Artmelt Missoula

Atari Aesthetics at the Brink

2011-10-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Brink Gallery is hosting a juried exhibition titled "Atari Aesthetics".

Here is the link to their webpage with the details.
http://www.thebrinkgallery.com/atari/

It looks like it is going to be a fun show, so stop playing video games and submit! Deadline is December 15th

Megala...what? An evening with Abe Coley

2011-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

Look at all those health food snacks!

Abe Coley made a run for dictator of West Montanastan this last First Friday with six separate shows at six different local businesses. The overall event is titled Megalobamboozlementarianism: Abe Coley for Dictator of West Montanastan. His works are outrageously fun, overloaded, and filled with ingenious anecdotes and witty observations. Many of the works are rather large and painterly with simple drawings of figures, faces, animals, plants, words and all sorts of other hullabaloo; while others remain simple little collages and drawings. The small drawings and collages seem like little jokes put in visual form.

Abe led us on a walking tour of the different venues, feeding us health food snacks and pretty much just chillin' out with us. I was kinda hoping he would make some kind of proclamation or speech at each venue, but no he kept it simple, non-nonchalant and let the work speak for itself....here's to that! I am not sure there was a specific theme for the night, but some of the themes I found where love, love lost, scary, funny, prolific, animals, plants, big, overload, mashing, smashing, dripping, naked-ness, death, life, truth. Although, when I met with him the week before he did mention something about people getting screwed by rich people, a book about the conquest of the West, a sneaky politician, a grandiose weirdo, and that it is easier to ask for forgiveness later then ask permission first. So yeah.

The work is up for the month at 6 different venues. To learn more and to find out where the different venues are go to www.abecoley.com. Now...the pictures!

Terrorizer...one of my favs.

Detail

almost naked self-portrait in the garden! Yeah Abe, I like your style!

another detail

Peek-a-boo

Doilies, drunk rabbits and fire = dangerous

awwww he has a pet kitty

If you can tell me what instrument and what band this guy plays in then you will get a free artmelt book-when it comes out, and if we remember.

Abe makes you think!

Shit bro is right!

Abe's work accentuates anyone's style

Dogs on acid

detail

This was part of the 18 and over portion of the show

Tricia really liked this...how can you not!

Dig the Face & Party Lion!

i love this simple portrait...its like "Hey!"

what an awesome skull!

HA!

These were littered throughout all the shows...what's cooler the words or the lines?

Abe traveled by scooter to each show

Calling you....artmelt is a BOOK

2011-06-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

artmelt is really excited to announce that we are making a custom, hand-bound, book of awesomeness, and we want you to be in it! See the call to artists at the end of the post.

When notions of artmelt first emerged 3 years ago or so, the idea was for it to be a print gallery. So every First Friday there would be this gallery that existed in print. However, due to procrastination and lack of time and money we figured a blog would be the most tangible way to begin the melting of art.

But alas, the times have changed, and procrastination doesn't stand a chance. artmelt will be releasing a custom made, hand-bound book, with multiple types of printing and original artworks scattered throughout. Yet, we need your help to fill it with great art, writing, information, rants...you name it we want it.

So here we are, doing the typical...we are posting a call to artists, and we might even be able to pay you...maybe. Click on the link below to read the full call to artists.

Link to full call to artists

Deadline is July 30th, 2011 for submissions and you can email your proposals and works to artmelt@gmail.com. If you have originals to put in the book then we can arrange a drop off.

Sunny SF Respite

2011-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Artmelt left Missoula for sunny San Francisco this month, and saw two shows, one at Fecal Face Gallery and another at its neighbor Fifty24SF. FecalFace: Henry Gunderson, a student at the San Fran Art Institute, makes provocative, awesome, confusing, mythological images. Fifty24SF: Don't know much about Johnny "KMNDZ" Rodriguez but the street art inspired paintings and illustrations are pretty rad. I left San Francisco saying the word 'radical' a lot...not sure why. Check out the links for more images and stuff.

Henry Gunderson at Fecal Face

Johnny "KMNDZ" Rodriguez at Fifty24SF

2011 University of Montana BFA Senior Thesis Highlights

2011-04-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Adam Lynn - Detail

Check out some of the highlights from this years UM Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Thesis Exhibition at the Gallery of Visual Arts. Good work BFA'ers! I would like to tell you to go see all the great works that I didn't photograph, but sadly the show was only up for a terribly short period of time : ( x 1000.

Rachael Jones

Ellie Weber - Let Go

I really liked Hannah Spry's rendition of Little Red Riding Hood

Jose Chavez - "What Some Do For Others" - Detail

Love the surface and character.

Nice landscapes by Riche Carter and a snail by Louis Habeck

Didnt get this guys name but I like the root sound system

El Rico. The painting skill here is great and the artist statement is one of the best I have ever read by a student

A great little figure. part of the piece title "Shooting at someone who outdrew you" by Rachael Marne Jones

Big truck - vrrooooooom

Adam Lynn - detail

Rachel Marne Jones

Ellie Weber's ceramic sculptures were some of my favorites works in the show.

Hannah Spry

Jose Chavez

Richie Carter

Adam Lynn

Going to Church of the Lost Dog with Greta Rybus

2011-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Greta Rybus brings us some great photos from The Church of the Lost Dog with Reverend Craig and Sister Debby. This year it wasn't on a Sunday, but it was on a Tuesday! This annual R-I-T-U-A-L took us forward and backward in time and space. We were even visited by the Klingons and Santa Claus himself. We sung some of our favorite hymns, almost got branded, and all where given a present from Santa (I got a box of those word magnets for your fridge, which are cool but also kind of annoying). The R-I-T-U-A-L (play) took place at Freecycles and prudently enough Father Time came by to fix his bike. Fathertime's drunk Irish, spit-talkin' and hilarious father gave us some fatherly advice, and stole the Talisman of Time preventing us from bringing Reverend Craig back from the dead (dont worry, 11 volunteers stole it back). Mr. Time also let us in on a little secret...and sorry to disappoint but the end of the world isn't gonna happen, no cataclysmic event will force people to change for the better, we are just going to keep going while our personal freedoms get whittled away, people will keep on polluting and wrecking the planet, and it just keeps on going...thank goodness Santa showed up to raise our spirits after that devastating news. I used to find church abrasively boring but this church I can get into.

Uh oh, here comes Fathertime's father

More awesome photos by Greta Rybus after the jump

No Reverend, don't fall to your death!

Good ole fatherly advice...i dont know about you but i couldn't understand a lick of what he said

The audience seems to be having a good time

Yep the world is just gonna go on like it is..so sad

The illusive Talisman of Time

Good advice and great backdrop

The Klingons returned Reverends dog to him after he lost it for the 4th year in a row

A pickle with Laura Alich

2011-04-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Cornucopia - Laura Alich

Frontier Space has certainly posed Missoula-folk with some good questions since their inception in fall 2010. I imagine many are walking away a little confused or wanting more, but I have got to hand it to these guys for creating one of the coolest and most thought-provoking galleries since Goatsilk. This month is no exceptions as New Yoorka Laura Alich swift kicks us in the gut, plays with our minds and makes us laugh. I have a feeling this show is going to be one of the highlights for 2011...yes and pretty much because of the pickle.

Pop! Grid - Laura Alich

I really liked the elegance, simplicity, and freshness of this wall sculpture.

more pics after the jump!!!

This Could Still Kill You - Laura Alich

Party Ball and Pop! Grid - Laura Alich

Add caption

mmmmmm good painting - Brandon Reitjes and Nate White

2011-04-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Brandon Reitjes

According to the gentleman at the front desk of A&E architects both of these painters went to the Art Institute of Chitown, and the painting skill is certainly reflective of going to such a prestigious art school. Each of them certainly know how to handle the medium in there own unique ways. Brandon Reitjes' pieces contain great surface and layering techniques that give rise to geometric and architectural forms. Most of the pieces are round, which is generally an uncommon shape for a painting, however I think he makes good use of the roundness here, especially with the asymmetrical placement on the brick walls.

Nate White - detail

Nate White on the other hand has quite a different aesthetic. White builds the canvas with a fun fierceness that includes many layers of gestural, energetic, I-don't-give-it-shit-here-is-some-paint-in-your-face-can-you-handle-it styled application. I really like his use of text and other imagery amongst the paint. At first, I was hesitant about these paintings thinking that maybe they were too out of control or something, but as I felt them a little longer they really grew on me. I encourage ya'll to stop by A&E Architects on Higgins Ave and check these painted gems.

More photos after the jump!!!!

Nate White

Brandon Reitjes

Nate White

Nate White - detail

Brandon Reitjes

Nate White - detail

Nate White

Holy Hell!!

2011-04-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dood what? Patrick Swayze & James Earl Jones!!! Yeah I am into it! Holy Hell is a group creation featuring Jack Metcalf with colorist Brett Hargesheimer, sound artist Burke Jam, sculptures by Louis Habeck, and a video by Will Hutchinson. The gents provided some real fine visuals and auditorials (yeah made that one up) in the basement of the Top Hat. Yeah there is a sweet gallery down there (so nice i wanna have a show down there too, make sure to check out the gallery in the future!). Metcalf's and Hargesheimer's drawings and prints fluently exhibit tight illustration and are both super serious and hilarious all in one fail slap in the face. Also diggin' Habecks monster and kids bike sculpture. I am pretty sure it was a one night showing so you can't see it in person, but luckily someone brought a camera...enjoys.

to see it all click more read more...

CLAY!

2011-03-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Two Clay Studio resident artists, Danny Clump and Lauren Sandler, throw down some clay this March. Clump at The Brink and Sandler at The Clay Studio. You won't find any cups or bowls as both artists are presenting large sculptural works.

