poets Laureate 2005–2025 This Place the Gods Touched Earth was recently featured in the new issue of Big Sky Journal, where Livingston poet Marc Beaudin writes that, "Page for page, this anthology is a necessary addition to any collection of Western poetry." Thanks, Marc! Grantee Spotlight “More music for our age group!” wrote one participant in North Valley Music School’s “Music and Movement” class at The Springs in Whitefish. Interaction, camaraderie, laughter, and learning: That’s what happened when MAC grantee North Valley Music School in Whitefish conducted two 6-week drumming classes at The Springs, a local senior community, last spring and fall. The goal: to explore how drumming and active music listening can improve mood, boost the immune system, provide an outlet for creativity, and support a healthy body and mind for seniors. “There is just no substitute for the benefits from direct engagement with guest artists and hand-on learning with music,” reports North Valley’s executive director, Deidre Corson. They’ve not only been invited back for repeat sessions, but their social media posts have inspired other senior communities to look into similar programs. It didn’t take much to support this program: Just a $1,785 Artists in Schools & Communities grant from MAC, and a handful of five-gallon buckets. And the thoughtfulness of North Valley’s leadership in designing a program that enlivens people through art. Brilliant. Learn more here: NVMS Bucket Drumming Good To Know Great Falls High School students and artist Mike Hollern with the completed "Watt a Good Idea" steel and landscaped sculpture on the GFHS campus. Recently select Great Falls High School students worked directly with metals artist Mike Hollern in the Spring semester of 2025 for the 2025 Artist in Residence (AIR) Sculpture Cohort. Funded by the GFPS Foundation and the Montana Art Council, and sponsored by GFH art teacher Cortni Harant, the project's scope was to construct a permanent sculpture for the Great Falls High Jack Fisher Junior Memorial Sculpture Garden located on the east side of Old Main. The sculpture is titled “Watt a Good Idea” and is in the shape of a lightbulb. In keeping with Mike’s current works in West Bank, it has a horticulture component and includes landscaping elements to complete his artistic vision for the work. Congrats to all the students and Mike for crafting a thoughtful and creative addition to the sculpture garden while developing their practical skills working in metal and stone. Great Falls High School student Darren and Mike Hollern weld a component of the Watt a Good Idea sculpture at its installation site. Resources For Artists Copyright symbol, exclamation point, dollar sign, Instagram logo MAC Professional Development Sessions for Artists Working artists spend endless hours perfecting their craft—which often leaves less time to developing their professional and business skills. That's why the Montana Arts Council is offering a series of professional development sessions for artists on topics that are frequently requested. Two sessions are currently open for registration: Artists as Artrepreneurs: Missoula arts business owners Chris Alveshere and Kelli Sinner discuss the benefits of starting your own business and lessons learned along the way as they built Workroom Montana and Flecks + Specks. The Business of Community will cover how Chris and Kelli cultivate community-driven businesses, addressing the importance of a mission, the drive to support artists and local community members, and their approach to social media. All sessions are free to attend, but registration is required. Register Now Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts applications are open to Montana artists wanting to show works at the 48th annual festival, held in the Bozeman Public Library Atrium Gallery. Application fee: $35. Deadline July 9th. Apply here: CaFÉ Sweet Pea Jazz Artists: Take your music to places it’s never been – apply for a Jazz Road touring grant from South Arts. From $5,000-$15,000 to cover touring expenses for three- to six-site tours. They’re especially interested in supporting tours to areas where jazz is not widely available. Portal opens June 18th and closes July 30th. It’s a popular grant program, so we recommend watching the webinars and starting early. Learn more here: Jazz Road Tours | South Arts For Arts Organizations White Divider Why public funding? Arts activities get kids off their phones and active in the world. Don’t be shy about touting the benefits of your programs to community leaders and lawmakers. As Laura Zabel, executive director of Springboard for the Arts, write: “Since 2013, the average American has lost 24 hours of social connection each month. Traditional policy solutions have failed to reverse these trends, yet there’s growing evidence that investing in local creative activities can help repair the country’s frayed social fabric.” Summer activities like the Holter Museum of Art’s “Adventures in Cardboard” program bring kids out into the world they inhabit—a public service all art businesses should be proud of. Are you courting tourists? Every arts organization markets events on multiple calendars—including the robust and beloved Lively Times. Montana’s Tourism office reminds all arts presenters that the VisitMT.com website is viewed by hundreds of thousands of visitors. Your events could get more widespread attraction if you go through the steps to list them on VisitMT. Start here: Business Listings | Visit Montana to set up an account and start adding events. If you have a local tourism bureau for your town or region, load your events into their calendar and they’ll share out to VisitMT. The Montana Tourism Office recently rolled out its new visual identity—literally, featuring its retro Montana license plate design on a classic Chevy pickup. Running a rural business? Yes, all arts nonprofits are small businesses. These days rural businesses are exploring new shapes, new locations, and new ways of doing business, including pop-ups, shared buildings, businesses inside of other businesses, and more. Radically Rural is hosting a free webinar on Innovative Rural Business Models Wed., July 9 at 12:00 pm MT. Register early: Ticket ELF | Innovative Rural Business Models Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings was given the Heritage and Cultural Tourism Award at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The award recognizes excellence in promoting and celebrating Montana’s authentic and unique culture for visitors and Montanans. Congrats to museum director Jessica Kay Ogdin, and the YAM staff! Heads Up Feeling the blahs of isolation? The Rural Assembly sponsors a “Morning Connections for Women” series (free, on Zoom), inviting rural women across the country to connect informally over morning coffee, kids, dogs— whatever your world includes. The idea was pioneered by the 100 Rural Women group, and participants find it surprisingly inspiring, spirit-lifting, and enjoyable. Find out more about it here: Morning Connections for Women – Rural Assembly ARTeries is produced by the Montana Arts Council. If this email was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe, visit us at https://art.mt.gov/enews This email was sent to comments@bozeman.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: MontanaArts Council MAC Logo Teal Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe All | Help | Montana Arts Council | 830 N. Warren Street | Helena, MT 59601 | art.mt.gov