What we’re about

  • Place

    At the entrance to the majestic East Rosebud Canyon lies the small town of Roscoe. With less than 20 residents, the idyllic riverside village carries an element of magic. Home to the indigenous Apsáalooke, the Beartooth Mountains feel close enough to touch, the proud cottonwoods grow fast and strong, and sounds of the rushing river fill the senses. The beauty of this place is unmatched. River Arts & Books exists to honor the history of the land, nourish its inhabitants, and invest in its growth.

  • Literature

    We seek to become a space for the literary arts to flourish in rural Carbon and Stillwater counties. We believe that reading and writing are gateways to connection and inspiration. Through a small bookshop, a writer’s work room, reading groups, writing workshops, and events for both children and adults, we will expand access to the literary arts in the region.

  • Community

    Above all, River Arts & Books was established to cultivate community. We’ll do this through directly engaging with those we live among with a curation of regular and special events to explore the endless realm of literature. We are committed to becoming a hub for creativity in the area. Beyond literature, this may manifest in the exhibiting of a local artist’s work, opening our doors for a small concert or film screening, or holding a lecture or talk.

Who we are

  • Caroline Joan Peixoto

    CO-FOUNDER + DIRECTOR

    I believe deeply in creating spaces of beauty for people. It is when we have access to such places that we can explore who we are and what we have to offer the world around us. In 2008 I founded Ballet Rwanda, the country’s first classical ballet school that grew to become City Arts, an arts center for children in the city of Kigali. Though I left Rwanda in 2014, it continues to operate to this day. Over the last decade I have consulted with businesses and nonprofits but identify most as a writer and a mother.

  • Melissa Raphan

    CO-FOUNDER + BOARD CHAIR

    I grew up in the Wild West a.k.a New York City’s Upper West Side. I was happy to see New York in the rear view mirror when I moved to the Twin Cities to take my first job as a lawyer. I practice with Dorsey & Whitney in Minneapolis, where we raised our four children. They’ve all now scattered to the four corners of the U.S. Roscoe is the place where we gather and that is why I am eager to see River Arts transformed from a dream into a welcoming and vibrant community space.

  • Ariel Greenwood

    BOARD MEMBER

    I'm a land and livestock manager who has been working in agriculture since I was teenager. Through our company Grass Nomads LLC, my husband Sam Ryerson and I have managed ranches and grazing around Roscoe, MT as well as large operations in New Mexico. Currently based on a high elevation lesae in northeastern New Mexico, I'm an occasional painter and writer and serve on the board of Contra Viento Journal, an art and literature publication about rangelands.

  • Sarah Deschamps

    BOARD MEMBER

    I’m from Minnesota, but have lived all over the world, including seven years in Tokyo, Japan where we raised our two daughters. Most of my career has been in fundraising, bringing communities together by raising money for something they love. My passion is writing. I published a memoir about saving my daughter’s life while we lived in Japan after she was born with multiple medical issues. I’m excited to be a part of River Arts & Books, a space to be filled with exploration, literature and community.

  • John Miller

    BOARD MEMBER

    I grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania and moved to Montana in 1975. For most of my professional career I was a high school science teacher in the Billings area, teaching biology, environmental science, and a senior science seminar class. Prior to that I worked in fisheries biology and forestry. I consider Montana to be my “soul home” and felt I belonged from the first time I arrived back in '75. My wife Debbie and I live at the mouth of the East Rosebud Canyon and from its inception I immediately came to believe in and support the mission of River Arts. Not only will it provide a source of quality literature but also a gathering place for both locals and visitors to discuss and share ideas, talents, and their passion for this incredible landscape, all its inhabitants, and rich history.

  • Rhema Mangus

    BOARD MEMBER

    Originally a Texan and now a brand new Montanan, I found myself beneath the Beartooths by way of New York. I'm lucky enough to be a part of the artistic operations team at Tippet Rise Art Center and grateful to help cultivate community through River Arts & Books. For as long as I can remember, the poetics of visual art, music, and words have drawn me in and kept me intrigued.