WAC visual arts fellowships announced

The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 visual arts fellowships. They are Matt Flint, Lander; Ricki Klages, Laramie; and Doug Russell, Laramie. They each will receive a $3,000 prize and will participate in the 2009 fellowship biennial exhibit.

Two artists received honorable mentions: Florence McEwin of Rock Springs and Craig Satterlee of Powell. Their work will be featured in an upcoming exhibition (details TBA).

Judges for the 2008 visual arts fellowships were Lawrence Argent, sculptor and professor at University of Denver; Mary K. Connelly, painter and professor at CU-Denver, and Patty Ortiz, sculptor and director of the Museo de las Americas. The judging session was held May 21 at the offices of the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) in downtown Denver.

Biographical information on the fellowship recipients and honorable mentions -- and samples of their work -- will be featured in future posts.

For more information, contact Michael Shay, individual artists program specialist, at 307-777-5234 or mshay@state.wy.us.

Here's to summer

From TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006

Texas poet R. S. Gwynn is a master of the light touch. Here he picks up on Gerard Manley Hopkins' sonnet "Pied Beauty," which many of you will remember from school, and offers us a picnic instead of a sermon. I hope you enjoy the feast!

Fried Beauty

Glory be to God for breaded things--
Catfish, steak finger, pork chop, chicken thigh,
Sliced green tomatoes, pots full to the brim
With french fries, fritters, life-float onion rings,
Hushpuppies, okra golden to the eye,
That in all oils, corn or canola, swim

Toward mastication's maw (O molared mouth!);
Whatever browns, is dumped to drain and dry
On paper towels' sleek translucent scrim,
These greasy, battered bounties of the South:
Eat them.

2008 National Performing Arts Convention in Denver

June 10-14, 2008, in Denver Colorado, the performing arts community will come together in Denver like never before: to affirm its shared history and values, to communicate its importance to national life and to identify new ways that arts leaders can more successfully bring the value of the arts in America to a wider audience.

"Taking Action Together" is the theme of the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC). NPAC will lay the foundation for future cross-disciplinary collaborations, cooperative programs and effective advocacy. Demonstrating a new maturity as a united sector, NPAC is dedicated to enriching national life and strengthening communities across the country.

National Conveners: Chorus Americ; Dance/USA; Early Music America; League of American Orchestras; OPERA America; Theatre Communications Group

Additional national partners: American Composers Forum; American Music Center; Americans for the Arts; Association of Performing Arts Presenters; Chamber Music America; Conductors Guild; Creative Capital; Folk Alliance; Grantmakers in the Arts; International Association for Jazz Education; Meet The Composer; Music Critics Association of North America; National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts; National Performance Network; North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents; University/Resident Theatre Association

Local planning leaders: Arts for Colorado; Arvada Center; Auraria Campus/King Center; Bonfils-Stanton Foundation; Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra; Central City Opera; City of Denver: Theatres & Arenas; Cleo Parker Robinson Dance; Colorado Ballet; Colorado Business Committee for the Arts; Colorado Children's Chorale; Colorado Council on the Arts; Colorado Symphony Orchestra; Community College of Denver; Curious Theatre Company; Denver Art Museum; Denver Center for the Performing Arts; Denver Center Theatre Company; Denver Metro Convention & Visitor's Bureau; Denver Office of Cultural Affairs; Friends of Chamber Music; Groupo Folklorico Sabor Latino; International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees; Lakewood Cultural Center; Metro State College of Denver; Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation; Opera Colorado; PCL Construction; PHAMALy; Scientific & Cultural Facilities District; Semple Brown Design; Teikyo Loretto Heights Theatre; The Denver Brass; University of Colorado at Denver; Newman Center for the Performing Arts, University of Denver

FMI and all of the details go to: www.nationalperformingartsconvention.org/index.htm

Alexandra Fuller interview in NEW WEST

Jenny Shank is editor of the first-rate book section at New West. She interviewed Jackson writer Alexandra Fuller about her new book, "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant." You can read the entire two-part interview by going to www.newwest.net and clicking on "Books." Here's an excerpt:

New West: How did you come up with the language you used in your narration? It has a lot of Wyoming slang and spirit to it.
Alexandra Fuller: Have you hung around roughnecks much?

NW: No, I haven’t.
AF: Their language is so fun. Jake [Colton's best friend] makes me laugh, just way he says “hello" — I’m on the floor. I am never bored, and I think that Middle America irons out its language and there’s a sort of politically correct dampening effect on the language. By the time I found Colton I’d already been out on the oil patch a couple of years, and I was pretty tuned into the language by then. I listened to a lot of country music, and if you haven’t listened to it, you really should. It’s so damn witty. It’s irreverent and at the same time it has this overriding kind of God-fearing goodness about it.

I came at this story with a kind of self-protective armor of irony and cleverness, liberal cattiness I guess. And I
came away with such respect — that’s not even a strong enough word — a deep reverence for people like Bill Bryant who can say less than any other man I’ve every met except maybe my father, and mean a whole lot more. Colton talked a lot — it kind of drove everyone crazy. He was always kidding around and joking.

Color, color, and still more color at AVA

Wyoming Film Showcase at Jackson Filmfest

For the first time this year, the Jackson Hole Film Festival is offering a "Wyoming Film Showcase," described on the festival web site as "a serendipitous category that came together as Cevin Cathell, programming director for this year's festival, and Artistic Director Melanie Miller, realized the impressive quality of films created by local talent."

The six Wyoming-made films include "Teacup," starring Jackson Hole's own Macey Mott; "Don't Fence Me In," a documentary about 13 Wyoming women by Bonnie Kreps; and "This Bird Has Flown," a fictional dance drama based on the enigmatic woman in the John Lennon song "Norwegian Wood."

The filmfest includes films (of course), parties, filmmakers' forums and gatherings, and the award ceremony at 8:30 p.m. on June 8), plus eight "Best of the Fest" sessions on Monday, June 9.

For schedules and more info, go to the festival's own website, http://www.jacksonholefilmfestival.org/. For tickets, call the Center for the Arts Box Office, 307-733-4900, or come by 265 S. Cache St. in Jackson.

