Submit: Adler Short Story Contest

From the Warren Adler web site (Warren's a part-time Jackson resident):

On July 13, Stonehouse Press will launch the second annual Warren Adler Short Story Contest. Our first contest's theme, in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of The War of the Roses, dealt with break-ups and divorce and attracted hundreds of entries. The new contest will have as its overall theme New York City. Stories must have some New York City connection, through locale, reference, fantasy or sentiment and are limited to a maximum of 2,500 words. The contest is open to anyone in the world who writes in the English language. The driving force behind the contest is Mr. Adler's belief that the short story has been a neglected genre for many decades and is poised for a comeback, which we are determined to encourage. We are currently working out a publishing partnership for the grand prize winner, along with $1,000 cash. Complete contest details will be posted on our website July 13. The contest will end January 15, 2008 and the winner will be announced in March to coincide with the publication of Mr. Adler's fifth collection of short stories, New York Echoes.

Paint your art out

FREE ART CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING ART MUSEUM
Paint Pony Express Classes Offered throughout July. Children ages 4-11 can learn from art experts about the symbols and myths that cultures use to pass on traditions and information. Paint Pony Express encourages children to use art, movement, music and storytelling to explore the exhibits in the galleries and then create their own art in the museum’s Shelton Art Studio.
The classes run from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout July. Led by artist-teachers Janice Duncan and Jeny Stoesz, each class is age-specific, with Tuesdays for ages 4-5, Wednesdays for ages 6-8 and Thursdays for ages 9-11.

Week One, July 10-12, will focus on the exhibition Pinturas de Fe: the Retablo Tradition in Mexico and New Mexico. Special visiting artist-in-residence Jerry Vigil will explore this traditional Mexican artform with students.

July 17-19, Paint Pony Express will draw from the African artwork in the exhibit Resonance from the Past: African Sculpture from the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The final week, July 24-26, will highlight the western art of Bill Gollings: Cowboy Artist, Paintings from the Sherry Nicholas Collection.

Bringing the world of art to Wyoming, the Art Museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 22nd & Willett Drive in Laramie. The Museum and Museum Store are open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, please call the Art Museum at 307-766-6622 or visit http://www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.

Apply for Transnational Communities Award

From a press release:

The Transnational Communities Award is open to artistic, cultural and social projects that creatively use the technologic and conceptual tools available in the web, broadening the channels of communitarian communication and interaction and giving rise to spaces online where practices and stories are shared. The purpose of this award is to foster the access to cultural goods and to the technologies involved in its production and distribution, to promote the diversity of expressions and to recognize the citizen participation of the Transnational Communities that link Mexico and the United States in a daily and permanent way.

The call for submissions is open to individuals, groups, associations, organizations and institutions from Mexico and the United States that develop artistic, cultural and social projects for which the Internet is both a sufficient and necessary condition of viewing, expressing and participating.

Among the fields of activity subsumed are: video (communitarian video, documental, videoart, videoclip, videomail, telenovelas/soap operas), net.art, citizen journalism, digital communities, online forums, weblogs social networks, videogames online, online artistic collaboration projects, electronic literature, digital narrative, online communitarian radio, podcasts, etc. During the annual festival, the winner will be awarded with USD 3,500.

For further information on the submission please visit http://www.transitiomx.net/concurso,
Or refer directly to:
Mariana Delgado
Communication and Public Affairs Coordinator
US-Mexico Foundation for Culture, Inc.
Tel. (52 55) 55 35 67 35
E-mail mariana@contactocultural.org

Barajas chosen as sculptor

Guadalupe Barajas of Cheyenne has been selected as the sculptor of the Governor’s residence sculpture project. Barajas was selected via committee from a list of three finalists. John Mortensen of Wilson and Bunny Connell of Sheridan were the other two finalists. Barajas is a graduate of East High School in Cheyenne and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was an art instructor in Chicago before devoting himself full-time to producing bronze sculpture. His most recent outdoor sculpture work includes work for the Sierra Trading Post, the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Lincoln Park, Brimmer Park Softball Complex and Martin Luther King Park all in Cheyenne. The accepted proposal includes three mule deer, a buck and two does, that will be completed in bronze and be placed in the circle in front of the public entrance to the Governor’s residence. The sculpture is expected to be completed by early summer of 2008.

Banner Year for Nic

The Nicolaysen Art Museum celebrates their 40th anniversary with the NIC Banner Project. Inspired by a similar project held in New York City's Times Square, NIC staff member Penelope Rush brought the idea back to Casper's NIC. The Project features 40 artist-created banners that will be exhibited on city light poles down five blocks of Casper's Historic Downtown Second Street from June to October in 2007. These artists were selected and juried from over 100 application submissions and the forty origianl works of art now are on exhibit in the NIC community gallery. The banner art was photographed by Hede Photography and reproduced onto 24 x 48 vinyl banners by Aaker Signs. The original banner art will be auctioned on October 26 at a fun Sotheby's-inspired event. The vinyl banners will go to the artists and only 40 reproductions of the banners will be available to the public.

Night at NIC-eby's is October 26th, 2007, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Limited reserved seats are $30 each or $50 for a couple. Call the Nic at (307) 235-5247 and reserve your seat.

Banner walks are the Last Thursday evening of the month at 5:30 p.m. Meeting place to begin the walk is behing the NIC at banner #1. Walks are scheduled for June 28th, July 26th, August 30th, and September 27th. Join curator Lisa Hatchadoorian as she leads a walk through downtown to see the banners up close and personal. Lisa will explain the artistic nuances of each banner and answer questions you might have.

The Muse has moved

Muse Gallery in Jackson has moved to their new location at 62 South Glenwood St. Nicole Charbonnet's exhibit Wild America will show July 1-18. Attend the opening reception on Thursday, July 5, from 5-9 p.m.

FMI go to http://www.jhmusegallery.com/ or call (307) 733-0555.

