Missoula Cultural Council – news and upcoming events for the week of December 13, 2004

In Missoula…

First Night Missoula is preparing for the eleventh annual New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts. This year the event is produced by the Missoula Cultural Council. First Night 2005 will showcase over 100 performances and activities in 35 venues throughout downtown Missoula, the University of Montana campus and Southgate Mall from 1:00 p.m. until midnight on December 31, 2004. Music, theatre, dance, children’s programs, visual arts, and more highlight this magical day-long event. For a full schedule of events, visit http://www.firstnightmissoula.org . This alcohol-free festival includes free shuttle service for all participants provided by Beach Transportation. Admission buttons are $8 in advance ($10 on December 31), with children ages 5 and under free, and are available at over 20 locations throughout Missoula and in the Bitterroot Valley throughout December. There will be a special 2-for-$10 sale only at the Southgate Mall Guest Services Center all day on Wednesday, December 15. For more information, including volunteer opportunities, call Carolyn at 549-4755, or send e-mail to [email protected]

City Club Missoula’s third meeting is for Friday, December 17, in the Governor’s Room at the Florence (111 North Higgins), from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Dan Kemmis will be speaking on: How Can the City Club Help us be Better Citizens? The intent of City Club Missoula is to present speakers who fill a particular community niche by focusing on how participants can be better, more effective citizens of Missoula and presenting information relevant to how we can best function as a community. City Club Missoula also intends to involve a broad array of citizens interested in learning about issues and participating in active, lively discussions. Please RSVP to Tom Bensen at [email protected] on or before Tuesday, December 14. Please say if you will, or will not, be having lunch. Lunch is $15 and for those choosing not to have lunch, there will be a $5 fee to help to defray expenses. Payment will be received at the door. Please make checks out to City Club Missoula. Since the City Club cannot absorb the cost of no-shows, if you RSVP and are not able to attend at the last minute, reimbursement would be appreciated. Call 721-9620 for more information.

The Friendship Force of Western Montana has announced the destination for their next cultural exchange. The 7-day home stay in West Alajuela, Costa Rica will take place late March of 2005. There is a possibility for additional travel in the area. Applications may be obtained from Howard Horton, 251-2278 and deadline for applying is December 15.

The Sentinel High School Concert, Spartan and Symphony Bands will perform a concert on Monday, December 13 at the Sentinel High School main gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. A hosted reception will follow in the foyer courtesy of the Band Parents Organization. Please bring a food staple item to share with the Missoula Food Bank as a token admission. Call 728-2403 x 7041 for more information.

Local choral group Dolce Canto presents Winter Reflections – a concert of contemporary choral work for the season – with special guests The Big Sky Blues of Big Sky High School, and Luis Millan, classical guitar, on December 14 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Suggested donation is $10 ($5 for students), and all proceeds will benefit Missoula Youth Homes. Call 721-3406 or visit http://www.dolcecanto.org for more information.

Art Associates of Missoula are hosting a holiday celebration on December 15 at 10:00 a.m. in the Florence Lobby, featuring Homemade Cookie Exchange. Bring your favorite holiday cookies and mix them with others to create a decorative package! Chocolatiere Jane Rectenwald will demonstrate making a basket out of chocolate and will raffle one of her chocolate creations. For more information, call Mary Ellen at 273-0161.

Santa’s Helpers are at the Missoula Parks and Recreation Department and will be call in making calls from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15. Call 721-PARK to receive a Santa’s Calling form or stop by Parks and Recreation (100 Hickory Street) to complete the form. All calls must be within Missoula city limits. Santa’s calls are free, but donations are always welcome. Visit http://www.missoulaparks.org

The Missoula Art Museum (MAM) is presenting Holiday Concerts in the Florence Lobby (111 North Higgins Avenue) from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. on each of the four Wednesdays before Christmas. These four free, festive events are designed to celebrate the holidays with songs, instrumentalists, holiday treats and beverages. This week’s concert on December 15 is by a Missoula favorite, Cantanti Missoula, presenting a cappella madrigal pieces in authentic costumes. The group includes singers Alayne Dolson, Magda Chaney, Terry Kady, Malcolm Lowe, Archie McMillan, Jon Rose, Edie Smith, Jane Wells and Ron Wilcott. The December 22 concert is The Bitterroot Double Reeds, consisting of Susi Stipich on oboe and Alicia McLean on bassoon. Stipich and McLean also play with the Missoula Symphony and teach music throughout the state. The duo will perform both classical and festive holiday sounds during their performance. Free admission to both events. Call 728-0447 or visit http://www.missoulaartmuseum.org for more information.