Clump's show is titled Seeing Constructs. I like Clump's tangled, wood-fired constructs. The structural forms appear strong and sturdy but at the same time vulnerable as if they could collapse at any moment The shows up for the month so stop by the Brink and see it.

Danny Clump

Temenos by Sandler, a clay studio artists-residence, is elegant display of clay meeting other materials. The scupltures are made from materials ranging from wire, rubber, clay and paper. These works intimately invite you to move around and witness them from all vantages. In the small space these large works really meet you face to face. Temenos is up at the Clay Studio throughout the month...go witness it.


Lauren Sandler Find a bunch more photos after the jump

Danny Clump

Lauren Sandler

Danny Clump

Lauren Sandler

Danny Clump

Lauren Sandler


Lauren Sandler

And we're back

2011-03-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Having taken a nice long respite from the online world, which I highly recommend, Artmelt is back. We are looking forward to focusing on one artists, theme or show a month. We are going to keep the work load down for our unpaid and overworked contributors, and maybe, just maybe they will be able to make some of their own artwork. But let us not get our hopes up as the next ice age could happen at any moment and there will no longer be a reason for art blogs.

We will also be releasing a one-of-a-kind print edition in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for more about that.

Anyway...

Cheers to you - keep supporting your local artists and community!

Thank you for gorilla-ing with us

Creatively,
Jonathan Marquis

UM Grad Students - Rebecca Weed & Cathryn Sugg

2010-05-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

"Non-typical Inheritor" - Cathryn Sugg

University of Montana Grad Students Rebecca Weed & Cathryn Sugg exhibited their MFA thesis work at The Gallery of Visual Arts on the UM campus. Sadly this show comes down today, so to all of those who missed it here is a : ( for you. I have been somewhat following these two talented ladies for a little a while, and highly anticipated this exhibit.

Sugg's combination of elk, doilies, sewn fabric canvases, wicked drawing/painting skills, irony, masculinity vs femininity, and humor has always engaged me. Her use of opposing concepts and dualities, highlighted by the title of her exhibit "Inbetween" is something that I have always explored in my own artwork. In this body of work she included a new fabric pattern containing muscular men posing as lumber jacks, hikers, farmers. Either way one is left oscillating between the thoughts of their manliness vs there feminine-ness. This in-between-ness of her work really engages my thoughts pushing them into a creative process that attempts to transcend such duality.

Rebecca Weed's drawing style has always captivated me (to see some of her drawings, click here). Her ephemeral style of drawing really crept into these paintings, and are by far some of the most successful paintings I have seen her produce. I really enjoy how the whimsical lines and shadows surrounding her figures create a sense movement that emerges in and out of the background. These works also contain a lot of bold patterns and open space that in contrast to the flow and emergent quality of the figures make for some great paintings.

Once again less chat more pictures

Apparently I didn't get the names to all the pieces...oh well

"B for Best?" Cathryn Sugg

Detail "Non-typical Inheritor" - Cathryn Sugg

"Kept Awake by the Scent of Bubble-yum" - Rebecca Weed

"Triage" - Rebecca Weed

Detail "Triage" - Rebecca Weed

"Self Portrait: Waking up" - Rebecca Weed

Detail "Self Portrait: Waking up" - Rebecca Weed

Another First Friday - May 2010

2010-05-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

This First Friday was pretty big for the University of Montana. The National Western Cast Iron Art Conference was brought to UM with the aid of sculpture professor Brad Allen. A number of Missoula galleries also hosted cast iron artworks in correlation with the conference, including the Missoula Art Museum. Right out of the BFA exhibition, The UM undergrad art students threw down with a showing at a temporary space dubbed "Gallery 48" denoting the 48 hrs of its existence. It really excites me when I see students working hard and making art happen. This town certainly lacks adequate exhibition space for younger artists, so mad props to the BFA'ers for fearlessly making it happen. Not to mention, a hand full of UM ceramic students displayed their work in the alley next to New West...damn it is good to see energized and prolific young artists making strong & engaging work. I think students are often thought of as simply "students" but from my experience they make some of the most engaging artwork. Also the newly founded and fabulous Brink Gallery hosted artworks by, adjunct UM art professor, Edgar Smith. His works are bold, simple, yet conceptually complex with a natural elegance. As usual there was a lot of other great art, like the fifth annual installment of "On Deck" at the Badlander. And for the most creative & ephemeral gallery space I vote for the guy who pulled up in a Budget moving van out front of the Dana Gallery. Great work Missoula, and now for less chatter and more pictures.

National Iron Exhibit at the Missoula Art Museum

More from the National Iron exhibit at the MAM

2007 UM MFA Sculpture Graduate Kendall Mingey, graced us with her artwork and presence over the weekend.

BOAT LOAD OF MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP

Look at all that iron

View of National Iron exhibit at the MAM

Technically incredible painting with a sense of humor at Gallery 48. "Hypothetical Situation #1: Fredrick the Anteater as Napoleon" by Louis Habeck. HA! We most certainly need more anteaters and less Napoleons.

Ceramic Sculpture by Kelly McGonigal at Gallery 48. I have nothing to say but "Rad"

View of the alley next to New West where a handful of UM students showed off their well-crafted ceramics.

Some slick ceramic mugs in the alley

3 bowls by Rachael Jones. I really enjoy the ponderosa pine display and how the lines and patterns drawn by beetles reflect the lines and patterns on the bowls. Not to mention how it all works with the brick background...fantastic!

Do forms get more elegant? I feel like something is sucking the spout right out of the body "Birds 1 and 2" by Isabelle Tutwiler. I would go for mosquito, but who wants to reference those sucking little devils

I really like these "Owl Guys" by Kelly Stevenson

On Deck 5 at the Badlander. Art on skateboards is totally nar nar

Edgar Smith at the Brink Gallery

Future Creatives with an Edgar Smith piece...well actually they are quite creative right now!

Kathy Rodriguez

2010-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Bunny Baby Meets the Cousins Oil on panel 48" x 72"

2008 University of Montana graduate, Kathy Rodriguez, makes awesomely fun and engaging paintings (at least in my opinion...most people that walk into my house and see the giant cake and turkey flying off the wall may question such statements, but I just laugh because having a giant cake and turkey on the wall is really funny). Why a cake and a turkey? Why is that guy dressed in a giraffe suit? All these questions leave you somewhat stupefied, thrusting you into a space of liminality between understanding and confusion. Her MFA thesis show "The Extravaganza Awaits" was an epic and rich artistic circus full of games, costumes, prizes, suprises, videos, installations, rooms, white buffalo, elephants, giraffes, babys, and more. "The Extravaganza Awaits" was by far one of my favorite exhibtions I have seen Missoula. I like it so much I bought 4x8 foot painting of a cake and a turkey!

Visit her website and there you can see all of her work. Her most recent paintings of ducks are also great, not as stupefying, but still make you ask why ducks....cause there awesome...duh

Turkey Escapes Oil on canvas

(this is the painting that graces my living room)

Coming to the Table oil on canvas 70”x96”

MORE ART AFTER THE JUMP

The Extravaganze Awaits - Installation View

The White Buffalo with Babies Oil on panel 9" x 9"

DUCKS!

Teaching in the Congo

2010-04-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Missoula multi-media journalist and educator, Anne Medley, is in the Congo teaching multi-media journalism to young, Congolese students. The project titled, Congo In Focus, is a project...

to teach students in the Democratic Republic of Congo about digital media and online journalism. By utilizing the tools of the 21st century, these Congolese students will have a chance to tell their story and the story of their people to the rest of the world.

She has also been taking some amazing photos giving us a little window into a world much different from ours in America. Visit her blog to see her photos and to learn more about the program visit www.congoinfocus.com

The Creative Moment

2010-03-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to attend Katie Ludwig's, also known as Lady Pajama, super fun Creative Moment class at the Zootown Arts & Community Center. As a typical artists I showed up late and got distracted by all the the great art and artists at the ZACC. Nonetheless, as I made it into the classroom I found Katie and piles of supplies on the table. This class is about opening up to art where a synthesis of writing, drawing, object exploration, and works on paper will boost your creative potential. The only thing you need to bring is a sketch book and yourself as Katie and the ZACC provide all the other materials. After a brief warm up, we moved into the main project of the night. The project took up 3 pages of your sketchbook and started with creating a horizon line on each of the pages. Then we broke off into pairs and began interviewing our partners while drawing their portrait and writing words from the interview. It was really amazing watching each person get to know the other while seeing a drawing emerge from the page. Katie instructed us that this drawing is not about making the person look correct, but is more based on feeling, having fun and being in the moment with your mark making device. After everyone had interviewed each other, filling up their three pages we finished by drawing, stamping or transferring the name of the person onto the portrait. Katie then ended the class by reading to us... alls I needed was my onsie, some milk and I would have been a kid again.

The people who have been going regularly to the class have already filled up a large portion of their sketchbooks. For example, Bruce who does not call himself an artists, especially not a drawer, has a great looking sketchbook. When asked what his inspiration was for attending this class he responded by saying that " as a woodworker he was often told that his work was creative, so he thought that this class would be a great opportunity to further develop his creativeness."

If you want to attend this class show up to the ZACC at 6pm on the LAST thursday of the month. And don't worry if you haven't been to one yet, as this was my first time and with the warmth and acceptance of Katie and the ZACC you'll fit right into "The Creative Moment".