Southeast Wyoming Art Show and Sale

The opening reception for the Southeast Wyoming Art Show and Sale is June 29th from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition runs from June 29-July 31 at the Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th Street. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours on July 1, 22, and 29 are noon to 4 p.m. Artists featured are from Albany, Carbon, Converse, Goshen, Laramie, Natrona, Niobrara, and Platte counties.

FMI call (307) 432-0606.

Disney/ABC Television Group and The Walt Disney Studios 2008 Writing Fellowship

Probably too late for this year, but think ahead for next year--
Deadline for the 2008 Fellowship is July 1st, 2007. Applications can be downloaded at www.disneyabctalentdevelopment.com. Begun in 1990 in partnership with the Writers Guild of America, west, the Disney-ABC Writing Fellowship has become one of the industry's best known and most respected writing fellowships. Over 200 of its alumni rank among Hollywood's elite, including screenwriters, directors and television showrunners. A limited number of full-time fellowships are abailable each year for both feature film and television projects.
FMI email to abc.fellowships@abc.com or phone (818) 460-6932.

Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale

On September 21, beginning at 5 p.m., The Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale in Cody, Wyoming, hosts the 26th annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, reception, dinner, and live auction, featuring over 100 of today's best western artists including Fritz White, Kevin Red Star, Robin Laws, Harry Jackson, Donna Howell-Sickles, Thom Ross, Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, and Michael Coleman.
At 9 a.m. on September 22, the Quick Draw reception with champagne brunch and live auction begins. Watch as three dozen artists paint, draw, and sculpt before your eyes.

FMI see http://www.buffalobillartshow.com/ for a complete listing of artists, events, and reservations, or call (307) 587-5002

Exhibits at Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum

For the 2nd Patio Gallery Exhibition of the 2007 season, the exhibit Recent Prints by Ginnie Madsen will run from July 7 through August 2. There will be an artist's reception Sunday, July 8, from 3-5 p.m. in the BBM&M's Reception Gallery.

The Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Also on exhibit in the Main Gallery until Labor Day is Mayan Procession: A Visual Celebration.

FMI please call (307) 672-3173 or by mail to P.O. Box 460 or 239 Brinton Road, Big Horn, Wyoming, 82833-0460.

Beauty and the Beast at Casper College

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast on the McMurry Mainstage of the Gertrude Krampert Theatre. Music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice; book is Linda Woolverton. The show runs July 13, 14, 17-21, 24-28. Curtain time is 7:30 pm. Ticket prices run $12/adults, $10/children & students (4-18); there is a $2 ticket discount for groups of 20 or more; general tickets on sale June 25.
Krampert Theatre box office is open M-F, 10am-3pm, or tickets can be purchased at the door. FMI call (307) 268-2500 or (800) 442-2963, ext. 2500 or online at www.caspercollege.edu/theatre

Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition purchase winners

Eleven artists from around Wyoming received purchase awards during the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition reception held at the Wyoming State Museum. Governor Dave Freudenthal presented more than $10,000 in purchase awards at the event to Laurie Thal/Lia Kass, Mary-Alice Huemoeller of Wilson, Cody Brinton of Jackson, Matt Flint and Bill Yankee of Lander, Mike Allen of Shoshoni, Joan Sowada of Gillette, Victoria Greet of Ten Sleep, Helen Hoff of Casper and Cat Urbigkit of Pinedale.

These artists’ works will be included in the Capitol Art Collection and be eligible for display in the offices of the state’s five elected officials. The governor, first lady, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and state superintendent of public instruction selected the purchase award recipients.

The Capitol Art Exhibition is on display at the Wyoming State Museum, located at 2301 Central Ave. in Cheyenne now through Aug. 31. Call 307-777-7022 for more information.

Wyoming Writing Project Summer Invitational

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Teachers and administrators from eight Wyoming communities will take part in the 2007 Writing Project Summer Invitational offered through UW.

Connie Currie, director of the Wyoming Writing Project and a lecturer in the UW Department of English, says the group will attend workshops and a variety of educational events. The WWP's goal is to improve writing and writing instruction across all grades and curricula in the state, Currie says.

Participants begin with a three-day retreat July 13, at the historic Elk Mountain Hotel, where they will form a "writing community." The group will participate in a series of intensive writing workshops on the UW campus July 18, followed by an informational field trip to Rock Springs on July 20. The writing invitational will conclude Aug. 4, with the presentation of an original play at the Trading Post dinner theatre in Centennial. This year's play is based on the 1885 "Chinese Massacre" in Rock Springs.

Participants in the summer invitational are Denice Davenport and Roxann Shook, Cheyenne; Stephanie Malcom, Dixon; Kathy Morsett, Douglas; Nancy English and Leslie Rush, Laramie; Wendy Phillips, Medicine Bow; Debra Fisher, Mountain View; Traci Blaize and Robert T. Moore, Rawlins; and Ann Elder and Linda Hazaleus, Wheatland.

Currie will be assisted by Debby Boller, Oakland, Calif.; Ashlie Boltinghouse and Carrie Langston, Cheyenne; Lori Howe, Colin Keeney, Patricia Romero, and Katee Vallad, Laramie; and Wes Nethercott, Detroit, Mich.

FMI: Patricia Romero, (307) 766-6486.

Published writers: meet at the fair!

From blog editor Mike Shay:

I'm working with Kim Porter at the Wyoming Business Council to recruit writers with published books for the annual Author's Day at the State Fair in Douglas on Saturday, Aug. 18. noon-6 p.m.

The book-signing tables will be in the fairground building that also houses the arts exhibition and the State Fair Store. Outside the north door will be a tent set up for readings. We'll time the readings to coincide with breaks by the C/W band playing in a tent on the other side of the building. I envision readings at noon, 2, and 4. I will serve as emcee. Kim will provide a sound system. She also will put up signs around the fairgrounds to lure people to poetry. Participating writers and their books will be listed in fair ads. Writers can hawk their own books and/or work with the store.