The Missoula Art Museum and the YMCA Writer’s Voice will present The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction reading in the Florence lobby on Thursday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. Authors, including Rick DeMarinis, Jeanne Dixon, Deborah Earling, Allen M. Jones, William Kittredge, Neil McMahon, Annick Smith and Kim Zupan, will read from the newly-released The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction edited by William Kittredge and Allen Morris Jones. Generous sponsorship is provided by Fact and Fiction.

Save St. Francis School presents History Speak III: A Round Table discussion on the Montana legacy of Ignace LaMousse and Anthony Ravalli, December 16 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Chambers, 435 Ryman. For more information call 531-2394 or visit http://www.xavierfoundation.net

The Missoula Community Chorus will give a holiday performance at the First United Methodist Church on Friday, December 17. Call 728-0983 for details.

Garden City Ballet presents the Nutcracker at the Montana Theatre on the UM Campus on Friday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 18 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 19 at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. Special guest artists are Matthew Murphy and Jacquelyn Reyes from the American Ballet Theatre of New York City. Tickets are $16.00 for adults, $12.00 for children 12 and under, and may be purchased at Worden’s Market, Rockin’ Rudy’s and Holiday Magic at Southgate Mall. Call 721-1557 for more information.

Join Glenn Junkert of Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters and Brad Robinson of the Montana Natural History Center at the Good Food Store (1600 South 3rd West) to sample MNHC’s spectacular coffee blend on December 18 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Just in time for the holidays, this organic blend is grown in a sustainable, bird-friendly manner. It is organic, delicious, makes a great holiday gift, and Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters returns a portion of the sales on a quarterly basis to MNHC to support our programs! Visit http://www.TheNatureCenter.org

Auditions for MCT Community Theatre’s production of Les Misérables, School Edition will be held Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, at 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. This production will be performed exclusively by students – ages 10 to 19 years of age. College students do not apply. Strong singers are required. Please use the Main Street entrance and follow the signs to the audition location. In the event of scheduling conflicts, private auditions can be arranged prior to December 18. Performance dates are March 3-9 and 9-13, 2005. Call 728-1911 for more information.

Fact and Fiction is hosting two more events before Christmas: Rick Graetz will be signing East of the Mountains on Saturday, December 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; and Ray Murray will be signing Evidence from the Earth on Sunday, December 19 from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. Call 721-2881.

The String Orchestra of the Rockies welcomes violinist Ian Swensen as its guest soloist for its Christmas Concert, Saturday, December 18, 7:30 p.m. at the UM Music Recital Hall. Tickets are $15, $12; and $7 for students and are available at Rockin Rudy’s, Fact & Fiction, Morgenroth Music and at the door. Call 728-8203 for more information.

The Missoula Folklore Society is hosting a Contra Dance at 8:00 p.m. on December 18 at the Union Hall Upstairs, with a Beginner’s Workshop at 7:30 p.m. John Joyner – one of Missoula’s finest musicians – will be on the fiddle, and Mark Matthews is the caller. For more information call Vicki at 243-5153.

A Musical Dreamtime Journey will perform at the Large Dance Studio PARTV building (rm 105), on the UM Missoula Campus, at 7:00 p.m. on December 19 as part of their 2004 Holiday/Solstice tour to three Montana cities (see below). As a special event this concert will feature a replica of the famous Chartres Cathedral labyrinth and dancers. Tickets at Rockin’ Rudy’s: $10.00 in advance / $12.00 at the door. Call 726-4608 or visit http://www.drumbrothers.com for more information.

Winterfeast, an evening of performances benefiting Living Art’s program, will be held on January 22 at the University Theatre. Living Art supports whole person healing through the expressive arts and nature-based experiences for people facing illness and loss. To find out more about how you can support Living Art programs by participating in Winterfeast through adult singing, tap dance, salsa dance or drum groups or a youth chorus call 549-5329.

The 28th International Wildlife Film Festival – Bridging the Gaps: Media & Conservation – will be held April 30-May 7, 2005. The Film Entrée deadline is January 31, and early attendance registration deadline is March 1. Visit http://www.wildlifefilms.org for more information.

