Renee Audette
Renee Audette’s works will catch your eye. At first, they appear charming and whimsical, but at closer inspection they reveal a duality that displays a much darker side. A retrospective of the past two decades of her work opened in December at Kirks Grocery in Billings.
Audette s works, including several large-scale sculptures she created from 2007 to 2009 while in residency at Helena s Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, were on display.
Audette, who lives in Billings, said when pulling these ceramic sculptures from storage after more than a decade, she had a renewed excitement for the works, which feature intriguing female characters. Using a slip-cast method, the ceramic sculptures were created from plaster molds and hand assembled with intricate detail. There’s a whimsy and a playfulness to them, but something isn’t quite right.
As the governor s words echoed through the empty room, the couple couldn t hide their concern.Â
The future of their livelihood, as well as the entire touring music industry, is tied to a pandemic that is still raging and has halted live music performances indefinitely.
Governor Steve Bullock speaks to Pub Station owner Sean Lynch at Pub Station in Billings on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. MIKE CLARK Billings Gazette
âItâs been the most stressful six months Iâve had in my whole life, other than maybe owning a restaurant,â Lynch said at the time. The Pub Station, classified as a Phase 3 business, has had its stages closed since March 13.