Lodgepole John, Mike Dowling at Elling House

The Elling House Arts & Humanities Center is excited to announce an evening of art and music on Friday, June 3rd! Beginning at 5:30pm, an artist reception will be held in the Elling Gallery with its June Artist-of-the-Month Lodgepole John of Ennis. Lodgepole John came to the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the early 70s. He has worked most of the jobs this area has had to offer, and has mostly been self employed in the logging and fence building business. Art has always been in his life, influenced by this Montana country. He has built art furniture of lodgepole and rawhide, coiled ceramic pots, and for the last three decades, painting with acrylics. Admission is free and open to the public. Then at 7pm, a favorite returning musicians, Mike Dowling, will perform in concert. When the late, great Vassar Clements heard Mike Dowling play guitar back in 1975, he did the sensible thing. He hired him. Mike was the guitarist in Vassar’s first touring band and can be heard on his Grammy-nominated Nashville Jam. Clements called him simply, “One of the finest guitarists there is, anywhere.” Echoing that sentiment is an ever-growing chorus of music critics, guitar students, and acoustic music fans from throughout the world. Mike digs deep into the musical bag of American roots guitar, favoring the melodic Piedmont style of acoustic blues masters like Mississippi John Hurt and slide great Tampa Red. But Mike can’t be pigeonholed as a blues player, or even as a fingerstylist. He’s far too versatile for that. From bottleneck blues to vintage jazz and much more in between, Mike’s musicality, depth, and mastery of the instrument translates fluently to flattop, archtop, and resonator guitars alike. Mike grew up in central Wisconsin and early in his career in the midwest caught the ear of jazz violin great Joe Venuti and mandolinist Jethro Burns. In the 1970s, in addition to touring with Clements, he worked and recorded with Burns and Venuti in Chicago and in between jobs took time off to move to California when he had the opportunity to study with the late, great George Barnes. Barnes had been “the” session guy for many years, recording with everyone from Big Bill Broonzy to Tony Bennett. “I was very fortunate to be able to spend some time with him,” Mike says. “He was so tasteful, so rhythmic. He set the bar very high for me and he continues to be an inspiration.” Admission to the concert is $15. Call for your reservations! The Elling House is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the residents of southwest Montana with quality programs in the areas of literature, history, and the visual and performing arts. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the association or serving as a volunteer for events or committees is encouraged to visit ellinghouse.org/. The Elling House is located at 404 E. Idaho Street in Virginia City. Call (406) 843-5507 for further information. •