Subcommittee F of the Montana Legislature on HB 9 heard in-person and remote testimony from more than two dozen arts and cultural organizations seeking operational or project funding from the Cultural and Aesthetic Grants program funded by coal severance taxes.

The hearing matters because HB 9 would appropriate Cultural and Aesthetic Grants (CAGP) money — largely drawn from the Coal Severance Tax Trust Fund and administered through the Montana Arts Council — to dozens of small and mid-sized arts organizations across the state. Committee members said they want basic organizational data and the fiscal-status paperwork necessary to decide which projects to fund before the committee closes the bill next week.

Committee chair and staff opened the session by describing two handouts: an explanation of the coal severance tax trust fund and a spreadsheet listing CAGP applicants with recommended funding and the recommended funding as a share of total project cost. Then executive directors, artistic directors and other representatives testified in roughly five-minute slots about community reach, program activities and how grant funds would be used.

Presenters emphasized rural reach and educational programs. Cynthia Benkelman, executive director of Alpine Theater Project in Whitefish (grant request 2612), said the group served “over 350 students from across the Valley” last year and that productions drew thousands of theatergoers; she told the committee the organization had provided scholarships so “no child is turned away.” Joy French, executive artistic director of Bear Bay Dance and the Westside Theatre in Missoula (2616), described community-oriented projects including an intergenerational production titled “40 over 40.” Anna East of Chickadee Community Services and Montana’s poet laureate Chris Latray (grant 2602) outlined plans for Indigipalooza MT, a statewide celebration of Indigenous arts and storytelling that the presenters said will include national headliners and outreach to reservations and schools.

Several presenters quantified audience and economic impacts. Hillary Shepherd of the Great Falls Symphony (2630) told the panel the symphony “reaches well over 20,000 people annually” and cited a local economic impact estimate of about $1,000,000. Mike Morelli of Missoula Children’s Theatre (2640) described a touring model that visits roughly 100 Montana communities annually, auditions 5,000–6,000 children and performs for 20,000–25,000 patrons across the state each year. Other presenters — from MAGDA (2637), Tin Works Art (2668), Preserve Montana (2658) and many community arts centers — described education programs, traveling exhibitions, and preservation trades training.

Committee members asked operational and eligibility questions. Representative Vinton, Representative Tuss and others inquired about outreach strategies, ticket pricing and how organizations serve underserved populations. Several committee members asked the Montana Arts Council staff to supply a list of applicants by organizational type (nonprofit, government, for-profit) in paper form for the members before the committee reconvenes. The committee also asked Preserve Montana for documentation of a prior fiscal sponsorship relationship that had drawn public attention, and Montana Arts Council staff clarified how fiscal sponsorships can vary by agreement.

No formal votes or committee actions were taken at the hearing; the session was evidentiary. The chair paused the hearing for a 15-minute break and said the subcommittee will continue testimony the next two days, asking organizations to sign up for remaining slots. Committee staff reported 11 presenters scheduled for the next day and 18 the following day, with additional written testimony expected.

Taken together the testimony provided the committee with program-level detail and usage plans (operational support, scholarships, touring costs, youth programming, preservation trades training), and produced two immediate staff directions: (1) a paper list of applicants categorized by organizational type; (2) copies of any fiscal-sponsorship agreement requested for Preserve Montana’s earlier role with a local advocacy group. Members said they intend to close HB 9 on Monday after completing the remaining testimony and reviewing staff materials.

The hearing underscores the range of Montana’s cultural infrastructure: from small volunteer-run centers in rural counties to statewide touring companies and art incubators in larger communities. Committee members repeatedly emphasized the limited pool of CAGP funds and asked presenters to justify how recommended amounts would leverage additional local support or address under-served populations.

Looking forward, the subcommittee asked staff to return with the requested applicant-type list and any additional financial audit references so members can compare recommended awards against organizations’ budgets and prior-year awards. No funding decisions were taken at this session.