Artini Turns One, Birthday Party Celebrates New “Age” of Art in Missoula

By Courtney Lowery, 8-15-06

Artini, the event that has become somewhat of a social saving grace for young professionals in the Garden City, is turning one year old this week.

Most (including me) would say the event has been wildly popular. Nici Holt, the Community Outreach and Membership Director at the Missoula Art Museum would have to agree.

Expanding and maintaining a member base when your demographics are getting older is a big challenge for museums these days and the Missoula Art Museum was no exception. Enter Artini -- a reason to bring a younger crowd to the artwork and give the demographic a social venue that doesn't involve beer and wings for a change.

Since Artini started, 99 new members have joined the museum at the events and Holt estimates that most -- even 90 percent -- of those new memberships are from Missoula's under 40 crowd. (Total, the membership is about 700.)

Artini, in essence, has succeeded in "making the art museum more fun and more accessible," Holt said.

Hence, the birthday celebration this Thursday. We're closing off the Old Post parking lot for the night for the party, complete with performances, food, cake and of course, the martinis. (The Old Post is serving up pomegrante mojito martinis for the bash). And, it's the summer block party of sorts for us up here on North Higgins (New West is happy to partner with the Missoula Art Museum and our neighbors, the Old Post and Worden's in the whole shebang) so stop by, say hello and help us celebrate a new age of art, culture and good company in the Garden City.

Where: Old Post/Worden's parking lot -- 451 N. Higgins (corner of Higgins and Pine)
When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Performances start at 6:00
What: Slam Artini. Here's who you'll see on stage...
Nathan Zavalney & Ben Griffith: Electro-Acoustic Duo
Craig Menteer: Knots
Martha Buser, Shawn Lake, and Spider Mcknight: “Out of the Loop” improvisational comedy troupe
Craig Menteer: Once Is Not Enough
Maurisa Phillips: Singer/Songwriter
Swimming with the Mermaide: DJ Adelaide Morin
And, Leslie Van Stavern Millar as Science Woman mixed inbetween

[End of article]