The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About01-09-25 Correspondence - MT Arts Council - ARTeries_ News from the Montana Arts Council for Early January 2026From:Montana Arts CouncilTo:Bozeman Public CommentSubject:[EXTERNAL]ARTeries: News from the Montana Arts Council for Early January 2026Date:Thursday, January 8, 2026 4:17:44 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. The latest from Montana's state arts agency ARTeries - The Lifeblood of Arts In Montana White Divider When British soldiers burned the White House in 1814, Dolley Madison didn’t save her shoes. She made sure this 1796 portrait of George Washington was rescued. She knew the importance of this symbol—this painting, this man— to the heart and soul of our new nation. Art and culture are the bedrock of a people. Democracy is a dance. It’s a creative experiment, a nationwide improvisational act. You can print the music—call it a Constitution—but it comes into being through live performance. Democracy is not a thing to claim, but an artistic practice that requires skill and discipline from all its participants. It’s difficult, messy, aggravating, sometimes silly, frequently profound, and gets bad reviews. What makes the process functional and strengthens our talents for practicing it? Art. Art is the very essence of a vibrant nation. The skills required to make art are the skills needed for democracy to thrive. A strong, free nation requires a strong, free population of poets, writers, composers, thinkers, innovators, and creators. We need those who can imagine and design a livable future. Art doesn’t just contribute $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy. It contributes the very creativity and vision required to be a strong nation. Welcome to the year of America 250! This is America’s year to imagine, create, sing, dance, and participate in the art of democracy. Krys Holmes Executive Director krys.holmes@mt.gov BE A CHAMPION FOR ART While Congress deliberates on funding issues between now and January 31, there are important steps you can take to urge Montana’s delegates to protect and defend a $207 million budget (each) for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ask your Board members and supporters to tell their Congressman and our two Senators why public funding of the arts is important to them and their community. Or send them to the Arts Action Center at Americans for the Arts. Arts funding has traditionally enjoyed strong bipartisan support—art is for everybody! And the NEA is not about who makes art, or what art gets made; it’s about access to arts experiences no matter where you live. Meanwhile, in FY2024, the Montana Arts Council supported arts experiences, learning opportunities, and great performances in every county across Montana. This is the magic of public funding of the arts: it makes sure people from Alzada to Yaak get to experience meaningful art, no matter their age, ability, or where they live. With deep divides and polarization eroding civil discourse, we need the imagination and the skills that artists and designers bring to everything they do. They remind us that difference is not a barrier but a resource. They show us that dialogue is not a weakness, but a strength. And they invite us to participate, to contribute to the process, to engage, and to see ourselves as co-authors of the democratic story. —Dr. Mary Kay Grant, Forbes Magazine, Oct 16, 2025 Spotlight “Along the Banks,” a monumental sculpture by Keith McMasters, rode into Hamilton last month, and is now visible at American Legion Park. Photo by Cynthia Fleming. Art reminds us who we are: Check out a beguiling new sculpture, “Along the Banks,” a monumental bronze by Keith McMasters, just installed at American Legion Park in Hamilton. The sculpture depicts a 1929-era flyfisherman on horseback, smoking a pipe, while his horse gazes into—an eddy full of fish? The trail home? We at the Arts Council can’t wait to see it. Why is art like this important? The posture, the gear, the humble clothing, the stance of the horse, the rider’s easy relationship with it all—works like this reflect who we are as a people, and what it’s like to be us. Seated audience holding up copies of Big Read book and smiling The Big Read builds community around good books. Just one of the many ways the National Endowment of the Arts makes life better in America. The dawn of 2026 finds the National Endowment for the Arts celebrating America’s rich and varied literary history with two programs: Poetry Out Loud, and The Big Read. Right now high-schoolers from 12 schools across Montana are preparing to compete in Poetry Out Loud competitions—practicing, memorizing, embodying, and performing challenging and beautiful poems from the American tradition. State finals, in Helena, are scheduled for March 7th. Public welcome—they’re a blast to watch. And grants are available now for The Big Read. Libraries and arts organizations can get up to $20,000 for activities that bring communities together around a single book. Click on those links for more info, and don’t forget to tell your Congressional delegates how important the NEA is to your town. For Artists Artworks Logo Text Art Works (formerly the Montana Artrepreneur Program) helps creative professionals hone entrepreneurial skills to sustain and grow their practice in a supportive cohort. Build friendships, boost your art career, and learn new stuff. We’ve extended the application deadline, because we’re nice like that. Learn more about this year’s Art Works program here, and apply by Wednesday, January 21. Questions? Email Brian at: Brian.Moody2@mt.gov. Are you a Montana recording artist with drive and determination? The national nonprofit, Recording Fund, is piloting a Made in Montana Grant, offering up to $1,250 to help cover recording costs including producer, engineer, studio fees, mixing, mastering, or studio musicians. They’re looking for “big sounds from small towns.” Learn more and apply here. Vincenzio Donatelle, of Bozeman's The Last Revel, performing in White Sulphur Springs. For Arts Organizations Silhouetted figures on stage during a musical performance. In case you missed it: Western States Center is launching The Forum Fellowship, a paid 7-month program for cultural venue owners, operators, and leaders across the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States. The fellowship supports venues that keep communities gathering and connected, offering practical political education, community-safety tools, and a venue-based project with funding support. Most sessions are virtual, with one in-person gathering at the NIVA Conference in Minneapolis (travel covered). Learn more + apply here.Deadline Jan 20. Is your theater ADA-perfect? Here’s a fun, easy way to learn what’s new in the accessibility world: Disability and Arts Webinars, hosted by South Carolina Arts, next Wed., Jan 14th 10:00-noon MT. They’ll share great ideas for theaters of all sizes and budgets. Please register in advance here. Expanding your audience is not just the law; it’s a good idea. White Divider Good To Know Line of male dancers in various dress raising hands to audience Every day is an art party at the Alberta Bair Theater—we’re sure of it. The Alberta Bair Theater in Billings will be seeking a new executive director when E.D. Jan Dietrich retires this June. Manage a 1400-seat performance space, 14 employees, a 15-member board, and one of the oldest, most beloved arts presenters in Montana. For a copy of the job description email: Search@albertabairtheater.org. Zinnia Performing at the Myrna Loy, featuring a woman with flowered hair singing Art is a cornerstone of a strong democracy. The Myrna Loy, Helena’s community-fired arts center, was awarded a grant from the NEA for a series celebrating America’s rich cultural heritage. Photo by Ross Peter Nelson Congratulations to The Myrna Loy, just awarded a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a multidisciplinary series of musical performances, film screenings, and community events celebrating Montana's rich cultural heritage and America 250. Playing, singing, dancing, or just listening to music helps prevent dementia. Why are we still sitting here? Music prevents dementia: Multiple recent studies show that adults who make music gain major cognitive health benefits, and singing or playing may stave off dementia. Now a new study suggests that just listening to music also improves dementia-related health outcomes. Read all about it here, and rock on, friends. It’s free, statewide, and fun to read. You can subscribe here to get one in your mailbox. Subscribe Now! Cool Quotes “Wouldn’t it make more sense to skip the self-improvement resolutions this year and look instead for great works of art to surrender to? —Margaret Renkl, The New York Times Jan 5, 2026 Happy 2026. Rectangular horizontal shape in red-purple color Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe All | Help Montana Arts Council | 830 N. Warren Street | Helena, MT 59601 | art.mt.gov This email was sent to comments@bozeman.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: MontanaArts Council