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Voted #1 Radio Station in the Missoula Valley, Trail 1033's Official Podcast makes exclusive on-air interviews, performances, new music and interesting conversations available to you on demand.
Enjoy daily uploads following community interviews on the Morning Trail show with Robert Chase, occasional live performances from both new and landmark bands and artists. Check out the Lunchbox every weekday at Noon, as Mike Smith dishes up a great block of themed music, interviews and more. New music your thing? Every Tuesday 6PM-7PM, enjoy The New Show hosted and produced by Tommy Evans.
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MIKE SMITH:
Nice to have friends in the Trail studio today at KDTR-FM, Missoula. I'm Mike Smith, and we welcome in Carrie and Susie. How are you both? And also, thanks for coming in.
CARRIE RICHER:
Thank you for having us.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
We're doing pretty good this morning.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah. Well, it's nice to have somebody in here because I've been kind of talking to myself.
CARRIE RICHER:
We're here for you, Mike.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah.
So, Open Air is a really cool local nonprofit that has to do with the arts. Who wants to kind of explain it for somebody who's like, "Well, what is that?"
CARRIE RICHER:
I'll just drop a short little explanation.
I'm Carrie, and I'm the outreach coordinator.
Open Air does artist residencies across Montana with artists of all sorts—musicians, actors, writers, visual artists, painters, and everything in between. And we're place-based.
So all that art is process-based, and you get time to think about how your art is influenced by a certain place in Montana.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah, because art really interacts with the space, and that's really cool.
You're an artist yourself?
CARRIE RICHER:
I am. I actually was an artist in residence back in 2020, which is how I knew Open Air.
MIKE SMITH:
What's your medium?
CARRIE RICHER:
My medium? I make dance films.
MIKE SMITH:
Cool.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah, I made this cool dance film up at the fort—actually at Fort Missoula—for my residency, which was like deep COVID, so it was special.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah, that sounds special.
Cool. Just since we asked Carrie, are you an artist, Susie?
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
I do know the answer to this question, but I just want the people to hear.
Yes, I am an artist. I love sewing and knitting, and recently I've been really enjoying sewing patchwork clothing.
MIKE SMITH:
Yes. So, I've been meaning to bring you a couple of garments, including my—I’ve got a shirt that says "Mike Trail Guide," you know, as in radio.
And it's kind of like a mechanic shirt, and I've been meaning to bring that to you to have it embellished.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Yes, I would love to do that for you.
MIKE SMITH:
But you can do that for a lot of different outfits. What are some of the things that you sew and patch onto folks' clothing and material?
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Recently, I've been doing these kind of collage-y little raw-edge appliqués with different motifs.
I feel like I tend to sew on some good-luck charms and stars and hearts and fun little motifs.
MIKE SMITH:
Cool.
Nice. And you can kind of—I could say, "Well, I'm into these things," and you can kind of jump onto an idea.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Yeah. I can kind of jump onto an idea. I just did a couple of more Western-themed shirts, and there's, like, a Magic 8 Ball.
MIKE SMITH:
Yes. And they're cherry.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Yes, yes. I just did some horses.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
I did some rabbits recently.
MIKE SMITH:
You were set up at the Florence Hotel a while back.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Yes, I was doing a live sewing pop-up.
So people could bring me their clothes, and I had some patches. People would pick out their patches and bring me their clothes.
MIKE SMITH:
That is so cool. "Hey guys, I'm going to start sewing it up." It's a pop-up. Come on down and watch me.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
So it's been a lot of fun.
MIKE SMITH:
The end product is cool, and people can interact with it. That's great.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Yes.
Open Air Events
MIKE SMITH:
All right. So we move into the part of the discussion of Open Air and what you have coming up.
I know we've got First Friday to talk about, and then we have the mini golf event. Where should we start? Should we talk First Friday first?
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah, we should stay right in the Florence lobby where we were.
MIKE SMITH:
Okay. All right. Yeah, that's okay.
CARRIE RICHER:
And you should meet us there this Friday.
MIKE SMITH:
Beautiful spot, if folks haven't seen it.
CARRIE RICHER:
Gorgeous.
MIKE SMITH:
Would you say Art Deco? You're the artist. Would you say kind of a—?
