Our History

The Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation (BSBAF) was formed in 1976 by the Butte Silver Bow Bi-Centennial Commission to promote the arts for residents of Butte and Southwest Montana.

Charles W. Clark Chateau

Originally, there were 18 members of the Bi-Centennial Commission, who raised the funds to purchase the Charles W. Clark Mansion in 1976 and gave it to the county of Butte Silver Bow.

A non-profit organization was formed in 1977 known as the Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation under IRS Code 501(c) 3 status to promote the arts using the Charles W. Clark Mansion under the name of The Arts Chateau as its base of operations. BSBAF made an agreement to maintain and restore The Charles W. Clark Chateau with annual support from the Butte Silver Bow Government.

Each year the BSBAF leases the Charles W. Clark Mansion, built in 1898, from the Butte Silver Bow County for area residents to use as a cultural center for the arts. Today this historical building, formerly known as The Art Chateau Museum and now known as The Charles W. Clark Chateau, is being renovated into Butte’s unique period museum from the early mining boom and is registered in the National Historic Landmark District.

Museum of Fine Arts Butte (MoFAB)

In addition to the main facility at The Charles W. Clark Chateau Museum, BSBAF expanded the cultural center programs to include a building in historic Uptown Butte known as the Museum of Fine Arts (MoFAB). At this locations, we are able to advance our mission by providing quality arts and humanity activities through our gallery, class space, studio space, event space, and increased community involvement.

The Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation has brought many national and international artists to Butte to provide a diversity of art and a diversity of cultures to the community of Butte. The following artists visited Butte in 2008:

• Mary Overlie — New York University Professor and Theatric Director known internationally for her education program Six View Points
• Nadia Guthmann — Artist in Residence from Argentina
• Jay Lazerwitz — Artist in Residence from Seattle, Washington
• Piotr Kurka — October 2008 Artist in Residence from Poland
• Nicole Befus — Internship student from Purchase College SUNY invested 150 hours of work for the BSBAF during the summer of 2008
• Doug Powell — Published and award winning poet for his books “Lunch” and “Tea”
• James Mangum — Published and award winning fiction writer
• Dionne Haroutunian — Published Artist and Director of the Sev Shoon Studio in Seattle, Washington
• Carla Hall — Great–granddaughter of William Clark, owner of the Carla Hall Design Group in New York City and Board of Director for the Corcoran School of Art and Design
• Rodney Thompson — Artist, business owner and architect of the Encaustic painters Society
• Louise Brooks — Harlem, NY artist
• Zack Mannheimer — Director of the Subjective Theater Company in Brooklyn, NY
• Darby & Cary Tijerina — Curators of the Oswald Gallery of Austin, TX and Jackson Hole, WY
• Aaron Jamison — Published artist and writer of “Veneer” art magazine
• Deborah Mitchell — Artist, Professor of Art and Gallery Curator at South Dakota School of Mines
• Anne Mooney — Internationally acclaimed museum architect and Professor of Architecture at the University of Utah
• John Sparrano — Internationally acclaimed museum architect
• University of Utah Graduate Students and Professors — Twenty–six graduate students are working on an Uptown Butte Revitalization Design Project

The Venus Rising Espresso House

The BSBAF's third facility is the Venus Rising Espresso House, which is located in the basement of the Metals Bank building in historic Uptown Butte. The move to the new location of the Venus Rising Espresso House occurred in November and December of 2008. The BSBAF provides numerous events for the community of Butte in this location. Such events include:

• Bi–Annual Montana Tech Unplugged — Students and faculty musicians of Montana Tech perform for an evening
• Monthly Open Mics — Local musicians perform for an evening
• Bi–Annual Poetry Palooza — Local writers read their poetry for an evening
• Artist Exhibits — Artists display their works in the gallery area of the Venus for substantial period of time

Annually, BSBAF receives support from the City of Butte, as well as other regional community and private funding sources. Our arts and humanities programs rely primarily on volunteers and local donations. The BSBAF Board of Directors is the governing body that administers and coordinates our business matters of our non-profit tax-exempt status 501 (c) 3 under the Internal Revenue Service code established in October 1977.

During the past 28 years, the Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation(BSBAF) Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and members have worked to care for the Charles W. Clark Chateau Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Butte (MoFAB), and the Venus Rising Espresso House; providing art, culture, heritage, and historic opportunities to an international audience.