Learn to paint a grizzly bear in a boulder field! Join me TUESDAY, March 19th for a fun, easy, watercolor painting class!

The bears are starting to wake up from their long winter nap, and we have two cute grizzly cub teenagers at ZooMontana, now! What better way to celebrate the bears than learning to paint this grizzly bear in a boulder field!

On Tuesday, March 19th from 6:00-9:00pm, I’ll be teaching a one-time class in which we will paint this fun grizzly bear painting. I’d love to have you join me. It’s very affordable at only $27/person. Invite a friend and make a memory.😊

In this fun, low-pressure, one-time class, you will create this grizzly bear in a boulder field under a spectacular sunset using watercolor paint. Ceilon will walk you through the process step-by-step. You will learn about color theory and mixing colors, as well as how to create vibrant luminosity in your painting. At the end of the class you will take home a painting that looks just like this. All supplies are provided. No prior watercolor painting experience is necessary! Beginners are welcome!

This is an adults-only class. You must be 21 years or older to take this class.

Even though this is a one-time class, you will learn a variety of watercolor painting techniques that you can apply to other paintings. I provide all the supplies, so all you have to do is sign up for the class and join us tomorrow, Saturday, February 24th at 1:00pm. You don’t need to bring anything.

The class will be held at Rock31 in the Builder Room. it is located at the corner of 2nd and Broadway right under the SkyPoint in downtown Billings. The address is 201 N. Broadway (click here for directions). They have great security and the doors are locked on the weekend, so I will be meeting people at the door and letting them in until 1:00pm. Then I’ll shut the door and we’ll get started painting! Because of this, you MUST sign up for the class ahead of time! Street parking is free on the weekends, and there is also a parking garage directly behind the Rock31 building on 2nd Avenue (not free, but affordable).

If you have questions about the class you can reply to this email or call me at 406-578-8822.

I hope to see you in the class on Tuesday, March 19th. It will be fun! 😍

  • Posted on: March 18, 2024

Sandstone Gallery Art Walk

For April ArtWalk, Sandstone Gallery will be featuring Teresa Brown and Donna Moore. We are also welcoming back a beloved past member, photographer Peter Herzog as our newest member and featured artist. Our Billings Arts Association’s artists for April and May are Jean Posusta and Lacie Tucker. 

Artists reception from 5-9 PM.

Click on the links above to see more about each of our featured artists, and samples of their work.

Many or all of our 14 artists will also be on hand to show their work and talk to you about their art. Please join us for a fun evening downtown!

  • Posted on: March 18, 2024

April ArtWalk at Cushing Terrell

Cushing Terrell will be hosting Judd Thompson and Tyrel Johnson for their April ArtWalk event. Light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

Born in 1983, Judd Thompson spent his formative years growing up on the Crow Indian Reservation, gaining inspiration from the art he was surrounded by in his parents’ business, The Custer Battlefield Trading Post. Judd draws inspiration from Western artists, especially Joseph Henry Sharp. Judd uses his passion for color theory to capture the essence of Crow Country in a variety of media. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 2010 with a degree in Art & Art History, Judd moved to Billings, MT where he currently resides. Best known for his painting titled “Horse called Paint” that was featured as a Pendleton Blanket. Pendleton has recently added Judd’s blanket to their permanent Artist collection. Judd has worked with interior design companies and has been featured in numerous publications such as Mountain Living Magazine, Big Sky Journal and Cowgirl Magazine.

“Art…art…art” is a common phrase amongst Tyrel Johnson’s many siblings.  It was at the center of their lives. His father’s foundry was where they all worked.  Adept at casting and monumental sculpting; Tyrel chose to study anatomy and design for many years before taking his shot at his childhood dream. His elegant fusion and masterful execution in wood, bronze, stone, glass, and ceramic have caught the eye of collectors and editors alike. He is genuinely excited to see what comes of his passion for sculpture after a lifetime of placing his ideas in these various mediums. His first solo showing was in 2018. He has since been featured in Mountain Living, Big Sky Journal, Cowboys and Indians, Elite Equestrian, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Colorado Homes, Western Art and Architecture, Western Equestrian, Elegant Living by WRJ Design, and Foundations by JLF. He has had the honor of being a guest speaker at the Hemingway Conference and at the unveiling of the book Cockeyed Happy. He was awarded best of show 3D-Out West Art Show 2022 as well as best of show and people’s choice-Sculpture in The Hills 2021.

Link to more: ArtWalk | Cushing Terrell

  • Posted on: March 18, 2024

Tuck Everlasting – Youth Production at NOVA

Based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt, this story asks the question, “What would you do if you had all eternity?”.  Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence.  Not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family does she get more than she could have imagined.  A Youth Conservatory production directed by Samantha Pfeifer.

  • Posted on: February 26, 2024

NOVA presents Brigadoon!