A letter from ZACC founder, Hanna Hannan

2010-03-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

SUBMISSION TO ARTMELT 03.09.10

Hanna Hannan

Zootown Arts Community Center 501(c)(3)

Northside Neighborhood Revitalization in Missoula through Arts and Culture

Statistics Provided by the City of Missoula

The ZACC is really excited about Missoula Cultural Council taking a leading role in organizing all of us for a voice in the Downtown Master Plan and the Cultural Plan as a group. I was asked to submit about the ZACC and tell the story of our growing neighborhood. There are so many artists living on or near the North First Street area that last year we decided to make our (often times confusing) location known to the rest of Missoula. We called it the Northside Revitalization Project. The Montana Community Development Corporation and the City of Missoula have both taken note of the revitalized energy emerging in the past years. It’s quaint older houses, diversity of people, and the anchor of the Kettlehouse local watering hole helps!

Continues after the jump

The Project began last year with the emergence of the 2009 MAP. A few organizations on north first street wanted to engage our northside residents and Missoulians through creating a map of our locations. It was designed by volunteer graphic designer Sara Kauk. Since then, the ZACC has realized the impact arts and cultural activities have impacted our neighborhood. We are hoping to launch a cohesive revitalization project through federal and private grants (cross your fingers) to address the health and wellness of individuals in low-income communities and individuals in our underserved area.

Through 2010 this will include an increase in programs to enrich lives through free and safe community projects and classes in arts and culture. The Zootown Arts Community Center delivers all ages arts education, fosters sustainable community development, and promotes accessible, life-enriching art experiences for Missoula residents and visitors. We currently have 5 youth programs, 5 drop in artistic resource stations, and 17 adult classes.

ZACC achieves its mission by being a center for hands-on art experience, and by serving as a center for the Missoula community to come together to create, learn, play, and support the Missoula area’s development of the arts, education, and a sustainable economy. ZACC is strategically located on the northside, a neighborhood that has withstood many adversities and whose residents represent a diverse range of economic backgrounds from very poor to very wealthy.

The Zootown Arts Community Center defines our neighborhood as the Northside – a distinct region enclosed by physical boundaries on all sides and cut off from the rest of Missoula. The northside neighborhood represents our primary area of focus for revitalization efforts. We already laid the groundwork by producing a revitalization map resulting in connections with our neighboring organizations and community awareness with the greater Missoula region. We led this to highlight our neighborhood’s location, services, and activities.

Our community is defined as the City of Missoula. The Missoula Valley represents the convergence of five major river valleys – the Hellgate to the east, the Missoula to the west, the Flathead and Blackfoot to the north and the Bitterroot Valley to the south. This unique geography poses a problem for defining limits on the physical range of our community. As the central hub of all these valleys, the City of Missoula provides services to families from the more rural and isolated regions of the Five Valleys area. Similarly, some of our constituents, including participants and volunteers, come to the ZACC from outside Missoula proper. While this is true, a large majority of our constituents reside and work within the boundaries of Missoula.

About the Northside

The Northside developed largely because of its relationship with the Northern Pacific Railroad and St. Patrick Hospital. Traditionally, a high proportion of neighborhood residents worked for the railroad, the Hospital or for the industries that developed around the railroad yard. Once a thriving working class community surrounded with agricultural and range land, the neighborhoods suffered a series of adversities in the latter part of the 20th century that began a new period of disinvestment and decline. Both the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Censuses portrayed Missoula's Northside residential neighborhood as the community's poorest:

· In 1999, this area was predominantly moderate- to low-income with 32 percent of its residents living below the poverty line (compared to 11.7 percent nationwide).

· In 1999, the median household income for the Northside neighborhood was $22,007. This compared with a median household income of $30,366 for greater Missoula and $41,994 for the nation as a whole.

· The Year 2000 U.S. Census also indicated that 37 percent of the neighborhoods’ children under age eighteen and 44 percent of elementary-school-age children lived in poverty.

· Twelve percent of the total population above 65 years of age lived in extreme poverty (incomes less than 1/2 of the poverty level).

Mobility in Missoula County

A significant number of Missoulians are moving in and out of the community. This in-and-out migration affects the quality and effectiveness of schools, programs, social services, neighborhoods, and the community as a whole. The 1990 census found that:

· 55% of Missoulians had lived somewhere other than their current residence in the previous four years,

· 27% had moved from within Missoula County,

· 13% from other towns in Montana, and

· 14% from a different state. 32% of Missoulians have lived at their current address for less than two years.

Poverty in Missoula

Current estimates indicate that almost 16% of Missoulians live in poverty, compared to about 11% in 1970. Some highlights

· The percent of children living in poverty has at least doubled since the 1970 census (from 10% to over 20%). This means 4700 children from 0 to 18 years of age in Missoula County live in poverty.

· Nearly 50% of impoverished Missoula children live in deep poverty, which is half of the poverty level.

· While Montana’s poverty rates from 1989 through 1996 resembled the national rates, they were the highest for states in the Northwest Region. Most likely this reflects two factors: 1) presence of seven American Indian reservations in the state; 2) poverty rates in rural areas are higher.

The ZACC works with our board members, 20 volunteers, 4 interns, and 2 employees to create high impact programs and support community art projects. The ZACC would like to help more financially with Missoula favorites: Day of the Dead, Roots Festival, and MADEfair, but cannot do so until it’s own financial health improves. Until then, the ZACC will continue to be a physical platform for arts and cultural networking, finding opportunities, and volunteering in the community. We are focusing on this throughout the rest of the year.

Working with our partner, the Office of Civic Engagement, we draw much interest in internships and hands-on career development for students interested in social work, community development, and non profit organizational strategies. The Office for Civic Engagement (OCE) is The University of Montana’s primary agent of community activism and civic responsibility. Their mission is to challenge and improve lives with an ethic of service and investment in community. This directly aligns with the ZACC staff goals for this upcoming year.

The ZACC believes that Missoula’s artists have a future, and we need to help them get there. The ZACC staff achieves its mission by aligning and maximizing neighborhood physical and programmic resources (education), solidifying partnerships among citywide agencies and organizations (community), and mobilizing creative, coordinated and sustainable investment in our artists (economy).

This year, through a community building process, you will see the ZACC engage more heavily with individual citizens, organizations, and business agencies to address community needs. One should see the ZACC as a community site grow within the next year. We want to focus the immediate surrounding area, mobilize the development of projects (2010 Orange Street Mural Project) and engage our neighborhood while promoting the center as a safe haven /resource art center in the area.

The ZACC is committed to serving all segments of the community and representing a diverse range of interests at our facility. The ZACC wants to engage individuals in our immediate community that normally may not have the economic means to experience art hands-on during the 2010 year. Most of all, we will develop and foster pride in the surrounding area through program development and networking. The ZACC will be responsible for analyzing the results. ZACC is a public service organization. Through the Neighborhood Revitalization Project, self-growth, and cohesion of community will empower our immediate residents to use the ZACC as a launch pad for leadership development, group strengthening, community engagement, and collaborative projects in the future.

Zootown Arts Community Center 501(c)(3) • 406.549.7555 • www.zootownarts.org

Meeting!

2010-03-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

If you're interested in working on a Missoula Art and Culture Alliance, Cultural planning, arts districts, live-work spaces, etc... You are invited to an informational meeting at the Missoula Public Library on Tuesday, April 6th at 6:30 pm. I will present information about what cultural planning is, and how a long-term plan will help our arts communities, create economic development opportunities for Missoula, and create jobs. The presentation portion will be about 20-25 minutes, and then I will pose some questions for discussion. This first portion of the meeting will be helpful for anyone that is simply curious about this topic and wants to know more. The latter half of the meeting will be more about volunteering and serving on a committee. We'll keep time for each topic, and end the meeting at 7:30.

At around 7:15, I will propose a timeline for the next couple months, to give you an idea of what kind of work is needed right now, so you can ascertain your ability to volunteer or serve on the committee or other work group. I will stay until 8pm to answer further questions about the committee, which is now officially a part of the Missoula Cultural Council! I will also have links and handouts galore.

See you there,

Debby Florence

First Friday, March 5th

2010-03-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

This month's First Friday was much more varied than usual.. and it was impossible to go see everything. Each venue was packed with people, the streets were lively, and I daresay it was almost too crowded to get to see much art. The whole thing starts with Mark Heyka looking at the First Friday Gallery Walking Guide I created and distributed all over, and wraps up with Charles Martin and I having a shoot-out. My favorite thing--- every environment I went into was different from the last: I listened to Irish music, then on to Gamelon music, and then to a rock band. Then out onto the streets to meet lobbyists, protestors and petition holders. All taking place almost simultaneously. My final stop was the Ceretana, where you'll see Jonathan's work in the photos.

Note that First Friday was packed, but its NOT tourist season. Thus we can deduce that the experience is meaningful for residents, and lots of them. This is very heartening. I'm no photographer, so trying to whisk my camera around while also participating was a challange to say the least. I feel that these are (blurry) pinpoint references to a (kind of blurry) 360-degree landscape. And you're missing out on a whole ton of interesting jibberjabber.

Anyway, on with the pictures.

Austin's Cultural Plan

2010-03-05T09:39:00.001-08:00

I'm reading this today: Create Austin, The City of Austin's Cultural Plan, and thought I would share it. The level of detail is fantastic for those trying to get a more clear understanding about cultural planning. Check out their work plan. Looking forward to First Friday tonight, and plan to make a post about it! Take my survey! :)

Cultural Plan Update:

2010-03-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Take My Cultural Plan Survey Here!

Read about the Cultural Plan and the Downtown Master Plan here

Since February 13th, I have spoken with over 40 arts and cultural leaders in Missoula about this issue. When I say leaders, I mean people who run community arts projects, people who show their art, people who perform often in our community, people who organize arts events, promote bands, run businesses. Also those who teach young people, use the arts to heal , and those who raise cultural awareness. Some are members of large organizations that contribute a ton to our city, some are involved with city government, some work at the University. Within about 2 weeks, I've talked directly with at least 40 people who play impactful roles in our community. And I have appointments with more. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has taken their time to give me feedback! Your encouragement and thoughtful input has been invaluable to me!