If you're interested, please supply your name and book titles. Also, if you want to read, let me know what time will be best (noon, 2, or 4) and we'll try to get you on stage at the appropriate time. And let me know what time frame you'd like to be at the book sales tables: noon-2; 2-4, or 4-6. You can also sign up for a noon-6 stint. It's best to follow your reading with a stint at the tables. That way people hear your stuff and stick around to buy your book.

Kim says that the deadline for her to get information into State Fair promotional ads is July 6. Please let me know by then. You can e-mail me or call at 307-777-5234.

Celtic sounds by Cheyenne's Marta Burton

Cheyenne poet Jim Rolf sends news to wyomingarts that former Wyoming resident and singer/musician Marta Burton will be in concert in Denver on Saturday. Here are the details from Marta:

"I'd love to see you at Swallow Hill this Saturday at 8 p.m. for my Southern Journey Tribute Concert (featuring The Sojourners, an ensemble of The Spirituals Project), Art Jones, Emily Bates, cellist Nick Rossi and more! Southern Journey will be followed by my Celtic band, riverrun and an old-time string band called the Uptown Relics. This is part of the Swallow Hill Music Association's Summer Mini-Festival Series, 71 East Yale, Denver, Colo. Ticket are $18 at the door, $15 in advance. FMI: 303-777-1003."

For more about Marta, go to her web site.

"Gone with the Wind" parody in Jackson

I'll Never Be Hungry Again plays July 3-29 at the Center Theater, 265 S. Cache Street in Jackson.

Here's a short description from a press release: "Who hasn’t fallen asleep while cramming for a college final? In this hilarious dream-turned-nightmare, a college student awakens in a reality far scarier than his final exam on Gone With The Wind – he’s inside the story, playing the roles of… Prissy?... Mammy? In this irreverent musical send-up of the classic Civil War novel and movie, six actors play all the characters. A riotous musical parody."

Tickets are $34.80 or $24.36, plus service fee and tax. Click here to purchase tickets online.

Tina Welling inks two-book deal

This article appeared in the June 11 issue of Publishers’ Weekly. It includes some good news for Jackson’s Tina Welling, who received the 2003 Frank Nelson Doubleday Award from the Arts Council for an excerpt from her first novel, Crybaby Ranch, published in 2006 by Ghost Road Press. Read on:

Although at age 63 Susan Wasson is semi-retired, she still maintains the mystery book section at Albuquerque's Bookworks, orders its mass market titles, and writes reviews for the store's Web site and newsletter. But what makes her unique in the eyes of both large and small publishers is her unofficial role of agent. In the past decade, three novels acquired by New York houses were initially released by small presses and brought to the attention of the larger companies by Wasson. The most recent deal occurred this past spring, when Penguin acquired Crybaby Ranch by Wyoming author Tina Welling.

Welling's debut novel was published in 2006 with a 750-copy print run by Ghost Road Press in Denver. After Wasson read Crybaby Ranch last year, she passed it on to Penguin sales
rep Eric Boss, who, in turn, passed it on to executive editor Ellen Edwards at Putnam's NAL imprint, which eventually led to a two-book deal.

“I love it when a bookseller's enthusiasm leads to our discovery of a terrific new writer,” Edwards said. Crybaby Ranch will be released in trade paper in January as part of the NAL Accent line of women's fiction.

Prompted by Wasson, the Bantam Dell Publishing Group has acquired two novels, each initially released by a small feminist press. In 1997, BD acquired Into the Forest by Jean Hegland, which had a 3,000-copy printing when it was first published in 1996 by Calyx Books. BD acquired the title in a two-book deal that netted the author $700,000. Five years later, BD bought The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish, first published with a 3,000-copy run by Denver's Spinsters Ink. BD, which reports 200,000 copies in print, published The Sunday List of Dreams, Radish's fourth novel, with a 100,000-copy run in January. “One of the most remarkable things about Susan,” said Bantam Dell publisher Irwyn Applebaum, “is that she's a book lover and parlays this into a knowledge of what will sell a book. It's not enough to like a book, we've got to be able to sell it. Not everyone in this business can make that leap. She's one of a kind.”

Opportunity for Presenters

The National Endowment for the Arts has announced their latest initiative -- American Masterpieces--Presents. This program will allow presenters the opportunity to do what they do best - design and create their own program for consideration as an American Masterpiece. We encourage presenting organizations of all sizes, genres and aesthetics to apply including: networks of presenters, college or university presenters, local/national/regional presenters, and national service organizations and their networks.


This is a unique opportunity under the Presenting category and, if you already apply to Learning in the Arts, Challenge America - Fast Track, or Access to Artistic Excellence, this affords your organization an additional opportunity to receive project funding. The details of the program are located at www.arts.gov/grants

The deadline is October 1, 2007. We anticipate that between 30 and 40 grants will be recommended for funding. The grants will range from 10K to 100K.

Millions volunteer for the arts

This appeared in Snippets newsletter from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies:

A new report from the National Endowment for the Arts' Research & Analysis staff focuses on arts volunteering in the United States. More than 1.6 million Americans volunteered with arts or cultural organizations in 2005. More than 7 million Americans, meanwhile, provided free artistic services to non-arts groups such as schools or churches.

Second year for Cheyenne Celtic Festival

June 29-July 1 are the dates for Cheyenne's Celtic Festival, which begins with The Indulgers performing for Fridays on the Plaza Concert Series at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza, followed by music by Canned Haggis, Calling of the Clans and Musical Chairs.

Saturday's entertainment features Celtic bands along with dance and poetry readings. Also on Saturday, Celtic instrument and dance workshops take place at the Plains Hotel from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, July 1, features more Celtic music.

All events are free to the public except for the Scotch tasting, which is $40 per ticket with limited space available. Call the Plains Hotel, 307-638-3311 ext. 4603.