CARRIE RICHER:
Definitely Art Deco. Yeah, it's a really fun historic building, and we'll be bringing some of the pieces from the live auction into the Florence building and highlighting some of the artists who are participating in our fundraiser.
We'll also have a sculpture from a mini golf hole last year for those who played mini golf and remember this "pelican" sculpture.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah, that was cool.
CARRIE RICHER:
We're bringing that, and people can play mini golf with it.
It was made by several different artists, some who were in residence with us: Caitlin Radolph of Saber II Studio, Jules Lacero, and Taylor Stein.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
And they're signed.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yes. And you put the ball right up the pelican's throat, and it's very satisfying.
MIKE SMITH:
I think it was our most popular hole.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah, I think so.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah.
CARRIE RICHER:
So it's returning.
MIKE SMITH:
And they were all great, and it was so much fun out at Fort Missoula this time.
CARRIE RICHER:
It returns to Bonner.
Missoula's Creative Community
MIKE SMITH:
But staying with that, and all the makers and all the artists and everything—I'm kind of, at this point, very pleasantly surprised at how much creativity is in our community.
CARRIE RICHER:
I know.
MIKE SMITH:
Is that something that you were aware of? It just kind of amazes me, the creativity that we have in our community.
CARRIE RICHER:
I think it was something that I was aware of, but not to the extent until I started working with Open Air and really getting to know more details of the people and what they make.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah.
CARRIE RICHER:
And just how much support there is for the arts in Missoula.
MIKE SMITH:
Yes.
CARRIE RICHER:
There's an abundance of really creative people.
MIKE SMITH:
And so when you are making your plan for First Friday tomorrow, definitely you can start—or you can end, maybe—at the Florence.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah. There's, like, a sweet cocktail bar.
MIKE SMITH:
I love that cocktail bar.
CARRIE RICHER:
And it's a really cool space, and we'll be there from five to eight, probably.
And you also get a peek at some cool auction art pieces.
MIKE SMITH:
Oh, cool.
The Open Air Auction
MIKE SMITH:
Okay. So next up, we have First Friday. Do we talk about the auction?
CARRIE RICHER:
Well, the auction is open now.
So you can actually go to our website and spy all these pieces and start bidding.
But it does culminate on Sunday, September 13th, at our mini golf thing.
That's when it closes that evening, and that's when the auction bidding will get, like—
MIKE SMITH:
Okay.
CARRIE RICHER:
You know, really—I don't know. It doesn't get gnarly. I don't know what auction bidding is yet.
MIKE SMITH:
It gets gnarly.
CARRIE RICHER:
It gets high.
MIKE SMITH:
There were a couple of people last year that were really going back and forth and back and forth on some of those pieces.
And Open Air and the artists—they benefit?
CARRIE RICHER:
Well, yeah. They get to pick a percentage for Open Air.
So it covers and benefits us. But, you know, we're all about the artists, and so money is going back to all those artists.
MIKE SMITH:
Because artists, musicians, and everybody needs to be paid for their work.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah, yes. It's hard work.
MIKE SMITH:
OpenAirMT.org.
CARRIE RICHER:
OpenAirMT.org if you want to follow along.
First Friday at The Florence
MIKE SMITH:
All right.
So just make that plan for tomorrow's First Friday to stop by the Florence Hotel, downtown Missoula.
You can grab a beverage. I know they've got some mocktails as well.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yes, thank you.
MIKE SMITH:
And alcoholic beverages.
And look around and get to know that space and everything that's going on there.
Should we switch over to mini golf now?
CARRIE RICHER:
We can.
Open Air Mini Golf Fundraiser
MIKE SMITH:
Okay. So this is a fundraiser. I attended last year. It was out at Fort Missoula. This year it's at Bonner Park.
CARRIE RICHER:
True.
MIKE SMITH:
You were telling me—why is Bonner Park significant to Open Air?
CARRIE RICHER:
Well, this is our neighborhood now.
Last October, we moved into a house right across from the tennis courts. We call it the Blue House, and that's where our artists live when they're in residence.
It has been a huge, huge thing for us to be able to house artists.
And we've gotten to expand our program because now we have housing all year long.
So we have alumni residences and winter opportunities and all kinds of stuff.
MIKE SMITH:
That is so great.
