Blog

A.L. Swanson Gallery and Craftsman Studio – Orvis Fly Box

Article By Brian D’Ambrosio To diversify is to bet on, rather than against, your own ingenuity. A.L Swanson’s business model is rich in diversification. He is sharp with developing his assets. Whether those assets are his products, his branding, or his relationships, he is adaptable and ready to rethink everything if things aren’t working. To […]

Ellen Baumler & Her Helena History Passion

By Brian D’Ambrosio, for the Helena Tourism Alliance Self-disciplined. Self-directed. Curious. These three words perhaps best describe Ellen Baumler, the Interpretive Historian at the Montana Historical Society. Since 1992, Baumler has made a career out of creating interpretive signs for historical sites in Montana, developing and writing walking tours of historic districts, successfully submitting National […]

Jmacs Pottery:
Jeremy McFarlane’s Journey

By Brian D’Ambrosio, for the Helena Tourism Alliance True health instills positive energy in the mind, body, and spirit. For Helena potter and business owner Jeremy McFarlane, true health is the feeling of digging his fingers into squishy clay and rotating wet soil into well-formed sundries. Indeed, the meaning of pottery in McFarlane’s life […]

Trout Creek Canyon

A perfect Montana hike for the family. This past weekend my kids and I headed up toward York, Montana to the Trout Creek Trail, near the Vigilante Campground. This area is about a 45-minute drive from Helena and most certainly worth the beautiful drive. Note: There is no cell phone reception in this area like many […]

Recycled Art: Artist Liz Harter Creates from Found Objects

By Brian D’Ambrosio Ziploc bags chock-full of upholstery tacks. Stash boxes of bolts, screws, pins, and thimbles. Tin cans jam-packed with fasteners. Overcrowded coffee cans of square nails. Liz Harter sees beauty in what is invisible to others. Surrounded with an assorted of castaway objects, just where they will go or how she decides to […]

Deaton Chaps – Helena Couple Hand-Produce Western Leggings

There is no doubt that Helena, Montana has hidden treasures galore. From gold of the 1860s, to hidden geocaches of the modern-day and now to hidden businesses. The creative, dedicated team work of Dennis & Sydney Deaton and their business Deaton Chaps proves to be another of Helena’s hidden gems. The Deatons are a great […]