News

Missoula Cultural Council – Some news and upcoming events for the week of February 7, 2004

In Missoula…

The Montana Repertory Theater presents Steel Magnolias in the Montana Theatre in the PAR-TV building on the UM campus, February 8-12 and 15-19. For tickets and information call 243-4581.

The University of Montana Department of Music presents Christopher Hahn, piano, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8 in the Music Recital Hall. Tickets are $6.00 general admission and $4.00 for students and seniors. Call 243-6882.

The Cold Mountain Rhythm Band, reunited with former Nashville Star finalist Matt Lindahl, performs for MUDigras, the annual benefit for the Missoula Urban Demonstration Project, on Tuesday, February 8, in the Governor’s Room in the Florence at 5:00 p.m. Tickets available at Rockin’ Rudy’s or at the MUD office at 629 Phillips Street.

The University Center MultiCultural Alliance presents the Margaret Mead Traveling Film Festival Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the University Center Theater (3rd Floor). The February 9 film is A Panther in Africa, 71 minutes, filmed in Tanzania; and AKA Mrs. George Gilbert, 31 minutes, filmed in the U.S. For more information, call 243-5754 or e-mail [email protected]

Open Road – the Colorado band called “the most dynamic young band in bluegrass today and Number 1 choice for CD of the Year,” by Bluegrass Now – will be performing on Wednesday February 9 at the Other Side. Showtime is 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 at Rainbow’s End. Call 829-1800.

The Missoula Writing Collaborative invites you to a celebration of Poetry, Chocolate and Coffee to benefit writers in the schools on Friday, February 11, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Liquid Planet. Enjoy Love Beans, a delicious coffee roasted by Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters, chocolates, poetry valentines, and a sampler of short, sweet readings by our Writers in the Schools. $5 a person, $8 a couple, children free bring your valentine to a romantic celebration of words of love!

On Friday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m. the International Wildlife Media Center & Film Festival will present the Kid’s Filmmaking Workshop Film Screening at the Roxy Theater – the public service announcements that the Kid’s Filmmaking Workshop created this winter. The young filmmakers, ages 10-13, learned the fundamentals of videography and editing, including a day of filming at the Missoula Humane Society. The next young filmmaking workshop for kids ages 14-17 will be held March 21-25. Call 728-9380 or visit http://www.wildlifefilms.org

The Missoula Osprey Professional Baseball Club and Play Ball Missoula are holding the 7th Annual Hot Stove Dinner and Auction – the yearly fundraiser for Play Ball Park – on February 11th at the Holiday Inn Parkside. Former Diamondbacks 1st round pick and Osprey player Corey Myers will join Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (Pitching Coach in the Diamondbacks system), Bob Miller (Assistant General Manager of the Diamondbacks), and local product Will Thompson (first baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization) as this year’s celebrity guest speakers. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a Silent Auction and Reception where all the guest speakers will be available to attendees for conversation and autographs. The Dinner and Live Auction begins at 7:30 p.m. Immediately following the Live Auction, the Hot Stove portion of the event will begin with each of our guests answering questions from our panel and attendees. Tickets for the event are available by calling Play Ball Missoula at 543-1007 or by calling the Missoula Osprey at 543-3300. Tickets are $75 each with a table of 10 costing only $750.

The Natural History Center presents Beetles: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on Saturday, February 12, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Pipestone Mountaineering. The cost is $7, $5 for MNHC members. Explore the fascinating lives of beetles in our region and their adaptations to all sorts of conditions. We will also discuss which species homeowners should be aware of and which they can relax about. University of Montana PhD candidates Kjerstin Skov & Kathy Bleiker will guide us through this amazing and often beautiful group of insects. Registration appreciated. To register call 327-0405 or visit http://www.MontanaNaturalist.org

The Japan Friendship Club of Montana and the UM Japanese Student Association present A Taste of Japan: An Evening of Food & Friendship, featuring a Community Sukiyaki Dinner & Cultural Program on Saturday, February 12, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Tickets are $10 each, available at Rockin’ Rudy’s & UM Foreign Student & Scholar Services, UM Lommasson Center, Rm. 219. For more information, contact Ian Marquand at 251-3778 or e-mail [email protected]

The Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Chorale are partnering with community and regional organizations to present their first concert of 2005, Ode to Joy, on Saturday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 13 at 3 p.m. at the University Theatre. Highlights of the concert include:

* More than 150 singers from the Missoula Symphony Chorale and Kalispell’s Glacier Chorale will join the Missoula Symphony Orchestra during the performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Four award-winning soloists will also be featured: Mary Logan Hastings, soprano; Lynn Helding, alto; Karl Dent, tenor; and Mark Davis, bass.
* The Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre will perform during the Missoula Symphony Chorale’s performance of the Liebeslieder Waltzes (Love Song Waltzes) by Brahms.

