BUTTE — A new esthetician school is opening in Butte, filling a gap left by the closure of a historic beauty school more than a year ago.
Watch a Butte businesswoman creates a new school for aspiring estheticians:
Shelly Conner, an esthetician and owner of Gloss: The Green Beauty Counter, is launching the Montana Institute of Esthetics — a licensing school for estheticians located at 66 West Park in historic Uptown Butte. Conner's business offers services like facials and nontoxic makeup products, as well as other health and beauty essentials.
"It's a career that allows opportunity in creativeness, and it's a wonderful career making people feel good and look good," Conner said.
The school will offer 650 hours of curriculum and one-on-one training with Conner and other industry professionals, including Peggy Dallaserra, the former instructor who taught hundreds of aspiring stylists at Butte Academy of Beauty Culture, which closed after more than five decades of training stylists and future business owners in Butte.
"She has over 40 years of experience teaching, and that definitely hasn't died since the school closed. So, this will bring her back in the industry and give so much experience," Conner said.
Conner said the closure of Butte Academy of Beauty Culture left students without a local, non-collegiate option for industry training.
"I think there's a definite need there in the community for a non-collegiate option for young women... men, too. Right now, you have to travel to do that, so this will allow people to stay in the community," Conner said.
Students at the Montana Institute of Esthetics will study three days a week. Conner said she wants to set a high industry standard for her graduates.
"There was a huge need for setting a better precedence for esthetics education. I'm excited to just bring this to the community. It's a definite need," said Conner.
"I love that we're uptown," Conner said.
Classes are expected to begin in November, after renovations to the 66 West Park space are complete.
"You know, you start thinking, wow! I mean, I've been in the industry almost 20 years now; this is gonna be something, like, part of my legacy," Conner said.
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