"Macbeth" tours WYO this summer

Cheyenne Little Theatre 2007-2008 season offerings

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp -- September 21-23, 27-30, -- Historic Atlas Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar -- October 12-14, 18-21, 25-28, -- Mary Godfrey Playhouse
Cockeyed -- Nov 1-Dec 2, 6-9 -- Historic Atlas Theatre. A dinner theatre performance.
By Jeeves -- February 8-10, 14-17, 21-24, -- Historic Atlas Theatre. A dinner theatre performance.
Witness for the Prosecution -- March 7-9, 13-16, --Mary Godfrey Playhouse
High School Musical -- May 2-4, 8-11, 15-18, -- Mary Godfrey Playhouse
Readers Theatre -- Oct 5, Dec 14, Feb 29, Apr 11, -- Historic Atlas Theatre
Money In The Bank or It's All Your Vault -- July 6-Aug 4, --Historic Atlas Theatre

All performances begin at 7:30 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 2:00 pm for Sunday matinees. Prices vary for each play.

FMI go to http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org/, Call The Mary Godfrey Playhouse at (307) 638-6543; The Historic Atlas Theatre at (307) 635-0199.

Wyoming quilters meet in Sheridan

The 10th anniversary and convention of the Wyoming State Quilt Guild will take place July 12-14 at Sheridan Community College in Sheridan. Classes will feature teachers Ami Simms and John Flynn as well as regional quilt and needle work instructors. The quilt show and vendors' mall in the SCC Golden Dome is free to the public. FMI: www.wsqg.org/Qw07.htm

What goes up, must go on stage

“Man in the Flying Lawn Chair,” by Caroline Cromelin, Eric Nightengale, Monica Read, Kimberly Reiss, Troy Taber, and Toby Wherry, and directed by Leigh Selting, will play June 26-30, 7:30 p.m., at the Fine Arts Studio Theatre on the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Here’s a description from the UW web site:

This high-altitude comedy-of-errors, developed through improvisation by the 78th Street Theatre Lab, proves that the truth is stranger than fiction. Based on a news story, the play centers on Larry Walters, a truck driver from California obsessed with getting the best view in life. In 1982, with the help of 50 surplus weather balloons, Walters launched himself 16,000 feet into the air in an aluminum lawn chair. After being spotted by passing aircraft, he descended by shooting several balloons with a pellet gun, got entangled in power lines, and was arrested by the FAA for violating commercial airspace in an unauthorized vehicle. Walters dropped out of sight after enjoying his 15 minutes of fame (including an appearance on Letterman), but not before securing his place as a cult hero for outcasts and weird daredevils everywhere.

The Guardian of London had this to say about the original production:

“This delightful, quirky little show takes Walter’s story and uses it as a metaphor for soaring dreams and earthbound lives, obsession, the fickleness of celebrity and the way that what goes up must come down. The production has a wacky edge that matches the craziness of Walters’s dream.”

Contact the UW box office for tickets.

Learn about mosaics at AVA

Johnson County art happenings

The Clear Creek Summerfest Arts and Crafts show returns on Saturday, June 23, coinciding with the Gatchell Museum's exhibit "Living History Days." Artists and crafters in many mediums will present their wares for sale in the gymnasium of the old Clear Creek School behind the Jim Gatchell Museum from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Located at the Historic Buffalo Train Depot, at the corner of Lobban Avenue and E. Benteen Street, Potters' Depot invites all to check out their newly renovated studio during their pottery sale, also featuring new gallery work. Open house and sale takes place on June 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Classes start June 27. Registration is taking place now. FMI: 307-684-4555.

The Johnson County Arts and Humanities Council received a $1,000 grant from the Wyoming Arts Council for the Missoula Children's Theatre production "The Little Mermaid." Performance of the show will be in May 2008.

"Driven" is theme for VSA Arts contest

VSA Arts is accepting representational and abstract work that reflects the theme "Driven," for an exhibition sponsored by Volkwagen of America, Inc. The competition is open to young artists with disabilities, ages 16-25. Postmark deadline is July 6, 2007.

Fifteen finalists will compete for prizes, with $20,000 for first place and $10,000 for second.

FMI: Jennifer Wexler, VSA visual arts coordinator, 1-800-933-8721, ext. 3885.

Music in the Big Horns July 6-8

The third annual Big Horn Mountain Festival will be held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Buffalo on July 6-8. You won’t want to miss this exciting line-up for 2007 which will include the Dry Branch Fire Squad, Sons of the San Joaquin, The Gibson Brothers, and the Steep Canyon Rangers. The Wyoming Mandolin and Banjo Championships will be held on Saturday as well as guitar and fiddle contests, with this year's mando and banjo winners guaranteed a slot at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Don’t miss the "Band Scramble" and there will be music workshops for every interest. FMI: Johnson County Tourism Board & Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, 55 N. Main St., 307-684-5544 or 1-800-227-5122. E-mail buffalochamber@wyoming.com . Tickets also available at the WYO Theater in downtown Sheridan.

"Jentel Presents" at Davis Gallery

Artists and writers at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Banner will be featured at "Jentel Presents" at the Davis Gallery, 32 North Main, Sheridan, Tuesday, June 26, from 5:30-7 p.m. The event is a free community outreach program that features slide presentations and readings.

Presenters include: Paige Ackerson-Kiely, poet/novelist, Lincoln, Vt.; Erinn Cox, sculptor, Memphis, Tenn.; Rose DeSiano, photographer, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Cynthia Hartling; painter, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Nathalie Pham; sculptor/installation artist, Newark, N.J.; and Pamela Steele, essayist/poet, Hermiston, Ore.

There is no admission charge for “Jentel Presents” and refreshments are available.

FMI: Lynn Reeves, 307-737-2311 or jentel@jentelarts.org.

"Seeking Wyoming, Speaking Wyoming"

Wyoming authors Julianne Marie Couch, Jeffe Kennedy, RoseMarie London, and Michael Shay will present "Seeking Wyoming, Speaking Wyoming" on Friday, July 20, 7-10 p.m., at Everyday Joe's Coffee House in Fort Collins, Colo.