· A Pre-Concert Lecture by renowned Viennese historian Cynthia Prossinger on Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, will also be held. All ticket holders are invited to come early for the lecture, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (an hour before concert start time). Ms. Prossinger’s appearance is in conjunction with the President’s Lecture Series, which she will speak at Friday, February 11 at 8 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall at the University of Montana.

Tickets are available at the Missoula Symphony office, located at 225 West Front Street or by calling 721-3194. Tickets will also be available at the door. Prices range from $8 to $30.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre presents MCT’s World Premiere of Robin Hood on Saturday, February 12 at 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., and Sunday,

February 13 at 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Call 728-PLAY (728-7529) for tickets & information, or visit http://www.mctinc.org.

Perugia is offering a special Valentine’s Menu for Monday, February 14, featuring Seafood Bisque, Lamb Stuffed Empanada, Sundried-Dried Tomato Basil Rissotto, Grilled Rib Eye Steak Cognac, Braised Chicken in Chillindron Sauce, Shrimp Manicotti, and Baked Shrimp Stuffed Boston Blue Fish. Call 543-3757 for reservations.

The Missoula Folklore Society presents Solas in concert on Tuesday, February 15th, 8:00 p.m. at the University Theater at the University of Montana. Solas has been hailed as “the best Irish band in the world” by the Boston Herald and “a five member Irish American band of startling instrumental and vocal firepower.” Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door, available at Rockin Rudy’s, 406-542-0077. There is a $2 discount for MFS members as well as members of the Montana Gaelic Society and UM students. For more information go to montanafolk.org or call 406-721-9161.

City Club Missoula meets Friday, February 18 in the Governor’s Room at the Florence (111 North Higgins), from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. This month’s topic is The Challenges of Implementing Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in Montana presented by Paul Miller, UM Department of Sociology. The presentation will be followed by discussions at individual tables and then a general question and discussion session with the speakers. The intent of City Club Missoula is to inform and inspire citizens on issues vital to the Missoula area community through public forums that encourage new ideas and a free exchange of thought. Please RSVP to Tom Bensen at [email protected] or 721-9620 on or before Tuesday, January 18. Please say if you will, or will not, be having lunch. Lunch is $10 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. 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.

Elsewhere in Montana and the Region…

The Governor’s Inaugural Ball is at several venues in Helena beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 11. Entertainment includes Wilbur Rehmann, Eden Atwood, Philip Aaberg, Glen Johnson Swing Band with Jeni Fleming, Rob Quist and Kostas, the Clintons, the Mid Life Chryslers, and the Ancient Order of the Hibernian Pipers. Call 447-8481.

The Chinese New Year’s Parade in Uptown Butte is on Saturday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m. Call 782-4867 for details.

ABBA Mania – a tribute to the 70’s vocal group – will be the highlight of the 19th Alberta Bair Theater Gala in Billings on February 12 and 13. Call 256-6502.

The Bozeman Film Festival continues each Friday through February 18 at Hager Auditorium, Museum of the Rockies. Call 994-2652.

The Jeni Fleming Trio performs at the University of Great Falls Theater at 7:00 p.m. on February 11. Call 791-5254. The trio also will perform at the Salmon Valley Center in Salmon, Idaho on February 14 at 7:30 p.m. Call 208-756-2987. You can also visit http://www.jenifleming.com

The Chinook Winds Trio performs at Polson High School on February 10 at 7:30 p.m. Call 676-2427.

Celloman Lee Zimmerman will be at the Fireside Bistro in Hot Springs on February 13 at 1:00 p.m. to release his new CD.

The Hamilton Playhouse presents XOXO: A Celebration of Romance at the Exchange on Main Street in Hamilton on Friday and Saturday, February 11th and 12th. This light romantic ensemble of scenes and songs features an elegant dinner and dessert provided by The Banque Club. A no-host bar will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner and the show beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $80.00 per couple reserved seating and will be available at The Hamilton Playhouse Box Office. For more information or to purchase tickets over the phone with a credit card, call 375-9050. Proceeds from this event will go to support The Hamilton Players, Hamilton’s non-profit community theatre.

From the Montana Associated Technology Roundtable…

The business of art – A Utahn’s handmade jewelry is finding a market – including with celebrities at the Oscars
Although Kate Holland didn’t have collateral to secure her loan, "she was a slam dunk just because of who she is," says Danielle Lower, assistant director of the Microenterprise Loan Fund. "Our loans are really based on the character of the business owner. [Holland] portrayed the confidence and enthusiasm we need to see . . . It was contagious."

Montana Talking Book Library Helps Children Understand Disabilities
Living with a disability, such as blindness, is something that only a small percent of the population must face.

