The Basin Art Mine has made its debut. The arts center, privately developed and renovated over the past year by former Montana Artists Refuge members Bryher Herak and Mary Jane Williams, hosted an evening of poetry, theater, and music at its nearly finished facility on Sunday, July 14.
Over 140 community members attended “Notes for the Sweet Apocalypse,” which threaded dramatic readings, dances, and musical performances throughout a theatrical play scripted and staged by Kennesaw State University (KSU) Theater and Performance Studies faculty member Margaret Baldwin Pendergrass and Williams.
“It was a beautiful thing, and all the players who worked on it were very sweet, talented people,” said Williams. “A tremendous amount of work went into this. But when people are really committed to working together, in harmony, and are willing to step out of their comfort zone, it’s so exciting. It’s almost revolutionary!”
Fourteen actors from across the country filled out the cast for “Notes for the Sweet Apocalypse,” which was choreographed by KSU Assistant Professor of Directing Marlon Burnley. They were joined by belly dancers from Helena-based dance ensemble Queen City Fusion Dance. A jazz ensemble, which included Williams on her trombone, was led by prominent jazz musician Cynthia Hilts, who has performed in festivals, concerts, and clubs across North America and Africa. Hilts and Williams were joined by Montana jazz musicians Lhanna Writesel, Naomi Seigel, and Ed Stallings. The evening was also punctuated with performances from the Indigenous drum group “Magpie Drum”.
“I’m really excited about any opportunity to bring more theater to the area,” said JHS theater director Mike Hesford, who attended the evening’s performances. “They’ve really done a great job opening the space up, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with all this.”
“Notes for the Sweet Apocalypse” also included a gallery showing from photographer Kate Huston, whose work is also presently displayed at the the Basin Art Gallery. The photographs were of abandoned homesteads and mining spaces across Montana, and reinforced the evening’s focus on reclamation and repurposing. Former Montana Poet Laureate Melissa Kwasny also recited an original piece “The Stone Cottage”, from her recently released new collection “The Cloud Path”. Poetry was also recited by Burnley and Willow Sheehan, a Basin resident who works in Helena as a geneticist.
For the Art Mine’s leaders, the evening marked the realization of a long-held dream. “It was really Bryher who saw this place and recognized how many wonderful things could happen here,” said Williams. “Her vision of taking this abandoned building and reclaiming it as a creative space for art is what led us to today. It’s been a dream come true.”
The Basin Art Mine intends to complete renovations over the course of the next six months, and hopes to organize another event by next winter.
