Introducing…

When I bought Wheatgrass Saloon, previously known as the Drawing Room, September 1, 2012, I never planned on nor imagined having the need for 9-10 employees to help run the Saloon. As it turns out, there is a high demand for nutritious food and drink in Livingston, Montana and beyond. And, so, there is a need for employees. At long last, I am pleased to introduce to you the stunning souls without whom Wheatgrass Saloon would not exist. I would have given up long ago without the hard work, good ideas, dedication, humor, kindness, energy, inspiration and creativity of the following people.

cindy
Cindy

Cindy was born in Minnesota and came to Livingston as a child. She has two grown children and a grandchild, Daniel, who lives in Germany with his parents. She has been at Wheatgrass since the Saloon doors opened on December 1, 2012. She is invaluable to the business and to me and holds a very special place in my heart.

Tasha

Tasha Enjoying Life Beyond the Saloon Doors

Tasha moved to Livingston in 2013 and is in the process of obtaining her master’s degree in social work, with the goal of becoming an LCSW.  When she is not studying she enjoys hiking with her partner, David, and their dog Liam.  Tasha loves cooking from scratch, gardening, running, reading, and watching movies.  Her favorite items at Wheatgrass Saloon are the Little Red Corvette, Kale Caesar Salad, and We Got the Beet.  I cannot imagine what I would do without the presence of Tasha in my business life. She has the wisdom and maturity of a sage and her energy is a joy to experience.

Alyssa

Artwork by Alyssa

Alyssa was born and raised in Livingston. One of her favorite things to do in her spare time is sketch and paint. She loves working at Wheatgrass Saloon and learning new recipes that inspire her to be creative with healthy food choices at home.

angie

Angie Says Cheers

Angie is an artist, crafter, horror movie junkie, animal lover and co-owner of Raised by Wolves Studios. She finds inspiration in all things vintage and macabre.

 

Two of our staff members will leave Livingston at the end of the summer in order to go on to college:

 

michelle

Michelle

Michelle has grown up in Livingston, MT. She will head south to attend university in Prescott, Arizona to study art and psychology. She is passionate about holistic health and nutrition, and is looking forward to see what the future brings. 

 

siobhan

Siobhan with Lily & Rosie

Siobhàn was born and raised in Paradise Valley. She will attend Amherst College in Massachusetts in the fall where she plans to study biology with a focus on genetics.  She loves skiing, hiking and her weiner dogs.

 

Wheatgrass Saloon is fortunate to have three very awesome high school students who have been training this winter by closing the juice bar after school and by working some Saturday shifts in preparation for the summer. I very much look forward to having their enthusiasm and good work help us out in big ways during the upcoming months. They are Nacoya, Peter and Zoe:

 

nacoya

Nacoya on the Ice

Nacoya is also Livingston born and raised and loves the Montana outdoors. She enjoys playing ice hockey and traveling and looks forward to seeing you at Wheatgrass Saloon.

 

peter gym

Peter Upside Down

Peter is a sophomore at Park High. You might run into him on the soccer field or see him doing back flips on skis as he races down the mountain.

 

zoe

Zoe Looking Crafty

Zoe is a student at Park High School. She loves to play tennis. She also enjoys making jewelry and being crafty.

 

When I look at the calendar for the months ahead, I am overwhelmed by all the events. Let me introduce you to some of them now:

  • Fourth Thursdays at Wheatgrass Saloon will fall on Thursday, March 24th this month. Ten percent of net sales will go to McNair Skate Park .
  • Breathing Room Yoga will host its Spring Equinox 108 Sun Salutation Celebration Friday, March 18th 6-8pm. After finishing your 108 sun salutations you can enjoy a shot of  Greentini juice from Wheatgrass Saloon to celebrate the return of the sun and get a coupon for $5.00 off the Juice Cleanse at Wheatgrass Saloon.
  • Tap into Montana takes place April 4th – 9th. Wheatgrass Saloon will once again host Art on Tap . This year Parks Reece will teach a finger painting class and Craft Beer and Brats will be served. Sign up at Wheatgrass Saloon or by calling 333-2330.
  • One April 29th, Wheatgrass Saloon will serve vegan ice cream at this year’s Taste of Livingston which benefits Montessori Island School.
  • Summer hours will begin May 2nd. Wheatgrass Saloon will be open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
  • Wheatgrass Saloon Upstairs Gallery is currently taking submissions for two art shows for the Livingston Summer Art Walks: Icons  and YNP Hot Pots.
  • This year, the Art Walks will take place on the 3rd Fridays of the month June – September.
  • The first art walk of the season will take place June 17th and will feature the work of  Angelina Froke and Carol Liljedahl of  Raised by Wolves Studios.

