Arts and entertainment reporter Anna Paige presents her five favorite stories of 2021.
This is a love letter to arts journalism and a farewell — one that is bittersweet. My work has taken me across the state to bring stories of the arts to the pages of The Billings Gazette. From rebuilding after the fires at the foothills of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness to the parades of the Apsáalooke Nation to soaring above the city in my very first hot air balloon ride, this job has been an adventure.
I joined the staff of The Billings Gazette in 2004 with ambitions of writing full time. Many years later, after leaving the organization and returning, I would land my dream job: Arts and Entertainment reporter. I am honored to have shared with you some of the city’s most fascinating people and places. In each story, there is someone’s heart and often one of their most momentous accomplishments. To be trusted with their stories has been one of my greatest joys.
I’m not going far — just down the street where I will join the staff of the Billings Symphony, so I hope to see you about town enjoying all the art and culture that our city has to offer.
You’ll notice there are six stories in this collection. Ask anyone at The Gazette: I tend to write LONG. We decided to separate our reporting on the the challenges of the Yellowstone Art Museum into a two-part series. It is my immense honor to be trusted with such important stories.
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