Sage Tanguay on The Bear, the Bath County Art Show, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and More

Sage Tanguay on The Bear, the Bath County Art Show, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and More

By Danny Cardwell  |  Allegheny Mountain Radio  |  June 11, 2026

If you want to understand what is happening in the arts in Bath County right now, a good place to start is a conversation with Sage Tanguay.

Tanguay is the Executive Director of The Bear, the Bath County Arts Association’s permanent arts space in downtown Hot Springs. She joined Allegheny Mountain Radio this week to talk about what is going on at The Bear, what is coming up for the community this summer, and why this moment in Bath County’s arts scene feels different.

Approaching One Year at The Bear

The Bear is located in the old pharmacy building in downtown Hot Springs, directly across the street from Claire’s Cakes and Cafe — a building that has been through several lives, and now belongs to the community in a new way. Tanguay is approaching her first full year as Executive Director, and she says the experience has been one long exercise in learning what the community actually needs.

“Whenever you’re starting something completely new that hasn’t been done before, there’s just an age of experimentation you have to enter into. Was there things I didn’t expect? Yeah — basically all of it. We really haven’t always known what’s going to work or what’s going to hit it off. And we’re still in that discovery phase of figuring out what works best for us.”  — Sage Tanguay

Right now, the walls of The Bear are lined with quilts from the Bath County Quilt Guild — a group that formed this year and has been meeting at the space regularly. Visitors can also find art supplies available any time the Bear is open, from markers and paints to collage materials. The space hosts workshops, speaker events, and community programming on a rotating basis.

“Every so often — pretty frequently, honestly — we have scheduled programming. Those are things like workshops where we bring someone from the community or outside of Bath County to come and teach a specialized class, and then we also have speaker events. We’ve had people who are extremely knowledgeable in their fields talking about art, music, or various fragments of culture.”  — Sage Tanguay

The Bear is open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Bath County Art Show — 61 Years and Still Growing

Bath County is one of the smallest counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It also hosts what is believed to be the largest open art show in the Commonwealth. That combination says something about this community that numbers alone cannot fully explain.

The 61st Annual Bath County Art Show opens June 27th at the Bath County High School gymnasium and runs through July 5th. Registration closed at midnight on June 10th, and the response was significant.

“We had upwards of 800 art pieces registered to be shown. This is the largest open art show in the Commonwealth, and we will be awarding over $15,000 in prizes and awards to artists who place.”  — Sage Tanguay

The show is free and open to the public. A Community Night specifically geared toward families is planned for Thursday, July 2nd. Tanguay noted that behind the scenes, a dedicated board and volunteer crew spend considerable time coordinating the logistics — and that this year, several technologies integrated in recent years should make the process run smoother than ever.

Missoula Children’s Theatre — Auditions June 15, Performances June 20

Missoula Children’s Theatre is returning to Bath County this month, and Sage Tanguay knows the program well — she is a product of it herself, having participated in multiple summers as a child.

“It was my initial experience with live performance as a child. Basically, they come in a red Ford F-150, and they have an entire show in that truck. On Monday, June 15th, children who want to participate show up at Bath County High School, go through a group audition, parts are assigned, and then they launch into rehearsals through the rest of the week. And finally, they perform on Saturday, June 20th. It’s amazing what they can put together in that span of time.”  — Sage Tanguay

The group audition process is designed to be welcoming rather than intimidating — kids audition together, not individually, and the program’s philosophy is built around inclusion. Every child who participates has a role, whether on stage or behind the scenes in costumes or production.

“The arts are for everybody. Even if your children are a little more reserved or quiet, this is a great way for them to break out of their shell and have a lot of fun with other kids.”  — Sage Tanguay

This year’s production is Beauty Lou and the Country Beast — Missoula’s own take on Beauty and the Beast, complete with original music and costumes.

Auditions are Monday, June 15th at 10 a.m. at Bath County High School. Performances are Saturday, June 20th with two shows — times to be announced. Pre-registration is available at the Bath County Arts Association website; same-day registration will also be accepted.

A Big Weekend at The Bear

This weekend is one of the busiest The Bear has seen. Tanguay encouraged anyone in the area to come out for any part of it.

Saturday features the Bear Country Store — a vendor market inside the space — capped off with a bluegrass picking session from 3 to 5 p.m., led by Allegheny Mountain Radio’s own DJ Willie. Pickers and listeners alike are welcome. That evening, Mud Hole Control performs live for a square dance from 7 to 9 p.m., with live calling provided throughout. No prior square dancing experience required.

On Sunday, Tanguay and Irma Nemirovsky will lead a DIY apron decorating workshop using fabric paint, ribbon, and cotton aprons. The Bear also hosts regular yoga classes, including sessions on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.

For the full event calendar, visit bathcountyarts.org. Some events require advance registration; others welcome walk-ins.

Upcoming Events at a Glance

The Bear — This Weekend

Saturday 3-5 p.m.:  Bear Country Store + Bluegrass Picking Session led by AMR’s DJ Willie

Saturday 7-9 p.m.:  Square Dance — Mud Hole Control performing live with live calling

Sunday:  DIY Apron Decorating Workshop with Sage Tanguay & Irma Nemirovsky

Hours:  Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | bathcountyarts.org

Missoula Children’s Theatre

Auditions:  Monday, June 15 at 10 a.m. | Bath County High School Auditorium

Performances:  Saturday, June 20 — two shows, times TBD

Registration:  bathcountyarts.org | walk-ins also welcome

61st Annual Bath County Art Show

Dates:  June 27 through July 5

Location:  Bath County High School Gymnasium

Community Night:  Thursday, July 2

Admission:  Free and open to the public

Danny Cardwell, Allegheny Mountain Radio