Speaking of which, I would like to get some of that on paper, so I can start to build a strong case. That's why I just created a survey-- It will take you 3 minutes + to fill out. The only reason it will take you more than 3 minutes is because I created optional spaces for comments. And I would LOVE your comments. But you dont have to. At least say if you agree with the idea of a cultural plan. Take the survey here. Its so short and it WILL matter. I need a pile of stuff to plop on people's desks! ---WOOSH! --If you're into this idea, I cant make a difference without you behind me. You are my supporting evidence.

Also, I am planning a meeting for those who want to get more involved. If you're interested in attending, email me. It is tentativly going to be Tuesday March 23, in the evening, so save the date!

Spread the word! Thanks!

Hey! Its the best collaborative art project ever!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

There is a big question mark in downtown Missoula right now. And with Macy’s leaving, economic uncertainty is on everyone’s mind. According to the Missoulian, John Engan has received proposals that could expand the role of art and culture in our city. In fact, a Cultural Plan is called for in the Missoula Greater Downtown Master Plan . This includes a Performing Arts Center and a Cultural District. Much of this is yet to be defined. That is where our window of opportunity resides. It might take a couple hours for you catch up on current policies, and spend a little bit of creative energy responding. But we need to articulate concrete plans and demand usable policies from our City Council and local organizations. This Cultural Plan can be the groundwork for true community arts and cultural advancement-- not to mention economic stimulus. (Read about Cultural Plans elsewhere)

As artists we’re really familiar with economic uncertainty. Many of us respond by collaborating to share resources. Sometimes we find success, but thus far our arts community still voices concern over fragmentation. Every arts group I interact with wishes for more unified support of the arts, cross - pollination between organizations, better community access.

We want to bring the arts to mainstream culture because we believe its transformative and brain-enhancing powers make children into better learners, promote civic engagement, and stimulate the economy. Just as importantly, we want to keep our talented artists and creative professionals (ahem…ourselves!) in Missoula, so we don’t give up and move to Portland. Plus, like many other small cities in the US and Europe, we recognize the value of collaboration over competition, and understand the economic value of multi-use spaces.

My dear, amazing artists, revolutionaries, and visionaries, I think there’s a new direction we can go with this desire. But it’s time to cross some friend-group lines. And, especially, some generation gaps. We can make far more productive use of our energy than writing business plans, grant proposals, seeking 501c3 status, and scraping together rent. Okay those things are important tasks, too. But, if we want to see something change in our arts and culture atmosphere, we must mobilize in a grassroots manner and be more effective, more vocal in the right places, with the right amount of research and evidence behind us. For example, I propose a bunch of us pitch in to bring some experienced cultural planners to Missoula to help us do this. But first more of us need to get up to speed on Missoula’s goals thus far.

Imagine if there were policies that protected a Cultural District so that artists had better (cheaper) access to living and work spaces. What if it couldn’t become gentrified, but remained a cultural hub? Check out what Boston has accomplished through zoning. They made an artist district that really seems to be working. In this way, separate organizations can maintain autonomous vision, individual artists dont have to become non-profit administrators ( if they dont want). Arts ZONING can help the very diverse visions flourish because maybe one arts space isnt the answer for everyone.

Skim this site, as there are a lot of resources...

Also , Linda McCarthy, Director of the Missoula Downtown Association, wrote something great in InBusiness last week: "Next generation of workers wants what Missoula offers"

I ask you to join me in bridging longstanding gaps between organizations and businesses in our town. This work is already happening, which excites me. But more leadership from the "alternative arts" community is needed. If you have felt left out of the process, this means you. We are in a position where our creative capitol has huge economic value, but we have to put down our egos and be willing to cross into strange territory to make a difference. You’re probably right to be turned off by politics, but I am telling you, that political landscape is where our opportunity sits, and we would be wise to get involved.

Here is what you can do right now :

-Read a lot. Read the Downtown Master Plan.

-Read past articles in the Missoulian and Independent, and read all the links I included above.
- I want to hear what you think, or how your area of expertise can inform this subject.

Here are some things we can do together:

1) Form a diverse group of arts and cultural leaders to advocate for changes in the role of arts in Missoula
2) Advocate for the Cultural District that is called for in the Downtown Master Plan.
3) Advocate that commercial and industrial zoning be amended to include Live-Work spaces for artists

If you’re an active artist in Missoula, your involvement is needed at any level, even if meetings are not your thing. Stay tuned on Artmelt as well, I will post more updates here. Also, feel free to comment to this post. Are you already involved ? Can you help me learn more?

Mi Chacra (My Land) by Bozeman Flimmaker - Jason Burlage

2010-02-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Jason Burlage, a Bozeman Filmmaker, was kind of enough to send us some info about his Film Mi Chacra, which will debut in Montana for the first time at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on Friday February 19th at 5:30pm. So be sure to support a fellow Montanan at one of the Northwest's premiere documentary film festivals.

“This documentary takes you into the real life of Feliciano, his family, his land, his terrible doubts, and his dreams. No stereotypes, just life, beautiful and cruel at the same time. I love the honesty of Mi Chacra and was touched by the patient and beautiful approach to this Peruvian reality,” said Roberto Forns-Broggi, a native of Peru and Spanish professor at Metro State College of Denver who introduced the film at the Denver Film Festival.

Press Release info after the jump

Bozeman filmmaker to screen documentary at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

BOZEMAN, MT, January 20, 2010 – Jason Burlage, a Bozeman local and MSU graduate, will screen his documentary film, Mi Chacra (My Land) at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on February 19th at 5:30pm at the historic Wilma Theatre in downtown Missoula. The screening will be the film’s Montana premiere. Burlage’s film is among 46 feature documentaries that will show at the festival between February 12th and 21st.

Mi Chacra world premiered at the Denver Film Festival last November to two sold out audiences. With breathtaking views of the Peruvian Andes as a backdrop, the film tells the story of Feliciano, an indigenous Peruvian farmer who works as a porter on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in hopes of some day taking his son to live in the city. Framed by the seasons, Mi Chacra chronicles one year in Feliciano’s life, from the planting season in his community to the harvest, and through a season of work on the Inca Trail. It paints a vivid picture of this man’s world, of the conflict between his love of the land and the desire to see his son living what he sees as a better life in the city.

Burlage grew up in southeast Idaho and moved to Bozeman in 1992 to study film in the Media and Theatre Arts program at Montana State University. He originally went to Peru as staff and then director for a program that conducted community service projects in small villages in the Sacred Valley. It was during one trip that a Peruvian friend told him about the situation of the porters on the Inca Trail and the disappearing culture of the indigenous people. Many porters are subsistence farmers who leave their communities to work on the trail and have difficulty adapting to the outside world. Burlage was struck by this story and knew there was a film to be made. He spent a total of five months filming Feliciano and his family.

“The depth of the experience,” he says, “would be impossible to convey. I truly hope the film does justice to the complexity of the place and the people it portrays. There is great beauty, strength, sadness, and love in Feliciano’s story and in the world he inhabits.”

“This documentary takes you into the real life of Feliciano, his family, his land, his terrible doubts, and his dreams. No stereotypes, just life, beautiful and cruel at the same time. I love the honesty of Mi Chacra and was touched by the patient and beautiful approach to this Peruvian reality,” said Roberto Forns-Broggi, a native of Peru and Spanish professor at Metro State College of Denver who introduced the film at the Denver Film Festival.

Burlage plans to host a screening of his film in Bozeman sometime this Spring. Mi Chacra is his first feature documentary. For more information, contact Jason Burlage at jason@michacrafilm.com or go to www.michacrafilm.com.

Pointing at the moon 3-05-10 @ the Ceretana

2010-02-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

Open Field Artists at the Downtown Dance Collective

2010-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos I (Jonathan Marquis) took on first night at the Open Field Artists show "Da Floresta". The photo's order in the post reflect the unfolding of the performance. The OFA will be performing "Da Floresta" again at the Crystal Theater February 4,5, and 6...be sure to check it out and support live art.

I want me some "renaissance"

2010-01-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

I hate this word as much as "juxtapose" but I believe Missoula is going through a little "Renaissance" period. So many people are creating art on soooo many levels. You have a food server who paints in the studio (gallery gig in two months), participates and sews for local fashion shows, makes dolls and earrings for the markets, designs graphics for nonprofits, paints a mural, stenciling inside and outside of their apartments no matter how bad the fumes, shows up to band practice twice a week, plus practice with the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, organizing a dance collective, directing the performance art piece that is due next month, curate another gallery space, and then DJ at your favorite local bar (sigh). I haven't mentioned all of it either. There's plenty of more crackheads to go around.

Missoula artists are now taking on the same role the rest of the art world has taken. You don't strive to be the one and only "original" modernist, mastering one medium, throwing yourself in your room, telling your significant other that she's fat......or he's stupid. Focusing on one art theory is like ordering a cosmo because you saw it on Sex And The City. Fundamentalism in any form is uber cliche. Not kitschy, but cliche. I like kitschy. Discussion and different points of view is a good thing. It's all communication and collaboration now. It's learning the new crafts you need to make the aesthetic and concept sing. Learn to be ballsy enough to try and humble enough to fail. That's what my mother always said. Oh, and don't mix your drugs.

