Did you know that Bozeman has a Coop of artists? The Artists’ Gallery in the Emerson Cultural Center is a coop of over 20 local artists and craftspeople. Works range from oils and watercolors to glass, wood, metal, pottery and hand-painted silk.
 
During the month of August the gallery will be featuring the work of a silk painter and a watercolor artist.  Kaye Light is showing her hand-painted silk scarves.
Kevin Heaney will be displaying his watercolor paintings of Montana landscapes and western ghost towns.
 
Ever since reading an article in Threads magazine in 1992 about painting on silk Light has been hooked on this medium.  She still finds that watching dyes being absorbed by the fibers of silk to create saturated colors and interesting designs is immensely addictive. Her work at the Gallery is a display of hand-painted silk scarves. Her designs are often bright and bold in both color and pattern. HER WORK can be found at galleries and shops throughout Montana, as well as in Idaho and Washington.
 
Heaney’s paintings and drawings capture the memories of his Montana roots. He has been capturing ghost towns of the West for over 30 years in his paintings and drawings.  The Bannack Day posters for 1994, 1995, 1996 were painted by Heaney and presented to the Governor of Montana. His work has been in several magazines and is included in the permanent collections of libraries, colleges, schools and offices throughout Montana and Nevada. He maintains a studio in Gallatin Gateway, Montana.
 
Light and Heaney’s work is featured throughout the month of August and at the Arwalk to be held on Friday, August 8th from 5-8 pm. Come and have a glass of wine and meet the artists at this event. Located in the Emerson Cultural Center, Suite 106.

For Brett Baker, president and CEO of Bozeman-based Microbion Corporation, the interplay of industry and academic science showcased by Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering is a critical ingredient in the development of new medical technology, particularly in one area of human health – biofilm-related infections.
 
“I really see it as a matter of saving lives, considering we have close to 100,000 people dying each year in the U.S. from infections they acquired in a hospital environment, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control 2013 report, over 23,000 each year die from antibiotic-resistant infections,” said Baker, who will be attending the CBE meeting of industrial associates and scientists in Bozeman this week.
 
CBE’s biannual meetings bring members from CBE’s Industrial Associates program, which includes 33 companies, many of which are Fortune 500 companies, together with dozens of MSU faculty and students to discuss the latest science regarding biofilms.
 
Biofilms are communities of bacteria that mount defenses and attach to surfaces, making them more resistant to antibiotics, cleaning agents and other treatments than individual bacteria that float freely in blood, water or other medium. Plaque on teeth is a biofilm.
 
Biofilms can be extremely damaging, accounting for billions of dollars yearly in the U.S. in industrial downtime for equipment repair and cleaning, as well as health problems, including chronic wound infections, tooth decay and infections on medical implants. Increasingly, MSU scientists are showing that biofilms also can be engineered for beneficial uses, such as cleaning up environmental pollution.
 
Whether you are a global energy giant like BP or a small, emerging clinical-stage biotech company like Microbion, Baker said companies join CBE’s Industrial Associates program because it gives them access to leading-edge scientists, both through partnering in research and through the sharing of science during the meetings.
 
“These meetings are so well attended (by those in the biofilm field) because the Center for Biofilm Engineering is recognized as the world’s foremost biofilm research institute,” Baker said. “In fact, I would have moved my company practically anywhere in order to have such close proximity to the CBE – the fact that it is located in Montana has been a welcome bonus to me and my family.”

Baker said Microbion is getting set to partner with another Bozeman-based company, BioScience Laboratories, to carry out clinical testing of Microbion’s new drug designed to combat antibiotic-resistant, biofilm-related orthopedic infections. The contract work, which is being completed for Food and Drug Administration submission purposes, will be paid for in part by an $84,875 grant from Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology, which provides funding through the Montana Department of Commerce. The MBRCT has also awarded Microbion and the CBE a previous, larger grant, which resulted in discoveries that were published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology in 2011.
 
That state-funded research is just one instance of how the university’s research environment helps industry leverage the best science on biofilms to develop commercial technology, Baker said.
 
While Microbion is headquartered in Bozeman due to the presence of the CBE, several other biotech companies in Montana are direct spin-offs from research started at MSU, including Bacterin, Biosurface Technologies and Sustainable Bioproducts.
 
The CBE’s biannual meetings are another example of how the institute provides for collaboration between industry research and development teams and top academic and clinical scientists.
 
