Art Cafe Butte Montana

04/28/2026

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04/28/2026

04/28/2026

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The Art walk is coming…… the week marches on and so do I.
I do have a piece in the Ability MT art exhibit at the IBRC. It’s all about celebrating birthdays. There is a whole story around this piece. Yes, it is available for purchase.

Yesterday was a really good day, I was able to pass a professional loom on to a up and coming artist in the fiber arts. The process took about 3 hours to introduce the artist to the loom, and then to disassemble it for them to be able to move to their studio.

I watched the significant other in their life pull up with the transportation for the loom, only to discover this object was far bigger more complex than they had ever imagined, even though they had seen it in my studio for the past three years. My reassurance is that now that the fiber artist has this tool, he will likely have more opportunities to feel like this in the future. This is a weaver being birthed. But this one is a professional. She will do great things, and he will watch in wonder. What I loved best was the fact that all of this emotion was wrapped in love for his other. Watching change and growth could be hard, but these two they have something special as they move through life together. I expect wonderful things in the future.

It is a proud moment for me, to have a hand in watching an artist rise. My old studio is emptier but not sad. I am in the process of moving forward. I am moving from a space that was too small for me, to one that entices be to keep thinking bigger. I have a lot of packing and toting to do in the next few days to make my deadline. I know it will be tiring, but it will also be a new beginning.

I recognize my body will only permit me to do so much, and then I must rest so that I can do it all over again. I am proud and excited to be making the move. And I give myself grace to know that it may be bumpy, but I choose to move forward.

I too hope to be open for the Art Walk, not in my full capacity. but at least the storefront. I get to discover that good things don’t happen immediately, they can take time to sort themselves out.

I will be replacing the loom I passed on, but that process will also take a little time. Queen Esmeralda moves slowly as she has a great many pieces and requires time to assemble. I will do that after the big push is complete.

I hope that you will join me on my journey. I truly believe the best is yet to come. Recovery is possible, and recovery looks different to everyone. What does your recovery journey look like? Where will it take you? Who will you meet along the way?

I hope that I get to meet you, and that we have time to share life together. Life is good when we are in community. That’s what I hope to build, a community of friends who all love the Arts.

Time to get packing and unpacking. I have company coming and I want things to look the best they can.

We will be at 22 West Park Steet , right next to the Metals Bank building.

04/26/2026

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This has been a very important week. From the outside it looks like not much is happening, but that is not true. Sometimes you need to build foundations before you can strut the showy stuff.

To bring a mailbox system to life one has to fill out paperwork with the Post Office and the city. One has to figure out a business plan and decide what services to offer.

Then there is the obtaining the boxes, and in our case they were completely disassembled. We transported them, and then had to figure out how to reconfigure them to fit our space.

In doing that, I was unable to make the move myself. Pieces were too bulky, and awkward. I had someone provide a generous offer of a vehicle to move the pieces, and that process took a solid day with three or so movers. We started out thinking they would fit upstairs so we placed them on the second floor. With a bit of public input, we later decided downstairs in the storefront would be best. That required a second move of the pieces. More help was needed. That was another day of moving.

We set up the frames, and looked at how things would work, analyzed it would be uncomfortable for wheelchair access, and then found another way to arrange the room. We called in more help to fasten things together, and at the end of yesterday we have our basic mailroom layout with the mailboxes in place. there is some finish work to complete the look, but the basics are all here.

Looking at the boxes we have three sizes of boxes to offer the public. I am working securing a separate package storage system so that we can offer package services to businesses in town who have customers who need to pick up after regular business hours.

This week the next steps are getting the studio packed and moved and displaying inventory in the storefront for Art Walk night.

There is room for additional artists to participate in the opening night this Friday, please contact me via DM.

04/20/2026

Studio Update:
Spent the weekend making some flowers for the decor at that Hat's Off To Butte - Derby Day 2026 event on May 2.

These lovely blooms with be some of the flowers we plan to use to decorate the room. Lovely Roses for our Ribbons and Roses.

I hope you are spiffing up your best Derby finery to share with us. A nice hat is also a great touch.

I am looking forward to having a great Derby Day with my friends. See you there!

04/17/2026

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Today it all became real. It is now a certainty there will be a moving day, and an opening day for Art as Support for Recovery.

I signed the lease in the morning, and I was given the keys in the afternoon. Before the day was out, we had determined what the address will be.

There are three parts to the business, a retail storefront on Park Street in the center of the Uptown district. The second floor Suite has two large studios and a gallery. The private mailboxes will be available in a separate area on the second floor.

Short term goals: Get the private mailboxes installed and membership cards ready. Get signage and inventory prepared for the storefront for a planned opening on May 1 during the Art Walk. Install gallery rails in the gallery and in the store front.

If you are an artist and you want to be part of Art as Support for Recovery, during the first Art Walk message me. I am posting a call for art for that event in a separate post.

For the next couple of weeks, I will be moving my studios from 68 W. Park Street to 22 W. Park Street. My regular hours may appear to be choppy until I get things all settled in. For those that have my contact information, nothing has changed, you can still get a hold of me.

The Certification documents needed for the CBHPSS - Certified Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist have all been filed, I will soon be officially state licensed in the state of Montana.

04/12/2026

Studio Update:

More work for the Hats Off to Butte, Derby Day 2026 People's Choice Awards.

04/05/2026

Studio Update: This is related to Hats Off to Butte: Derby Day 2026

I have been practicing making my cockades and rosettes.
Did you know that we will be giving out "People's Choice" awards for people who come dressed up in their best Derby finery?

I have volunteered to hand make the ribbons for this event. When I say hand made, I really do mean sewn from scratch. We are not ordering these from a company. I am making the rosettes from real ribbons. I am following instructions from almost 100 years ago.

The first one is Red White and Blue - to help celebrate Butte and its 150 year of hosting a spectacular 4th of July event.

The second in shades of purple and black. Dignified for either a man or a woman who loves purple or someone who has recently come out of mourning who is dressing in period costume.

The third one is a orange origami ribbon fox. I added the green for the grass that is usually in the center of the Derby track.

Cockades were designed to support many causes, and can be worn on a jacket lapel, on a hat, or on sash.

03/28/2026

Art Cafe Butte Montana will be migrating to Art as Support for Recovery soon. What does that mean for you ?

New Support Services will be available - Package and USPS (USMAIL) receiving with a West Park St address, Retail Opportunities, Teaching Opportunities, Studio Access and Individual Studio Support, Support Groups for Artists.

New page: Art as Support for Recovery
New Website: artsupportrecovery.com. (under construction)

If you want to be involved and you have not spoken to me in a few weeks, text, or private message me.

03/28/2026

Studio Update:
We finished our mobiles with great success at the Butte Rescue Mission this week. But I had one special one in mind. I decided to make a Happy Birthday Mobile before I put the supplies away.

The technique for the pendants is double sided watercolor and hand written sentiments. There are 16 pendants that move with the slightest breeze as they are all on swivels.

I live in a place that was one of the stone cutter properties at the bottom of South Montana street. In my yard are a lot of granite pieces. I selected one for the bottom of this piece. It does have one cut and polished surface edge.

This will be available in the shop next week. For this weekend it is hanging out on my table top at home.