Dunnigan gives a ‘zinger’ speech at Capitol

The Montana Arts Council chooses several artists once every two years to honor their contributions with the Governor's Arts Award.  

Whitefish’s musician John Dunnigan was a recipient this year. 

Dunnigan’s neighbor Amy Ridgeway was one of several people who wrote to the Arts Council on his behalf.  

“John’s original music might be described as country folk,” Ridgeway wrote. “His lyrical writing is thought-provoking and emotional, depicting the realities of loving and living throughout life, but it also has so much humor. He’s a laugh-while-you-cry kind of guy to listen to.”   

Dunnigan and four others were honored in a ceremony at the state Capitol in Helena. 

Dunnigan winged a speech that had the crowd in hysterics, said local sound producer and fellow nominator for Dunnigan, Toby Scott, who attended the ceremony. 

“Dunnigan’s set at any given venue includes chatter between the songs during which he interjects little falsehoods regarding his life, where the performance is, who he talks to and anything that comes into his head,” Scott said.  

“John started his acceptance speech and immediately started throwing in his usual zingers,” Scott said. “He talked about having never been in the State Capitol and that the last time he was there he was in handcuffs.”  

Other 2024 Governor's Arts Awards honorees include Jackie Larson Bread, an innovative bead artist, Jim Dolan, a metal sculptor, musician John Lowell, and Mary Gayle Shanahan, a portrait painter. 

    John Dunnigan is awarded the Montana Governor's Arts Award in Helena on Dec. 5. (Photo by Eric Heidle, Montana Arts Council communication director.)
 ERIC HEIDLE   

    John Dunnigan and Toby Scott attend the Montana Governor's Arts Awards ceremony in Helena on Dec. 5. (Photo by Eric Heidle, Montana Arts Council communication director.)
 ERIC HEIDLE