Billings was my last stop in Montana. There were some interesting goings-on in Billings, such as the graffiti alley. I had parked on the edge of town and walked toward the city center, and the first thing I encountered was the alley. I thought there were some good images on the wall. Much of the expression of “new art”…although jumbled and sometimes tagged, featured thoughtful and well-done images. Some of the images were similar across cities, and there were many appearances of the term “DUMFUK” above the message of the Salton Sea ruins created by Guero loko. At the time, I thought it was a commentary on the mental capacity of Guero loko, but it seemed to be in many places concentrated new art.
Billings had traditional art, although somewhat surreal, on the traffic control boxes downtown. They were great images. Although more formal, they show a commitment to design. I think it was a state program for signal boxes. Not sure if it was a closed-loop system.
I walked the alleyways when I visited these towns. So …In Billings, I hit the holy grail of art defining space. Behind a bar that in the past has featured music, I came across a mural that featured all sorts of rock and roll stars. There was a purple background to define the canvas. While I was taking the photos, a woman was sitting in a vehicle behind me who said she had owned the club and was amazed that I found the mural. She was very proud of the work…as she should be.
I picked up a booklet from the Business Improvement office, and I found that notable Vassar Grad Hazel Hunkins is from Billings. Sher earned a Chemistry degree from Vassar in 1916 and could not find a job in Billings because of her sex. I spent time during the 60’s visiting at Vassar and knew the name Hazel Hunkins.
I was not as impressed with the town center with a tent-like structure over the top of the town’s main intersection. I am not sure if it looked like what they took down in Las Cruces, but if it is, I know why Las Cruces took it down. It is too complicated of a structure and holds a pall over the intersection.
The historic inventory showed a lot of diversity, was very well maintained, and featured attention to detail.
There were many people on the street, and there was no social distancing at Montana Brewing Company, which was packed at lunchtime. I believe that this exemplified the alternative approach to the virus. During the last days of lockdown in Billings, people asked, “what lockdown?”.