Reflections from the 2026 Arts Missoula Arts and Culture Awards
There are evenings that remind us why arts and culture matter so deeply to a community, and this year’s Arts Missoula Annual Arts & Cultures Awards was one of those nights.
Again and again throughout the evening, a common thread emerged: gratitude. Gratitude for mentors. Gratitude for collaborators. Gratitude for people willing to say “yes” to an idea, a dream, a project, or a person before there was any guarantee of success. It became clear that the arts do not grow in isolation. They grow because communities choose to nurture them.
The evening began with Arts Educator honoree Teresa Waldorf sharing stories from throughout her life and career about pivotal moments when someone simply said “yes” to her. A teacher. A mentor. A colleague. Someone willing to trust her vision or encourage a bold idea. Her remarks were both funny and moving, but they also carried an important lesson: artists need spaces where experimentation is welcomed and creativity is encouraged. Communities thrive when they become places where people can safely imagine something new and hear someone respond, “Let’s try.”
BE A COMMUNITY OF YES
Individual Artist honoree Aspen Decker spoke with profound gratitude for the many people and organizations that have supported her artistic journey, from mentors and institutions to her family and children, who have grown up alongside art openings, projects, and creative life. One of the most moving moments of the evening came when Aspen spoke in the Salish language. Hearing the language of this land spoken in that room felt sacred and served as a reminder that art and culture are deeply tied to identity, history, belonging, and healing. It was a powerful call to continue honoring and uplifting Indigenous voices, stories, and traditions in our community.
Business Support of the Arts honoree Missoula Makers Collective reminded us that supporting artists also means helping them thrive sustainably. Bailey and Rachel reflected on how far their organization has come and celebrated a recent professional development conference that brought together seventy local makers and artists. Their work demonstrates something essential: supporting the arts also means supporting artists as entrepreneurs, business owners, and working creatives who deserve the tools and opportunities to succeed.
The room was gently guided into song when New to the Zoo honoree Missoula Sings led by Barron Peper, invited us to collective singing. It was joyful, spontaneous, and deeply human and exactly the kind of experience that reminds us why communal arts experiences matter. Their work creates spaces where people can simply arrive as they are, participate fully, and feel connected to one another.
Cultural Vision honoree Sculpture Missoula was celebrated for helping to further transform Silver Park into a growing sculpture park. What was once an abandoned industrial area has becoming a place of beauty, reflection, recreation, and creativity. Public art has the power to reshape how we experience our city and how we connect with one another within it.
And woven throughout the evening was the spirit of our John Engen Cultural Ambassador honoree, Melissa Blunt. Reflecting on attending the awards for nearly twenty years, Melissa shared that every time she leaves that event she is inspired by the work being done, by the passion people bring to the arts, and by the gratitude that artists and cultural leaders consistently express for one another and for this community.
True to form, Melissa spent much of her own acceptance speech being grateful for the time she has been able to spend helping to grow the mission of other organizations. That generosity of spirit felt like the perfect closing note for the evening because it reminded us that arts and culture are never the work of one person alone.
What became so clear throughout the evening is that this event is not simply about recognition. It is about cultivation.
When we celebrate artists, educators, cultural leaders, businesses, and organizations, we are also investing in the future. We are encouraging the next artist to keep going. We are giving permission for the next bold idea to emerge. We are showing young people that creativity matters here. We are reminding one another that arts and culture are not extras in a healthy community. Instead they are part of the foundation.
As Melissa reminded us so beautifully, every year we gather in that room and leave inspired by one another. That inspiration matters. It is what fuels the next project, the next collaboration, the next brave idea, and the next generation of artists and cultural leaders who will continue shaping Missoula into a vibrant, creative, and deeply connected community.
The arts ask us to imagine. To connect. To listen. To build. To say yes.
And after an evening like this one, it feels very clear that Missoula is at its best when we continue doing exactly that.
Thank you for supporting Arts Missoula in this work of honoring. We cannot do it alone.
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