Craig Menteer, Artist
Performance Artist/Theater Artist/Visual Artist/Drummer
Art is a gift you give first to yourself—a gift of passion, craft, and beauty. It is a privilege and a responsibility to conduct research and set up choices, to make decisions and sacrifices, even as you create opportunities. Art is a verb. It is to communication what love is to life: something everything else is not. It can embrace paradox, make art of it even. It can dissolve indifference, charm people and offend them. It outlives politics. Artists inspire. I see art and artists helping direct society to a healthy relationship with the earth. To advance the work that must be done to help preserve our planet, an artist wrestles with beauty. Beauty charms, and beauty sells. They say that beauty is as beauty does—it resides not only in the subject or object beheld but in what that galvanises. But beauty itself is often sold, bought by the highest bidder. The resolution an artist comes to with beauty—to use beauty or be used by it—is critical. My art and pedagogy move toward civic engagement. I seek to grasp issues with wit, beauty, magnanimity & charm. I remain open to the gifts the artistic process yields.
Resume
Craig Menteer
1721 South Ninth West
Missoula, Montana 59801
Cell – 406 544 5357
manmenteer@gmail.com www.craigmenteerartist.com
Original Performance Work
AN XMAS PRESENT– Adaptation by the artist of A Christmas Carol w/film. Produced by artist at the Crystal Theatre, Missoula, 2009 and in Seattle, 2010.
LETTER TO AN IMAGINARY FRIEND– Original theater piece, text: Thomas McGrath’s epic poem of the same title. First Night Missoula, New York Fringe Festival, 2001; Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, 1999.
426 WORDS– “The Bill of Rights” with drumming. Created for MT Artists’ refuge fundraiser, Basin MT,1998.
BLUE HEGEMONY~ Multi-media performance piece commissioned by the MT Committee for the Humanities for the Columbus Quincentennial, 1992.
MAN AT WORK– Concert of solo performance pieces. Self-produced in Seattle, San Francisco, and Edmonton, Alberta, New York City and throughout Montana.
GENESIS~ The first book of Genesis with a shopping cart. Commissioned by the Center On Contemporary Art, Seattle and featured On KSPS Spotlight Series, 1989.
SCRAMBLERS~ Performance commissioned by the Seattle Arts Museum for the “Home Sweet Homeless” event, Seattle, 1987.
HOUSE ~ Original theater piece commissioned by the Montana Education Association, and subsequently performed at On The Boards, Seattle, 1995, Bumbershoot, 1995.
Acting/Traditional Theater by Company
ACT, Seattle
Seattle Repertory Theater
Montana Rep Missoula
New City Theater, Seattle
Magic Movers Dance Theater, University of Montana, Missoula
Spokane Interplayers Ensemble, Spokane, WA
Seattle Public Theater
Seattle Shakespeare Company
Directing
Work includes directing traditional representational theater as well as new forms combining media, dance and acting – sometimes called performance art. Professional theater directing credits include the Montana Repertory Theatre, Missoula and community theater productions in Missoula and around Montana.
Civic Engagement/Public Work
WildWalk Parade – Artistic Director and founder of parade created in 1992 and embraced by the City of Missoula to this day to celebrate the first day of The International Wildlife Film Festival. Originally created in a Montana Arts Council’s Artist-in-the-Schools-and-Communities Program.
Reverend Kenyon and the Church of Species Diversity and Wildlife Respect - Climate activism group created by the artist featuring preaching and singing by the Mama Gaia Choir
Montana Art Council Artist-in-the-Schools-and-Communities Program - Collaborating with school groups and community groups to create public-facing original performance.
Magic Mover’s Dance Theater – teaching dancer in company creating original dance theater with school children throughout the intermountain west.
Education
BA in Liberal Studies, University of Montana, 1977
MFA Theater/Acting, University of Montana, 1983
Awards
Cultural Vision Award, Arts!Missoula. 2024
Artist Fellowship, Montana Arts Council, 2002