All four are writers of collections. Julianne's non-fiction book, finished after years of exhaustive hands-on research, is "Jukeboxes and Jackelopes: A Wyoming Bar Journey." It was published June 1 by Greybull's Pronghorn Press (read an excerpt in the summer issue of Great Lakes Airlines in-flight mag). Jeffe's essay collection is "Wyoming, Trucks, True Love, and the Weather Channel" from University of New Mexico Press. RoseMarie's story collection is "The Search for an Inappropriate Man" (also the result of years of exhaustive research) and Michael's is "The Weight of a Body" from Ghost Road Press.

The work is inspired and set (for the most part) in Wyoming.

The reading is free and food will be provided by the authors. The writers will sell and sign copies of their books following the reading. Buy your favorite caffeinated beverage from the baristas at Everyday Joe's.

Two new sites added to National Register

Two Wyoming properties, Trapper’s Point near Pinedale and the Mountain View Hotel in Centennial, are among the newest additions to the National Register of Historic Places.

Trapper’s Point, an archaeological site, is significant as an Early Archaic pronghorn butchering area located in a geographic bottleneck near Pinedale. The site is along the current pronghorn migration route between winter and summer ranges in the Green River Basin region.
Staff from the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist excavated a portion of the site in 1992. Wyoming State Archaeologist Dr. Mark E. Miller prepared the Trapper’s Point nomination to the National Register.

The Mountain View Hotel was constructed in 1907 by the Laramie, Hahn Peak and Pacific Railroad Company, and played an integral role in the settlement of the Centennial Valley. Ev Elmendorf, owner/operator of the Mountain View Hotel finds the addition of the property to the National Register this year especially meaningful, as the hotel will celebrate its 100th birthday on July 7 as part of the Centennial Century Celebration.

Call for entries for "Zion National Park" competition

Zion Natural History Association, in partnership with Zion National Park, the St. George Art Museum, and the St. George Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, announces the call for entries for the art competition and traveling exhibit, “Zion National Park: A Century of Sanctuary.” The competition was developed as a tribute for the park’s 100th anniversary in 2009. Submissions of the best art being produced today representing both the intimacies and the grandeur of Zion National Park will be accepted through January 31, 2008.

Awards include a $10,000 City of St. George Art Museum Grand Prize Purchase Award; a $5,000 Zion Natural History Association Purchase Award; a Utah Governor’s Recognition Award; a Zion National Park Superintendent Recognition Award; as well as many other cash prizes, recognition, merit, and purchase awards. Full contest details and entry forms are available at www.sgartmuseum.org/zion.

The juried exhibit will premiere at the St. George Art Museum alongside an exhibit of historic photographs and paintings covering the early years. Juried works will be featured in a traveling exhibition showcasing the inspiring landscape, flora, and fauna of Zion National Park. Artists gain the potential for sales of their work, national recognition, and national exposure. Proceeds will benefit Zion National Park and the St. George Art Museum. Museums and galleries interested in participating in the exhibit, “Zion National Park: A Century of Sanctuary” should contact the St. George Art Museum at museum@sgcity.org

Want to make some Western Thunder?

The University of Wyoming Western Thunder Marching Band (WTMB) will have an open sign-up period for new members continuing through July.
WTMB membership is open to all UW students. In addition to musicians, the group offers opportunities for auxiliary members including baton twirlers and color guard. To sign-up as a new member, visit www.uwyo.edu/marchingband and select the "join us" menu. No audition is necessary.
WTMB Director Chris Nicholas says he expects this year's record-breaking interest from first-year students to create "one of the largest and most exciting bands at UW in recent history."
"Our recruiting efforts have really paid off -- this is the largest incoming freshman class I've seen this early in the summer since coming to UW in 2001," Nicholas says. "There is already a terrific energy surrounding the students and staff for the upcoming season."
UW's Head Football Coach Joe Glenn says he counts on that energy -- it helps the Cowboys win games.
"Western Thunder creates a sensational spirit and atmosphere (at games) that will be remembered by the Wyoming faithful for all of their lives. Our school and state are lucky to have such a professional group of musicians playing together," Glenn says.
The band's unprecedented expansion and many public accolades over the last few years have increased prospective students' interest in UW's music program, and helped the band offer more opportunities for its members, according to Nicholas.
"Perhaps our most exciting area of growth is in our scholarship budget," Nicholas says. "Each marching band member receives a yearly scholarship in recognition for their service to the university. We have more than doubled the amount of money available to WTMB students."
Western Thunder features musicians from nearly every UW major who perform annually for approximately 125,000 Cowboy football fans. The band travels with the UW football team on selected road trips, including all post-season bowl games. To date WTMB has performed in San Diego, Calif., Tucson, Ariz., Miami, Fla., Las Vegas, Nev., and Orlando, Fla.

Gobs O'Phun at Gillette's Celtic Festival

6th Annual WyomingCeltic Festival and Highland Games takes place Saturday June 23 and Sunday June 24, 2007 in Gillette, WY from 9:00am-5:00pm both days at the Cam-Plex Picnic Park located on Martingale Drive.

Festival activities include: Men and Women's Highland Athletic Competition (Saturday), Open Field Athletics (Sunday), Clan Tents, Celtic Dog Parade, Highland Cattle and Sheep, Living History Exhibit, Tartan Parade, Celtic Dance, Celtic Vendors, Food Vendors, Pipers, Children's Activities

Featured Performers: The Indulgers – Gobs O'Phun – The Muses – The Renaissance Scots
Adults $6.00 one day pass, $10.00 two day pass
Children under 10 free when accompanied by an adult
Tickets available at the gate
For Info: 307-689-1057 or http://www.wyomingcelticfestival.org

"those who TEACH" exhibit at LCCC

those who TEACH is a visual experience reflective of the artistic goals of Laramie County School District #1 educators and their individual interpretations of the Wyoming landscape. A reception will be held June 28, 2007, beginning at 4 p.m., to open up the show in the Esther and John Clay Fine Art Gallery at Laramie County Community College (LCCC), Hours for the gallery are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among the exhibitors and lecturers are Maureen West, Lynn Newman, and Connie Norman.

