Council OKs street closure for three-day art show

An outdoor art show is coming to Mineral Avenue this Fourth of July weekend.

Libby Area Chamber of Commerce Board Member Pam Peppenger on Monday asked for and was granted a Mineral Avenue street closure for Friday, July 5, to Sunday, July 7, for the purpose of an art show.

“This will be strictly art,” Peppenger replied to a question about whether the show would include crafts. “We’ve talked to a couple of people, and they agree it will be good for downtown. It’ll be areawide.”

Peppenger requested the closure from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, July 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 6, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7.

Councilman Allen Olsen made the motion for closure, which was seconded by Councilwoman Vicky Lawrence.

“We will be happy to do that,” Olsen said.

Billed as the Mineral Avenue Art Show, the event hopes to attract more than just local artists.

“We’re hoping to make this a destination for artists and those who like art,” said Shanda Jennings, the executive director of the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce.

Jennings said she knows the event may start slowly, but she hopes to grow it in the coming years.

“We will probably start somewhere in the middle blocks (around Fourth Street) and move outward to Sixth and Second streets,” Jennings said.

Chamber President Christie Ellwood said she expects the event to not only showcase local talent but regional talent as well.

“We don’t want to be exclusive. We want to be inclusive,” Ellwood said. “We’d like to see people like Todd Berget with his sculptures to the little elderly lady who paints in her basement.”

Ellwood said she got the idea for the art show last year when she toured both the Sweetpea and SLAM festivals in Bozeman.

“Those were great shows, and we were thinking, ‘hey, this will work in Libby,’” Ellwood said. 

Mary Tevebaugh, president of Libby Fine Arts, Inc., said she is excited about the potential for the July art festival.

“There is an abundance of artists in Libby, and if this can bring everyone together — coordinate them — I see it as a very good and positive thing,” Tevebaugh said.

Tevebaugh said she still wants to learn more about the show. 

Local businessman Mark Managhan said he thinks it could be something good for Libby.

“It will be good for the downtown, and Libby, too. For the hotels,” Managhan said.