Festival artwork (pictured above) is by Chuck Anderson of Bloomington, Ill. It's a mix of analog and digital elements including collage, photography, hand drawn illustration and design.

Page Lambert's Grand Canyon writing retreat

"Using the Power of Landscape to Liberate Your Narrative Voice," a writing retreat by Page Lambert held on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, is set for Aug. 8-10. The fee is $500 for GCA members; $525 for non-members.

Here's a description from Page's web site:

Do places tell us who we are? How does an exploration of outer landscape help in the exploration of inner landscape? How do we learn the language of the land? Can we learn to write our stories by learning the stories of the land? These questions, and more, will be explored during this 3-day writing retreat at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, facilitated by author Page Lambert in partnership with the Grand Canyon Field Institute.

Secluded scenic overlooks will provide the backdrop for this unique event. Inspiration for writing facilitation will be drawn from various authors, including poets Mary Oliver and Pablo Neruda, and books such as Wisdom Sits in Places, The Spell of the Sensuous, Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Us, and Creating Fiction from Experience. Looking at excerpts from Major John Wesley Powell's journals of 1869, and the ancient place-names used by the Apache, we will explore the concepts of "time" and "event" as they relate to writing. For more information, contact Page Lambert.

UW graduate student to study Pronghorn in Grand Teton National Park

University of Wyoming graduate student Emilene Ostlind of Big Horn is the recipient of a fellowship award that will allow her to conduct research work in Grand Teton National Park.
Ostlind, pursuing a master of fine arts degree in creative writing and environment and natural resources at UW, is just the fourth recipient of the Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship. She says she will use her fellowship award to produce a series of nonfiction essays about the pronghorn antelope herd that summers in Grand Teton National Park and winters in the Upper Green River Basin. The effort will promote designation of a national migration corridor for the herd’s protection.

The fellowship, sponsored by Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Association (GTA), was established in memory of Boyd Evison after his death in 2002. Evison was noted for his extensive and dedicated service to both the National Park Service (NPS) and GTA. Evison retired in 1994 after a 42-year career with the NPS and later became executive director for the GTA, a non-profit park partner dedicated to aiding interpretive, educational and research programs for Grand Teton National Park.

The fellowship encourages scientific and conservation-related research in national parks for highly motivated graduate students to conduct research within Grand Teton National Park and the greater Yellowstone area. It also supports study leading to a master’s or Ph.D. degree in the biosciences, geosciences or social sciences.

Ostlind graduated magna cum laude from UW in 2004 earning multiple undergraduate degrees -- B.A. degrees in environment and natural resources, humanities/fine arts and Spanish. She also received numerous awards and honors during her academic career, including becoming a Wyoming candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2004.

“While scientific studies, resource management planning and even political lobbying play crucial roles in the conservation of habitat and wild places, I would propose that creative arts most strongly influence public attitudes about how to prioritize land use,” Ostlind says. “Throughout the history of American conservation, each landmark event or movement has been preceded by literature that compelled general audiences and connected them to landscapes, flora, fauna and the ecosystem elements -- often those in imminent danger.”

As part of her project, Ostlind plans to hike the length of the pronghorn migration path from the Red Desert south of Pinedale to Grand Teton National Park. She also will spend the summer interacting with scientists and conservationist groups that are trying to bring attention to the pronghorn migratory path and the establishment of a national migration corridor.

The Evison Fellowship provides tuition assistance and a yearly stipend to cover travel and field research costs. Grand Teton offers housing and office space for students during field sessions.

Award is nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the 2008 recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the country's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Eleven fellowships, which include a one-time award of $20,000 each, are presented to honorees from eight states and Puerto Rico.

The NEA National Heritage Fellowships program is made possible through the support of the Darden Restaurants Foundation and family of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52 restaurants.

For the full release and list of recipients, please go to
http://www.nea.gov/news/news08/Heritage2008.html

Cultural Trust Fund board meets June 13-14

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Board will hold an annual grant review meeting at the Uinta County Museum, 120 Front Street, Evanston, on June 13-14.

This year’s May 1 deadline brought in 46 applications requesting over $1.2 million in support of projects that begin after July 1. This year’s available funding is approximately $400,000.

According to Renee Bovee, administrator of the Cultural Trust Fund: "The quality of these applications is excellent and, with requests exceeding available funding by three to one, it is illustrative how needed these dollars are. These projects have a combined potential of an impact of more than $10 million in these communities. Obviously, not all grants will receive funding…but as we have learned from previous grant rounds, the local impact is often underestimated in the application process."

The WCTF meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, and continue through the morning of Saturday, June 14. Full agendas are available on the Cultural Trust Fund web site, http://www.artsparkshistory.com/.

FMI: Renee at 307-777-6312.

Sculptor Jesus Moroles featured at UW

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Artist Jesus Moroles will be in Laramie the week of May 27-30 to create a new, interactive work for "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational." His work, "Granite Windows," will be located on Prexy's Pasture.

Made from a found steel tank, "Granite Windows" references the extractive industries of Wyoming. Eight feet in diameter and seven feet tall, the tank will be lined in polished granite and rotate on its base.

"In keeping with Moroles' interest in interactive sculpture, visitors will be able to climb into the sculpture. It will rotate, changing the views from the interior and altering the perspective on the work from the distance," says Susan Moldenhauer, director and curator of the University of Wyoming Art Museum.

For more than 30 years, Moroles has been creating large-scale public sculpture from granite. His studio in Rockport, Texas, is unequaled in the country for the making of large-scale sculptures.
In 1982, Moroles received the prestigious Awards in the Visual Arts Fellowship for which his works were included in a two-year traveling museum exhibition that originated at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Ill.

Noteworthy large-scale works by Moroles include his 22-foot tall sculpture fountain, titled "Floating Mesa Fountain" for the Albuquerque Museum in New Mexico, environmental installation of 45 sculptural elements and fountains for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, Ala., made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts; and Lapstrake, a 64 ton, 22-foot tall sculpture for the E.F. Hutton, CBS Plaza in New York City, located across the street from the Museum of Modern Art.

