| Arts & Culture |
Helena’s rich blend of beauty and historical heritage attracts a wide variety of artists and performers. From first-class painters and ceramic artists to musicians and dancers, we're a Mecca for creative talent.
For starters, you can catch it all downtown filled with galleries, antique shops, and studios—all filled with the works of area artists and craftsmen. Books, furniture, beadwork, paintings, glass crafts…you'll find them all (and more) downtown. Also downtown, the Holter Museum of Art features the very best in regional fine arts and crafts. New shows open every six weeks. (406) 442-6400.
Visit http://holtermuseum.org.
Helena celebrates its artistic heritage with the successful "Last Chance Bear Encounters" art auction. Bear sculptures, decorated by area artists, decorate the city streets and are auctioned at the end of the season to benefit a local charity. (406) 447-1535. Visit http://www.downtownhelena.com/lcbears2004.htm.
For nearly three decades, the Western Rendezvous of Art has auctioned hundreds of paintings and sculptures from the West's most talented artists. (406) 442-4263.
Visit http://www.westrendart.com
Perhaps one of the best marriages of artistic form and function is the Archie Bray Foundation, a unique endeavor devoted to ceramics and clay art established in 1951. Built on the site of a brick factory, it includes a ceramic studio. (406) 443-3502.
Visit http://archiebray.org.
The performing arts are alive and well in Helena with the Grandstreet Theater, which produces some of the best in classic and modern plays each season. (406) 447-1574. With a company of seasoned and aspiring professionals from across the country, the Montana Shakespeare Company is dedicated to presenting dynamic, full-length productions of Shakespeare's great works under the starry skies in Performance Square located on the Walking Mall in downtown Helena. (406) 449-4466.
Visit http://www.montanashakespeare.org.
The Queen City Ballet Company and the Premier Dance Company are two regionally based dance schools producing a variety of live performance and workshops throughout the year. The Queen City Ballet Company: (406) 444-5004. Premier Dance Company: (406) 442-6519.
Carroll College, considered the top private Catholic liberal arts school in the Northwest, is home to a professional ballet company ( http://www.artisandance.com) and an annual theatre schedule, as well as special events such as Performing Arts Showcases. (406) 447-4300. Visit http://www.carroll.edu/academics/arts.
And in winter, the Helena Symphony & Chorale warm up the historic Helena Civic Center with the sounds of music. (406) 442-1860. Visit http://helenasymphony.org.
Film buffs and music lovers will always find something entertaining at the Myrna Loy Center, which highlights foreign films as well as jazz, folk and blues music. The center, originally the county jail, also hosts ballet and modern dance. (406) 443-0287.
Visit http://myrnaloycenter.com.
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