Nine artists from across the county are in Great Falls this weekend for the second annual ArtsFest MONTANA.
At least six murals will be installed over the coming days.
Cameron Moberg is back in town and is installing on the LPW building in the alley at 15 5th St. S.
It’s his fourth time in town and his third year painting murals in Great Falls.
ArtsFest returns to Great Falls in August, applications open to request murals on downtown buildings
Last summer, he completed a buffalo mural on the alley side of Enbär at 8 5th St. S. and the year before he painted murals last fall on the side of Dragonfly Dry Goods along 5th Street North and the Hi-Line Climbing Center.
Moberg won the Street Art Throwdown, is well-known artist among the street art community and started painting in the alley Aug. 19.
ArtsFest MONTANA 2019 photo gallery
“There’s already been tons of people,” he said of locals walking by and stopping to chat.
Moberg said that since his first trip to Great Falls a few years ago, “the difference is so drastic. There’s so many more people downtown and new businesses. It’s so much different.”
Murals going up in downtown for ArtsFest MONTANA
He participated in an arts festival in Indiana recently where he met many of the artists he invited to Great Falls for ArtsFest MONTANA. He said he selected them based on what he thought would fit the community, but that others heard about the Great Falls event and asked to participate.
Moberg said that he created a new Instagram feed for ArtsFest MONTANA and that most of the followers aren’t locals, but follow the artists who are coming and are now following what’s happening in Great Falls. He said that can help build the city’s profile in the arts community and nationally.
Great Falls’ first ArtsFest kicks off this weekend [2019]
He said that he believes the Great Falls art event will continue to grow, especially if more local property owners offer their walls for murals.
“There are some that are begging for murals,” Moberg said.
He said that murals have also encouraged economic activity in Great Falls and other communities where he’s painted since it encourages people to get out and walk around see restaurants or businesses they might not have noticed otherwise.
Public art can also encourage community vitality, he said.
“I think it’s important that the young people get to try it too. If we’re not pushing the envelope for them, they don’t know what they can do,” Moberg said.
Other art activities from Friday through next week include:
- Pawn will be installing a mural at 101 Central Avenue
- Camer1 will be installing a mural 15 5th St. S.
- Fasm, Toledo and Leaf Argotti will be installing murals at 509 1st Ave. N.;
- Allison Bamcat will be installing a mural at 17 7th St. S.;
- Sheree Nelson will be installing a mural at 504 Central Ave;
- and a community mural, sponsored by NeighborWorks Great Falls and AARP, will be installed at 612 1st Ave. S., led by Cameron Moberg.
The public is invited to participate in ArtsFest MONTANA in the following ways:
- Join in a community mural at Miss Linda’s Dance Studio at 612 1st Ave. S. from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 22, sponsored by NeighborWorks Great Falls and AARP.
- Make tracks in the alley behind Dragonfly Dry Goods at 15 5th St. N. from 4-7 p.m. on Aug. 21 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 22
- Install your own work of chalk art in the parking lot on 1st Ave. N. between 6th St. and 7th St.
- All ArtsFest MONTANA 2020 events are free of charge and open to all ages.
- Wear clothing you are okay with getting paint on. Guidance will be provided.
- A limited supply of ArtsFest MONTANA T-shirts will be available for sale for $15.
- ArtsFest is supported by NeighborWorks, AARP, Sherwin Williams, Dragonfly Dry Goods, Speaking Socially, Great Falls Montana Tourism, and the Sip N Dip/O’Haire Motor Inn.
If you have an interest in supporting ArtsFest MONTANA 2020 visit the event website here.
For additional information, go to Destination Downtown Great Falls on Facebook.