Lectures dates and times (lectures are held in the gallery):
West -- Thursday, June 28, 2007, 7 p.m.
Newman -- Wednesday, July 11, 2007 7 p.m.
Norman -- Wednesday, July 18, 2007 3 p.m.

Arts Program Specialist wanted at WAC

The Wyoming Arts Council is looking for someone to develop, implement, manage and direct all aspects of the Wyoming Arts Council's (WAC) Community Development in the Arts (CDA) program. The Arts Program Specialist would provide extensive technical assistance to constituents; organize workshops and training opportunities; develop partnerships to further the CDA program with economic development, municipal, education and other agencies as appropriate; serve as a resource to organizations and municipalities interested in developing their communities through the arts; develop and manage grant programs for CDA, Grants to Organizations, and the Wyoming Arts Endowment, providing technical assistance to constituents in completing grant applications and final reports; perform site and project evaluations to ensure the quality of WAC funded projects; and prepare and monitor the CDA.

FMI about this position, please go to the State of Wyoming and click on jobs. Narrow the search down to Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, then Wyoming Arts Council, or click on http://statejobs.state.wy.us/JobSearchDetail.aspx?ID=12113

Reception for Governor's Art Exhibition

A free opening reception will be held June 22, 5-7 p.m., at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne. It will feature hors d'oeuvres, entertainment, and an appearance by Governor Dave Freudenthal.

Jeffe Kennedy finds a "Pearl"

"Pearl," Jeffe Kennedy's first speculative fiction story, will appear in an upcoming issue of Aeon Magazine http://www.aeonmagazine.com
Congratulations to Jeffe!

FMI about Jeffe's work or to contact her, go to her websites at http://www.JeffeKennedy.com or http://www.jeffekennedy.com

"It's such a relief to see a swallow as it should be--I feel restored to see it fly, black and tan shining against the sky. It seems a moment from a novel."
~Jeffe Kennedy, from Wyoming Trucks, True Love and the Weather Channel, University of New Mexico Press, March 2004

Casper Events Center ticket office

The Casper Events Center will be open to purchase tickets to the College National Finals Rodeo beginning Sunday, June 10 and running through Saturday, June 16th. Other shows on sale now are: Vince Gill's Friends and Family Tour with Amy Grant and the Del McCoury Band and the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker.

The Casper Events Center Box Office will have special hours of operation
for Rodeo Week as follows:
Monday, June 11 - 6:30 am to 5:00 pm;
Tuesday, June 12 -6:30 am to 8:00 pm;
Wednesday, June 13 through Saturday, June 16 - 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

For tickets or more information, please call the Casper Events Center Box Office at 307-577-3030 or 800-442-2256 or online at www.CasperEventsCenter.com or http://www.caspereventscenter.com. For a complete College National Finals Rode schedule, please visit www.CNFR.com, http://www.cnfr.com/ or www.CasperEventsCenter.com or
http://www.caspereventscenter.com

Cheyenne Little Theatre special performance

Cheyenne Little Theatre Players will perform A Walk in the Woods by Lee Blessing in a special performance at the Mary Godfrey Playhouse on the June 14 at 7:00 p.m. All proceeds will help fund the trip to the national American Association of Community Theatre's (AACT) festival in Charlotte, NC. Tickets are only $10.00 and seating is by general admission. Tickets are now on sale and available by phone at (307) 638- 6543. You can also purchase tickets at the Playhouse, the corner of Windmill and Pershing Blvd.

CLTP production of A Walk in the Woods by Lee Blessing won the regional AACT festival competition Sunday, April 22 held here in Cheyenne. Region 7 of AACT is made up of community theatres from Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. CLTP’s production of A Walk in the Woods will move on to national competition at the National AACT Festival to be held in Charlotte, NC June 18-24, 2007.

This will mark the second time in Cheyenne Little Theatre Players 78 year history that it has been invited to perform at AACT’s National competition. In 1993 CLTP took a production of Terra Nova to national competition and won second place.

A Walk in the Woods is directed by Keith Thomson and features Dave Hall and Jeff Tish in the roles of John Honeyman and Andrey Botvinnik. The stage Manager is Rich Hammond.
This production was also a showcase winner at the Rocky Mountain Theatre Festival held earlier this year at Western State College in Gunnison CO. The Rocky Mountain Theatre Association is made of Community, College, High School and University theatres from Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and is separate from the American Association of Community Theatres.

2nd annual Pronghorn Pride Initiative Project

The Painted Pronghorns will be on exhibit from June 11th to June 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily at the Old Union Pacific Depot in Historic Downtown Rawlins. On Saturday, June 30th at 11:00 a.m., during the Second Annual Rawlins Main Street Pronghorn Pride Fest 2007, the Painted Pronghorns will be paraded on hand drawn carts to the Jeffrey Community Memorial Center, where the public will have a final opportunity to view the exhibit from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. FMI, call (307) 324-8857 or go to pronghornpride@yahoo.com.

Jamal, Tebay, win 2007 fellowships

Kema Jamal and Jodeen Tebay are the recipients of the 2007 performing arts fellowships in dance and theatre performance. They each will receive a $3,000 award from the Wyoming Arts Council.

Wyoming native Kema Jamal began dancing when she was four years old. After attending college in San Diego, she studied dance with Katherine Dunham at Southern Illinois University and danced with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in New York City. She has performed in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. Her most recent project melds music, dialogue and dance. Now a Cheyenne resident, Kema has been accepted for the 2007-2008 Wyoming Arts Council artists’ roster.

