The Creative and Cultural Economy

The Festival of the Book is one of the biggest cultural happenings in the Northwest and this fall’s events will include the annual Festival Poetry Slam, a special Festival edition of the wildly popular storytelling event "Tell Us Something," a Festival-themed Family Friendly Friday at the Top Hat Lounge, a 15th Anniversary Gala Event, and a roster of best-selling authors, including James Lee Burke, Pete Fromm, Walter Kirn, Gwen Florio, and many others.

"Clay Montana, Is it the water?" is a documentary, a cinematic portrait about the world-class ceramic arts community in Montana: the artists, the studios, the galleries & museums, the history, the earth, fire and the water.

"I’ve been reading the description, and it’s a little scary. It’s such a big film. I’ve heard all of the names. It’s actually going to be a big deal. But any publicity is good publicity. It should be good for our town. As a chamber, we are preparing for it. Let’s capitalize off of it and turn it into a positive. I can’t see how it could not be good for tourism."

"Montana’s Smith river is beautiful, glorious, mesmerizing, tranquil, magnificent, quiet and perfect." Monte Dolack

It’s designed to bring national awareness to innovative minds, the "un-tapped gems" of Montana, said Yarrow Kraner, Chisel Industries production manager.

Meant to promote stewardship, "The Wildest Rockies" showcases images that span the boundaries of Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, tracking along the spine of the Rocky Mountains as the Whitefish native reanimates a landscape brimming with life.

"This has been a project of mine for a very long time," said Suzanne Crocker before Friday’s announcement. "I’ve wanted to see this art collection come out of the basement storage areas and go up where people can see it. It’ll be the first comprehensive art collection in the state of Montana."

The MAP workshops hold an opportunity for artists working in any medium to learn about building a sustainable business in art.

"Guard, protect and cherish your land, for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven."

— Charles M. Russell

The plan would unify the city’s arts and culture sector and create an environment to attracts and enhances business growth in Missoula.