Non-profit Community Arts Center Envisioned for Missoula, Montana’s Wilma Theater.

Dean McGovern doesn’t claim any particular expertise in designing or running a performing arts center. Nor does the executive director of the Montana Campus Compact http://www.mtcompact.org/ have a specific list of events that he would like to see happening at Missoula’s landmark Wilma Theatre http://thewilma.com/ .

What he has is, essentially, a hunch born out of his beliefs about this community’s values, history and future needs.

"I look at communities in terms of their assets," says McGovern. "I look at Missoula and I see things like farmers markets and street fairs and theaters, and I see the people. These are the things that make Missoula great, and the Wilma easily falls into that category.

"When I look at it through that lens, I see the Wilma as worth preserving as a community asset."

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Anyone interested in offering comments or support for Dean McGovern’s effort to transform the Wilma Theatre into a nonprofit performing arts center can email him at [email protected].

By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-man-pitches-community-arts-center-for-wilma/article_699c62a4-1717-11e1-bf37-001cc4c03286.html