Challis Arts CounciL at the MadDog Gallery 632 E. Main Street, Challis, ID 83226

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Challis Arts Council A Home for the Arts

About Us

Who We Are

Mission:

The Challis Arts Council is a 501c3 non-profit organization conceived in 1988 to promote the arts and humanities in Custer County.

Our History:

The Challis Arts Council purchased the MadDog Gallery in 2007 located on Main Street. We are committed to granting greater community access to local and non-local artists, the arts, and cultural organizations. It has become a dynamic center to educate, enlighten and engage current and future artists, young and old alike.

Volunteers throughout the year manage the programs that include performance, reading and visual arts exhibitions.

We are located at the MadDog Gallery 632 E. Main Street, PO Box 1131, Challis, ID 83226.

(208) 879-2745.

challisarts@custertel.net

Hours: Tuesday through Friday:

Noon to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Upcoming Shows

5/10/2025

Castaway Ceramics Workshop

12:00 P.M.

-

3:00 P.M.

MadDog Gallery

Event Details

5/10/2025

Castaway Ceramics Workshop

Build your own Charcuterie Board with James Wilson/ Castaway Ceramics. Fun and informative. $40.00 fee. Contact Melissa at MadDog Gallery...

Event Details

12:00 P.M.

-

3:00 P.M.

MadDog Gallery

6/6/2025 to 7/19/2025

Laura Feeney - Loops

6:00 P.M.

MadDog Gallery

Event Details

6/6/2025 to 7/19/2025

Laura Feeney - Loops

"Inspired by austere landscapes and the somatic expressions they evoke, I’m a textile and book artist searching for deep place while explori...

Event Details

6:00 P.M.

MadDog Gallery

We Need you

Flow in the Forest Artist in Residence Program

Art has inspired us to preserve our national public lands since the late 1800s, beginning with the National Park Service. Extending this heritage to our National Forests, the Salmon-Challis National Forest is putting out a call for artists to participate in an Artist in Residence program.

About the Artist in Residence Program

The program will connect artists with Forest Service employees to create a collaborative relationship, with the natural ecosystems, heritage and wilderness that are abundant on the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The central Idaho area is home to the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness as well as the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers. The artists selected will have the opportunity to stay in remote cabins, such as Seafoam Guard Station (about 20 miles from Stanley) that sit on the edge of wilderness. The length of the residency will depend in part on the applicants and will run between 2-4 weeks, during late June through September. The artist will work 20 hours a week assisting Forest Service personnel, helping maintain the guard station, checking campgrounds, interacting with the public and maintaining trails. The artist will have enough time to work on their art. Program participants will create a piece of art that will be donated to the Salmon-Challis National Forest. They will also present their art to a local community, preferably near their residency. This program is partnering with the Challis Arts Council to benefit the local community by sharing the artist’s experience in the Forest through art.

The selected artists will have the opportunity to decide on the location of stay during their residency. Most guard stations are accessible by a dirt road; however, they are many miles from the closest town and are relatively primitive, some have no electricity, and most do not have wifi/cell service. The artists will be offered opportunities to work in the field with Forest Service employees on a variety of projects to improve and maintain public lands.

The artist residents will sign a volunteer agreement with the US Forest Service. The artists are responsible for their own personal transportation to Idaho. Housing will be provided and possibly a stipend. Artists working with all types of medias are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be 18 years of age. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our local community and connecting us to our public lands through your creativity.

How to Apply

Please complete the attached application form, attach a current professional artist resume or CV. Also, attach examples of your work, uploaded electronically during the online application process. Submit applications to Audra:0) Serrian at audra.serrian@usda.gov by 11:59PM on May 1, 2025.

For More Information

Please feel free to contact Audra:0) Serrian, SZ Recreation Technician, at the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger Station at (208) 838-3315 or audra.serrian@usda.gov.

New Partnership

CusterTel and Challis Arts Council partner on new gallery site.

When CusterTel recently completed renovations to its Challis office, it offered a much more customer -friendly reception area, but also created an expansive blank wall as a focal point of the space. CusterTel General Manager JD Bennetts and Challis Arts Council (CAC) President Anna Means saw this "blank canvas" as a small gallery space for regional artists to exhibit work for and about Central Idaho and formed a community partnership to get it done.

The new space will feature shows quarterly.

For further information, please call the CAC office at 208-879-2745.

Photo Description: CusterTel General Manager JD Bennetts and Challis Arts Council President Anna Means are all smiles as they inaugurate the first painting exhibit at CusterTel's newly renovated front office. The two organizations will feature shows focusing on Challis and the region quarterly. Up now are paintings by Teresa Wade of Salmon, ID. See our Featured Artists tab for her work.

CusterTel General Manager JD Bennetts and Challis Arts Council President Anna Means.

Our Gift Shop

Gifts for Everyone

Our gift shop offers unique, one-of-a-kind gifts made by local artists. Come by and see what great items we have to offer for any budget.