This is why I love Tsunami Toys. When it comes to visual art, this is a great store to hit. This little toy store on Higgins sells edition prints from local artist Courtney Blazon and Bay Area artist Sam Flores among many others. Courtney makes a name for herself in this town with all of her local advertising, city commission projects, greeting cards, along with solo group gallery shows. Sam Flores juggles clothing/skateboard designs, solo and collaborative murals, tours the live art circuit, and does studio work for international solo and group shows. Another Bay Area artist, Alex Pardee can work in just as many mediums. A humble yet hot skateboard, pink with warts, signed by Alex Pardee, sits up on the wall. Everything in this store has an artist stepping behind it with creative and skillful play. Josh Quick (local batty) designed the Tsunami illustration. Vinyl toys done by Artist David Choe sits along with N8 Van Dyke's ape figures. And with that, keep your senses open for the "Dirty Hands", a documentary focusing on David Choe himself. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be part of artist series at the Wilma this summer. The credentials on this one can drop an egg white.

Tsunami among other great local stores lets Missoula know that they are on a good track. Enjoy yet focus on making art. Whatever your hands are on, do something with it. A tortured masterpiece is not always needed. What percentage of a population can buy a masterpiece anyways? Just "The Man", that's who. "The Man" nowadays doesn't even know what good art is anymore. Art market used to be seen as part economic organism, part critically acclaimed art. Collectors in the past at least liked what they bought (even in the 80's), now the economic aspect is the majority of collecting. It's true, you can go to a museum to "see" masterpieces. But why can't a kid, big and little, have both. A lot of the reasons why these artists do so many different forms of merchandising, is so the middle and lower class kids can also enjoy and possess a piece of art. They can "possess" something that they can relate to culturally, not because of the market value down the road. That's motivation for them to be creative. This crackhead generation busts the brains so they can mentor and learn from the little crackheads.

P.S.

Dear Oprah,

Thank you for the exploitive movie "Precious". Please keep producing formulaic, badly montaged, taking a crack at neo-realism movies. I didn't know how middle-aged conservative gospel music associated with the 1987 Harlem coming-of-age setting, but thank god you showed me the way. Your like a corporate hero in Indy disguise. It's beautiful. We should go have a cosmo later. Keep up the good work. My popcorn was really good.

Yours truly,

Mad Stinker

Kensuke Yamada @ the GVA

2009-12-31T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well folks it is the holiday season, friends are in town, snowboarding to be done, and lots of art to be made for my upcoming show at the Ceretana in March/April. So all this means that this post is a bit late and the show is over and you cannot see it ever again, except for on artmelt.net, so HA!

Kensuke Yamada was or is a UM Grad Student with a emphasis in ceramics. All the work of his I have seen are very large, hand-built figures, including the MFA show at the UC Gallery. His recent MFA Thesis exhibition at the GVA, titled Empathetic, is no exception. The show contains about 7 large ceramic sculptures, most of which are glazed with an elegant yet simplistic patterning of stripes, polka dots, and pastel colors. The alienated forms, patterning and color scheme reminds me of Picasso's early paintings of circus folk, such as the painting Family of Saltimbanques. His artist statement is simple and to sum it up he is interested in creating an emotional relationship between art and viewer. I beleive that through the scale, isolation and emotive expressions of his figures this task is accomplished.

The sparse nature of the gallery layout with a few dark corners also reenforces the emotional landscape, however the question is "is the minimal amount of work part of the design or just a desire to move on from school?" One of the most intriguing pieces was a sculpture containing an 8 foot figure with a 4 inch figure. The contrast in scale certainly evokes an emotional response. In addition, the large figure was actually wet to the touch...now is this some kind of way to ad to the emotive content by referencing the wet, the damp, the dank, the slimy? or was it simply not finished? I think the sculpture is a succesful piece of art and I am all about an unfinished aestetic, but I also feel that this piece being the only one with out a glazed surface seems a little out of place with the rest of the exhibit. Either way I was impressed by the show and rather enjoy Yamada's style.

Ultimately, as a 2005 UM alumni I certainly understand the desire for exodus from the education system. Being in school from before we can remember us crazy artists get a little antsy and are ready to get out and emerse ourselves in the real world - where we get to find out what it really means to be a creative individual. So good luck I say to Kensuke Yamada! He is off to reside at the Archie Bray so I am sure us Montanans will have the honor to see more work from this great ceramic artist.

More pics after the jump....

We want to see your "Art Gifts"

2009-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

So its Christmas time and that means gift giving, and Artmelt wants to see what art gifts you have received. So take a pic of your art gift(s), or a pic of you and your "art" and we will post it online. Email them to artmelt@gmail.com, include your name and the artists name, medium, etc. and anything else you feel is relevant. I made some awesome art trades at the Ceretana Holiday Bazaar and will be posting them soon. Merry Christmas!

Rebecca Weed - an "Experience" at the ZACC

2009-12-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

It is always a pleasure to see & experience Rebecca Weeds drawings. "Experience ? I thought you just looked at art?" Well, lo and behold, art can produce a fuller, integrated experience that goes beyond the passive and dualistic viewer/ artwork separation.

Weed's drawings accomplish this feat in a few ways. Most obviously, is the drawings are made of multiple layers of tracing paper, fastened only at the top. Therefore they move when someone walks by or the air moves. When viewing smaller artworks it is easy to feel like an outside onlooker; but the movement and large scale of these drawings creates a presence and becomes more of the viewers' immediate spatial experience. Time is another important factor as it is implied by the content and the physical movement of the drawings. The images and the implied time gives the viewer a conceptual departure point to create meaning, in turn engaging them even deeper.

There are two drawings that address "time" through sequential imagery. One titled " I Hate Pink" is of a young girl frantically ripping off a pink dress and then stomping on it. Another "Shower Scene" depicts a woman showering. The content of "Shower Scene" lacks in the humor of the first, but is an elegantly drawn and intimate view into an experience many take for granted.

Adding to the experience, Weed's use of layered tracing paper allows for the discovery of new images. For example, when the piece "Archer" moves, an image of an archer comes in and out of focus, and on the back layer a wolf is revealed. Another piece reveals an image of swimmer fit with goggles and a swim cap. These revelations so to speak provide the viewer with constantly changing imagery adding yet another level to the experience.

In conclusion, Weed's use of of material and stylistic drawing technique makes for a great art show that will engage you in more ways than one. I encourage you all to go to the ZACC and check it out!

More pics after the jump

Swimmer

Swimmer Detail

Appropriate Steps

Appropriate Steps - detail 1

Appropriate Steps - detail 2

Andy Cline "Scenic Overview 1/4 mile" at the Dana Gallery

2009-12-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

In my eyes, Andy Cline's paintings bring some fresh air and ironic commentary into a Gallery that doesn't always grab me. To my excitement, it would appear that Mr. Dudley Dana is gathering into his arsenal some younger, upcoming artists, including Artmelt favorite, Courtney Blazon.

Cline's paintings are about as photo realistic as you get, however I still wouldn't say he is any Richard Estes. I find the images, although technically masterful, to be a bit dry in appearance. The compositions are pretty calm and frontal with hardly a diagonal to be found. "A Pack of Resting Semis" is barely the exception as the shadow from a large sign enters from behind the viewer and takes you into the scene. Generally, most of the compositions are sweeping vistas with the interstate laid out in front of you. Perhaps there is a truck on the road, or in "Cruise Control" the view is completely empty minus the road and the sky. While Estes' crowded scenes reflect the fast pace of the city, Kline's spacious paintings capture the feeling of being on the interstate in the Big Sky. Ahh the open road...certainly one of the reasons I love driving in Montana.

The titles do add a touch of humor to the otherwise dry, empty, meditative, spacious images. Names like "Oh Deer" beget images of dead deer on the side of the road. "At Least We'll Have a Ski Resort In Our Backyard" ironically describes an image of a run down trailer, with beat up vehicles framing in the decrepit "homestead", and the controversial Bitterroot Resort looming in the background. As mentioned before, "A Pack of Resting Semis" compares the big rigs of the road to the wildlife that inhabit the surrounding landscape.

To me this is the best part of the show. The elk, bears, and fish that generally fill the gallery are now being replaced by the real Montana - semis, cars, and open roads instead of open meadows. I say real Montana, because we often get this romantic portrait of elk calm, un-startled-by-your-presence grazing in a meadow, yet every hunter knows that this not the way you generally find these majestic creatures (if you can find them at all).

Ironic the titles may be, but even better is that in a gallery surrounded by romantic images of nature we find an artists saying "that is not Montana", here is a semi to replace your elk, here is a junk pile instead of a forest, a beat up car instead of a horse, a dead dear, a logging trailer, the road...

More pics after the jump

Is that a photograph?

"A Popular Watering Hole "

"A Popular Watering Hole" - detail

It's Holiday Art Fair Time

2009-12-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

That's right everyone get ready for all the holiday art fairs, sales, bazzars and open houses. Supporting your local artists is always important, and what better way to share holiday cheer than by buying custom, hand made art. So where should you go to support your local artists? Well it depends on what you want? There are generally two kinds of "products" you can buy this time of year, one I would term art and the other I would term a craft or crappy-commodity. I know your thinking that the boundary between high and low art has been abolished, so why is he making a comparison between art and craft. Fyi, I am not against craft by any means, frankly I believe engaging your self in any kind of creative endeavor makes you a more realized person and I support it. However, I do believe art and craft have different intentions, and I am simply interested in acknowledging the difference between, oh I don't know... lets say an installation artist and a wreath-maker. So lets take a closer look.

This is what I generally term as craft: wreaths, little angels, manger scenes, model train landscapes, most jewelry, stockings, some ceramics, doilies, ginger bread houses...I think you get the point. If that is the stuff you want then go to the UC Art Fair...not sure when it is and don't care. Now it is possible that all those things I mentioned have the potential to not be a crappy commodity and can transcend into meaningful works of art, but it certainly depends. One thing I generally say about this concept is "Construction workers make things all the time but nobody is out there screaming they're artists." So ultimately I term craft as something that its goal is to be an object with, generally, mainstream content that is produced specifically for sale. These generally include functional objects, or something to adorn yourself or your home with and generally lack in deeper meaning and/or creativity. Art, in my opinion, challenges you, strives for non-object-hood, is usually one-of-a-kind, provides a creative perspective and generally does not have a function other than as a communicator of meaning or as an artwork.