Jodeen Tebay of Jackson began dancing in Parkersburg, West Virginia, with the Schrader Youth Ballet Co. In 1990, she was recipient of the West Virginia Governor's Award in Dance. She studied under Velma Schrader, Duncan Noble, Keith Lee, Milton Meyer, Cynthia Riesteror and Barbara Bashaw. Jodeen teaches dance at schools in the Jackson Hole area. She is an original member of Contemporary Dance Wyoming.

The judge for this year’s competition was Jane Slusarski-Harris, who directs the dance program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.

For more information about WAC fellowships programs, contact Michael Shay, 307-777-5234, or e-mail mshay@state.wy.us.

Dance Across Wyoming summer events

The Wyoming Arts Council celebrates dance with Dance Across Wyoming for the 2007 American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts. The WAC has worked with four major presenting partners: Contemporary Dance Wyoming (CDW), the state’s only professional dance company; the Theater and Dance Department at the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie; the UW Cultural Outreach Office, coordinator of the modern dance tours; and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC) in Cody, coordinator for performances of traditional Native American dances.

Dance Across Wyoming promotes two historically and culturally significant American dance forms -- modern dance and powwow dance. Between March 1 and June 30, sixteen Wyoming communities have hosted (or will host) performances by modern or Native American dance troupes, giving access to live performance and greater cultural appreciation of American Masterpieces to a broad audience.

Here are the remaining events, featuring Wind River Reservation Powwow Performances:

June 8, 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium in Rawlins. FMI: Carbon County Museum, 307-328-2740.
June 29–July 1, daily at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m., at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, FMI: 307-587-4771
July 18, TBA Location TBA in Casper. FMI: ArtCore, 307-265-1564

For more information, contact the Wyoming Arts Council at 307-777-7742.

Get BBHC video clips on YouTube

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center now features video clips on YouTube.

Go to http://www.bbhc.org/YouTube/index.cfm

"Romans, Greeks, Barbarians, Christians"

From a University of Wyoming press release:

A free public talk by a visiting Yale University professor, "Romans, Greeks, Barbarians and Christians: Approaching the Late Roman Empire," is the first presentation in a June lecture series supported by the Wyoming Council for the Humanities (WCH) and the UW Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

John Matthews, professor of classics and history at Yale, will start the series Sunday, June 10. All lectures are at 7:30 p.m. in Room 103 of the UW Animal Science/Molecular Biology Building.

The eighth annual Summer Classics Institute lecture series will explore the fascinating world of Late Antiquity, which generally spans the 2nd to the 5th centuries A.D., a time of spiritual ferment, new experiments in literature and philosophy and a continuing meditation on the Greco-Roman world's long cultural heritage.

Free public lectures will be offered each evening during the institute. The Institute also offers seminars and mini-courses on the writings of Marcus Aurelius and Augustine.

The public lecture series continues Monday, June 11, as UW Classics Professor Philip Holt presents "Keep Your Philosophy Handy: Philosophy & Life Among the Greeks."

Tuesday, June 12, the series examines daily life when Veronika Grimm, Yale University lecturer in classics, presents, "The Tastes of Ancient Greece and Rome."

Matthews speaks again Wednesday, June 13, presenting, "From Old Rome to New: The City of Constantinople."

The series concludes Thursday, June 14, with Barbara Ellen Logan, visiting assistant professor of women's studies, examining the roles of women during the period in "Widows, Wives & Virgins: Women in the Early Christian Hierarchy."

FMI: Victoria Sherry at (307) 766-9246, e-mail vfsherry@uwyo.edu.

Summer fiction writing course at UW/CC

Information on how to write and publish fiction will be presented in "Writer's Workshop in Fiction" (ENGL 4050), a course offered this summer through the University of Wyoming/Casper College (UW/CC) Center.

Part-time instructor Patrick Amelotte will lead students in reading fiction works, including short story classics by Ray Carver, Richard Ford, Yukio Mishima, Edna O'Brien and Anton Chekov. While learning the art of naming characters, writing dialogue and creating narrative, students will write their own stories, which will be reviewed by classmates in a workshop format.
Amelotte will discuss the mechanics of getting published, including how to write query letters and where to send manuscripts.

"By the end of the class, students will have compiled three lists of publishing companies to send their manuscripts - an A-list, a B-list and a C-list," says Amelotte.
For more information about this or other summer courses, call the UW/CC Center at (307) 268-2713.

Butch Cassidy rides again (with soundtrack)

The Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site has partnered with the Albany County Tourism Board to host the Western Outlaw Festival & Butch Cassidy Days June 15-17 in Laramie.

The weekend will be filled with family events, living history, comedy skits, musicians, cookouts, vintage baseball, new exhibits, evening concerts, tractor shows, a horse show, "Butch Cassidy Look-a-Like Contest," the U.S. Artillery Regimental Brass Band and comedy and music by Rattle Snake Jake.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for 12-17, 11 and under are free. It includes access to the historic prison, the exhibit hall and all the events. The Albany County Cowbells will provide food on Friday night. Saturday night, the Wyoming Territorial Park Historic Association will be selling barbeque beef and pulled pork.

On Saturday evening, Wyoming's Prickly Pair will perform an open-air concert at the site. Prickly Pair (Les and Locke Hamilton) preserve vintage Western music, cowboy folk tunes and old-time fiddle music as true Americana art forms. Les is a fourth generation fiddle player from Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. Locke’s rhythm guitar accompanies her trained, stellar voice. The concert is co-sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council. The duo is on the WAC artists' roster.

Southeast Wyoming Art Show and Sale

Entries are being sought for the 6th annual Southeast Wyoming Art Show and Sale. Artists living in Albany, Carbon, Converse, Goshen, Laramie, Natrona, Niobrara, or Platte counties are eligible to enter. Cash awards of $1,850.00 (given in 22 categories) plus two publication awards are available. Entry forms are available at Deselms Fine Art, 303 E. 17th St., Cheyenne, or are downloadable at www.DeselmsFineArt.com. There is a $15.00 entry fee for each piece, and up to five pieces may be entered. Any style and media of artwork is accepted and NOT limited to western themes. The show will be held at the Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St., Cheyenne, June 29th to July 31st. For more information, please contact Harvey Deselms at Deselms Fine art at (307) 432-0606 or DeselmsArt@aol.com.

