Helena-area arts and entertainment news

Art
Artist Amplified with Bray summer residents
The Archie Bray’s Frances Senska Center for Education and Engagement will host a lively and informative event featuring our summer residents on Thursday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m.

Meet the summer residents at the Archie Bray and learn more about their work on July 11 at 6:30 p.m.
This event will take the form of a lightning round panel discussion moderated by Bray staff, where attendees can meet the residents and view their artwork via slides.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the artists, their individual journeys and their plans for their residency. They will also share insights into their current projects and studio practices.
The Artist Amplified lecture and demonstration series offers a platform for artists and art enthusiasts to explore history, process and conceptual motivations through various presentation formats.
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The Bray is located at 2915 Country Club Ave. Visit www.archiebray.org to learn more.
Archie Bray online auction upcoming
The Bray’s 28th annual Benefit Auction is coming up on Friday, July 19, offering an opportunity to bid on more than 100 works of art.
Bidding opens at 8 a.m. (MDT) online at givergy.us/2024brayauction.
For those who prefer to view the artwork in person, all the auction pieces will be on display at the Bray North Gallery until the bidding closes.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
The Bray is located at 2915 Country Club Ave. Visit www.archiebray.org to learn more.
Don’t miss your chance to preview these art pieces and participate in the auction event.
Kelly Bourgeois exhibit at Paris Gibson
The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) presents “Kelly Bourgeois: Nature Quills,” art exhibition running through Sept. 14.

Kelly Bourgeois
The closing Reception & Artist Talk will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 5:30 p.m.
This exhibition invites the public to explore the imaginative world of quilled paper art through works created by Bourgeois between 2022 and 2024.
Each piece in “Nature Quills” has taken over a year to create, starting from a single 3 mm piece of paper and becoming finalized through thousands of quilled circles. The purpose of the exhibition is to inspire creativity and enhance the understanding of art for all people.

Kelly Bourgeois, Sound Bloom exhibited at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art as part of Kelly Bourgeois: Nature Quills.
The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is located at 1400 1st Ave. North, Great Falls.
Hours are Tuesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is free to the public, with donations appreciated. Visit www.the-square.org or call 406-727-8255 for further information.
Community
Fourth of July celebration at Centennial Park
The Helena Ambassadors will again sponsor the free, communitywide Capital City on July 4th Celebration at Centennial Park. The festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. and end around 1:30-2 p.m.

Boy Scouts hoist the new flag during the Capital City Fourth of July Celebration at Centennial Park in this file photo.
The celebration is a community, family-oriented event with free hot dogs cooked and root beer floats.
The free festivities include bounce houses and live music by the band Just In Case.
The summer weight flag will be delivered to Centennial Park by the Montana Department of Natural Resources Helicopter Team. Touchdown is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. with the flag-raising ceremony at noon.
Donations can be made to the Old Glory Landmark Committee, 2850 Mercer Loop, Helena, MT, 59602, or to purchase a brick contact Rodger Foster at: [email protected].
Music
Band concerts in Memorial Park
The State Capital Band will perform the second of their summer concert series at Memorial Park from 8-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3. This band is one of the longest continually performing bands in the country and will be conducted by Robert Loveridge.
Tonight, the band will present a variety of patriotic music.
Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy an evening of music with friends and family.
Christian artist performs songs and stories
Valley View Lutheran Church invites you to a night of songs and stories with Christian artist Mike Westendorf.
Westendorf will be in concert at the Lewis & Clark Brewery, 1535 Dodge Ave., on Saturday, July 6, at 7 p.m.
Join us for a night of music for the whole family.
For more information on Mike, visit www.mikewestendor.com.
For more information on Valley View Lutheran Church, visit www.valleyviewlutheran.org/page/home-page.
Alive at Five at Women’s Park
The free summer concert series Alive at Five continues 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at Women’s Park, 575 Fuller Ave.
Music will be provided by The Droptines.
It’s another neighborhood concert featuring the unique sounds of the alt-country music group The Droptines (that’s “tines” not “teens”). This Texas group offers a mash up of country, rock, blues and folk.
2nd Mondays at The Western
The Western Bar in Helena features live music from 7 until 10 p.m. or later on every 2nd Monday of the month.
Local entertainer Max Hay hosts a variety of premium Montana artists. The special guests for July 8 are Christy Hays and Ben Pickett.
By way of Austin, Texas, and Lafayette, Louisiana, Christy and Ben perform sweet harmonies over smooth country and Americana music.
Hay will play from 7 to 8 p.m. Pickett and Hays will perform from 8 to 9 p.m. Hay will perform again for anyone who wants to stay late.
Admission is free to all audience members who are at least 21 years of age.
For more information or to sample the upcoming music, visit www.maxhay.com
Submissions to the Around the Town calendar should be emailed to [email protected] and should be 200 words or less. Submissions should be written in story form, no flyers please. Call Phil Drake at 406-447-4086 if you have questions.
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