It’s a long way off, but tickets are going fast! Sting is coming to the Adams Center on the UM campus on April 7, 2005. Tickets are on sale now at the Adams Center box office, the University Center box office, Worden’s Market and Southgate Mall. Visit http://www.griztix.com or http://www.Sting.com

Good Samaritan Department: A young woman from Japan is currently studying at the University of Montana, and will be staying in Missoula over the holidays. The dorms are closed during the break, so she needs a place to stay from December 17 until January 23. She is hoping to find a homestay, and will pay for any associated costs. If interested, please contact Thom Sanders-Garrett at 549-8327(work); 728-3373(home) or [email protected]

Elsewhere in Montana and the Region…

The Montana Committee for the Humanities was honored recently with the Helen and Martin Schwartz Prize for Excellence in Public Programming, given by the Federation of State Humanities Councils. It is the fourth time MCH has been so honored since the Schwartz Prize was founded in 1982. The award was presented November 13 in a luncheon ceremony in Washington, DC, with National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Bruce Cole. For the full story visit http://www.humanities-mt.org/schwartz4.htm

The Montana Club of Kumamoto is celebrating its 20th anniversary by preparing a special tribute to the sister state relationship with Montana. Early next year, the club plans to release a book featuring highlights of the relationship, including visits by Kumamoto people to Montana. This project has been in the works for many months and will be the first comprehensive review of the Montana-Kumamoto relationship in book form. Now, the club is asking the Japan Friendship Club of Montana to help put the project over the top. For a donation–$10 for an individual, $30 for a family–you can reserve a copy of the book and have your name(s) printed in its list of supporters. Make a pledge and send your name (or the names of you and your family members) to [email protected] no later than Friday, December. 17. Or simply send a check or money order for the proper amount–$10 for an individual, $30 for a family–to Junichi Matsumoto, the manager of Kumamoto Plaza at 34 North Last Chance Gulch, Helena,

MT 59601. If you have any questions about the book, call Junichi at Kumamoto Plaza at 449-7904.

On December 17 at 8:00 p.m. Philip Aaberg performs A Winter Solstice at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. The Montana native, world-class pianist and Grammy-nominee shares his genre-spanning music. Tickets are $6.50 to $12.50. Call 375-6060

The Hamilton Players invite you to attend a Hamilton Players Holiday concert featuring their singing groups, The A Cappella Society, The Not Just Broadway Singers and special guests The Light & Variable Winds, on Saturday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Hamilton Playhouse, 100 Ricketts Road. Tickets will be $5.00 general seating and will be available at the door only. For more information, please call 375-9050.

A Musical Dreamtime Journey presents their 2004 Holiday/Solstice tour to three Montana cities. A concert event, without applause, in the round and by candlelight is a celebration of the season and winter solstice with the following instruments: Didgeridoos, Ethnic Flutes, Bassoon, Saxophones, Drums and Percussion Instruments, Harp, Tibetan Bowls, Voices and other musical surprises. Musicians Lawrence Duncan and Michael Marsolek of Drum Brothers and Mandir create contemplative music with a variety of instruments from around the world. On December 18 there are two shows in Kalispell at Ananda Seva Center, 40 2nd. St. East, Kalipell, at 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. Tickets at Ananda Seva Center. On December 19 at Large Dance Studio PARTV building (rm 105), on the UM Missoula Campus, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets at Rockin’ Rudy’s. On December 20 at the First Congregational Church in Great Falls at 7:00 p.m. Tickets at Planet Earth, 116 Central Ave. Tickets $10.00 in advance / $12.00 at the door. Call 726-4608 or visit http://www.drumbrothers.com for more information.

On December 19 at 2:30 pm at Mother Lode Theater in Butte the orchestra and chorale share 57 movements composed in less than three weeks by the genius of Handel in his Messiah. Call 723-5590

The Spokane Symphony SuperPops perform Holiday Pops at 8:00 p.m. on December 18 and 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the Spokane Opera House. The Children’s Chorus and Symphony Chorale join the orchestra and conductor Eckart Preu in holiday favorites. Tickets are $17-$38. Call 509-624-1200.

From the Montana Associated Technology Roundtable…

Smuin Ballet effort generates $100,000 for the McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls.
"By sponsoring the entire Smuin Ballet Montana tour, Irv and Allie Weissman gave Montanans a special evening of entertainment," said David Crum, McLaughlin’s assistant director for operations and development, Tuesday. "Most important, all of the proceeds from the ticket sales help expand our missions of research and education aimed at improving health care."