Moroles' inclusion in the landmark museum exhibition, "Contemporary Hispanic Art in the United States," brought national attention to the artist. His largest single work is the 1991 site sculpture, the Houston Police Officers Memorial. Comprised of granite and an earthen stepped pyramid surrounded by four equal inverted stepped pyramids excavated from the ground, the sculpture spans 120 feet by 120 feet.

Moroles' work has been included in more than 130 one-person exhibitions and more than 200 group exhibitions.

For "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational," a second sculpture by Moroles, "Eclipse" is on view on the art museum's terrace. "Eclipse" is a part of the museum's permanent collection.

Works in "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational" will be placed or created on location between May and July.

"The exhibition offers extraordinary educational opportunities for students of all ages to learn about the artists, their creative process, and the behind-the-scenes view of just how these large-scale works are created and placed," says Moldenhauer. The exhibition will be on view from Aug. 1 through July 31, 2009.

The UW Art Museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 22nd and Willett Drive in Laramie. The museum and store are operating on special hours this summer and are open Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.

PHOTO: Jesús Bautista Moroles, "Eclipse," Vermont granite, 78-1/2 x 33-1/4 x 7-1/2 inches, 1990, University of Wyoming Art Museum Collection, gift of Harvey and Mireille Katz, in honor of Olga Mordo, 1998.

Equality Initiatives events at UW feature art display and film screening

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Equality Initiatives celebrates the successes of women and girls in Wyoming and promotes the discussion of women's issues. The Cody-based awareness campaign is sponsoring a statewide series featuring an art show, film presentation and community dialogues. The first event is Saturday, May 31, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

"We want women and girls to understand that they aren't insular or isolated and that what they do affects their entire community. What's good for Wyoming's women is good for Wyoming's communities," says Sarah Mikesell Growney, program director for EI, a sponsored initiative of the Wyoming Community Foundation (WCF) and Wyoming Women's Foundation (WWF). "I think our slogan really says it all: 'If she succeeds, we all succeed.'"

The UW event, free and open to the public, begins at 6 p.m. in the College of Education auditorium. A display of artwork by local female artisans precedes the 7 p.m. showing of "Don't Fence Me In," a one-hour documentary that features 13 Wyoming women sharing their stories of success.

The film drew "extremely positive" reviews at its April 25 premiere in Casper, says Mikesell Growney, and was recently shown on Wyoming Public Television. The film will be the centerpiece of EI's statewide tour, which is also scheduled to make stops this year in Cheyenne, Cody, Jackson, Riverton, Saratoga, Sheridan and a to-be-determined town in Lincoln County.
"It's tough to make it in Wyoming, but these women did and that's an inspiration," Mikesell Growney says. "When you're watching it, you're just so impressed that these women live in Wyoming. There are just extraordinary women all around us."

A panel discussion, titled "Creating a Path to Self Sufficiency," follows the film. The panel of speakers includes Rosemary Bratton, executive director of the Wyoming Women's Business Center (WWBC); Marian E.G. Showacre, an Allstate Insurance agent in Laramie; and a representative from CLIMB Wyoming, a statewide agency that offers programs to train and place single mothers in higher paying jobs.

"The panel discussion's goal is to focus on how women can find ways to make it, by forming businesses or by learning new skills or by beginning to get control of their finances," says Marianne Kamp, director of the Women's Studies program at UW. "It's all about encouraging women to get on a path to self sufficiency."

The UW Women's Studies program, EI, WCF, WWF, WWBC, the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Albany County SAFE Project and the Albany County Public Library sponsor the event. Donations will be accepted for EI and Albany County SAFE Project.

FMI: Mikesell Growney at (307) 587-6146 or e-mail sarah@equalityinitiatives.org, or Kamp at (307) 766-3427 or e-mail mkamp@uwyo.edu.

EI, founded in 2006, is a statewide awareness campaign designed to highlight the successes and challenges of women and girls in Wyoming. For more information, go to the Web site at www.equalityinitiatives.org.

Spoken-word poet at Teton Co. Library

From the Teton County Public Library:

Come hear spoken-word poet, teacher and activist Drew Dellinger as he raps out his own rhythm of words for global ecology and justice. Dellinger visits Jackson for an evening presentation “Words in Action” on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m., followed by a writing workshop for adults on Friday, May 23 from 4-6 p.m. and a teen writing workshop on Saturday, May 24 from noon-2 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public, and sponsored by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, local organization LifeArts, and the Teton County Library Foundation. Advance sign up for the writing workshops is requested. The Teen Writing Workshop is designed for participants age 14 to 18. To reserve your spot, call the library’s Adult Humanities Program Coordinator at 733-2164 ext. 135 or email odoherty@tclib.org.

Valley resident Cate Cabot from LifeArts first heard of Dellinger when a friend quoted a line of his poetry to her during a conversation. Intrigued, Cabot researched the poet, read his work and began corresponding with him. Dellinger’s focus on ecology, activism and art seemed like it would be of great interest to the community.

Dellinger’s work addresses how the earth’s story relates to ecological and social justice, ultimately calling for an integration of the two realms. “The unfolding of life on earth, over these last 4.5 billion years, is without question the greatest story in the known universe,” says Dellinger in a recorded presentation available on YouTube (http://tinyurl.com/59dwa3).

The May 22 evening presentation “Words in Action” will showcase spoken-word performances of Dellinger’s poetry. He will also talk about the intersection between his poetic art and activism. A question and answer period will open the floor to interaction with the audience. The writing workshops on May 23 and 24 will explore the craft of writing poetry, as well as giving spoken-word performances, which participants may have an opportunity to do.

Dellinger teaches as an Associate Professor at John F. Kennedy University in the San Francisco Bay area. He is the founder of Poets for Global Justice, and author of the collection of poems, “love letter to the milky way.” Dellinger has presented at hundreds of conferences, colleges, protests and events across the country. His work is featured in the film, "Voices of Dissent," and the books “Igniting a Revolution,” “Children of the Movement,” and “Global Uprising.” In 1997, he received “Common Boundary” magazine’s national Green Dove Award.