“These meetings are a great way for us to connect the dots between what we do here in our labs at the Center for Biofilm Engineering and what is happening in the clinics,” Stewart said. “We’ll be able to hear from a speaker like Randy Wolcott, who operates one of the only biofilm-centric wound care clinics in the country, as well as those who have conducted preliminary research here at MSU on some of the products that he uses to successfully treat chronic wounds.”
 
Stewart said the approaches the medical establishment and pharmaceutical industry take on biofilms continue to evolve. The cutting-edge nature of the field underscores the importance of the partnerships between academic science and industry that are fundamental to CBE, he added.
 
Since CBE was founded, the support of industry has helped fund the institute. In the past year, CBE scientists conduced 73 research projects for 48 industrial sponsors. That relationship also helps to promote further investigation into pure science, as well as the education of undergraduate and graduate students at MSU.
 
“CBE does many things, from technology transfer, to the illumination of new ways of thinking about how biofilms work fundamentally, to the education and training of the next generation of scientists, who we hope will go on to do their own groundbreaking research or start their own biotech companies,” Stewart said.

The Bozeman Film Festival screened 23 contemporary, independent and international films this past season in the Emerson's Crawford Theater. Thank you for supporting our year-round commitment to showing films that entertain, engage and foster an understanding of the world around us. Beginning this fall, we are changing our name to The Bozeman Film Society to better reflect bimonthly screenings of important, original films you won't find at the multiplex, along with fascinating guest speakers and special events.
 
Our 2014-2015 Season Sponsor Drive is now in full swing! We invite you to join us as a Bozeman Film Society underwriter-it's a great way to show that your business supports quality, independent cinema in the Gallatin Valley. Get some great exposure-contact info@bozemanfilmsociety.org by July 25th to find the sponsorship commitment / benefit level that best suits your needs.
 
Kicking off the BFS 2014-2015 season Saturday, August 23rd is our popular outdoor film series, 'Screen on the Green: 2014.' Join us for an evening of free film under the stars on the spacious, west lawn of The Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture. This summer, the event takes a scarier, more mature-themed turn with the wonderfully chilling 1978 Sci-Fi remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

There are a few openings left for the morning (9am-12noon) session of the upcoming Popular Music for Piano Camp at MSU. Camp takes place the week of August 11-15th. Discounted tuition for early registration (before July 28) is $250. After that date tuition is $275. Materials are included in the tuition fee.

For more information, visit our website. I've also attached the registration form and press release.
http://www.montana.edu/music/popmusicforpiano/

To hear the songs the students wrote and recorded at the camp this past June at Concordia University Chicago, please visit: http://concordiapiano.bandcamp.com/

Mountain biking is in full gear at Big Sky Resort with a new machine-built beginner downhill trail and a new flow trail connecting the Mountain Village to the Moonlight Lodge. Lift access mountain biking is now accessible from both the Swift Current and Explorer chair lifts.

Easy Rider is the new beginner mountain bike trail accessed from the top of the Explorer chair lift, operating in its first year, which provides an introduction to beginner downhill mountain biking. Easy Rider touches on the aspects of a freeride trail with subtle rollers and gentle berms at a really low angle. The Explorer chair lift has been equipped with sturdy hooks to safely transport bikes to the top of the chair lift.

For the advanced downhill mountain biker, the Swift Current chair lift has been outfitted with new bike carrier trays able to move up to three bikes at a time. The new bike trays are more efficient and safe to transport downhill mountain bikes to the top of the chair lift which has access to 14 downhill trails.

A new connector trail, Otter Way, has been built by Terraflow Trails connecting Big Sky Resort’s Mountain Village and Moonlight Lodge. This intermediate trail is a two mile long singletrack-in- the-woods experience with friendly berms, fun rollers, and ups and downs on this wide dual direction trail. The new Otter Way trail enhances the already 20+ miles of easy to moderate cross country trails on Big Sky Resort’s Moonlight terrain. Guided Scenic Bike Tours are available on the Southside Road on Moonlight terrain. New Specialized FSR Comp EVO cross country bike rentals and scenic bike tours are available at the Different Spokes Bike Shop in the Mountain Village.

Every Tuesday Big Sky Resort hosts the Hike, Bike, Barbeque on the deck of the Moonlight Lodge where Big Sky team members guide an hour and a half complimentary hike or bike ride on the Moonlight Terrain followed by a casual barbeque with live music and family fun.

Gear up for the Lone Peak’s Revenge ENDURO Race presented by Gallatin Alpine Sports on Saturday, August 16th. A scenic, technically challenging and physically demanding, course linking some of the best trails on Lone Peak and Andesite Mountain. There will be timed descent stages linked with untimed climbs.

