Post Art Lounge

By Holly Michels - 01/06/2008

With its deep maroon walls, high granite tables and scattered plush leather couches, Butte’s newest late-night hangout — the Post Art Lounge — isn’t a typical bar.

For the last year and a half Tom Wilde has been transforming the top floor of the old Butte Daily Post building, which also houses his Irish Times Pub, 2. E Galena St.

“This is my extreme makeover project,” he said, walking up the old staircase to lounge.

Wilde picked luxe furniture for the space, the former manager’s offices and reporter’s area, to give it a “big city club” feel. That includes high leather-back chairs, a gas fireplace and dark, moody colors.

“I did most of the work myself,” he said, including refinishing the old floor. Wilde also brought the plumbing and electrical systems up to code.

The bar, purchased on eBay, is a small Indonesian-English style canopy bar made of mahogany. It isn’t meant to serve large volumes of alcohol to large crowds.

“We want to keep things under control; (to have) an upscale bar where people can come and listen to live music,” he said. “We want a place where guys can bring their girlfriends or their wives and sit and listen to music.” Wilde isn’t abandoning the Irish Times, a pub he’s run for 12 years. The bar’s reputation took a hit last March, when the street in front of it was the scene of a fatal stabbing. But Wilde is moving on.

“The past is in the past,” Wilde said. He laments past changes at the bar that didn’t quite fit.

“We tried dancing and that didn’t work. But again, it’s all in the past.” With the dance cages pulled out, he hopes the Irish Times will revert “into a good old pub where you can sit and enjoy a pint.” Wilde said the exclusive air of the Post Art will create a different scene. He sees a cosmopolitan cocktail and art lounge, a space that will play host to live music, art shows, wine tastings and — above all — a classy clientele.

“We’re going to charge a cover, unless you’re on the list,” he said. “That makes it more exclusive, and gives off the kind of atmosphere we’re going for up here.” The lounge offers a large room with space for bands, and two smaller, more private areas. One features photos, original art and memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe, Wilde’s favorite actress.

“I just love Marilyn Monroe,” he said. “There’s just something about her.” An adjacent room will display photos and paintings of other old-time actresses.

Wilde wants to show original art from locals in a small gallery space. The east half of the building, still unfinished, will one day be a large showroom.

The lounge will be open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and feature food brought in from Uptown restaurants.

Karen Byrnes, director of Community Development, said the project is a good addition to the Uptown district.

“It’s great, it fits very well with what the Metals Bank is doing. It’s a great fit for Uptown.” Wilde thinks the upscale lounge approach will be a success.

“It’s worked in big cities, and I think it can work in Butte,” he said. “If people feel special, they act special.”