Dellinger has studied cosmology and ecological thought with Thomas Berry since 1990 and has taught at Prescott College, Naropa University-Oakland and Esalen Institute. Dellinger has worked closely with scholars and visionaries such as Joanna Macy, Matthew Fox, Susan Griffin, and Brian Swimme, and has shared podiums and stages with Cornel West, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ani Difranco, Billy Bragg, Medea Benjamin, Jim Hightower, Michael Franti, Eve Ensler, and many others. Learn more about Dellinger at www.drewdellinger.org.

FMI: 307-733-2164 ext. 135 or email odoherty@tclib.org.

Byline Magazine contest deadline changed

Ella Marie Hayes, Wyoming representative for Byline Magazine, sent this info:

Byline's Biennial Poetry Chapbook Competition is open to all writers. FMI: http://www.bylinemag.com

• Manuscript page length: between 20-30 pages. Do not include photocopies of poems from magazines or journals.
• Please submit only one copy of your manuscript. Manuscripts should include no more than
  one poem per page (maximum length of poems should be 39 lines including title and stanza breaks. Poems longer than two pages are discouraged.
• Manuscripts by more than one author will not be accepted. Translations will not be accepted.
• Prize: A $200 cash award, plus 50 copies of the published book. Additional copies available at an author's discount. All finalists will receive one copy of the published book.
• Deadline: September 1, 2008. Manuscripts postmarked after September 1 will not be read. (Deadline date has been changed from June 1.)
• Judging: All manuscripts will be read by published poets. Final judging will be conducted by prize-winning poet and author Ellen Bass, whose fourth book of poems, The Human Line, was published by Copper Canyon Press in June 2007.
  

No Fog West Theater: "Talking to Terrorists"

Checked the No Fog West Theater Company blog today to see what this talented group has been up to since we last heard from them in August 2007. Good news. The group has another project planned for this summer. Here are the details from the blog:

Probably nobody checks our blog anymore as it's been a really long time since anyone wrote on it. But we've been doing things like crazy and are very excited to announce our summer 2008 project, a tour of "Talking to Terrorists," a play by Robin Soans.

The verbatim play is complied from interviews conducted with terrorists in different organizations from around the world, foreign service workers, hostages and others whose lives have been affected by terrorism. We are inspired by its journalistic approach to theater and the discussion topics it provides. After a three-week rehearsal residency at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming in July, we will go on a three-week tour, stopping in Sheridan, Wyoming at the Carriage House Theater, Salt Lake City at the Rose Wagner Theater, and McCall, Idaho at the Alpine Playhouse. We cast the piece last month and will be taking eight Vassar students, one student from the University of Puget Sound and one from Sheridan with us.

We will begin our fundraising process later this month. To get on our mailing list or to donate, email company@nofogwest.org.

We also have a new web site up, http://www.nofogwest.org/, that has a lot of information about our last production and the company, so check it out!

More good stuff added to bookfest web site

Laurie Lye at Casper College sent me news that the Equality State Book Festival web site has been updated (several times) and now carries info on all the confirmed authors as well as the schedule of events.

The bookfest is set for Sept. 18-20 at various venues around Casper -- Casper College, Nicolaysen Art Museum, Fort Caspar Museum, National Historic Trails Museum, and the Natrona County Public Library.

For all the details, go to http://www.equalitystatebookfest.org.

Orozco conducts bilingual program at library

From a press release:

Families with children of all ages are invited to join "An Evening of Spanish Children’s Music" with José-Luis Orozco from 6-7 p.m., on Tuesday, May 20. The bilingual program, presented in the Teton County Public Library's Ordway Auditorium in Jackson, is free and open to the public.


An award-winning songwriter, recording artist and children’s book author, Orozco takes audiences on a musical tour of Latin America. He has recorded 13 volumes of "Lírica Infantil, Latin American Children’s Music," and enjoys introducing listeners to songs, rhymes, tongue twisters, lullabies, games and holiday celebrations from Spanish-speaking countries.

Orozco got an early introduction to music from his paternal grandmother, who taught him many songs during his childhood. At age 8, he joined the Mexico City Boy’s Choir, which allowed him to travel to 32 countries. Seeing such a variety of cultures from Europe to the Caribbean to Latin America shaped his life. Today, Orozco uses song and stories to share his cultural knowledge and experiences with children.

Orozco's latest book is "Rin, Rin, Rin…Do, Re, Mi." It shows how everyday family activities, such as cooking, singing, reading and storytelling foster essential early literacy skills. The book is the first in a series slated for publication by Scholastic’s Latino initiative Lee y Serás (Read and You Will Be), which was created to improve reading and literacy development among Latino children.

Orozco earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco. Born in Mexico City, Orozco has dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship and today lives in Los Angeles.

FMI: Contact Latino Program Coordinator Patty Rocha at 307-733-2164 ext. 237.

The art of gardening: Plant sale at Depot

The Cheyenne Depot Garden Festival will be held on Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., in Cheyenne. The Master Gardeners and the Cheyenne Depot Museum are partnering to host this free-to-the-public event. The Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale will be held in the Depot Plaza with specials throughout the day. Hundreds of annuals, perennials, vegetables and garden art pieces will be offered for sale. Gently-used garden tools, books, magazines and other treasures will also be available. Vendors will be in the Depot lobby and outside on the Depot Plaza. Free lectures will be held in the Depot lobby throughout the day.

Craig walks in "Another Man's Moccasins"

Writer Craig Johnson, one of the few human residents of Ucross, Wyoming, sends out monthly "Post-Its" that not only are entertaining and informative, but good for you, too. Here's the latest about his book tour:

This year's book tour for Another Man's Moccasins is the largest with thirty-four towns and cities, and I thought I'd address a question that's asked a lot-"Isn't it horrible doing those extended book tours?" Yep, it is. It's really tough to go jetting across the country, mostly on the
publisher's dime. Viking/Penguin has these people called escorts who pick you up at the airport and whisk you away to your a) Hotel, b) Restaurant, c) Asian Massage Parlor or anywhere else you might want to go. They call me Mr. Johnson, and I keep looking around for my dad.

It's really depressing to walk into bookstores all over the country and see piles of your books sitting there on the A tables at the door or with little signs under them that say STAFF PICK--it's so debasing.

