General news from the Montana Folk Festival.
Women’s Work Making Montana By Mary Murphy, Professor of History, Montana State University Montana women are nothing if not resourceful. Since the first encounters between indigenous peoples and white settlers, women’s work has shaped this place we call Montana. For the most part, we think of the Treasure State as …
Montana Folklife Presenter | Author, Radio Producer | Missoula, MT Beth Judy grew up in Chicago, graduated from Harvard College in 1983, and moved from Atlanta to Missoula in 1992, where she earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Montana. Researching and writing her book Bold Women in Montana …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Montana Mad Hatters | Twin Bridges, MT The story of Montana Mad Hatters began with Kirkpatrick Custom Hatters in the small town of Wisdom Montana. Sheila Kirkpatrick opened the doors in 1983, shortly after her daughter Ericka was born. That didn’t slow Sheila down one bit. She …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Indigikitchens | Kalispell, MT Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee) grew up in Northwest Montana. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Environmental Engineering and returned home where she developed Indigikitchen, an online cooking show dedicated to re-indigenizing diets using digital media. Indigikitchen is a portmanteau of …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Backcountry Blacksmith Inc. | Driggs, ID Born in the Rocky Mountains and raised in the backcountry of Alaska, Alexandra Paliwoda expresses her love of the great outdoors with her hand-forged ironwork. True to its name, the Backcountry Blacksmith was forged in the remote wilds of the Wrangell-St. Elias …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Metal Engraver | Dubois, ID Thirty-four years ago, Bev Gilger started Dubois Leather, a leather shop in Dubois, Idaho. It was there she met her husband Steve and together they repaired shoes and saddles and built custom boots for 20 years. Then one Christmas, Bev got an …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Kellem Custom Works | Sheridan, MT Callie Kellem is a custom leatherworker currently residing in Sheridan Montana. She is also an EMT, federally certified aircraft mechanic, backcountry wrangler, camp worker in Montana and Alaska, and experienced world traveler. One may think all of these credentials seem unrelated …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Upper Canyon Outfitters | Alder, MT Cassie Ubaldo is a fifth generation Montanan who grew up at Upper Canyon Outfitters in Alder, MT. Horses have played a role in Cassie’s life as far back as she can remember. Growing up on a guest ranch allowed many opportunities …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Schwarz Custom Boots | Dillon, MT Julia Schwarz was born and raised in Idaho, a stone’s throw from Dillon. She is an accomplished artist in her own right, and adds a great deal of color to the shop. Julia changed occupations in 2006 when she began designing …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator Big Sky Mohair Cinches | Bozeman, MT Big Sky Mohair Cinches is a two-sister team based out of Bozeman, Montana. It was born out of necessity. A horse at the therapeutic riding program where they worked required a 42″ cinch—a tough size to find. So they made …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator The Wool Mill and Serenity Sheep Farm Stay | Belgrade, MT LaVonne Stucky lives on a farm in the Gallatin Valley on land she and her husband purchased from his parents. This is the same land his grandfather worked with horses. Born in Montana, LaVonne has the …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator The Pieceful Ewe | Molt, MT Julie has been knitting since she was a pre-teen and spinning for eight years. She also needle felts, dyes and weaves. She has taught fiber crafts in three states, Canada and India. She is also the author of two books, “Knitting by …
Montana Traditions Stage Performer | Whitehall, MT Featured at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada for the past six years, Brigid Reedy has become a singular young voice representing her beloved home state of Montana. Brigid is credited in recent books by Aaron Parrett and Charlie Seemann as …
Montana Traditions Stage Performer | Kalispell, MT Musician, model and actress Halladay Quist was born and raised under the Swan Mountains in Montana, living the life of a traveling musical gypsy and loving the hum of a big bus engine under her feet. The daughter of a famous musician Rob Quist, harmonies …
Montana Traditions Stage Performer | Bozeman, MT Linda Svendsen has made a professional life out of adventure, horses and music. She is a founding director of Boojum Expeditions, a pioneer in international horse treks and uncommon travel. For 35 years, Linda organized and led remote horseback expeditions in Central Asia and …
Montana Traditions Stage Performer | Boise, ID Tracy Morrison is a folksinger-songwriter and storyteller known for writing powerful laments and story songs about the American West. Many of her songs reflect the struggle and perseverance of historical western women such as Polly Bemis who was shipped to America from China by the slave trade, …
Montana Traditions Stage Performer | Livingston, MT Little Jane & the Pistol Whips is a Montana band fronted and formed by Ashly Jane Holland and friends in 2008. They are a country-Americana band with a bluegrass kick now and then. The stripped down version that will perform on the Montana …
Montana Folklife Demonstrator MaeFly Outfitters | Belgrade, MT Maggie Mae Monaghan grew up in the small town of Harrison, Montana surrounded by many local blue ribbon waters. She has been a fly-fishing guide for many years and just recently became the proud owner of MaeFly Outfitters. Maggie holds a masters’ …
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar | Kaneohe, HI Led Kaapana’s mastery of stringed instruments, particularly slack key guitar, and his extraordinary baritone andleo kiekie (falsetto) voices, have made him a musical legend. He has been thrilling audiences for more than 40 years. With easy-going style and kolohe (rascal) charm, he has built a loyal corps …
Irish Traditional | Philadelphia, PA “No one has succeeded more in taking this once vital part of Irish American culture out of musty archives and moldering dissertations and placing it afresh on CD and concert stage than Mick Moloney.” – Earle Hitchner, The Irish Echo Musician, singer, anthropologist and musical …
Iraqi Oud, Iranian Santour, and American percussion | Albuquerque, NM The Rahim AlHaj Trio features Iraqi oud virtuoso and composer Rahim Alhaj, Iranian santour maestro Sourena Sefati and world percussion master Nicholas Baker. Rahim AlHaj was born in Baghdad, Iraq and began playing the oud (the grandfather of all stringed …
Old Time Fiddle | Wilmette, IL Charlie Walden began playing fiddle at age 14 when inspired by players in a fiddler’s contest at the Boone County Fair in his native Missouri. With the generous help and encouragement of older master fiddlers he went on to be recognized as one the …
Native American Hoop Dancing and Drumming | Riverton, WY Jasmine Bell travels the world performing and teaching the sacred hoop dance. Two-time world champion hoop dancer Jasmine Bell, her native name — Good Road Woman of the Crow Creek Sioux – tells of pictographs of hoop dancers on the walls …
Traditional Yakut Khomus | Yakutsk, Sahka Republic, Russia Yuliyana Krovoshapkina is a virtuoso in the art of the khomus, the national instrument of the Sakha Republic in Russia. It functions much like a mouth harp, but differs in several respects. A conventional mouth harp is limited in range, volume, and …
Hip Hop Beatbox | New York, NY One of the biggest names in beatboxing today, preeminent master Rahzel is redefining the limits of the human voice. Known as “the Godfather of Noyze,” Rahzel was a youngster growing up in Queens when hip hop hit big. Beatboxing is a form of …
