Activate Rural: Montana Site Visit
The Activate Rural team traveled to Montana the week of March 23rd, 2026 to meet with partners and organizations doing inspiring, on-the-ground work in rural communities. The team road tripped through mountain passes and small towns between Missoula, Helena, and Butte, connecting with leaders and artists, and visiting local creative places.
Thank you to John and Jenny of Humanities Montana, Megan of Reframing Rural, and Monica of the Montana Arts Council for taking the time to meet and share their love of Montana rural communities with us.
Montana Trip Superlatives
Most Photo-Worthy Pit Stop: The Bray (Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts)
Tastiest Snacks: French Dip Pasties and Huckleberry Lemonade
Favorite Roadtrip Podcast: The Richest Hill by Nora Saks (produced by Montana Public Radio)
Biggest Surprise: Hot springs culture! (Did you know that there is usually a lost-and-found full of swimsuits if you forget yours?!)
Coolest Exhibition: A group show of contemporary ledger art called “Singing the Sky Into Place” at Radius Gallery
Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) believes in working with artists, cultural workers, and connectors to strengthen rural places by supporting the role of community assets—social, cultural, and built—as a lens to help communities investigate and celebrate their collective story: past, present, and future. Activate Rural supports third places, creative space use, and building activation projects—art galleries and cultural centers, creative coffee shops and taprooms, theaters, artist studios, performance and event venues, multi-use creative places, and more—that inspire, motivate, and open up possibilities for rural communities.