Sometimes a small idea has a way of growing.
A few years ago, Arts Missoula began exploring a simple question: What if we could put art supplies directly into the hands of people in our community and simply invite them to create?
The idea first came to life with support from the Montana Arts Council’s Artists in Schools and Communities grant. That initial funding helped Arts Missoula create and distribute free art kits, removing one small but meaningful barrier to creativity: having the materials to get started.
We saw how something as simple as a bag filled with art supplies could become an invitation. Draw something. Make something. Try something new. Sit down with your child and create together.
And we knew we wanted to keep it going.
This year, that idea is growing in a big way thanks to a new partnership with Thrivent and Giving Art to Missoula.
With financial support from Thrivent for sketchbooks, watercolors and bags and additional donated supplies from Giving Art to Missoula, Arts Missoula will create 500 free art kits to distribute throughout the community over the coming year.
But there’s another piece of the story we especially love: we’re inviting the community to help make them.
At Arts Missoula’s Fall Social on September 9 at Free Cycles, artists, arts organizations, businesses, supporters, friends, and neighbors will gather around tables to assemble the kits together. Between conversations, food, drinks, and new connections, we’ll be building little packages of creative possibility.
Those kits will then travel throughout Missoula, appearing at in our new traveling Art Box on First Fridays, Germanfest, Missoula on Main, and other community events.
The Montana Arts Council helped an idea get started. Thrivent is helping us grow it. Giving Art to Missoula is putting materials behind it. Arts Missoula is connecting the pieces and bringing people together to make it happen.
And eventually, a kit assembled by one Missoulian will land in the hands of another.
We love our community partnerships and our members who help us pull it all together! Thank you!
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