CARRIE RICHER:
But also, Bonner Park is our front yard.
MIKE SMITH:
Yeah. Here at the Trail, we just have that couch.
CARRIE RICHER:
You know, I'm not a musician.
MIKE SMITH:
A musician could sleep on that couch.
CARRIE RICHER:
No fancy Bonner Park house.
MIKE SMITH:
Okay.
Well, that's really cool. I'm glad that that came through.
And I remember when that news came through for Open Air.
And so the Blue House will be happening.
And then over in Bonner Park, how many holes in the mini golf tournament?
CARRIE RICHER:
We have an 18-hole course. That's the main course.
And then we will have five of what we call our Lazy River course. And it's a non-competitive, just smaller, all-ages course.
So, simpler holes. So there will be 23 total.
If I did my math correctly.
MIKE SMITH:
Yes.
MIKE SMITH:
Okay. All right.
And then I remember it will be like last year—you could, everybody could borrow a putter.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yes.
MIKE SMITH:
Oh, yeah. We got balls and putters from Missoula Mini Golf.
And artists have designed sort of on top of the Missoula Mini Golf bases.
CARRIE RICHER:
But because we really wanted 18 holes this year, a bunch of artists are designing their own bases.
MIKE SMITH:
Which is, like—I feel like—added complexity.
CARRIE RICHER:
I think so, too.
MIKE SMITH:
Yes.
Cool.
Refreshments. Will there be refreshments there?
CARRIE RICHER:
Yes, there will.
We will have a selection of beer and wine and some non-alcoholic options.
And we will have some of our really sweet board members and volunteers who will be slinging brats and hot dogs and sausage and peppers.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Addie would want us to say sausage and peppers.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah.
MIKE SMITH:
Okay.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yes.
MIKE SMITH:
All right. Also very important: when is it?
CARRIE RICHER:
Sunday, September 13th.
It's from 10 a.m. all the way to 7 p.m. And there'll be live music and, like, a block party from noon to 7.
MIKE SMITH:
All day.
That worked into my Sunday last year because I had some other things to do and some other things going on.
And it was just perfect to be able to drop in.
So I love the fact that that's what's happening there.
Anything else we need to talk about?
Mini Golf Details & Early Bird Tickets
CARRIE RICHER:
Well, like, one little thing that's different this year is we had people reserve tee times last year.
Right now, you can get an early-bird, like, discounted deal for showing up right at 10 a.m.
MIKE SMITH:
My kind of early.
CARRIE RICHER:
And then the rest is first come, first served.
So you can buy a ticket, but there's no set tee time.
MIKE SMITH:
Okay.
CARRIE RICHER:
Just roll in.
MIKE SMITH:
Are you—how's your game, Susie? Are you good at miniature golf?
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
You know, I wouldn't say I'm the most competitive person, but I have some lucky streaks every now and then.
But I'm more in it for the—I'm not in it to win. I'm in it to have fun.
MIKE SMITH:
Nice. Okay.
Yeah, me too.
CARRIE RICHER:
Me too.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
It's true.
More From Open Air MT
MIKE SMITH:
All right.
What else do we need to discuss in terms of Open Air and all that you do?
I encourage folks who are moved to show up for these two events.
One is First Friday. The putt-putt—the mini golf—is coming up on the 13th, Sunday.
And then also, you can just kind of get to know this organization at OpenAirMT.org.
CARRIE RICHER:
Yeah.
CARRIE RICHER:
Thanks a lot, Mike.
MIKE SMITH:
All right.
Any parting thoughts? Each of you want to have a parting thought?
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Ooh.
MIKE SMITH:
It could be about the event, could be about the day, could be anything.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
I am just hoping that we'll see some of you all there on Sunday, September 13th.
Thanks so much for having us, Mike.
MIKE SMITH:
Perfect.
CARRIE RICHER:
Okay.
My parting thought is we do have a fall roster of artist residencies and all kinds of free workshops and Indigenous programming.
So if you're intrigued, visit our website or our Facebook or Instagram and get on board.
MIKE SMITH:
All right.
Carrie, Susie, thank you so much for stopping by the Trail today.
SUSIE ELLIOTT:
Thanks for having us.
CARRIE RICHER:
Thank you.
[MUSIC]