SigMT

Hayley Lenington-Leray SiG MT 10 FROM THE EDITOR Hayley Lenington-Leray, editor hleray@winston-publishing.com S MT I don't consider myself an art connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a deep admiration for the resilience and grit it takes to be an artist. ey have an artistic DNA, unlike anyone else's –I like to refer to it as the genius gene. Artists are society's bastions of empathy and instigators of new perspectives. But to be successful, they must master two diametrically opposed disciplines –creativity and business. It's a bit of an idiosyncratic endeavor… allowing the intuitive right brain to coexist with the empirical le brain. is August, when the Western art world rendezvous in Great Falls, Montana, for a special edition of Western Art Week, over 400 of the nation's top Western artists will share their artistic endeavors with aesthetes from all over the globe. For the first time in Signature MT's 13-year history, and to accommodate art lovers, collectors, and the occasional lookie-loos, we have inserted Portfolio, an official guide to Western Art Week Special Edition in Great Falls. While we usually circulate Portfolio as a stand-alone publication during this event, inserting it into this issue gives our readers a precursor of what to expect as well as a navigational tool should they decide to experience Western art through the interpretational eyes of each artist. ere is much insight to be gained by reading about the many art shows, artists, and artwork in this special insert. It's our way of helping you explore Western art, even if you can't do so in person. In typical Signature MT fashion, we have packed this issue full of insightful stories that run the gamut of creators, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who strive to make or have made the world a beer place. Dr. Maurice Hilleman, an unassuming farm boy from Montana, grew up raising chickens on his family farm in Miles City. at same farm boy would later go on to develop 14 lifesaving vaccines that all but obliterated childhood diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella, jut to mention a few. We give a tip-of-the-hat farewell to "Storyteller in Bronze", Jay Joseph Contway, one of the most legendary creators in the world of Western art, next to Charlie Russell. Entrepreneurship takes shape on the Great Alone Cale Company Ranch near Two Dot, Montana, as fourth-generation, Lanie White, builds added value into their longtime cale commodity. And now that we are out and about once again, it's time to venture over to Rimini. Where is that? at is exactly what I said when writer, Holly Matkin said, "How about a Day Trip feature on one of Montana's once- bustling mining districts?" Turns out, it's a hidden gem nestled in a lush, forested area between Red Mountain and Lee Mountain southwest of Helena. Who knew! is is a teasing taste of what awaits in this issue of Signature MT Magazine. Take a break, grab a refreshing beverage and dive headfirst into this riveting issue of Montana's favorite magazine. We promise you won't be disappointed. E D I T O R'S L E T T E R

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