The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Arts & Culture’ Category

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of August 18

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Metercraeft: the Art of Verse and Poetry

By WILLIAM MUNOZ - “Metercraeft” is an Old English word that described the art of verse and poetry. The term intersects with the metrical foot concept and the 1660's term “poetry of the foot” which desc... more

The Average Joe’s Guide to the 2014 Zootown Fringe Festival

By MATT ANGLEN-The Zootown Fringe Festival is completely unjuried and uncensored. Anyone with a performance or art instillation can apply and do whatever they want.... more

Downtown Dance Collective to Perform at Missoula Fringe Festival, Aug 16

(PHOTO GALLERY) Renowned Seattle choreographer, Zoe Scofield is teaching an intensive with the Downtown Dance Collective with a performance to follow at the Missoula Fringe Festival, Aug 16. ... more

This Week’s Missoula Arts & Culture Scene | August 11

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 8/4/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Auditions for Jekyll and Hyde The Musical

The Missoula Community Theatre is holding auditions for the production of Jekyll & Hyde The Musical on Sunday, August 31st at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of August 11

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Lily Gladstone’s Beautiful Future

By BRIAN D'AMBROSIO - Born and raised in Browning, Lily Gladstone returned there last year to work on “Jimmy P.,” a film about a psychologically- puzzling Blackfeet World War II veteran, starring Benicio De... more

This Week’s Missoula Arts & Culture Scene | August 4

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 8/4/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of August 4

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Moksha Aerial Studio Collective (PHOTO GALLERY)

By BILL MUNOZ - Recently I was lucky enough to be introduced to Moksha Aerial Studio Collective (MASC) at the Missoula Farmers Market. Oh what fun it is to shoot these colorful artists. (PHOTO GALLERY).... more

First Friday Featured Artist: Sarah Jaeger

By MATT ANGLEN-Art is big in Missoula. If you don’t believe me just head downtown on the First Friday of every month and you’ll see sidewalks overflowing with people eager to catch the latest exhibition.... more

This Week’s Missoula Arts & Culture Scene

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 7/28/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 28

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Wayne and Kathleen Newton Set Up Shop in Lakeside

By JUSTIN FRANZ-Kat’s Korner is one of several new shops and restaurants that have popped up in the small community of Lakeside and Wayne Newton, 72, said it’s no surprise the town is growing.... more

Monte Dolack: Nature of Art

By MONTE DOLACK-My personal creative and restorative touchstone to nature is not far from our Missoula home. It is The Crown of the Continent ecosystem and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. ... more

This Week’s Missoula Arts & Culture Scene

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 7/21/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 21

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Rock the Hood: ZACC puts the ART in Block pARTy

By MATT ANGLEN-I love block parties. There’s something about sipping a beer and eating food from a truck in the middle of a normally busy street that just screams freedom.... more

This Week’s Missoula Arts & Culture Scene

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 7/15/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 14

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

The Missoula Arts & Culture Scene – Week of July 7/7

A recap of all things Arts & Culture--for the week of 7/7/14-- brought to you by the Missoula Cultural Council.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of July 7

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Helen McAuslan: The Kent State Paintings

On loan from the Museum of the Rockies, these important paintings were produced following the Kent State tragedy by Montana artist Helen McAuslan.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of June 30

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Garden City River Rod Run to Celebrate 50 Years of the Ford Mustang

The 14th Annual Garden City River Rod Run will celebrate 50 Years of the Ford Mustang in Caras Park, Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of June 23

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Local Artists and Missoula Food Bank Partner for Hunger Awareness

Empty Bowls, Full Souls is an annual hunger-awareness event hosted by Missoula Food Bank. This year’s event will take place at Ten Spoon Vineyard + Winery on Wednesday, June 25 from 6-8pm. ... more

Bradford Lee Folk and the Bluegrass Playboys/Two Bit Franks

By LORL PARR - The Ruby Jewel Jamboree, once again bringing the premiere bluegrass of Bradford Lee Folk and the Bluegrass Playboys to Missoula on July 7, at 7PM at Ruby’s Inn on Reserve. ... more

Ten Can’t-Miss Events in the Flathead This Summer

By MOLLY PRIDDY - Here’s a list of 10 of the most-popular events in the Flathead in the summer, so mark your calendar before it fills up.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of June 16

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of June 9

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of June 2

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of May 26

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of May 19

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Award Winning Bluegrass Talent Junior Sisk Plays TONIGHT in Missoula

By MARK VOSBURGH - International Bluegrass Musis Award award winner, Junior Sisk and his band, Rambler's Choice plays the Ruby Jewel Jamboree in Missoula on May 12th.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of May 12

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional fundraiser. ... more

Smile Empty Soul Plays the Wilma May 16th

Veteran Rock Group, Smile Empty Soul plays at the Wilma Theatre on Friday, May 16th as part of the Wayne Static (Static-X) headlining "Civil Unrest Tour".... more

The Missoula Community Theatre Announces 2014-15 Season

The Missoula Community Theatre announces its season line-up for the 2014-2015 season, and by all accounts, it’s going to be big….really big! ... more

Over 30 Beer-Themed Events Planned for Missoula Craft Beer Week

By RYAN NEWHOUSE - Missoula Craft Beer Week is returning to Missoula April 27-May 3 and is bigger and better than ever, including over 30 beer-themed events throughout the week.... more

Missoula Community Theatre’s Les Miserables Opens April 25th

Les Misérables, the Missoula Community Theatre’s final production of the season opens on Friday, April 25th and runs April 25-27, April 30-May 4 and May 7-11. Performances are at 7:30pm.... more

Yonder Mountain String Band Plays the Wilma April 11 & 12

Yonder Mountain String Band has always played music by its own set of rules. Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own. ... more

Kathy Kallick Kicks Off 2014 Ruby Jewel Jamboree Bluegrass Concert Series on 4/7

Bluegrass season is here and the Ruby Jewel Jamboree kicks off the season on 4/7 with Kathy Kallick-- one of bluegrass’s most famous female singers and writers.... more

Sam Bush to Headline 2014 River City Roots Festival

By LINDA MCCARTHY - Sam Bush, 2009 Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement award winner, will headline the Main Stage at the 2014 River City Roots Festival in Downtown Missoula, Montana.... more

Missoula’s 2014 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festivities

By AUSTIN SMITH - Grab your shamrocks, green beer and Tylenol because Missoula’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities are coming up this Saturday, March 15! ... more

Lend Me a Tenor Opens Friday, March 21st

MCT's 'Lend Me A Tenor' opens on Friday, March 21st. Don’t let the name fool you; this is not a musical comedy. It is definitely a comedy, though, about a musical—an opera, to be exact. ... more

Billings Landscaper Andrew Marble’s Brush with Oscar-Nominated “Nebraska”

By BRIAN D'AMBROSIO-Serendipity always compensates the prepared. And in the case of AJ Marble of Billings, it rewarded him with a brush with production on the set of the Oscar-nominated movie "Nebraska".... more

Monte Dolack: Magic Light

By MONTE DOLACK - Evening. Morning. In the gloaming when the light is soft and low. Magic light is painter’s light. It's known as the magic hour when the sun is near or below the horizon.... more

World Premier of DRYLAND film at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Feb 22

Dryland offers a portrait of rural America in transition through the eyes of a young man pursuing his dream. The film screens Sat. Feb 22, 2 at 10:00 a.m. at the historic Wilma Theater.... more

MCT Presents: The Legend of Orpheus – February 14-16

Out of the Box Productions, presented by MCT and UM Opera Theater & UM Symphony Orchestra present: The Legend of Orpheus February 14-16, 2014. ... more