Support our local arts council

Our talented artists keep our inventory active. Take home a treasure from Idaho today!

SEEKING NEW ARTISTS!

Challis Arts Council is seeking new artistic work to showcase in its MadDog Gallery (Challis, Idaho) gift shop. MadDog presents seven exhibitions a year in its main gallery, as well as maintains a gift shop in part of the building. The gallery has enjoyed steady patronage from locals and visitors alike.The Council promotes emerging artists through both venues and is currently seeking new work for the gift shop and exhibition proposals for the main gallery. Apply: challisarts@custertel.net

Become a Member

Members are the heart of Challis Arts Council. These fine individuals and local organizations realize the importance of nurturing and expanding our local artists' talents. Membership accounts for over a third of all incoming funds to help us operate. We also receive a portion of our funding through grants from the Idaho Commission of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and other public or private entities.

Membership is open to all. Anyone with an interest in keeping art alive in our community is encouraged to join. Become a member today! Fill out the Get in Touch form at the bottom of the website.

Challis Arts Council

Volunteer

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. They help set up and take down for gallery shows, change out displays in the gift shop, help on Saturdays during heavy traffic months, write grants, prepare food for gallery openings, help with mailing and thank you notes and share ideas with our Board of Directors!

We also have a dedicated part-time staffer, Melissa P. Fitzgerald, who handles much of the financial and inventory duties, runs the Educational Performing Arts program; and keeps the gallery open 4-5 days a week. Thanks Melissa!

Sound fun? If you would like to volunteer please fill out the Get in Touch page at the end of our website and we will get back to you as soon as possible! Please note the following in the message section:

First Name:

Last Name:

Email: email is required

Best Phone Number to Call:

Which areas would you be interested in volunteering? Happy to volunteer where needed , Performing Arts , Gallery/Visual,
Fundraising , Administration, Other

What time of day are you typically available to help?
morning, afternoon, evening, all day

Our Sponsors

We appreciate you!

We deeply appreciate our local sponsors. Their generosity helps our community grow. Please support our local businesses and organizations!

Lambs Market

Allied Builders

Creekside Inn B&B

Northgate Inn

Challis Hot Springs

Wells Fargo Bank

Western Heritage Insurance

Salmon River Electric Cooperative

Custer Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

HUB

Beta Thi Sorority

Garden Creek Studio

Challis Area Chamber of Commerce

Challis Joint School District #181

Challis Vikings Booster Club

Little Vikings Booster Club

Performing Arts

*see our calendar for information on upcoming programs.

IDAHO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S mission is to produce great theater, entertain and educate. To realize this mission, the Festival seeks to:

Develop an artistic home for theater artists that supports emerging actors, encourages new regional and national playwrights, promotes sustained employment opportunities
for artists and attracts the very best artistic staff;

Educate through a range of programs, including programs and tours for K – 12 children and teachers, ongoing adult education, interpretive programming, affiliations with universities and cultural organizations, as well as residencies and training opportunities for actors;

Illuminate human nature and our rich cultural heritage through a repertory that includes the plays of William Shakespeare, the richest and most complex in the English language, together with other works from a variety of dramatic periods and genres; and

Promote cultural understanding through highlighting diverse traditions and supporting artists and audiences of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.

MISSOULA CHILDREN’S THEATRE is from the Theatre’s International Tour project to local activities for kids and adults in Missoula, MCT programs are all designed to develop the personal and professional skills and goals of the participants. The excellence of our productions along with our unique and acclaimed teaching methods result in the successful fulfillment of our mission: The development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts.

Challis Arts Council A Home for the Arts

Challis Arts Council A Home for the Arts

About Us

Who We Are

Upcoming Shows

4/25 to 5/24/2025

Annual Members Art Show

6:00 P.M.

-

8:00 P.M.

4/25 to 5/24/2025

Annual Members Art Show

6:00 P.M.

-

8:00 P.M.

Upcoming Shows

5/10/2025

Castaway Ceramics Workshop

12:00 P.M.

-

3:00 P.M.

5/10/2025

Castaway Ceramics Workshop

12:00 P.M.

-

3:00 P.M.

6/6/2025 to 7/19/2025

Laura Feeney - Loops

6:00 P.M.

6/6/2025 to 7/19/2025

Laura Feeney - Loops

6:00 P.M.

Members Show and Annual Meeting

Upcoming Show: Laura Feeney - Loops

We Need you

Flow in the Forest Artist in Residence Program

Flow in the Forest Application

New Partnership

CusterTel and Challis Arts Council partner on new gallery site.

Our Gift Shop

Gifts for Everyone

Support our local arts council

Become a Member

Become a Member

Challis Arts Council

Volunteer

Our Partners

Thank you for your support

Photo Gallery

Children's & Young Artists' Photo Gallery

Our Sponsors

We appreciate you!

Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Social -Facebook.com/ChallisArtsCouncil

Donate Now

Contact Us

Get in Touch!

Get Involved

Challis Arts Council

Hours

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