ABOUT US

Mission: To Make the Arts Thrive

Sweet Grass Arts Alliance (SGAA) is growing into the organization it wants to be within the community. As it grows, the Board has determined that the identity and visibility of SGAA, as well as fundraising and building relationships with contributors, needs to be a strong force toward achieving its stated purpose. We believe contributors should feel some level of ownership of SGAA's envisioned future. 

Current Sweet Grass Arts Alliance Board Members:

Shirley Layne

Joe Hansen

Kathy Agnew

Mimi Cremer

Deanna Novotny

Karen Tuscano

Brooke Metcalf Bare

Larry Field

Bob Zaideman, Advisory Board

Sweet Grass Arts Alliance Envisioned Future

Sweet Grass Arts Alliance's vision for the future is that Big Timber will be the center for the visual, performance, and literary arts in Southern Montana. The business community will be thriving, in part, because of an influx of people who visit or move here to create or buy art, take art classes, or participate in the creative spirit and atmosphere. The community will be vibrant and new jobs will be created as a result of all of the art-related enterprises. 

History of Sweet Grass Arts Alliance (SGAA)

Sweet Grass Artists Alliance (SGAA) was formed in 2007 by community leaders and local artists who envisioned an organization that would develop into a strong local artists’ community.  From early planning meetings, three priorities emerged: Staging Public Art Shows; Offering Arts Workshops;  Creating a Community Art Gallery.  A space for the envisioned art gallery was leased (in what is now the Community Thrift Shop), monthly art shows were held, and art workshops were offered to help local artists improve their skills.

In 2009, Claire (Deede) Philips donated funding to purchase the building at 226 McLeod and Two Rivers Gallery became a reality.

In 2010, Sweet Grass Arts Alliance became a 501c3 organization with a separate Board of Directors, and in addition to supporting the art gallery, expanded its mission to include Music, Drama, Dance, Film, Photography, and Writing, and adopted the mission:  “We Make the Arts Thrive” in Sweet Grass County.  SGAA continues to lease the gallery space to Two Rivers Gallery which has its own Board of Directors who manage the Gallery.

In 2018 SGAA launched a major community fund drive to purchase State Cinema. and after giving it a new name, “Sweet Grass Arts Theater,” is continuing a very long tradition of showing current movies. The theater building also provides a venue for many SGAA events.