I like talking to people, which drives my wife up a wall. Maybe it's a by-product of living on a ranch where the closest town has only 25 people and by spring they're all tired of talking to me, or that I live in a place where people still wave at you on the road-personally I'm not so sure
it's friendliness or just sheer surprise that there's somebody else out there. But I like talking to people, which is a problem, because then the lines start moving slowly, and I get yelled at by my wife and the book store owners, because I'm being forced to deal with intelligent, insightful people who want to speak with me about one of the great passions of my life.

Speaking from a working experience --I've dug ditches, cleaned stables, picked strawberries for gas money, and been shot at while crouching behind cruisers --signing my name a couple of thousand times is a true hell. Readers bring me gifts, going so far as to weigh me down with bottles of vintage liquor and cold beer, which is so unfair. I consider it a terrible invasion of my privacy when newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations quote me and show the covers of my books and even go so far as tell people where I'm going to be.

Yep, it's a real trial but somehow I find a way to bear up under all these incredible pressures.

Another Man's Moccasins got another Booksense Pick (four for four) and a Starred-Featured review in Publisher's Weekly so we're off to an amazing start-but rather than choke up your email with all the details, just check out the TOUR OF DUTY section on the website at http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/

But here's a state list, just for fun. Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. I'll be keeping in touch-you do the same. And I hope to see some of you soon.

Picasso's etchings at NMWA this summer

From an NMWA press release:

Pablo Picasso’s etchings will grace the walls of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole in an exhibition called "Picasso’s Park: Modernism Meets Natural History" on view from June 7-October 19.

Pablo Picasso’s experimentation with form, line, color, and structure in the context of the animal as subject is chronicled in "Picasso’s Park: Modernism Meets Natural History." The exhibition is a rare opportunity to see all 31 etchings Picasso created for a 1941 edition of Comte de Buffon’s Natural History [L’historie Naturelle]. First published in 1741 and comprised of 36 volumes, Natural History was the most authoritative work chronicling the natural world at that time. That Picasso was tapped to provide etchings for the bicentennial edition of the book is a wonderful “illustration” of the continuing importance of the arts in describing how man relates to nature. Not one to adhere to convention, Picasso illustrated lobsters, spiders, and frogs in addition to the more classic deer, lions, and hawks.

The exciting exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to learn about Picasso’s influence on the world of modern art. In addition to the images in the exhibit, the Museum includes interpretive text and a number of events ranging from children’s art making classes to gallery theatre to further explore Picasso’s work and methods.

Sculpture installation for UW art exhibition

The photo is of Doolin Doolin by New York artist Ursula von Rydingsvard.

"Doolin Doolin" will be installed at the University of Wyoming's Art Museum’s Terrace on May 15-17. This is the centerpiece of artist Ursula von Rydingsvard’s solo New York exhibition at Galerie Lelong in 1997. It's unique among von Rydingsvard’s work, created from carved and constructed 2 x 4-inch cedar beams rather than her more commonly used 4 x 4-inch beams. The sculpture is lent by Neltje of Banner, Wyoming.

Ursula von Rydingsvard's wood sculptures resonate with a sense of history and human presence. Although abstract, their shapes and surfaces suggest the human figure, landscape elements, household utensils, and farm implements. Von Rydingsvard’s work is partially influenced by memories of the German work and refugee camps where she spent the early years of her life before emigrating to the United States and also by the countryside and tools familiar to her Polish farming family.

Sculpting mainly with cedar since the mid-1970s, von Rydingsvard has developed a hybrid technique that involves both constructing and carving. Her process is a methodical one involving the layering and removal of material. Doolin Doolin references the artist’s mother who scribbled "doolin" repeatedly in her later years; it became the footprint for the sculpture.

Von Rydingsvard's work has been exhibited widely in Europe and the United States, including the Whitney Museum of American Art; the CAPP Street Project, San Francisco; the Denver Art Museum; and the Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland. Her sculpture is included in major public collections such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Her outdoor work has been installed at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; the Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, NY; and the Laumeier Sculpture Park in Saint Louis, among other sites. She had a solo exhibition at the UW Art Museum in 1995.

Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will be installed between May and July, 2008. "In the coming months, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will offer extraordinary educational opportunities for students of all ages to learn about the artists, their creative process, and the behind-the-scenes view of just how these large-scale works are created and placed," said Art Museum director Susan Moldenhauer.

Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational has been organized by the University of Wyoming Art Museum in cooperation with the University of Wyoming, various agencies in the City of Laramie, and the Albany County Public Library. The exhibit is sponsored by the generosity of an anonymous donor with additional support from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Guthrie Family Foundation, FMC Corporation, First Interstate Bank of Laramie, First Interstate Bancsystems Foundation, the UW President's Office, UW Office of Academic Affairs, UW Physical Plant, Laramie Park & Recreation, Laramie Economic Development Corporation, Main Street Laramie, Albany County Tourism Board, American National Bank, the Friends of Undine Park, Wyoming Public Radio, and the National Advisory Board of the UW Art Museum. Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational will be on view from August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009.

The Art Museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 22nd & Willett Drive in Laramie. The Museum and Museum Store are operating on special hours this summer due to construction at the Centennial Complex. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Hawaiians take Cheyenne again for opening reception

Ikua Purdy's leather hat

Eban Law (front), Ikua Purdy (center back)

(l) Amanda Alamea Igaki, (center) Keoni Coelho, (r) Tammie Ha'awina Chaumillon

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Museum's exhibit, Hawaiians Take Cheyenne had it's opening reception on May 9. The exhibit features items from 1908 when Hawaiian cowboy Ikua Purdy won 1st place in roping at the rodeo. Newspaper clippings about the Hawaiians' arrival in San Francisco; Hawaiian saddles and ropes; photos of how the Hawaiian's herded cattle onto the ships stationed off the coasts of the islands, were just a few of the fascinating memorabilia. There were also Hawaiian dancers from the Halau Hula O Na Mauna Pohaku Hula School of the Rocky Mountains in Denver. Ikua Purdy's great, great, great, great granddaughter was there and did a Hawaiian dance. Keoni Coehlo from Hawaii with Hawaiian-Way Entertainment & Promotion provided island guitar playing and singing. There were island appetizers, and drinks served with those little folding umbrellas. A great turnout.

If you're in Cheyenne, the Museum is a great place to explore.

Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition selects exhibitors

Works by 39 of Wyoming’s best artists have been selected for inclusion in the Eighth Annual Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition and will be on display at the State Museum from June 23 through August 30.

An opening reception will be held at the State Museum on June 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Governor Dave Freudenthal will be on hand to award this year’s purchase awards. The Bobby Hathaway Juror’s Choice and People’s Choice awards will also be presented. The reception is free and open to the public.

Overall, this year’s show features 50 artistic pieces selected by juror Constance Mohrman, exhibits manager at the Wildlife Experience Museum in Parker, Colo.

The Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition is produced through the cooperative efforts of the offices of the five elected officials, the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, the Wyoming Arts Council and the Division of Travel and Tourism. The exhibition promotes and encourages Wyoming artists while building an art collection available for public officials to exhibit state talent in their offices. To date, the collection has over 70 pieces loaned out for one year, then rotated. Purchase awards have averaged more than $8,000 each year; in addition, the public makes purchases from the exhibit.

Artists selected this year are:

Cheyenne: Joshua Eastman, Rebecca Murchie, Lynn Newman, Connie Norman, Do Palma, Jennifer Rife, and Jim Weis
Laramie: Wendy Bredehoft, Jerry Glass, Dan Hayward, Travis Ivey, Ginny Madsen, Jon Madsen and Terry Reid
Casper: Michael Flicek, Rex Hoff, Ginny Butcher (Evansville) and Phil Smith
Sheridan County: Bunny Connell, Claire Leon, Dianne Wyatt and Neltje
Teton County: Jenny Dowd, Laury Lacy, Shannon Troxler and Michael Farrier
Fremont County: Jerry Antolik, Tony Henry and Mike McClure
Douglas: Sonia Sieg and Tom Hinz
Upton: Marcha Barritt and Eileen Nistler
Buffalo: Trudy Schoonover
Gillette: Edie Reno
Pinedale: Cat Urbigkit
Shell: Karyne Dunbar
RockSprings: Jill Hartley
Wapiti: JL Woody Wooden

For more information about this and other Wyoming State Museum events, please call 777-7022.

"Wild at HeART" airs May 29 on Wyo. PBS

From a press release from the National Museum of Wildlife Art:

The National Museum of Wildlife Art's 20th Anniversary celebratory documentary, "Wild at HeART," will air on Wyoming PBS on Thursday, May 29, 9 p.m. Please check your local listings for channels.

"Wild at HeART" tells the tale of the creation of the NMWA in Jackson Hole. When the museum opened on the Jackson Town Square on May 16, 1987, its founders realized that its collection -- together with Jackson Hole's legendary setting -- would provide unique educational and exhibition opportunities.

Produced by SavaFilm of Wilson, the film includes interviews with artists, visitors, volunteers, trustees and staff and is dedicated to the memory of celebrated wildlife artist Bob Kuhn. Executive Producer (and museum trustee) Kavar Kerr, has watched the evolution of the Museum from its start. She is delighted to share the story of the NMWA because, "The significance of the Museum extends beyond our community. We want this film to be an ambassador for the Museum."

FMI: Zeenie Scholz, National Museum of Wildlife Art, zscholz@wildlifeart.org, 307-733-5771

Terry Tempest Williams "Weather Report" project wraps-up

(l) Terry Tempest Williams

On May 5th, Terry Tempest Williams and the graduate student "Weather Report" team held their final "Report." The following story appeared in the Boomerang on May 6, by staff writer Eve Newman.

The energy boom in Wyoming means watching development taking over open spaces. It means jobs that keep families together. It means oil and gas executives feeling vilified. It means dead cottonwoods across ranch land.

Every Wyoming resident has a story about living in Wyoming. For many, those stories have to do with the latest boom cycle and the unprecedented change that’s affecting the land and the people. For others, their stories are about displacement, loss, love, racism, isolation, tolerance or opportunity.

Many Wyoming residents had the chance to share their stories in a public setting this year as part of a project organized by author Terry Tempest Williams, eminent writer-in-residence at the University of Wyoming, and a group of graduate students in the creative writing department at UW.

Through a series of "Weather Reports," Williams and the students visited seven towns around the state to give readings of their work, teach writing workshops and talk with several dozen residents at each stop about what it means to live in Wyoming. Yesterday they gave a report about the project. They talked about what they learned at each stop, the surprising complexity of the issues affecting the state, and the importance of listening.

In Pinedale, the group arrived as the town discovered wells polluted with benzene and was dealing with ozone alerts issued by the Department of Environmental Quality. "We just listened and took notes," said student Brendan Magone. He read a list of quotes the audience said that night:

"We didn’t know what we were up against."
"I like seeing new faces and diverse faces here in town."
"We have to go with it and learn to manage it better."
"We have to fight for it."

In Riverton, residents talked about wanting the same things for their community even though they started with different agendas, according to student Josh Olenslager. "I think people carried away a closer sense of understanding with their neighbors," he said.

In Ethete, the audience talked about social and emotional issues, from being an outsider to racism to tolerance and acceptance.

In Gillette, talk again turned to energy development — fitting for a town with 20 coal-bed methane wells in 1980 and more than 30,000 today, with plans to push that number to more than 80,000 by 2010. "Those facts were daunting," Williams said. "I didn’t know what to expect." She also remembered a trip one morning to a sage grouse lek in the area, surrounded by quiet because the drilling stops during breeding season. "It was just one of those sacred moments where you think, ‘I’m so grateful to be a resident in the state of Wyoming,’" she said.

She called the project and her year at UW "the greatest privilege of my writing life. … I see the state differently." As for the experience of the graduate students, she said, "I believe that our students were able to bear witness to the power of stories. And they heard the force of their own voices." She praised UW for the opportunity to engage her students and the state in the project."If a university cannot be at the forefront of this type of conversation, then what is a university?" she said.

Other cities they visited include Rawlins, Cheyenne and Casper.

Williams, the award-winning author of "Refuge," and other works, writes about nature and culture. Her latest book, "Mosaic: Finding Beauty in a Broken World," will be released this year.For more information about "Weather Reports," visit www.uwyo.edu/ttw.

Eve Newman’s email address is lbedit6@laramieboomerang.com.