Gazette opinion: Tourism promotion pays off for Montana
Tourism promotion is a great return on investment. Statistics show that for every dollar spent on local, regional and statewide tourism promotion, our nonresident visitors spend $185 in the Montana economy. That’s a return of $185 to $1.

For more about the Montana Associated Technology Roundtable, visit http://www.matr.net

Nationally…

From the Center for Arts and Culture….

City Was a Blank Canvas
Los Angeles Times, 12/4/2004
"An unusual collaboration involving city officials, business leaders and a group of hard-working artists is helping to transform this city in western Massachusetts. Over the last two years, Mailer persuaded many of Pittsfield’s (Massachussetts) largest property owners to turn over empty storefronts on North Street to more than 30 artists."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-artists4dec04,0,1889469.story

Study to measure commerce of arts and crafts
Duluth News Tribune, 12/6/2004
"How much impact do crafters and artists have on the economy of northern Wisconsin? That’s what university officials in Superior and Douglas County hope to determine in a new study. The survey is a joint effort of the University of Wisconsin-Superior and UW-Extension."
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/10354006.htm

The Arts: Poughkeepsie’s Fragile Promise
Hudson Valley News, 12/7/2004
"The collaboration on urban and cultural issues among area colleges and the City of Poughkeepsie (New York) issued a report on the status of the arts in the city, which called for, among other things, a fully articulated public policy supporting the arts."
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/Pgh_arts-07Dec04.htm

Dance Theatre of Harlem rises from financial ruin, an artful phoenix
Newsday.com – AP, 12/7/2004
The Dance Theater of Harlem’s ballet master Arthur Mitchell recently joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg "to announce that the school was reopening with the help of $1.6 million in donations. Of that, $500,000 came from an anonymous donor – the mayor himself, aides later acknowledged."
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-bc-ny–harlemdance1207dec07,0,1323537.story?

US acts to seize Picasso from Chicago arts patron
The Art Newspaper, 12/7/2004
"The US government has moved to confiscate a Picasso painting from Chicago collector Marilynn Alsdorf, in a case that raises new legal questions in the ongoing spate of lawsuits over Nazi-looted art. The attempt is a rare instance in which federal prosecutors, apparently for the first time in California, are invoking the US National Stolen Property Act (NSPA) against an individual collector in an attempt to seize art in a Nazi-loot claim, on the theory that the work is stolen goods which crossed state lines."
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11667

Billboard dispute is a new twist in Civil War fight
Minneapolis Star Tribune, 12/5/2004
"Five miles north of the Antietam National Battlefield stands a billboard marking the front line of a fight over scenic preservation. History buffs, tourism promoters and outdoor advertisers say the dispute in western Maryland represents a new twist in landscape preservation that may be repeated elsewhere as Civil War marketing expands beyond the battlefields to include the routes that soldiers took."
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5118990.html

To learn more about the Center of Arts and Culture, visit http://www.culturalpolicy.org

Internationally…

Can art reduce your blood pressure?
Art Newspaper, 12/7/2004
"St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London has come under attack from medical professionals and politicians because of its decision to spend £250,000 ($467,000) on works of art for its new breast cancer screening centre. The hospital has defended its decision to purchase 12 paintings and installations – paid for with private donations and not through National Health Service funds – because, it says, there is evidence that, art will speed patients’ recovery by improving their spirits."
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11669

Elgin Marbles Dispute Takes New Twist
Discovery News, 12/3/2004
"One of the oldest international cultural disputes, the battle over the Elgin Marbles, has taken another turn as a distinguished Cambridge scholar says the sculptures would have been just fine if Lord Elgin had left them in Athens. Following a sophisticated 11-year conservation program in Athens, the 14 slabs that Lord Elgin did not manage to remove are now showing surprisingly bright original details."
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20041129/elginmarbles.html

Finally… From Wolf, Keens & Company

Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte?
Who is your favorite of the two? Or is there another woman writer? Over the past several months, the popular BBC radio program(me), Women’s Hour, has run a contest to highlight the literature that has most informed women’s views of themselves and their lives. The #1 book? We’ve narrowed it down a bit, but see for yourself! Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/wwf_index.shtml

Wolf, Keens & Company is a management consulting firm devoted to working with nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and foundations. For further information please visit our web site: http://www.wolfkeens.com.

Visit http://www.missoulacultural.org and e-mail [email protected] with submissions for this newsletter.

Due to the holidays and all the good cheer involved, this will be the last newsletter until January 10, 2005. Have a wonderful Solstice!

Thanks for your comments & corrections

Tom at MCC