Missoula Rabble: December 16
Missoula Rabble started as a bet among coworkers about taking a photo a day. It has turned into one of the more entertaining Facebook pages in Montana. It recently put out its first book. The Montana Mint and Missoula Rabble are teaming up to bring the best of this page to a broader Montana audience. Be sure to check out Missoula Rabble’s Facebook page here.
Jillian
Jillian has two passions: animals and art. And she has discovered a unique way of combining her two loves by painting pet portraits for people. “I paint pet portraits for people who have living pets or pets that have passed on as memorials,” she said. Jillian’s main influence is Andy Warhol so although she does paint realistic painting of pets, she also paints pop art portraits with hints of Warhol’s style in each one “Pop art tends to be more of my popular version,” she said. “This day in age people like the funky and different so instead of a black dog he can be painted purple.” Jillian’s personal love for her own pets has made this gig a fulfilling one for her. “I’m the over-the-top, stupid pet lover,” she said. “I buy my pets toys all the time, they have clothes, and I’m horrible about punishing them. I get these people who love their animals just as much as I do.” I asked Jillian what she receives as a result of painting people’s pets. “I love seeing the reaction from people. It’s a look of disbelief,” she said. “They can forever have this memory. It’s a special way to capture their animal.” I asked Jillian to explain to me, a person whose never owned anything but a fish, the “pet connection.” “It’s almost an addiction. A pet addiction,” she said. “Pets are proven to be therapeutic. I will always have a dog. Always.”
Greg
Greg so kindly humored me and gave me a dramatic pose. He is a musical theatre performer and has been working for the Missoula Children’s Theatre for 20 years. He’s watched it grow into what it is today. “A lot of people don’t realize that MCT is the largest touring theatre in the country and we send people all over doing plays with kids in local communities,” he said. “When I started back in ’93 we had 15 teams on the road. Now, during our peak season, we have 45 teams on the road.” He graduated from one of the top musical training programs in Cincinnati. “People that I graduated with went straight to Broadway,” he said. Greg took a different route. He attended a mass audition for several companies all over the country. “I got called back by MCT and I never considered working with kids,” he said. “When I heard what the company did I fell in love with it.” I asked him what it’s like working with kids in theatre. “It’s so humbling because they’re so open to any impulses. They’ll just go with it and just how open they are when you believe in them,” he said. “When I was touring with Wizard of Oz we would give Dorothy a 40-page script on Monday and say have this memorized by Wednesday and they did because nobody ever told them that was hard.” I asked Greg why he loves musical theatre. “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, to be quirky and odd and strange,” he said. “I love things that are way out there and acting always gives you permission to do those things, wild and weird. Probably being so dramatic had a part in both my divorces. You take life as it comes and it’s been a fun ride.”
Gen and Araya
Gen and Araya were out taking a walk when I stopped them. Araya, 3, was more interested in the trees and peddling fast than me but her mom was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions. I asked Gen what it’s like being a mom. “It’s not like anything else I’ve done in my entire life,” she said. “I don’t think anything can prepare you for being a mom. It’s probably the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me as well.” Araya sprinted down the sidewalk in her bike and we chased her down. “There’s definitely good and bad,” she said. “It just changes you.” I asked Gen how it has changed her. “Just experiencing that love between you and your child,” she said. “Your heart grows bigger.”
Tristan
Tristan made the decision to drop out of high school this year. “The teachers weren’t really on my side,” he said. “I couldn’t get along with the students they were bringing in.” I asked Tristan what he thought of the school system. “I think that a lot of the schools, they try to do good,” he said. “But a lot of the individual teachers pick favorites and throw other kids under the bus. Kids are starting to fall through the cracks and go unnoticed.” I asked what would have worked better for him to stay in school. “More one on one time, a lot more hands on kinda stuff,” he said. “Smaller classes.” Tristan says he plans on getting his GED and a part time job to help fund what he wants to do which is travel and spin fire. He practices with juggling sticks and has been spinning fire for about eight months. “It’s kind of got a little zen to it,” he said. “It’s really calming. It gave me a healthy respect for fire.” I asked him what his plans are for the future. “To live in the moment,” he said. “I don’t plan too much. Plans never really work out anyways. Do what you do.”
Lee
“It was funny, two days after my 8-year anniversary I ordered a virgin Bloody Mary because I really like tomato juice,” Lee said. “They didn’t make me a virgin Bloody Mary and after 8 years it was my first sip of vodka and for thirty minutes my throat was burning. I had this whole emotional response and was like, ‘It’s okay. It doesn’t mean that I relapsed.'” She was all smiles and laughter telling the story. Lee is one of those faces I’ve seen around town and used this as my chance to actually talk to her. I asked her to describe her addiction experience. “I think I got into all my trouble really young,” she said. “I sort of hot my bottom before I was even twenty-one.” She is a singer, a hairstylist, beautiful, and now she’s got a bun in the oven. “I’m growing a baby,” she said and laughed. “[My husband’s] a crazy clown. He’s like a big kid. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought, ‘If we have a boy I’m going to die.’ Now I know that it’s a girl I feel really happy.” And finally I asked her to describe her musical side. “I grew up with blues and jazz,” she said. “I definitely thought I was a black woman from age 4 to 12. Sometimes I still think I am.”
“Missoula Rabble is proof that everyone does have a story to tell. I started to profile people on the street and the overwhelming response from the public made me realize this was going to be something special.”
– Ashley McKeee, Creator of Missoula Rabble
All Photo and content credits to Ashley McKee
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