MAMA Open Mic
Wednesday, October 4 // Sign-up for Open Mic 7-7:30 PM // Open Mic begins at 7:30 PM // Free & Open to All Join us for MAMA’s Open Mic at the ZACC, where we bring together the community and spotlight a variety of musicians each month. Meet other music enthusiasts, connect, network, collaborate, and showcase your skills. This unique event brings together musicians, music industry professionals, and fans of all genres. Sign-up for the open mic portion of the evening and take the stage! Don’t miss this opportunity to make music magic with folks you might just know for the rest of your music-making days. To learn more about the Montana Area Music Association (MAMA) visit https://mama4mt.org/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Art for Creatives Presents ‘Creative Connections’
Social Hour Vibes Curated by Auntie EThe professional equivalent of speed dating, exclusively for adult creatives of all levels. Meet other like-minded aspiring or professional creatives in a fun and lively environment! Sunday, October 15 // Doors at 6:30 PM // Event from 7 to 9 PM // $15 (Tickets purchased prior to 10/1 receive a complimentary drink ticket*) *Can be used toward non-alc beverages for those under 21. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: On October 15th, Art For Creatives and Zootown Arts are hosting a creative networking event like no other. (Creative Connections is an 18+ event, but adult creatives of all levels, industries, and aspirations are welcome!) Consisting of four paired rounds followed by an unstructured “social hour” mixer, Creative Connections is the professional equivalent of speed dating, exclusively for adult creatives. The event will provide a space for Missoula creatives to connect with other like-minded individuals in a fun and lively environment. Beverages (alcoholic and non) will be available to purchase on site. Tickets go on sale 9/12/2023 at 12 PM MST. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
A Celebration of Belonging: Shedding Light on Trauma Awareness & Resilience
Friday, September 22 // Door at 7 PM // Event begins at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 WMMHC Supporter Ticket Enjoy the shimmering lyrics and melodies of Missoula’s own award-winning singer/songwriter Azure Larkwood. Expand, delve deeply, and grow through the teachings, wisdom, song, and regalia of Salish culture keeper and inspired performer Buck Hitswithastick. Proceeds and raffle ticket sales support WMMHC DEI(B) programming, trauma resilience education, and relief. Raffle prizes incude generous offerings from The Good Food Store, Mountain Rose Herbs, Kendra Scott Jewelry, Goldish Designs, Sufficiently Twisted Yoga, The Trailhead, Meadowsweet Hearbs, Rockin’ Rudy’s, and more! For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Stories of Home / Hosted by Soft Landing Missoula, in Celebration of Welcoming Week 2023
Wednesday, September 13 // Doors at 6 PM // Live Discussion with Project Participants at 6:30 PM // Free & Open to All // Donations to Soft Landing Missoula Encouraged // in The Show Room at the ZACC “Where do you call home?” It’s a seemingly innocuous question, casually raised in small talk or conversations with new friends. But for people who have been displaced or forced to uproot their lives – like many of the refugee and immigrant neighbors here in Missoula – the answer is far from simple. For the third year, Soft Landing Missoula’s Stories of Home project explores the multitude of ways people define home, particularly when uncertainty prevails: the homes left behind and the new homes created; the homes we hope to create and those we only remember; the homes we find in a physical structure, and those we find in the comfort of a loved one. Join us for an exhibit of multimedia projects that mix photography with the written word to share the stories of people who arrived in Missoula as refugees and immigrants. The evening’s event will feature a live discussion with project participants which, together with the beautiful portraits and stories, aim to elevate and amplify the voices of new neighbors and demonstrate the shared experiences that mark our lives – no matter where we call home. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
MAMA Open Mic
Thursday, September 7 // Doors at 7 PM // Open Mic begins at 7:30 PM // Free & Open to All The ZACC and the Montana Area Music Association have teamed up to create a space for music, community, collaboration, and artistic expression. Learn about MAMA’s mission, what we’re working on, and how to get involved. Meet fellow musicians, test out new songs, and build new connections. Every open mic has been a blast, and we would love to see you again on September 7! To learn more about the Montana Area Music Association (MAMA) visit https://mama4mt.org/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Music & Storytelling ft. Jack Gladstone