That’s enough introductions for now. Get outside. Things are blooming!

Dishing Up Soup, Hot Diggity Dogs and Kombucha with a Kick

I had the pleasure of hearing many writers recently in Missoula at the Festival of the Book. One of my favorites (aside from my darling, Marc Beaudin) was Liz Carlisle who spoke of and read from her book, Lentil Underground which chronicles the story of a group of renegade Montana farmers who were early leaders in the organic food movement. I can’t say enough good things about what a phenomenal woman Liz is.  And I’m glad to say that we now have signed copies of her book here at Wheatgrass Saloon.

The Timeless Seeds lentils  celebrated in Liz’s book, the Lentil Underground, will be the star ingredient in many of the soups coming your way as our “warm” offering here in the juice bar at Wheatgrass Saloon this fall and winter. The soups will rotate weekly, and we plan to begin serving them in October.

On the way to Missoula, I stopped in Bonner to meet Mike Hangas and pick up some super cute and beautifully designed keychains handmade at Ruana Knives.  They will make a very affordable gift for anyone on your list in the coming season.

keychain

In Missoula, I met Mallory Ottariano owner of Kind Apparel.  I love her clothing designs and I really love that all of her materials are sourced from local charity thrift stores whose missions support autism research, the fight against domestic violence, food banks, and provide food and jobs for disadvantaged members of the community. I brought back a few of her pieces for us to check out. One of my favorites are her booty shorts. Perfect for a class at Breathing Room Yoga.

The last art walk takes place September 25th, and I am delighted that Betsy Hall will be showing her “Dog Days of Livingston” new works upstairs in the Wheatgrass Saloon Gallery.
betsy and banshee
Betsy Hall has spent the past month painting one painting per day. For the show, she will have portraits of 27 dogs, two cats and three birds. She will also have available notecards sold individually or in sets of ten in “doggy bags”. If you are sad that your pet was not painted for the show, you’ll be happy to know that Betsy will be taking new commissions at the opening.

Dog Days of Livingston opens on Friday, September 25th for the Art Walk upstairs at Wheatgrass Saloon on Main St. and will be up for one month. In addition to a variety of human food treats, there will be peanut butter banana dog treats to take home to your puppies and Mark Rehder’s Geyser Farm Kombucha with of course the option to give it a kick.

September in Montana

I wait all winter long for the leaves that dance on the trees outside my bedroom window, the leaves that soon will be falling. But change is good. Actually, I love change. It is what has allowed me to call Livingston, Montana home for the past 24 years come September 29th. When I rolled into town in a two-door Ford Escort Pony packed to the brim with record albums in ’91, I had no idea what I would do in a state full of cattle. So, I got my masters, had four children, volunteered, found a family of friends and fell slowly in love with it, our strange, beautiful and awesome, ever-evolving town.

Wheatgrass Saloon is pretty awesome as well, and it, too, is evolving. We have been in the new space for two summers now and are still sorting out how best to use the space for merchandise, art, seating etc. In an effort to create some new space for new merchandise, we will have a big, big, big Labor Day week sale  August  31 – September 5.  Hopefully something you’ve been eyeing will suddenly be just the right price!

The featured artist for the August 28th Friday Art Walk is Betsey Hurd. Please come after 5pm to meet Betsey and enjoy her show, Querencia. 

“Querencia,” is a show that explores the concept of Home and Place, of the hunger for finding a corner of the world to call home. Animals have always grounded and connected Betsey to wherever she is, and so, accompany her on these journeys. Betsey’s paintings have always been about animals and landscape and dreams.

by Betsey Hurd

by Betsey Hurd

Mid-Summer Happenings

pow wowWe are well into summer in Livingston, Montana and will be turning the corner into fall before we know it.

