Helena is a small town with a big city flavor. Helena has a population of 25,780, with a county population of 55,716. Adjoining counties of Jefferson and Broadwater are 10,049 and 4,385, respectively. One reason for the extensive arts interest in the community is the presence of the Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts. For almost 25 years, the Center has been an active community member, engaging community and statewide groups with films, performances, and workshops that are meaningful to their constituencies. Helena's interest in the arts is borne out by an interesting fact - the local newspaper, The Independent Record, enjoys its highest readership and distribution on Friday, the day the local arts/cultural insert, Your Time, appears.
The mission of the Myrna Loy Center is to present the arts, including media, performing, literary and visual, in an educational context, with challenging and culturally enriching programs that would not otherwise appear in the Helena area or in Montana.