Visit www.bigskyresort.com/bikes for mountain bike season pass and lift ticket information and www.bigskyresort.com/events

FERROUS WHEEL DESIGN is pleased to announce that the popular home décor publication, HGTV Magazine, featured Bozeman’s Ferrous Wheel Design in their current (July/August) issue. The magazine has a circulation of more than 1.25 million.

The article titled, “SHOP THE 50 NIFTY UNITED STATES” takes the reader through state-themed accessories that let you show your home turf pride. Representing Montana is Ferrous Wheel Design’s signature Montana Chalkboard available in Classic School Black and Wood Grain Brown. The chalkboard set includes a  custom eraser, chalk tray, and a colorful array of chalk.

Brian White, Product Developer and Co-Owner says of the article, “We were honored that our Montana chalkboard was chosen to represent Montana. As a fifth generation Montanan, this product line culminates my passion and love of Montana. When designing the piece, we wanted to integrate that rural school board look with a modern twist. The set is a fun gift or terrific way to show your love for Montana.”

FERROUS WHEEL DESIGN, a home décor business, launched in March 2014 on the online commerce site etsy.com. Shortly after, FERROUS WHEEL DESIGN was contacted by an HGTV representative about being featured in the magazine article. Now offering more than forty home décor sculptures and design accessories, FERROUS WHEEL DESIGN products can be found in Bozeman at TART gallery and in Livingston at the BHIVE gallery.  Select sculptures will be on display at the Danforth Gallery in Livingston through July 20 with a launch event this Friday, June 27 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm.

More about Ferrous Wheel Design:  Brian + Suzi White are professional artists and product designers making handmade modern home accessories made of any and all types of recycled metal and wood materials. Products range from faceted metal animal sculptures to reclaimed tractor stools to vertical gardens. Working in conjunction with interior designers and private homeowners, we love to create custom pieces.

The BETCy EFRC was one of only 10 new centers funded in the latest round of grants, which totaled $100 million and drew more than 200 proposals. Another 22 recipients received renewed grants based both on their achievements since the first round five years ago and the quality of their proposals for future research.

Centers selected in the second round are charged with laying the scientific groundwork for fundamental advances in solar energy, electrical energy storage, carbon capture and sequestration, materials and chemistry by design, biosciences, and extreme environments, said U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz when he announced the latest recipients on June 18.

“Today, we are mobilizing some of our most talented scientists to join forces and pursue the discoveries and breakthroughs that will lay the foundation for our nation’s energy future,” Moniz said. “The funding we’re announcing today will help fuel scientific and technological innovation.”

These particular institutions decided to work together because the researchers involved are leaders in the field and have a combination of complementary expertise necessary to accomplish the ambitious goals of the center’s research, Peters said.

Ten years to the day of Alara Jewelry opening its doors in downtown Bozeman, the self-named “Ladies of Alara” invite their customers, friends, and community to celebrate with a full day of activities.

Starting from opening at 10am until closing at 8pm, Alara Jewelry invites everyone to partake in storewide discounts unlike anything the gallery has ever offered.  

“We recognize that our success has everything to do with the warm decade-long welcome the people of Montana have extended to us.  We have not had a storewide, general public sale outside of Crazy Days, and we thought this would be the perfect time to do so,” says Babs Noelle, owner of Alara Jewelry.  Discounts range from 30% with the purchase of one item to 50% for the purchase of three.

There will also be a barbeque from 11am to 2pm for those stopping by, kindly manned by Big Sky Youth Empowerment.  

Noelle adds, “BYEP is Alara’s benefitting nonprofit for the month of July, and this sale will be no exception.  We are excited by the prospect of sharing our sales success with this remarkable nonprofit.”

For those out after work and over the age of 21, a signature cocktail will be served inside the store from 6pm to 8pm.  “We have long prided ourselves on providing a fun and social atmosphere, so of course we want to highlight that during our important milestone shindig,” says Noelle.  “And to provide cutting-edge entertainment during the evening, we are proud to present The Trap Door Project, an innovative dance crew that combines the modern sounds of electronic dance music with the rhythms and energy of live tap dancing.”

Every adult stopping by Alara will receive a chance to win a cruise package.  An additional cruise package will be awarded to the Alara customer who brings by the oldest custom piece crafted by Noelle.

Alara Jewelry is located at 42 W. Main Street in downtown Bozeman.  Their 10th Anniversary Shindig takes place on July 17th from 10am to 8pm.