An artist who hand-carved herds’ worth of ponies for a carousel. A downtown art gallery heavy on Montana ceramics. A Rocky Mountain string ensemble. A free art supply business located at the base of a former grain elevator.
The annual Arts Missoula event recognizes people who’ve helped shape cultural life in the city.
The 2025 Missoula arts awards, presented by Arts Missoula, honored several individuals and groups, including carousel carver John Thompson for the Individual Artist Award and actor-educator Rosie Seitz Ayers for the Arts Educator Award. Other recipients included the String Orchestra of the Rockies for Cultural Vision, Radius Gallery for Business Support of the Arts, Giving Art to Missoula for New to the Zoo, and Laura Millin for the John Engen Cultural Ambassador Award.
John Engen Cultural Ambassador Award: Laura Millin in recognition of her 35-year leadership of the Missoula Art Museum.
Individual Artist Award: John Thompson for his work as a carousel carver and continued maintenance of the carousel horses.
Arts Educator Award: Rosie Seitz Ayers for her work as a teaching artist and in the theater community.
Cultural Vision Award: String Orchestra of the Rockies, a professional conductorless ensemble.
Business Support of the Arts Award: Radius Gallery for its support of local, regional, and national artists.
New to the Zoo Award: Giving Art to Missoula, a nonprofit that provides free art materials.