Postcard exhibit travels to Fort Caspar

The Fort Caspar Museum in Casper features "Howdy" May 16-June 29. This traveling exhibit considers the postcard as a communication device and advertiser of Wyoming's natural and cultural landscape. Color and black and white images illustrate how postcards have promoted Wyoming as a "vacation dreamland" and a "wonderland of the West." The exhibit comes from the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

FMI: Erin B. Rose, Curator of Education, Fort Caspar Museum, 4001 Fort Caspar Road, Casper; 307-235-8462; erose@cityofcasperwy.com

Emmylou Harris headlines Targhee Festival

The fourth annual Targhee Music Fest, July 18-20 at Grand Targhee Resort near Alta, will present legendary singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris as its headliner. She’ll perform at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. Other performers include the Derek Trucks Band, Susan Tedeschi, Scrapomatic, the Taj Mahal Trio, Lyle Lovett, Josh Ritter and Martin Sexton.

Food, vendors, games and on-site activities are all part of the festival. Tent camping at Grand Targhee in the national forest is available. Or take the free shuttle service and leave your vehicle in Victor or Driggs in Idaho.

Local outlets will sell tickets 10 days prior to event: Tobacco Row, 120 N. Cache, Jackson, WY 83001, 307-733-4385; Big Hole Music, 60 E. Little Ave. Driggs, ID 83422, 208-354-3659; Yostmark Mountain Equipment, 12 E. Little Ave., Driggs, ID 83422, 208-354-2828.

FMI: http://www.grandtarghee.com/summer/music-festivals/

AVA offers collage class for kids May 16

Sommers' landscapes exhibited in Jackson

"The Red Pass and Slider Lake," 36" X 36", acrylic and collage on canvas

"Inspired by the Wind River Range," an exhibition of landscapes by Pinedale artist Sue Sommers, will be on display through June 13 at the Theatre Gallery of the Center for the Arts in Jackson. The Theatre Gallery is located in the hallway that links the center's offices and classrooms with the performing arts theatre.


FMI: Jackson Hole Center for the Arts or Sue Sommers web site.

Help wanted: Theatre guest director

From a press release:

Stage III Community Theatre in Casper is requesting applications for a guest director to direct "Lewis Carroll: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast" by M. Lee Potts and Marilyn Hetzel. Auditions are scheduled for January 25-26, 2009. The show will open March 5, 2009.

Interested applicants should have prior professional or academic experience in directing and teaching. Guest directors are required to teach two weekend or evening workshops in acting, directing or technical theatre. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Videos of previous shows directed or workshops are encouraged but not required. Please submit a resume to the Board of Directors, 900 N. Center St. Casper, WY 82601, by June 1. Directors from the Rocky Mountain region are encouraged to apply. Questions may be directed to 307-234-0946.

FMI: Beth Andress, Keep Casper Beautiful Administrative Coordinator, 307-235-7562.

Bear images at the State Museum

"Archie," done by the students at Mountain View High School, won 2nd place at the Wyoming High School Art Symposium held in Casper at the Nic. Teacher was Tara Taylor

An exhibit of fiberglass bear sculptures designed by Wyoming high school students and celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the National Museum of Wildlife Art is on display at the Wyoming State Museum from May 1 through June 14.

Titled "Wild About Bears," the exhibit features eight award-winning designs by high school students from throughout the state. In 2007, the National Museum of Wildlife Art distributed 35 fiberglass bear forms to Wyoming high schools. The goal was to challenge students to collaborate on designing the bears and also to support the next generation of wildlife artists by encouraging the wildlife art theme. The project also gave students an opportunity to exhibit their work professionally and ultimately fulfill an artistic vision that could benefit their respective high schools.

"The bears were judged at the Wyoming High School Art Symposium in Casper on April 18 and the eight winning schools were awarded cash prizes for their art programs. A first prize of $7,000 was awarded to Pinedale High School; second, $5,000, to Mountain View High School; and third, $2,000, to Encampment High School. Honorable mentions and $500 was awarded to Niobrara, Douglas, Cody, Powell and Star Valley high schools.

The "Wild About Bears" contest and exhibition is supported by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. It is also supported by the Friess Family Foundation and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. For more information about this and other Wyoming State Museum exhibits and programs, please call 777-7022.

Greybull's Garrison produces "Fiddler" CD

It pays to surf the Sunday blogs. This comes from Ed Kemmick's "City Lights" blog at the Billings (Mont.) Gazette:

In January, I wrote about the death of Halleck "Fiddler" Brenden, a Laurel-born character and musician who recorded 13 songs and three poems six months before he died.

His friend, Paul Garrison, a Wyoming musician better known by his stage name of Doctor Mongo, made the recordings and produced the CD, which is finally available to the public.

If you'd like to have one of Fiddler's CDs, send a $15 check or money order to Paul B. Garrison, 3290 Road 31, Greybull WY 82426. He'll send you a CD by return mail, postpaid.

For more information, you can call Garrison at 307-765-9266 or by cell phone at 307-272-0266.

Mural project dedicated at rural school

Phil White wrote about the state's latest mural project for the May 10 edition of the Casper Star-Tribune:

Murals of dinosaurs, bison, Jelm Mountain and Americans Indians were dedicated Friday at Harmony School, one of Albany County's last rural schools southwest of Laramie along State Highway 230.

Drawn by a professional artist who is the aunt of a Harmony elementary student, the murals were painted by the 27 students at Harmony, art students from a Laramie high school and by local residents -- including the Harmony School's bus driver, Paul Kenehan, whose family has ranched in the area for generations. Kenehan painted his livestock brand on a horse in one mural.

To read the entire story, go to http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2008/05/10/news/wyoming/6789791fee08faad87257444007ea768.txt

NMWA gets designation as national museum

From a May 9 National Museum of Wildlife Art press release:

President George W. Bush signed a bill today that recognizes the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole as the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States. The bill reaffirms the NMWA's position as the world's premier Museum featuring wildlife art and underscores its responsibility to "inspire global recognition of fine art related to nature and
wildlife," as stated in the measure.

