BUTTE — A renowned London artist came all the way to Butte to paint a mural commemorating the 100th birthday of the historic Finlen Hotel, so come with me and I’ll give you a sneak peek.
“There is a central figure and she is an intrepid explorer—that’s the name of the mural—we’re celebrating 100 years of the Finlen Hotel and it includes various elements of Montana and Butte,” said artist Peregrine Heathcote.
Heathcote was hired by the hotel owner J.J. Adams after Adams saw some of his work in New York City. The artist spent nearly a month painting it on an outside wall under the protection of a tarp.
“So, we’ve got the mile high, mile deep mine head, so I’ve been looking at that while painting the mural and we’ve always got the Our Lady of the Rockies on the ridge line,” said Heathcote.
It’s the artist’s first time in Montana and he was impressed by Butte’s historic Uptown architecture.
“Because it’s like a time capsule and so well-preserved film directors have come here to use it for locations, artists and I’m just continuing the tradition,” he said.
Heathcote credits the help of many friendly locals for getting this project done.
“Everyone I’ve encountered has been generous with their time, enthusiastic, positive—it’s just been a really lovely experience painting it,” Heathcote said.