Friday, September 8 // Doors at 7:30 PM // Music & Storytelling begins at 8 PM // Free & Open to All This music and storytelling event is free and open to all. At the beginning of the show, Jesse DesRosier will lead a prayer and hand drum song, The Pete Sisters will share a cappella traditional Salish Songs ‘Montana’s Troubadour’, and Blackfeet Musician Jack Gladstone will share his music and stories. ABOUT JACK GLADSTONE Jack Gladstone is “Montana’s Troubadour.” An enrolled citizen of the Blackfeet Nation, Jack illustrates American Indian culture through a mosaic of music, lyric poetry, and spoken word narrative. A former college instructor, Jack co-‐founded Glacier National Park’s renowned lecture series, “Native America Speaks.” This program, established in 1985, is the longest continuously running indigenous speaker series in Park Service history. Jack has released fifteen critically acclaimed CDs. His latest release, “Native Anthropology,” garnered the prestigious “Best Historical Recording” from the Native American Music Association. In the spring of 2013, Jack became the first Montanan to receive the C.M. Russell Heritage Award, given to honor his contribution to the “legacy, culture, and life of the American West.” That same year, Jack was inducted into the University of Washington Alumni Hall of Fame in the field of Speech Communications. In 2014, Jack Gladstone and Friends were featured on Montana PBS, 11th and Grant with Eric Funk, sharing an Emmy for Arts and Entertainment. In early 2015, Jack was honored by the State of Montana with a Governor’s Humanities Award. In October, 2016, Jack garnered the prestigious “Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award” from the First People’s Fund and in December, 2016, the Governor’s Art Award. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
MAMA Open Mic
Wednesday, August 2 // Speed Networking 6:30-7:30 PM // Sign-up for Open Mic 7-7:30 PM // Open Mic begins at 7:30 PM // Free & Open to All Join us for MAMA’s Open Mic at the ZACC, where we bring together the community and spotlight a variety of musicians each month. As part of the MAMA Shines Summer Series, we’re excited to announce our Speed Networking/Open Mic event, running at MAMA Open Mics through August! Meet other music enthusiasts, connect, network, collaborate, and showcase your skills. This unique event brings together musicians, music industry professionals, and fans of all genres. Sign-up for the open mic portion of the evening and take the stage! Don’t miss this opportunity to make music magic with folks you might just know for the rest of your music-making days. To learn more about the Montana Area Music Association (MAMA) visit https://mama4mt.org/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
‘Big Gay Planet Dance Party’
Friday, June 16 // Doors at 9 PM // Event from 9-11:30 PM // Free & Open to All Come wiggle, slither, and groove at this out-of-this world after party, hosted by your favorite queers from this planet and beyond. We’ll bring the snacks, tunes, and ~vibes~, and you bring some clothes or fabric for free screenprinting! This is a free, all-ages event, and anyone can attend! No host bar for 21+. To learn more about Forward Montana visit https://forwardmontana.org/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Smooth Sayers
Saturday, June 17 // 4-5:30 PM // Free & Open to All Starlight Reunion is thrilled to join forces with Missoula Pride to provide a Smooth Sayers event. Join us for poetry, refreshments, and jazz during this free event in The Show Room at the ZACC! Smooth Sayers is a close gathering of poets, writers, musicians, chefs, and visual artists … storytellers of all kinds. Curated by Katie C, this event brings together creative souls and fosters intimate conversations. SmoothSayers aims to invite thoughtful evaluation of the human experience and careful consideration of artists’ abilities to illuminate our connection to one another. To learn more about Starlight Reunion visit https://www.starlightreunion.com/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
‘Zine Release Party: Big Gay Planet’
Friday, June 16 // Doors at 4:30 PM // Event 5-6:30 PM // Free & Open to All Join us to celebrate the release of volume three of Transcendent Joy, Forward Montana’s zine by and for LGBTQIA2S+ Montanans. This year’s theme? BIG GAY PLANET! Enjoy free snacks, and readings from featured artists and local queers. This event is free and open to all ages! No host bar for 21+. To learn more about Forward Montana visit https://forwardmontana.org/. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
