"Artists tell stories, and Virginia City is about stories," graphite artist Lynn Cain told KBZK in September, the week he set up his work for the Virginia City Arts Show. Cain splits his time between Townsend and Eureka and draws Montana wildlife in hyper-realistic detail. He was one of twelve artists invited to a show that has run for about 50 years and was held outdoors until this year.
This year it moved inside, to the Virginia City Community Center, and it took on a new cause. It now raises money for a working space for artists inside the old brick schoolhouse at 313 East Idaho Street, a county-owned building that has stood mostly unused for years. For a town whose public face runs on a summer calendar, it's a different idea. The show has become the fundraiser for a building that artists could use well past the end of the boardwalk season.
The Arts Show Came Indoors With a Cause
The Virginia City Chamber of Commerce says the town's displays open in May and close September 30. The arts show ran September 18 through 20, in the last stretch before that date, and KBZK described it as a lift for the town as the tourist season winds down. Local businesses and a grant from the Montana Department of Commerce helped pay for it. The three days included live music, food and drinks from local businesses, and live painting on Saturday evening.
The live painting was the Quick Draw competition and auction. The Madisonian reported that about 500 people came over the weekend and that the Quick Draw raised about $6,000 for the artists' workspace. For scale, KXLF reported in June 2025 that Virginia City sees half a million visitors over the summer months. A weekend crowd of about 500 is much closer to the size of the community itself, and that crowd raised the money.
The paper credited Sheri Jarvis with leading the community effort to reshape the show, with marketing by Erin Leonard and decorations by Rebecca Miller. Artists named in a Bozone preview included Allison McGree, Lynn Cain, Maren Stubenvoll, Jennifer Mathson, Mari Bolen, Miles Glynn, Chris Riccardo and Jarvis herself. KBZK also spoke with Hamilton oil painter Michele Kapor, a professional artist for five decades who grew up on an eastern Montana ranch.
"If it helps them get a cultural center and refurbish the old building, then we're happy to help," Kapor told KBZK.
The Building on East Idaho Street
The schoolhouse matters because of how many roles it has filled since it was built. KXLF called it the home of Montana's first high school. The school district behind it, District #1, came first. Historic Montana records that the district was organized in January 1866, a decade before the brick school opened in January 1876. Historic Montana records that the four-room brick building was designed by Loren Olds and cost $8,400 in 1876. Its record since then, from the Virginia City Schoolhouse Foundation and the Makers Space page:
| Period | What the building was doing |
|---|---|
| January 1876 | Brick schoolhouse opened for District #1, with four classrooms |
| 1959 | Damaged in the Hebgen Lake earthquake, with much of the damage repaired in the 1960s |
| 1976 | Last classes held, after enrollment declined |
| After 1976 | Housed municipal and county government offices |
| Most recently | Cold storage for the county, the Town of Virginia City and local groups |
| Past 15 years | Vacant because of age and earthquake-related structural concerns |
| Now | Leased from Madison County by Jim and Sheri Jarvis for a working-artists facility |
The foundation calls the building the town's "community attic" for over 50 years. Old computer equipment, discarded furniture, books and documents filled most of the rooms. It also describes the schoolhouse as a significant architectural feature within the Virginia City National Historic Landmark. Like many historic buildings in town, it had limited uses in its current condition. The Virginia City Schoolhouse Foundation, a nonprofit, was formed to lead the fundraising and renovation. Virginia City Arts, which ran the September show, is part of that foundation.
The First Two Steps
The foundation describes the restoration as a multi-year effort. On its project page, the work so far comes in two stages:
- Clearing out the building. Contractors and volunteers sorted the contents into items worth keeping, items with historical value, and items too damaged or outdated to save. Owners including the county archives and the Vigilance Club took back many important pieces. Based on an initial assessment, about half the contents, mostly intact furniture and leftover building materials, will stay and be reused inside the building.
- Starting on the exterior. A grant from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office is paying for exterior brick repair and drainage work, guided by Josh Hicks and Bristlecone Construction.
Photos from the project show Babcock Builders pulling up old carpet and subfloor to reveal the original flooring, along with rows of small student desks left from the classroom years. The Makers Space page says the schoolhouse's floors, windows and "slat-board bones haven't changed much" since the school closed.
What the Rooms Are Meant to Hold
The planned space is called Montana Makers Space, which the organization describes as the atelier arm of Virginia City Arts. The plans call for studio space, shared equipment, and short- and long-term residencies for visual artists, writers and craftspeople. Some rooms are to be private studios and others open shop space. Artists at any stage can apply, whether they live locally or are visiting. Residencies are rolling rather than tied to a season.
That rolling schedule is what sets this project apart from the town's summer economy. Virginia City Arts states its mission as supporting today's makers and nurturing future artists through talks, hands-on workshops and community events. KBZK reported that the larger plan includes a cultural center along with the refurbished schoolhouse.
On timing, the foundation has not posted an opening date or a total fundraising goal. In June 2025, KXLF reported an estimate of about three years to finish the project, along with roughly $5,000 needed then to stabilize the building and update its plumbing and heating. Those figures came from the project's early stage, more than a year before the September show. The Makers Space page invites curious visitors to stop by during open studio hours, but no hours are posted, so it's best to reach out before walking up East Idaho Street.
How to Get Involved This Winter
The show is over and the boardwalk has quieted, but the project is open to people who live here:
- Artists can ask about studio space or a residency by emailing Sheri Jarvis at [email protected] or calling 406-865-0884. The organization says it will work out what fits each artist's practice and what space is available.
- Neighbors who want to see inside can use the same contact to ask about visiting. Project photos show volunteers moving items between floors during the cleanout.
- Supporters can find giving information on the Virginia City Arts support page, which runs through the schoolhouse foundation.
Historian Jim Jarvis once told KXLF that Virginia City is like a living ghost town. If the plan comes together, the 1876 brick schoolhouse that held Montana's first high school will have working studios and open shop rooms where county storage used to sit.
If you'd like to talk about the town's historic properties, or about what it's like to live around them all year, Dawn Myrvik is glad to share what she knows. Connect with Dawn to start your Montana lifestyle search.
