Troy Fine Arts council reemerges with an exploration of truth

By Stacy Walenter

The Troy Fine Arts Council and the Troy Friends of the Library will welcome University of Montana Professor Dr. H. Rafael Chacon to the Silver Spur in Troy on Friday, April 13 at 6:30pm for his illustrated talk “The Slippery Slope of Truth.”
Chacon is a professor of Art History and Criticism and has taught at UM and Wabash College in Indiana. Chacon has also lectured internationally in Vienna, Berlin, the Czech Republic, and for Smithsonian Journeys in Austria, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain since 2011.
Chacon also delivered a TEDx talk called “What My Genes Tell Me,” which is available for viewing on YouTube. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a non-profit devoted to the spreading of ideas in the form of talks that are usually 18 minutes or less.
In his Troy presentation, Chacon will explore how truth has been battered in this age of “fake news” and “political correctness.” He will discuss the philosophical nature of truth and how to shift it back to its proper place in our world.
This will be Chacon’s second visit to Troy. He previously visited and explored the Art of Glacier Park at artist Terrel Jones’ studio in 2015 through the Hometown Humanities grant.
This program heralds the resurgence of the Troy Fine Arts Council. The group has remained mildly active through its 35 year support of the Missoula Children’s Theater visits and through its Ethnic Dinners, which feature themed potluck food based on a travel presentation by a local, but it has been mostly dormant since Ralph Stever’s death.
Kimberly Finley, president of the Troy Fine Arts Council, is excited about the group’s rejuvenation and hopes that a new
“We would like to welcome new members who are interested in arts and humanities for our school and community,” Finley said during an interview on April 4. “We have many talented young people in our school system– writers, poets, actors, singers, instrumentalists, artists– and we would like to keep fostering their growth. We need some people with their finger on the pulse of the young people and their artistic expression.”
In the past, the Fine Arts Council brought many innovative programs to Troy, including the New Old Time Chautauqua, Drum Brothers Workshops, Mud Bay Jugglers, Montana Repertory Theater, writers in the schools, Disc Golf Music in the Park, the bluegrass festivals at Roosevelt Park, a touring exhibit of high school art, and numerous Cultural Cinema presentations. The Artrain in 1998 and 2001 featured art around and the group bussed citizens around town to view the different displays.
The Troy Fine Arts Council plans to renew their devotion to quality arts programming for Troy and Lincoln County in the coming months and are looking for some young energy to help breathe new energy into the community. Anyone interested in joining the group’s efforts can contact Finley at 295-4609. If you have recently visited an exotic location and would like to offer a presentation about your travels, you can contact Shawna Kelsey at shawna@yaakvalley.com.