Of course there are always exceptions as the boundary between art and craft is thankfully not concrete. I love artists that provide a fresh view of art and craft or use traditional crafting methods to create works of art. This challenging of traditional materials and techniques gives meaning to objects whether it is a wreath or an installation. There are some great artists in Missoula making great art right now using techniques and materials typically associated with craft, such as Courtney Blazon's merchandise, Patricia Thornton's stuffed Mannys and x-mas tree ornaments, grad student Kathryn Snugg's fabric paintings, and not to mention the entire Tsunami store showing us that toys are effing awesome.

So if you want some artwork this weekend then I suggest you stop by the Ceretana, Tsunami, the Brunswick Building, and the Clay Studio for awesome ceramics. December 13th at the ZACC and the Stensrud the Missoula Made Fair boasts 100% local, hand made goods. Dec. 10, 11, and 12 there is the UM Christmas Student Ceramic Sale where one can generally find high quality and affordable ceramics. Accompanying the student sale is a ceramic art show for those slightly less functional and absurd student artworks. I am sure I am missing something that is awesome, so keep you eyes out for good, locally-made art. Art is not just a hobby it is work too, so support your local artists and the economy!

2009 UM Juried Student Art Show by the Madstinker

2009-11-17T16:14:00.000-08:00

The greatest thing about walking into this jury show was the quantity of work, mad technical skill, and the well-executed concepts in one show. Every emphasis in the Art department should be proud of their students. With that said, I'm a 2D exhibitionist, so I'm giving a review based mostly in that field. Sorry 3D, I'm going to group counseling and working very hard to improve myself. Soon I hope to give you the mad props you deserve.

Four pieces stuck out to me the most in this show. The work was simple and sweet all the way down to the title. Titles were important in this show, either it was really bad, or it assisted the work like a wench's assistant. Sadly, I think there was a lot of pieces falling into the first category. The work I admired had titles that kept the viewer engaged.

"America" done by Adam Lynn had friction. The rhythm in this work was down right dysfunctional. And I like it. His painting is dirty and nasty. Adam engages the viewer and himself in a conversation with questions and no direct answers. Literally, this guy used dialogue bubbles in pre-elementary handwriting. The color field was off. His spatial plane and figure drawing had no aesthetic anchors. His application of paint along with the canvas itself was so raw and outsider that it imitated the works by Ed Templeton among other Sk8/Punk/DIY kids from the 90's. And why do I find this to be all wonderful? With the title "America", this painting could have easily been preachy, egotistical and just plain annoying. He could have patronized his viewer with a technical high art application. But he didn't do that. Instead he humbled himself as the protagonist, and with that he humbled the viewer.

The next piece that made me want to run into the bathroom with a box of Kleenex would have to be Kathryn Snugg. "B for Best?" with the pop icon of deer had me going. Her canvas was made by recycled bed sheets, quilted together to create it's own modern composition. Vertical stitching broke the space well by being graphically imperfect. She threw in the pop image of John Deere acknowledging the fact that she's trekking worn territory. Deer head drawings were empathetic, but also connoted taxidermy. This was a really smart move on her part. This piece is not just a feminine piece referring to past lady crafts, but speaks to a wider audience. She was throwing all of the images of "Deer" into one big pot, accompanied by a meticulous drawing hand, stitching and embroidery. And like Adam, her materials looked accessible to anyone that has the need to communicate.

The next piece that I loved was an aesthetic bad boy. The character in his story was caught with his pants down, exhibiting greedy consumption with crude imperfection. Richard Evan Holmstrom's "2-1-2-3" is on such a large wood canvas that you are exposed to hairy legs and tighty-whiteys from across the gallery. This character is humorous, misogynistic, and demanding. At the same time, he's a mere simpleton. The great thing that Holmstrom illustrates in this piece is also a sense of vulnerability. The use of color pink is seen more as Freudian reference then aesthetic. He's mixing comic book with Modernism. It's hot! The character and his many egos and desires are all isolated from each other while the background is a generalized abstraction. The painting is ironic conceptually and visually. When I look at this big guy I can't help but think that Richard is thumbing his nose at someone or something. His technical skills is exceptional and up to par in an academic world. Hell, he even made a nice canvas (that was also an obvious fault in this show: badly made canvases). Maybe it's the man getting him down, who knows.

And last but not least we have Sheilah Healow. So many students and artist around this town has tried to tackle the chaos/order subject and has failed miserably. Sheilah makes it look easy. A quaint little drawing "Transition" showed complexity, movement and engineered lines bottled up like an atom bomb in the middle of a raw piece of paper. The multi-media piece reminded me of the work of Julie Mehretu. Color and line patterns along with topography creates a organism made of unlikely elements. But unlike Julie's work who focuses more on engineering and networking as a global technological organism, we see Sheilah making hers more micro than macro. She keeps her organism in a round-up, dead center of the paper as if it's a petri dish observation. She makes it more humanistic with drawings of anatomical imagery like intestines and feet. I've seen Sheilah's work before, and what I like about her is that she is not afraid to try new mash-ups but at the same time she will always have her signature moves.

As you can see there was plenty of more great pieces in the show. So many were reminiscent of styles and movements that are going on this day and age. These four artists just happened to turn me on in that certain way. It takes all types. Congrats to all the ones that submitted their work. Congrats to all that got in. The show is only up until the 20th, so get on over there.

A bunch more photos from the show after the jump.

First Friday November 2009

2009-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well it is (or was) 3:15am, I've been home for one hour after a good evening on the town looking at art, socializing, and drinking free booze of course - isn't that the real reason we go out to First Friday- if it is, it shouldn't be! Nonetheless, I saw a lot of art tonight, some good, some better, some worse. All in all it was a good FF, I crossed paths with a lot of different friends and people, and passed out a bunch of Artmelt handbills. Tonight was like our official exiting of the closet.

Being that we were advertising the blog we came across a lot of discussion regarding the blog, art, art criticism and its role in Missoula. We got a lot of good feedback, and discovered a lot of ideas for future posts. So our first official First Friday adventure was a success. Let us begin the journey after the jump.

First off, I stopped by Bernice's Bakery to see my good friend, Penelope Baquero's opening "Eco-Sapien." These works explore human's relationship to the natural world and the concept of the eco-sapien. Her paintings don't really tell us how to become eco-sapiens, but rather the paintings visually and emotionally explore the meaning of Eco-Sapien. For example, in one piece a human heart is topped with trees (much like a sea stack in the pacific northwest) and obviously trees could never grow out of your heart, so the meaning and symbolism emotionally suggest what it may be to have some eco-in-your-sapien. The highly detailed acrylic paintings are well executed and the style reminds me of a modern day Frida Kahlo. Good work Penelope!

I discovered two new galleries this FF. The first, Gallery @ studio D and secondly, Contraption (which I find to be an excellent name btw). The audience at the first was filled mostly with people 30+ years older than me, and the work there by Dennis Sloan & some others, was well out of my price range. Contraption, owned by two guys named Phil and Lucas, is intended to cater to a younger crowd and a younger style of art. I was talking to Phil, and he said that younger adults can be intimidated to walk into some of the fancier galleries in town, and that they wanted to create a space that was friendlier toward them; not to mention there were 2 kegs of beer and a DJ playing all night. The space is small but great, and I am looking forward to seeing where these guys take this contraption.

So back to Gallery @ Studio D

I am wondering what these guys are contemplating here...is it the dynamic colors, the interweaving of form, or is it the hot chicks on all fours? Let us hope it is the previous, but nonetheless the figures are certainly idealized and aesthetically proportional, to which I am not sure what to make of? Is there some kind of sexual objectification occurring? In some ways painting anything is a form of objectifying. When making these works he claims to have been in his female-form phase, according to an article in the Missoulian. As a painter from a different generation I didn't know there was such a phase, but frankly I do not think his conceptual framework holds up enough to suggest there is no objectification occurring here. I am less worried about the firearms, as was the Missoulian's focus, and consider the idealized forms and sexual positions to be the point in question. The paintings themselves are large and technically flawless. Surrounded by so much color, to which Sloan says is inspired by Montana skies, is visually engaging, but ultimately I view them to be no more than a modernist exercise in form and color.

My favorite show of the night was at the Catalyst featuring Sheilah Healow and Patrica Thornton. Like myself, both of these artists have studios at the Ceretana, so lucky for me I have been able to see a lot of their work. I believe their work compliments each other well, and their painting share a similar feeling even though they are worlds apart...it might be their color pallets and ambiguity. My favorite piece is this one by Sheilah Healow. The sheep and the head wrapped in wire, with the aggressive power of the white bull is latent with meaning, what specifically I am not so sure, but I am happy to leave that question unanswered and just be with it.

I love T-Rex in a ball gown

Then off to the Missoula Art Museum, ran in to a lot of people there - Wolf Redboy, the museum staff, Ed Morrisey of the art dept, some graduate art students, and a handful of others. There are a few good exhibits up at the MAM. One Being Roger Shimomura's "Minidoka on My Mind" and the other being a series of cardboard sculptures titled, "Big Trouble - The Idaho Project" by Scott Fife. Both shows, well-worth-seeing, are rather powerful in content, size, technique and scale, but perhaps get a little redundant for me.

The texture created by the cutting, gouging, drilling, tearing of the cardboard creates a raw surface, and remarkably captures the likeness of these figures.