This final show of the 2023-24 NOVA season brings music, dancing, fun and enchantment to the stage!  A Lerner & Loewe musical, this whimsical tale tell the story of two American tourists who stumble upon a misty little Scottish town that only awakens once every one hundred years.  Directed by Precious McKenzie

  • Posted on: February 26, 2024

Reader’s Theatre at NOVA

Reader’s Theatre is just that…an exciting opportunity to enjoy a play and give the characters a voice! Adults & older teens welcome. Play selection will be pre-selected, parts will be randomly assigned before reading begins.  NOVA concessions will be available. Join us to read, join us to watch!  There are no requirements for obligations, just come and enjoy a Sunday evening with friends, or soon-to-be friends. 

No costumes, make-up, or memorization, just a delightful time spent with others that enjoy bringing a story to life! Three hours have been allotted, however, times will be dependent on the length of the selection.  

  • Posted on: February 26, 2024

Featured: Yellowstone Art Museum Receives Two Major Gifts Totaling $1.4 Million

Featured Article

yellowstone art museum


February 3, 2024

The Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) has announced that the museum has received its single largest gift, from a private donor, in its sixty-year history. Deborah Anspach and John Hanson, longtime Billings residents, have gifted $1 million to the YAM’s Endowment Fund. Additionally, the Mary Alice Fortin Family Foundation, Inc. recently committed $400,000 to the ongoing care of the YAM’s historic building and in support of Education Outreach at the museum.

The generous gift from Deborah Anspach and John Hanson will financially support the position of the executive director and, in honor of the gift, the executive director’s position will now be named “The Deborah Anspach and John Hanson Executive Director of the Yellowstone Art Museum.” Jessica Kay Ruhle, the YAM Executive Director, said, “Deborah and John have been steadfast supporters of the arts for many years. They have donated countless hours of leadership and service to the museum and other civic organizations in town. They embody a spirit of warmth, good cheer, and generosity. We are honored and deeply grateful for their continued support of the museum, and their commitment to making Billings a vibrant place to live and work.”

“What the Yellowstone Art Museum does so well is to act as a collective memory for Billings and the surrounding region to help us better understand ourselves and preserve our various cultures. Art shapes and changes lives, in positive ways. Time and time again, we hear
stories from so many people, about how art and art making saved their lives. Art matters.”

Deborah Anspach

Deborah Anspach is a retired attorney and YAM Trustee. John Hanson, a retired physician, shared, “It’s more fun to do this when you’re alive to see the gift in action.” Philanthropy and community involvement are driving factors in this couple’s philosophy.

“We hope our gift inspires others to give. Give what you are able. It all makes a difference.”

John Hanson

“It truly is an astounding gift,” said Precious McKenzie, Director of Advancement. “When they told us of their intentions, our executive team was, at first, speechless, awestruck. Then we were just absolutely moved to tears by their generosity. Words cannot express how grateful we are for this amazing gift. Deborah and John are inspiring. This gift makes a tremendous impact for the future of the museum.”

The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, Inc. has a long and meaningful history of philanthropy in Billings and throughout the country. This significant contribution to the YAM is designated for the restoration of the building and to increase access to Education Outreach programs. Specifically, the support to education will help fund scholarships to the YAM’s summer camp programs and will provide resources to expand art education opportunities specifically for Indigenous community members.

These two are testaments to the growth the museum has recently experienced. In 2023, the museum was awarded a $240,000 grant from Art Bridges to break down barriers to access by making museum admission free for the next three years.

The Yellowstone Art Museum celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and will honor the museum’s history and future at programs throughout 2024.

Auditions for BRIGADOON at NOVA

Directed by Precious McKenzie, Brigadoon is a wistful musical classic about two American tourists who stumble upon a magical village in the Scottish Highlands. The village seems like a place that time forgot and the tourists learn that this place only appears in the mists once everyone hundred years.
Auditions are open for adults with a select number of roles for children available as well. Auditioners should prepare to sing a song from Brigadoon and one other piece of their choice. Come prepared to read from the script, and be prepared to dance. Scripts will be
available for check out at the NOVA Box Office.  Performances will be June 14, 15, 16 & 21, 22, 23.

  • Posted on: February 1, 2024

Auditions for TUCK EVERLASTING, a NOVA Youth production

This well-loved classic story will have auditions for ages 12-18 years old. The performances will be held May 10-12 and 17-19, 2024. Please plan on attending one of the audition dates if interested in working tech, or backstage.

  • Posted on: February 1, 2024

AUDITIONS! Itty Bitty Production at NOVA

Tiny thespians learning the things that make theater a life-long pleasure! NOVA’s “Itty Bitty Productions” will be holding auditions for those little ones that LOVE to be characters! Auditions will be held Monday, February 19th, 2024, 5:30PM at NOVA. There is no preparation required, parents/guardians are asked to attend. The show will be presented Saturday and Sunday, March 23rd and 24th, 2:00PM both days. 🤩💯❤

  • Posted on: February 1, 2024