Nesbitt's novel "Raven Springs" released

Leisure Books, a mass-market publisher in New York, has published Raven Springs, the third in a mini-series about Jimmy Clevis, the good-natured narrator who finds himself having to investigate mysteries and find missing people. Other published works by Endeavor Books by Nesbitt include Shadows On The Plain, Keep The Wind In Your Face, A Good Man To Have In Camp, and Adventures Of The Ramrod Rider. John also writes short stories, his latest is "Blue Horse Mesa," included in the anthology Lost Trails.
FMI please go to John's website at www.johndnesbitt.com

Unveiling and Dedication in Riverton

The Art in Public Buildings Project, which designates 1% of construction costs of new state-owned buildings be utilized for the purpose of placing art work in the public setting, announces the completion of the third project to date at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton, on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 11:00 am. The sculpture was done by David Alan Clark. Unveiling and dedication takes place under the coordination of the Wyoming Arts Council.

Write with Page on the river

This announcement comes from Wyoming Arts Council fellowship winner and Wyoming Writers, Inc., member Page Lambert:

This is the last chance to register for the July 9-14, six-day Cataract Canyon river trip as featured in Oprah's O magazine. Outfitted by Sheri Griffith Expeditions, this year's trip launches Monday, July 9, from Moab, Utah, returning to Moab late Saturday, July 14. If you want to be included, contact Page Lambert immediately at 303-842-7360, or via e-mail. There are still a few places left. For more info, go to Page's web site.

Kudos come from Camille Kurtz in Washington, D.C.: "To go on the trip is to be forever changed. In the company of women, who start out as strangers, we gradually discover each other and ourselves. It was a particular pleasure to get to sit down with Page and go over the writing pieces I'd brought. Her editing was extremely deft. To each of us, she gave so much of herself."

Photography contest

New Works #11, En Foco’s Photography Awards, is an annual program open to American photographers of African, Asian, Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander heritage. The goal is to create or complete an in-depth photographic series which explores themes emanating from personal experiences. Three photographers will be selected from a national call for entries to receive an honorarium of $600, photographic supplies (varies according to funding year), technical assistance, a photographer’s page on enfoco.org, and a culminating group exhibition in the New York area. No fee. Guidelines are available at www.enfoco.org, or send an SASE to: En Foco, Inc., attn: New Works 2007-08, 1738 Hone Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461. 718/931-9311. info@enfoco.org. DEADLINE: July 2, 2007.
More information can be found on our website: http://www.enfoco.org/index.php/programs/newworks_award/

Warren Adler depicts Funny Boys

Jackson resident Warren Adler's new novel, Funny Boys, has been acquired by Overlook Press. The novel deals with the heyday of the Catskill Mountain resorts when it was the breeding ground of new comedians and the turf for gangsters from Murder Inc. and the Mafia. Many of the characters in the novel are based upon actual gangsters of that era-dubbed Murder Inc.-who killed for hire and represented the so-called Combination-an alliance between Jewish and Italian gangsters, a number of whom got the chair or were killed in the gang wars of that era.

The novel is scheduled for publication in spring 2008.

Warren Adler is the author of twenty-nine novels, among them The War of the Roses, which was made into a movie starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, and Random Hearts, which was made into a film starring Harrison Ford. Three of Mr. Adler’s short stories from his collection The Sunset Gang were adapted for a trilogy on PBS. Ten of his books have been sold or optioned to Hollywood. Adler recently completed a screenplay based on his novel Target
Churchill, written with collaborator James Humes, a Churchill expert. Kevin Conner will direct.

Adler's work is featured in the 2003 Wyoming Center for the Book anthology, Deep West: A Literary Tour of Wyoming, available through Pronghorn Press.

Wyoming Writers, Inc. contest winners

Congratulations to all of the winners in Wyoming Writers, Inc., 2007 writing contest, announced Saturday at the annual conference in Thermopolis. A tremendous selection of creative and diverse work!

Free Verse Poetry:
1st place--Cameron Byrne for Treechoke Farm
2nd place--Joe Greig for Irrigator's Meditation
3rd place--Jeanne Rogers for Lucky Strike
Honorable mentions:
A. Rose Hill for Hands
Cameron Byrne for Bar Dance in Boise
Susannah L. Haberfeld for Which Stage is This?

Traditional Poetry:
1st place--Susannah L. Haberfeld for All's Hallow Once, Eve
2nd place--Cornelius F. Kelly for Ghosts
3rd place--Aaron E. Holst for Sonnet in the Vernacular
Honorable mentions:
Ann Maria Mattila for Wyoming Winds
Shelagh Wisdom for What I Am

Nonfiction:
1st place--Daniel R. Lemon for Gully Washers
2nd place--Phyllis Dugan for Meeting Tarzana
3rd place--Darcy Lipp-Acord for Ponies Don't Buck
Honorable mentions:
John West for Small Town Justice
Cameron Byrne for Emil and Gusti
Joe Greig for The Last Wyoming Wolf

Fiction:
1st place--Amy C. Barker for Vivian Novack Saves the Day
2nd place--Jerry Sanders for Dog Gone
3rd place--Cameron Byrne for The Full Choke Shotgun Lottery
Honorable mentions:
Caitlin McGinnis for The Teacher
Daniel Lemon for The Wyoming Three Kick Rule
Anthony J. Sacco for Tell All the Truth

Children's Fiction:
1st place--Linda Ruhle for Five Dollar Impact
2nd place--Fred Savage for Stuck in the Middle
3rd place--Charlette M. Sause for Bright Eyes
Honorable mentions:
Cathy Anderson for Stinky Socks
Chris Valentine for Bick & the Polyesters
Cathy Anderson for Catfish Dreams