This one is certainly the exception to redundancy as the interaction between horse and wood board is rather intriguing, probably one of the few horse sculpture I actually like.

Art and Fashion

2009-11-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

First Friday. Heave a cynical sigh if you want, but each month there are redeeming gems in the mixture of delusional crap/pretentiousness/marketing ploys. If you didn't go, I implore you to make it to the following places this month while the shows are still up: The Catalyst to see Patricia Thornton and Sheilah Healow's work. A&E Architects ( Next to Butterfly) and look at Dirk E Lee's prints through the window. And, the Embroidery shop next to the Bridge, now called Contraption. (You NEED to ask about the "Poverty" hats.) And please run to the MAM to see the giant cardboard heads before they're gone. These things are worth your time. This month, we will try to interview some of these artists. So go see it up close, why dont you.

Last night I was at the end of my wandering, and headed to the Badlander. My timing was so lucky. I had no idea there was a performance coming. Then the music came on and these people I in fact know in other contexts, made another world of our seedy Badlander.

It was the smoke machine plus the music plus the herky-jerky slow motion movements of the models blowing bubbles staring with vacuous dream-like trance faces ,

and Alison pirouetting , sometimes faltering in the most real and greatest way, and gut wrenching music, --- that made the best surprise of the evening.

Josh Wagner's crew was filming it, presumably as part of their impromptu First Friday Mystery movie. The cameraman( sorry I don't know his name) and I looked at each other agape after it was over, and he said, as stunned as I was, " That was mesmerizing." It's true! We never wanted it to end! But when I ran up to the models and profusely blathered to them about how exciting and inspiring it was, they seemed to interpret my barely intelligible rantings as compliments on the outfits they had made from recycled materials-- the outfits were amazing.. hooray for recycling...but while I was watching, I didn't really care to know they were just paper bags and aluminum shiny stuff, and bits of clothing. No, these were fairy-beings from another land, their clothes were made of poetry!

Yes, I suspended reality in favor of mystical dolls trancending our broken futuristic future madness artless world. Not a disco ball, not a Badlander.. Not a Missoula.. Not 50 people that know all these weird gossipy things about each other... just the suspension of all that crap: Art Fairies, GIVE US A FUCKING VACATION. But I gush. Look at the pictures, if you click on them they get bigger, they're from my phone so they arent the best. Hopefully we will get some video of this soon. But you really had to be there to get the impact of the experience. Next time make sure you are.

The Indy Recognizes Artmelt

2009-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Erika Fredrickson over at the Indy...oh and that is where I am at too...nonetheless, she dropped us a shout out in the Indy Blog...check it out here

Greta Rybus' view of The Festival of the Dead

2009-11-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

Photographer Greta Rybus was also downtown all dressed up for The Festival of the Dead parade and captured some good portraits. I can't wait until next years Day of the Dead parade!

More pics after the jump

Portrait of Greta courtesy of Charlie Baser & Greta's camera

Topping of the Day of the Dead with the Mandala Project

2009-11-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

Janaina & Pedro Marquez organized the Missoula Mandala Project, which is a giant mandala made with dyed saw dust at Caras Park. The Mandala tops off the Festival of the Dead parade, and its scale and design is another great aspect of Missoula's art community.

Festival of the Dead 2009

2009-11-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

As Debby mentioned in the previous post it was a great year for the Festival of the Dead parade. With good weather, fantastic costumes, and a good turn out I could not ask for more from our little art parade that celebrates the dead and simultaneously the living. It was fun runnin' up and down looking for images, trying to find the best combination of street lights to get a good exposure. So without further or do the pictures.

A whole lot more pics after the jump...that means clicking on read more

Debbi & Mark

Gotta love the Hellgate Roller Girls

Yes they did...a canoe on wheels

There was a large turnout for the parade this year.

Day of the Dead, Sacred Art

2009-11-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, at the Arts Forum I helped put together via the Missoula Cultural Council and Humanities Montana, Katie Knight showed slides of people using art to communicate spiritual and survival information. Colorful concentric circles represented maps of watering holes . Cultural information was embedded in embroidery. She talked about a time when art had a purpose, and how -- to abridge an entire evening of discussion -- Western society developed this notion of abstraction, individual expression, and hence art began to deviate from its civic purpose. For better or worse, art is no longer seen as intrinsic to our communication, where artists, who are everyone, play a shaministic role in their act of creation. Imagine art being intrinsic to the nature of a society, and to the nature of the individual.

Enter Day of the Dead. This year was the finest Day of the Dead parade in years. It wasnt 20 below, it wasn't raining, and the full moon was actually rising behind the African dancing, the tuba-playing, drumming, car stereo-playing Manu-Chao, giant skeletons bowing, the billowing steamroller prints , and all the skull-face painted bike riders you could ask for. Not to forget, the Dead Debutantes.

I watched it over by the XXX's with my friend Mark. All my friends recognized me , even though my hope, when I smeared my own skull-like blob face on with tempera paint, was to blend in. In fact everyone I knew, even Abe, whose face was totally covered with a weird beard and a hood, was simple to spot, which I find remarkable, that we transcend our appearances so vividly. Obscuring ourselves in paint and costume draws out this other way we "know" who each other are. Whether you view it as sensory or spiritual, to know another human being due to a more holistic recognition seems to me just one aspect of art-meets sacred, and is a community-building, socially strengthening practice, even if you aren't fully aware that you're doing it.

The Parade itself is the more obvious place where art meets the sacred. And wait--- let's not get too lofty with the term sacred--- I think its sacred includes when people are silly together, or when people kind of meekly not quite know what they are doing but theyre marching in a parade anyways, together. And "When the Saints Go Marching In " has to compete with "Me Gusta Tu," or when the giant Bernice's skeleton puppet is handing out bone-shaped donuts.

I watched it three times, running alongside it to the beginning, my own ritual was so fun, seeing everything coming again, my anticipation remaining consistent each time. It was thrill for me to be true to my impulse to do this. As a creative person, (or really just as a person) letting these impulses be done is essential, nurturing, encouraging. As I ran, I thought about the 3 people and one very special golden retriever I know that have died this year, in fact all within the last 6 months. And when I stopped running, I was kept in the present moment by the energetic mob once again. My only wish for this parade is that public crying did not seem a downer or like it's attention-seeking. But I think that taboo is part of Western Culture, and too big a fish to fry in this entry... Regardless, it's healing to grieve properly for those we miss , and of sacred importance to consciously focus for a minute on how blessed, crazy, imperfect, strange, intense, creative, and truly precious this life is. And this is how I view public, community art as a way of (healthy) survival.

Halloween In Missoula

2009-11-02T23:42:00.000-08:00

Missoula kicks ass and takes names when it comes to Halloween, not to mention it lasted for like a week and a half. I saw people dressing up all week long, and on Friday there were Halloween parties every where. I went to the Ghouls Night out party at the Ceretana, hosted by Tim & Patricia Thornton, it was filled with large ink drawings of zombies dancing and playing music - find some more pics after the jump. Then of course Saturday was Halloween spent with good friends trick-or-treating, and later went downtown to find hundreds & hundreds of costumed freaks roaming the streets. Witnessing such raucous was really fun. Then Missoula celebrates Dia De Los Muertos on Nov. 2nd which means even more people dressing up and parading down the street - watch for a future post all about it.

Kayla Romberger

2009-11-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

Kayla has a new blog at railwaypress.wordpress.com. I met Kayla in Missoula like forever ago at a potluck, before I even knew her as an artist. Down the road we re-connected around the art scene and I have always liked her work- minimal & lovely forms with a quiet sense of balance.

Getting out there!

2009-11-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Artmelt is slowly making its way into the collective consciousness of Missoula as Joe Nickell of the Missoulian posted a link to artmelt on his blog nickellbag.com.
Thanks Joe

Studio Visit: Patricia Thorton

2009-10-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me, Patricia Thorton's studio and mine are in the same building (The Ceretana) which made for an excellent, impromptu studio visit. Part of our agenda at Artmelt is to promote artists we like, believe in, support, and make sure you all know about them. Patricia is one of them. She has been making lots of art since moving to Missoula. Her imagery reflects a cartoon and comic style that is abstract, layered, patterned, and holds a simple elegance. Her works are brightly colored (usually lots of pink) and contain her own invented characters, she is most known for her character Manny. Not only is she a great image maker but she also curates and organizes art shows at the Ceretana Art Gallery and the Catalyst. Find a bunch more images after the jump.

I like pink dinosaurs

She gets bit messy on this one

There's Manny

Shhhh...dont tell her I posted this one.

Happy & sad worm

Tools

UM Graduate Student Art Show @ The UC Gallery

2009-09-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Whether the UM Art Department - cough cough - I mean the UM School of Art (recent name change) has been developing their grad program or if they just got lucky this year with some really great students , I dont know, but regardless this group really nailed it. This show has a great selection of wonderful and well-done works across many mediums.

Lisa Jarret

Walking though the door, one is presented with two abstract doll figures hung on the wall, made from fabric, cheese cloth and clothing tags. These two dolls made by the excellent artist, Lisa Jarrett, are both rich in physical appearance and in content making for a strong welcome.

Eva Champagne

Kensuke Yamada

My vision was then filled by two large hand built ceramic pieces by Eva Champagne and Kensuke Yamada. A bulbous flower in lime green and red topped with glitter by Champagne. While, Yamada's eight foot tall armless figure towers over the space watching with a steady gaze. The simple use of pattern and repetition interacts gracefully with the scale of this work.

Cathryn Snugg

On the wall next to Yamada's figure, is a lovely painting or is it? In closer inspection one will find the surface is stitched together on a stretcher using pieces of wedding gown material, and fabric (some with imagery and some without). Created by Cathryn Snugg and titled "After Expectation" this Mixed Media work includes images of a bride, a few bear scenes, a deer's rump, and a drawn progression of two deer copulating (my favorite part).

