Last Hops & History event before concluding celebration at MOR
There’s a full calendar at the Museum of the Rockies as Southwest Montana works its way through the sunny season. Here’s a look at some upcoming events at your neighborhood museum.
MOR is pleased to host the Extreme History Project Lecture Series, encouraging public understanding of the way our history has shaped our present. Speakers take a fresh look at interesting historical topics. Montana’s Pioneer Jewish Communities with Ellen Baumler is next up on Thursday, July 26th at 6pm. The lecture will be held in Hager Auditorium and is open to the public.
Jewish pioneers from Germany, Prussia, Austria and Poland as well as New York and Chicago came west on the heels of the gold rush. Opportunity drew these enthusiastic adventurers to new mining settlements where business as well as religious beliefs brought them together. Jews set up the first businesses at Bannack, Alder Gulch and at most of the smaller mining boomtowns. Jews seized these entrepreneurial opportunities and became miners, barbers, tailors, jewelers, bankers, attorneys, and cattlemen. But it was especially in the roles of merchant and provider that offered a stepping stone for these enterprising men – many of them immigrants from poor villages – to gain economic stability and civic status in a single generation.
Without rabbis or synagogues, these early pioneers established benevolent societies, maintained holidays and traditions, and planted the roots of Judaism in Montana. As significant contributors to their adopted communities, their extraordinary legacy survives in landmarks that include Helena’s 1891 Temple Emanu-El, the first synagogue built between St. Paul and Portland; the National Landmark home of Henry Jacobs, Butte’s first mayor; and Solomon Content’s 1864 business block, today the centerpiece of the Virginia City National Historic Landmark.
MOR’s summer Hops & History series continues! Now in its fifth year, Hops & History supports the museum’s adjacent Living History Farm. Every month during the summer season, Hops & History brings a lively audience of adults to the farm by pairing the Gallatin Valley’s brewing past with beer tastings from local breweries. The next edition will take place Tuesday, July 31st from 5:30–7:30pm. The New Breed: American Brewing Since 1978 will feature selections from Bozeman Brewing Co.
When President Carter signed House Bill 1337 into law in 1978, he ushered in a new wave of American brewing that changed the tastes and availability of what we now call craft beer. Event guests will discover some of the pioneers in the field and explore how innovation (and expert marketing) created the wonderful world of beer that we enjoy today. This presentation will also look at Montana State University’s 125 years of contributions to American brewing.
Admission for The New Breed is $8, plus a $2 souvenir mug charge for each participant’s first event – reuse your mug! The Hops & History: Season Celebration will close out the series on August 28th. Admission is $15, including a souvenir tasting glass and suds. Must be 21+ to attend ALL Hops & History events.
Also at the Museum, a fresh exhibit for summer! GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World is now open. Explore the history of the world’s most recognized musical instrument. Experience diverse genres of music and discover the science of pitch and tone. Crossing over cultural boundaries, the guitar has made a significant impact on a wide variety of groups from gypsies to cowboys to teenage rebels. GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World is included with Museum admission.
Dig a little deeper with the GUITAR: An Evening with an Expert series. Meet some of the experts, collectors, and luthiers that have made Bozeman’s guitar industry what it is today. Hear their stories, learn about the nuances that make each guitar unique, and listen to their handmade guitars. After the auditorium presentation, enjoy light appetizers in the Main Lobby and explore the GUITAR exhibition.
The next edition will take place Monday, July 23rd with Michael Videon, Asst. Professor and Director of the guitar program at Montana State University. Looking to next month, Lakota/Nakoda music artist Mario Minor, Jr. stops by on Monday, August 13th. Both are held from 6–8:30pm. These events are $8 for members and $12 for non-members. Price includes admission to the GUITAR exhibition and light appetizers. Tickets are limited.
Finally, in conjunction with the exhibit, GUITAR: Music Mondays take over Bair Plaza every week from noon–1:30pm. In the music industry, Bozeman is world renowned for its acoustic guitars. From the Gibson Guitar factory to individual guitar craftsman, guitars made in Bozeman are played by famous musicians around the world. Celebrate Montana’s guitar builders and local musicians in this weekly event for all ages, all summer long.
Each Music Monday will feature local performers strumming their guitars on the Plaza. Bring your lunch or buy one from the Fork in the Road Food Truck and soak in the music from a variety of excellent Bozeman performers.
Note: In the case of inclement weather, these performances will take place in the Hager Auditorium with space for lunch available in the Lower Lobby. Food and drinks are not allowed in the auditorium.
For more information about these events and Museum exhibits, visit www.museumoftherockies.org or call (406) 994-5257. •
