“Everything is inspiring,” said Natalie Linn, 11. “The walls are inspiring. It's just an inspiring building.”
It's ZACC. At 235 N. First St. W., it offers 3,000 square feet for art and boundless sources of inspiration.
ZACC offers stability for Slumgullion, an independent publishing co-op that used to operate from a bicycle-powered bookmobile, said Debby Florence. Slumgullion is a peasant stew made of anything at all, and it's the co-op's publication as well.
“For me, it's finally giving me a location. It's just so key,” said Florence, who describes herself online as a “poet and stapler fanatic.”
Through ZACC, she plans to teach teens how to create their own zines and write everything from poetry to comics. The culture of small magazines means a lot of trading, and Florence wants to expose young people to everything zines offer.
“So I'm going to show them that world,” Florence said.
Some parents were eager for the artists to do so. Shirley Hall said her daughter attends Loyola Sacred Heart High School, where academics and athletics reign. But her 15-year-old daughter likes art and feels more at home at Zootown.
“She's inspired by these artists,” Hall said.
So was Griffin Blevins, 13, who liked a colorful mosaic by Greg Millar of a Native American dancing. Blevins said he used to draw, and being at ZACC makes him think he might take it up again.
“It's very friendly. All my friends at school say that they love art, and they would be inspired by it (ZACC). So I'd definitely support coming here,” Blevins said.
For artist Courtney Blazon, ZACC offers a reason to stay in Missoula while pursuing art. Earlier this summer at an outdoor Missoula market, Blazon sold her first $700 piece, a marker and pen illustration called “The Breaking of a Wave Cannot Explain the Whole Sea.”
Her colleagues at the market told her she shouldn't expect such big sales every week, but being a part of ZACC makes her feel like it's possible to work fulltime and make a living as an artist.
“That's a beautiful, beautiful feeling,” said Blazon, who works at the shop selling artists' goods.
The place also should take some weight off the shoulders of “Dear Mrs. Potts,” said Amy Linn, Natalie's mom. “Dear Mrs. Potts” gets to appear in Missoula classrooms all too infrequently to teach art, she said. Now, some young artists can find their own community at ZACC.
It all comes thanks to artist, teacher and Zootown Arts Community Center founder Hanna Hannan, Linn said: “She's so special. She's very dedicated.”
Hannan estimated nearly 100 people had come through the grand opening by early Saturday afternoon. For her, Saturday was special, but it also was a cinch compared to the hard work and hours of labor all summer long.
“We've worked really hard. Now that the day is here, it's easy for me,” she said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com
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