Two other pieces that demand attention are two figurative paintings. First off, is Emily Brown's piece titled "Siblings" it is a diptych with a figure on each panel. The mark making and layering effects are subtle, emotive and gorgeous. Textures made by carving and hammering into the wood surface top off the subtle color scheme and expressive handling of the figures.

Emily Brown

Emily Brown Detail

Last but not least is Rebecca Weed's oil painting, "Border Sleep" it is composed in one of my favorite layouts - a dense corner with the rest being empty space. This is the first fully painted piece I have seen of Weed's. Generally her pieces are drawn on to a translucent, tan colored wax paper fastened to the wall with the bottom edge unattached which allows the drawing to move and have an eerie spacial/atmospheric quality. In her drawings the characters seem to be more of a memory of the figure. In her drawings the edges of her figures are flowing and filled with movement. In this oil painting it appears she attempts to turn her figurative drawing style into a painting, however I believe it is not as successful as her drawings. The eerie spacial quality is replaced by a flat layer of paint and the figures seem a bit more solid and static. Nonetheless it is still a great painting.

Rebecca Weed

In Search of Art - First Friday September 2009

2009-09-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

With out further or do Artmelt's first First Friday coverage. Debby Florence and I met at the Catalysts to take a peek at Andy Smetanka's light boxes. The boxes themselves were made by my good friend & woodworker, Martin McCain, while the images were produced by Smetanka. The images made by cutting out different color sheets of paper are then layered and set in the light box.

My favorites were the skylines, the museum and the war scenes. The skylines were well designed and the light coming through the windows made for good pattern & repetition. The war and museum scenes seemed to have a literary or historical quality that I liked. The way the figures are engaged in aspects that are off the page, for example, the figure in the cannon piece with his hand over his eyes looking into the distance The objects and figures in the war scenes suggest they take place during the Civil War era. I just really like the T-Rex fossil in the museum scene, but even in it there seems to be a sense of history when dinosaur skeletons were first being exhibited in museums. The large windows reminds me of Union Station in Kansas City when natural lighting was the only method to light a building. The other works here were mostly landscapes or an element of a landscape like an image of wheat. These were well crafted but lacked the conceptual & historical depth that the war and museum scenes provided.

Outside of the Catalyst we ran into members of Turning The Wheel doing street performance reminding us to let go, be creative, have fun and wake up.

Then we went to The Murphy-Jubb Fine Art Gallery, which neither Debby or I had been to before. The Gallery was on the third floor which provided some nice views, oh and there was some well done water color paintings of animals. Debby got caught up in a conversation with some folks while I was patiently itching to leave, so I mainly stared out the window. "Hurry up Debby, the well-painted, brightly colored animals are starting to give me funny looks."
.

Back out to the street and we ran into this. Montana is magical and it is a treasure, but I think this would do better on a coffee mug. I think I may have liked the scribbles and poster remnants better.

The Missoula Art Museum (MAM) is having an opening, let's go. The MAM hosted a series of works by the artists, Freeman Butts (Click here for more details). The paintings in this show were all large containing references to nature, landscapes and figures.

This artists began making art in the hay day of Ab Ex and abstract painting in the U.S.. Butts' free wheeling and zen-like use of paint certainly contains the freedom that one would find in the 60s and 70s west coast culture suggesting he was more interested in the journey of painting rather than making high-priced art objects. His exploration of abstraction, landscapes, and figures reminds me of Willem DeKooning and Richard Diebenkorn. This man was certainly not afraid to wield the brush, which led to a very prolific body of work through out his lifetime. However, looking at his work in the present I feel like they were painted a bit too fast and lack in process or layering. Unlike Dekooning infinite layering/removal or Diebenkorn's atmospheric glazing, these paintings when viewed closely have little depth, but the bold gestural paint application succeeds well at a distance. Perhaps getting caught up in semantics may be irrelevant in regards to Butts' zen outlook towards life, but nonetheless it is just an observation. Also in this show we are a few sketches, some hand built clay figures, and a pair of his paint-covered overalls. This exhibition was gifted to the MAM by the family of Freeman Butts, to which his sister and granddaughter flew in from Los Angeles for the opening - they were the friendliest people I have met in a while. To learn more about Freeman Butts click on the link above and read about Steve Glueckert's first meeting with the artists.

Here is a shot of Freeman Butts' Sister and Grand Daughter - nicest folks ever.

There was also the annual Missoula Now show at the Ceretana which is curated by Patricia Thorton and Adelaide Every, of Dj Mermiad and Rooster Sauce fame. This show claims to exhibit the younger and/or lesser known Missoulians making art now. This show had some great work and I am hoping to post some pics and a bigger review later on.

Should We Cheerlead the Local Arts?

2009-09-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Which statement is true:

1) The more I move through the art world in Missoula, the more I become excited. So many up-and-coming artists are committed to their unique process, and their work continues to develop. Not only do I see new styles and new ideas, but I see new interpretations of familiar themes, to my surprise and delight.

2) The more I move through the art world in Missoula, the more I become jaded: The lauding of certain genres/artists at the myopic exclusion of others, the emphasis on home décor above meaning, the biting competition for table scraps, the huge blur between artisan and artist, and the way that none of this is questioned, but rather blithely encouraged, is a kick in my morale.

For me, both of these statements are true, and oddly, each statement can cause raised eyebrows depending on who I am talking to. Either I am supposed to be 100% outsider/counterculture and complain about all things Pirnie, Dolak , or Hugo, even if I find beauty there, or I am supposed to be 100% supportive of all things Missoula Fine Art, even if I find questionable things within it . As I straddle both of these worlds wondering how they're much different anyways, I risk making everyone mad. Yet an impulse to comment upon the inevitable tensions that arise around art and artists keeps bubbling to the surface of my life.

Upsetting people hasn’t been my wish. Let me illustrate with a tangent: I was recently at a dinner with a some artists, performers, and event organizers, and heard someone say to an out-of-towner that the arts scene here is well attended, but rather lackluster. Heads around the dinner table nodded in mild disdain. It seems like Missoula Loves an Event, but they don’t much care what exactly happens there, as long as there’s beer. (This is a generalization. But there's enough truth in it for me to use it. )

My wish, therefore, is for luster! Part of what makes the arts exciting is where and how they impact us, what we extract from an art experience , and what happens to culture as a result of its arts. I’ve been in other situations with talented, vibrant people, who express their wish for better arts criticism here. They crave more of a challenge, more discussion and interplay between artists. I think everyone is waiting for someone else to start openly talking about it, but nobody wants to be “the controversial one, ”only to inadvertently divide the groups and support systems inherent to any Arts existence.

The challenge is this: discuss the biases in a way that opens a dialogue instead of shutting one out. Our opinions can be viewed as the beginning of a thread. One person picks up where the other left off, and the confluence results in a broader outcome than when thought occurs in isolation. You know, like weaving a tapestry. The challenge is to remain in a discussion with a goal other than hearing your own blather.

I think there's hope. We have to push our limitations, though. Our media and arts organizations are constrained in the role of Cheerleaders. We've been following along, dutifully hunting down wine at First Fridays, and charitably partying it up at every Festival Fest. But we can do more. If a diverse enough number of us can figure out how to openly agree , disagree, and supportively banter about the arts in Missoula, and start responding to each other in a critical and artistic manner, we might be able to push through to something new. Art can keep being a fun way to stimulate the tourist economy, music can keep being a great addition to local events. I admit that art prints, postcards, and coffee cups are the only way less wealthy folks can purchase art and hence support artists. Can we talk about the negative impact of the dollar on art while advocating that artists earn a living?

The current role the arts play in Missoula is not threatened if more space is created for reflection and criticism. The emphasis can be more self-aware, and less sales-driven, while still understanding that artists deserve to make money. With vibrant discussion and interesting challenges, the artists will have their spirits fed as well as their bellies filled, and this can only mean more art.

Definiton of Art

2009-09-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

art¹

(ärt)
n.

Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature.
1. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.
2. The study of these activities.
3. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group.
4. A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building.
5. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer.
6. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art.
7. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: "Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice" (Joyce Carol Oates).
8. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
9. Artful contrivance; cunning.
High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value.
A field or category of art, such as music, ballet, or literature.
A nonscientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts.
1. A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building.
2. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer.
3. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art.
4. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: "Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice" (Joyce Carol Oates).
5. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
6. Artful contrivance; cunning.
1. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art.
2. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: "Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice" (Joyce Carol Oates).
3. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
4. Artful contrivance; cunning.
1. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
2. Artful contrivance; cunning.
Printing Illustrative material.

Definition of Melt

2009-09-01T09:10:00.001-07:00

v., melt·ed, melt·ing, melts. v.intr.

To be changed from a solid to a liquid state especially by the application of heat.
To dissolve: Sugar melts in water.
To disappear or vanish gradually as if by dissolving: The crowd melted away after the rally.
To pass or merge imperceptibly into something else: Sea melted into sky along the horizon.
To become softened in feeling: Our hearts melted at the child's tears.
Obsolete. To be overcome or crushed, as by grief, dismay, or fear.

v.tr.

To change (a solid) to a liquid state especially by the application of heat.
To dissolve: The tide melted our sand castle away.
To cause to disappear gradually; disperse.
To cause (units) to blend: “Here individuals of all races are melted into a new race of men” (Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur).
To soften (someone's feelings); make gentle or tender.

A melted solid; a fused mass.
The state of being melted.
1. The act or operation of melting.
2. The quantity melted at a single operation or in one period.
A usually open sandwich topped with melted cheese: a tuna melt.