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

Nationally…

From the National Business Committee for the Arts…

The Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, San Francisco, CA, has awarded a $10 million matching grant to the San Francisco Symphony for Keeping Score: MTT on Music – the Orchestra’s multimedia effort to build new audiences for classical music. This is the single largest donation the Symphony has ever received. Walter Haas Jr. was President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Levi Strauss & Company. For information, http://www.sfsymphony.org.

The Neubauer Family Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, made a $10 million challenge grant to the Philadelphia Orchestra to support artistic initiatives, broaden audience, and endow the principal trombone chair, currently held by Nitzan Haroz. The challenge grant requires the Orchestra to strengthen fundraising from its board of directors and establish a broader fundraising base in the community by raising an additional $20 million for its endowment, $10 million from its board and $10 million from other donors by August 31, 2005. Joseph Neubauer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ARAMARK Corporation, Philadelphia, PA. For information, http://www.pewtrusts.com.

To learn more about the National Business Committee for the Arts, visit http://www.bcainc.org

From the Center for Arts and Culture….

Bangor is Attractive to Creative Economy
Bangor Daily News, 1/29/2005
Elected officials and city staff have been taking a good look at what Bangor[, ME] has to offer its citizens and business. Some of the findings are obvious to everyone, while some aren’t. . . . Bangor City Councilor, Gerry Palmer [commented,] ‘We’re seeing small niche markets enter as people are attracted to our quality of life, businesses that make up the creative economy are chief among them.’"
http://www.bangornews.com/business/featured.cfm?id=273&detail=1

Creative Class War
AlterNet (CA), 1/16/2005
Richard Florida writes: "Other countries are encroaching successfully on what has been, for almost two decades, the heartland of our economic success — the creative economy. We can lay the blame at the feet of the Bush administration." http://www.alternet.org/story/17576

Suburban, yet superb: Design of hall is first-rate
Baltimore Sun, 1/30/2005
"Most serious concert halls can be found in big cities. That’s where the audiences are; that’s where orchestras tend to make their homes. The Music Center at Strathmore, which opens Saturday in Montgomery County [MD], is a rare exception. It was built on the outskirts of the District of Columbia as the second home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, to give its musicians entree to metropolitan Washington. From the beginning, its designers set out to demonstrate that a suburban concert hall can be just as successful as its urban counterparts, in serving audiences and performers, and in showcasing classical music."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/arts/bal-as.review30jan30,1,5353446.story?coll=bal-artslife-society

Congressional Report Says Nonprofit Abuses Cost the Government $6-Billion a Year
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 1/28/2005
"A new report from an influential government committee urges members of Congress to take action on what it identified as dozens of abuses involving nonprofit organizations that it says are costing the federal treasury more than $6-billion a year in lost revenue."
http://philanthropy.com/free/update/2005/01/2005012801.htm

First Amendment No Big Deal, Students Say
Washington Post – AP, 2/1/2005
"The way many high school students see it, government censorship of newspapers may not be a bad thing, and flag burning is hardly protected free speech," according to a study funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. "When told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes ‘too far’ in the rights it guarantees."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53764-2005Feb1.html

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

Internationally…

Anger over Stonehenge delays
Guardian (UK), 1/28/2005
UK’s National Trust has been under the impression that the preservation of Stonehenge "had been on the government’s agenda for 50 years and, after a long public inquiry, the trust had believed a road tunnel to carry the traffic away from the monument was close. ‘Instead it has been relegated to a regional traffic scheme and we have no idea when, if ever, a decision will be made,’" said the trust’s general director.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1400604,00.html

Next Exit: Food, Gas and the Burial Place of Irish Kings
New York Times, 1/31/2005
Facing the growing sprawl of Dublin, archaeologists and heritage campaigners are fighting to preserve Ireland’s sacred Hill of Tara, a 6,000-year-old site that is "the formative birthplace of this land’s national identity."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/31/international/europe/31tara.html

World, UNESCO begins work on blueprint to safeguard Jerusalem’s cultural heritage
Kerala (Israel), 1/26/2005
UNESCO today [January 26] began work on a blueprint for safeguarding the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem. . . . In keeping with a resolution of UNESCO’s General Conference of 2003, experts are expected to advise [Director-General Koichiro] Matsuura on the elaboration of a comprehensive plan of action to safeguard the city’s cultural heritage and provide him with guidelines and proposals for its implementation.
http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=99338

Finally… from Wolf, Keens and Co.

Just Don’t Shoot the Messenger!
Here are three stories that confirm that fund-raising outlook. First, social services organizations are learning to live with less. Then cuts in state funding leave public universities more dependent on private sources of support. And finally national parks struggle to deal with shrinking federal dollars. Have a nice day…

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

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

Thanks for your comments & corrections

Tom at MCC

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