If you missed the July art walk, John Zumpano’s colorful and energetic photographs will be on display at Wheatgrass Saloon Upstairs in the gallery space until August 24th. John Zumpano is a freelance event, landscape and fine art photographer based in Livingston MT. He has been chasing light and shadow for more than 30 years; first in the movie business and more recently with a still camera. Inspired by the people and places of the West, John went to his first Crow Fair in 1989. Returning again and again. This Native American reunion, with its colorful splendor and eye-catching dances is a celebration of traditional culture and a joy to behold.

Our next art walk will take place on the fourth Friday in August with art work by Betsy Hurd. More to come on that show, our blow out Labor Day weekend sale that will take place August 31st – September 5th and our  Sip ‘n’ Dip Finger painting class with local artist Parks Reece on September 4th at 5pm at Wheatgrass Saloon Upstairs.

Sign-ups for Sip ‘n’ Dip will begin August 3rd at Wheatgrass Saloon. Cost is $35 and includes an art lesson with Parks Reece, all materials, wine and appetizers.

Solstice: June 26th Art Walk Show at Wheatgrass Saloon

The rainfall in Livingston will end soon and taking its place will be the unfurling of buds all about town, the return of visitors into town and the beginning of our beautiful summer. We have had a lively winter at Wheatgrass Saloon thanks to word-of-mouth helping to increase our customer base daily.

Summer is one big party in Livingston. Floats on the river, hikes in the hills, the garage door lifting at Gil’s, the patio opening up at Glen’s, Wednesday Farmer’s Markets and of course, our 4th Friday art walks.

Wheatgrass Saloon has increased “wall space” for hanging art this summer. The Upstairs Gallery will hold art walks June – September and for the Holiday Stroll. The first in our 2015  series is titled “Solstice” and is curated by local artist, Beth Gregory. Beth Gregory creates hand-crafted jewelry from fine silver and torch-fired enameled copper. Featured are local and regional artists Beth Gregory  (jewelry and metal flowers), Traci Isaly (mixed media), Sonja Jacobson (drawings), Cristina Marian (paintings), Shawna Moore (encaustics) and Katy Nygard (fiber art). The show represents a collection of fresh works celebrating the profusion of color and the gift of renewal bestowed by long summer days.

Art on Tap

Artist, Betsy Hall will be teaching a very interesting painting class with Edd Enders during Tap into Montana (http://www.tapintomt.com/). It will be held upstairs at Wheatgrass Saloon on Wednesday, May13th from 6-8pm. We have room for 20 artists at all levels, from those who have never painted to the experts. All paintings will be quality and frameable! A fee of $35 will include everything you need to complete an 8″ x 10″ finished work of art while enjoying two pints of craft beer paired with appetizers. While Edd is painting his own painting, Betsy will be teaching the class on how to paint Edd while he paints! And, the best part is… drum roll… that everyone will be painting in the style of Edd Enders! We will frame all the work as we plan to have a show with the class paintings as well as Edd’s finished piece. Please sign up for Art on Tap at Wheatgrass Saloon and join in the fun!

Springing into Summer at Wheatgrass Saloon

This month, the month of April, is National Poetry Month. If you go to the Wheatgrass Saloon Facebook page, you can submit your own poem(s) throughout the month. First, second and third prizes will be awarded in May. The first prize is a one-day juice cleanse. Second prize is a Dragon Bowl Lunch Special and third, a smoothie.

In May we celebrate our first year in our new building at 120 North Main.  It has been a beautiful year thanks to the “regulars” who are in daily and weekly for bowls, juices, smoothies, and those who shop for gifts during the holidays and throughout the year.  Thank you for coming in! It is nice also, as word spreads, to have so many out-of-towners find us and enjoy our healthy food and drink.

An exciting event will be taking place for the first time in Livingston in the month of May, Craft Beer Week, May 11-16. One of the many events taking place that week will be hosted by Wheatgrass Saloon, Art on Tap, May 13th at 6pm.  It will be an art class given by artists Betsy Hall and and Edd Enders while enjoying some handcrafted beers and snacks. More details to come! In the meantime, check out the Tap Into Montana FB page to learn more about the festival.

Summer hours at Wheatgrass Saloon will begin May 1st. Summer hours will be Monday – Saturday from 10am -5pm.