Support local MT artisans on August 5th and 6th, 2017 SLAM Summer Festival
Mark your calendars for the 7th Annual SLAM (Support Local Artists and Musicians) Festival at Bogert Park — Saturday and Sunday, August 5th and 6th!
SLAMFest features an arts market, live music and dance performances, a libations garden, local culinary artisans, artist demonstrations and family activities. Admission to the SLAM Festival is free to the public, enabling all members of the community to experience the creative talents in Montana.
Bozeman’s annual SLAM Festival has earned its reputation among local artists and attendees by consistently offering an expansive roster of talented Montana artisans and musicians, whose abundance is matched only by their variety. The festivities feature resident Montanans, welcoming all genres of art into the fold.
For many Montana artists, the winter months are spent inside, honing their craft and experimenting with materials. Summer showcases like SLAM offer artisans the opportunity to exhibit their latest work, interact with their patrons, and sell work in order to continue to feed their eternal drive to produce. The arts are not a profession one chooses because of its economic security — it’s a profession people choose out of passion for the creative process. Artists digest the world in fascinating ways, bringing life and vitality to our communities and our homes. SLAM is pleased to play host to such a large spectrum of self-motivated and passionate creators.
Montana’s environmentally-aware culture and nature-appreciating population has inspired many of the artists participating in the 2017 SLAM Festival to employ ingenuitive and innovate approaches to their creative process that enhance or build upon the wonders of the state.
At the Emerging Artist Tent, for example, MSU ceramicists often create works with wild clay — clay hiked out from the Montana wilderness — and gracing them with homemade local glazes. Amanda Heimbuch of Country Girl Clay creates functional stoneware with embossed accents that read like worn leather, while her glazes are influenced by the vivid colors of the Montana landscape. Dan Watkins incorporates stained glass, crystal glazes, and silicates in his pieces to create bursts in his work that seem to evoke the geomorphic fissures of Yellowstone’s thermal pools. Robert Kramer creates stunning bowls and vases from juniper fence posts and beetle kill pine, a great compliment to Jennifer Ferguson’s reclaimed wood furniture. Denise Pfau’s fine gourd vessels are intricate endeavors to behold, inspired by Montana and the American Southwest, while Matt Suess’ vibrant and colorful photographs depict the dramatic landscapes and roots of vintage Americana and the equestrian lifestyle so rich in the history of our region.
A range of styles are reflected in the jewelry category at SLAM. Alison Sweeney’s sleek art Deco inspired designs, Chau Nguyen’s enameled copper wares, and Deana Albers Lloyd fashions with bold rocks and stones…you’re sure to appreciate the attention to detail and fine craftsmanship of these metalsmiths. The handmade leather journals of Debbie Mahn contrasted with the meticulous leather bags and wallets of Brick Bound are sure to please. Whether you are looking for clothes, glass, or gifts for him and her, you’re sure to find something perfect at SLAM.
The food scene in Bozeman is getting more mouth-watering each day! Of the tastiest additions to our bustling berg’s restaurant selection are the growing number of mobile dining options trucking around town.
Committed to showcasing Montana talent in all forms of art, SLAM has hand-selected over a dozen of the best mobile food purveyors to feed the hungry masses at the this year’s SLAM Festival. These masters of the culinary arts are committed to offering delicious and unique food. From gourmet mac ‘n cheese and wood-fired pizza, to Montana-raised beef hamburgers and huckleberry shakes, to ice cream and cheesecake, the variety is sure to tantalize your tastebuds!
In addition to the delicious food, be sure to visit the Libations Garden to grab a thirst-quenching signature cocktail or ice cold microbrew from one of Montana’s local distilleries and breweries (for patrons age 21+).
SLAM is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and art education in Montana in a way that enriches and involves the community. SLAM believes in hosting events to showcase the plethora of artistic talent of Montana residents. Additionally, SLAM funds scholarships to community members seeking education in the arts, and spearheads community art installations. Revenue generated from its festivals is reinvested into programs and projects that promote the arts in communities throughout the state of Montana.
Participation in SLAM festivals is open only to Montana residents, but everyone is encouraged to attend these events and experience the richness of Montana’s artist community! SLAM will run from 10am–7pm on Saturday, August 5th, and from 10am–5pm on Sunday, August 6th. Bring your wallet and your appetite, and support everything local at SLAMFest 2017!
To learn more about SLAM, sign up to volunteer, or to check out this year’s music lineup and artist roster, visit www.slamfestivals.org. •