Senator Michael Enzi and the late Senator Craig Thomas led the effort to recognize the Museum in the Senate, which passed the measure on April 10. "The National Museum of Wildlife Art is a one-of-a-kind national treasure in both celebrating the arts and the beauty of our country's
wildlife," said Enzi.

Senator John Barrasso was also instrumental in securing the designation. "I'm pleased the Wildlife Art museum has received the recognition it so richly deserves. The Senate has gone on record as recognizing the museum as one of the nation's most preeminent treasures," Barrasso said.

"We are grateful to Senators Enzi, Thomas, and Barrasso and Representative Cubin for their work on the resolution, and to Trustee Maggie Scarlett for her dedication to the national status of the Museum," said James C. McNutt, Ph.D., NMWA President and CEO. "This designation is a signal honor for the Museum, and improves our opportunities to connect nationally with the many organizations and individuals who are passionate about fine art and bringing people, art, and wildlife together."

FMI: 307-733-5771.

Mother's Day concert Sunday in Casper

The 29th annual Casper Children's Chorale Mother's Day concert will take place on Sunday, May 11, 7 p.m., at the Kelly Walsh High School auditorium, 3500 E. 12th St., Casper. Alla Breve, a 44-voice women's chorus, also will perform.

Tickets are $6 at the door.

National Endowment for the Arts announces new series of Operation Homecoming writing workshops

For the first time, VA medical centers and military hospitals host Operation Homecoming writing workshops

Washington, DC - U.S. Armed Forces active duty troops and veterans of both current and past conflicts will have an in-depth opportunity to reflect on their service through the National Endowment for the Arts' groundbreaking initiative Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. For the first time, Operation Homecoming will invite veterans as well as active duty troops to participate in progressive, four-to-six-week writing workshops at 25 sites around the country. The new phase of Operation Homecoming is the first instance in which the NEA will hold writing workshops at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, military hospitals, and affiliated centers in communities around the country. St. Louis VA Medical Center in Missouri and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, served as pilot sites for the new phase of the program, and both facilities will host workshops this summer.

For the full press release, please visit http://www.arts.gov/news/news08/oh-launch.html

Apply now for 2009 creative writing fellowships

Printable applications for the Wyoming Arts Council's 2009 creative writing fellowships in fiction are available at the WAC web site. Go to wyoarts.state.wy.us and scroll down to the "News" section. Click on the first link, "Apply now for 2009 creative writing fellowships." This will take you to a four-page pdf document that includes a bio of the judge, Laura Pritchett, guidelines, and the application itself. Print it out, fill it out, and mail the completed application with your manuscript to the WAC. Postmark deadline is June 20, 2008.

The judge will select up to three winners who will each receive a $3,000 prize. They also will receive a stipend of $500 to travel to the Equality State Book Festival Sept. 18 for the annual WAC fellowship reading.

Laura Pritchett, of Fort Collins, Colo., is the author of the novel Sky Bridge (2007) and the 2001 collection of short stories, Hell’s Bottom, Colorado, both from Milkweed Editions. She is also the editor of two collections: The Pulse of the River: Colorado Writers Speak for the Endangered Cache la Poudre and Home Land: Ranching and a West that Works. Her third collection, The Gleaners: Eco-Essays on Recycling, Re-Use, and Living Lightly on the Land, is due out in spring 2009. Her work has also appeared in numerous magazines, including The Sun, Orion, High Country News, Colorado Review, 5280, and the book Comeback Wolves: Western Writers Welcome the Wolf Home and Social Issues Firsthand: The Environment.

For more about Laura Pritchett, go to www.laurapritchett.com.

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

UW faculty exhibit at Lander Art Center

The Lander Art Center, 224 Main Street in Lander, hosts the University of Wyoming Faculty Art Show through May 31. Opening reception in on Friday, May 9, 6-8 p.m. Artists include: Mark Ritchie, printmaker; Patrick Kikut, painter; Ricki Klages, painter; Margaret Haydon, ceramics; Shelby Shadwell, drawing; Leah Hardy, metal and ceramic sculpture; Doug Russell, drawing and painting; David Lawrence Jones, metal sculpture; Diana Baumbach, mixed media; Jennifer Venn, graphic design.

FMI: 307-332-5772

Books & berries are featured at Powell expo

Montana author John Clayton will sign copies of his book, "The Cowboy Girl: The Life of Caroline Lockhart" at the Home and Garden Expo on Saturday, May 10, noon, at the Park County Fairgrounds in Powell.

The Home and Garden Expo and Plant Sale takes place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the fairgrounds. You can buy locally grown heirloom varieties of plants and shop for woodcrafts, designer handbags, paintings, jewelry, beauty products, kitchen items, jams, candy, Ukrainian eggs, candles, gourmet dog treats, home decor and much more.

Seminars include:
9 a.m., Weed Management & Small Acreage by Park County Weed and Pest Control staff
10:30 a.m., "The Rocky Mountain Berry Book," slide presentation by author Robert Krumm
1:30 p.m., Xeriscape Gardening by Jackie Anthony

Vendors will be in both the multi-purpose building and the main exhibit buildings. Concessions available and free admission.

FMI: 307-754-4351

EDITOR'S NOTE: John Clayton will be one of the featured writers at the Equality State Book Festival in Casper Sept. 18-20.

New book about bronc rider Bill Smith

This info comes from Jenny Shank who writes the always excellent "Books & Writers" section for New West:

The University of Oklahoma Press recently published Margot Kahn’s Horses That Buck: The Story of Champion Bronc Rider Bill Smith, which tells the story of Bill Smith, a Wyoming-raised cowboy who became a “three-time world champion saddle bronc rider.” Kahn will be touring the region in the coming weeks, appearing at Shakespeare & Company in Missoula, Mont. (May 14, 7 p.m.), Borders in Bozeman, Mont. (May 15, 7 p.m.), White Horse in Thermopolis, Wyo. (May 16, 2 p.m.), The Readers Cove in Fort Collins, Colo., (12-3 p.m.), and Anthology Book Co. in Loveland, Colo., (May 19, 6 p.m.)

"Hawaiians Take Cheyenne" on May 9

The opening reception for the "Hawaiians Take Cheyenne" exhibit will be on Friday, May 9, 5-8 p.m., at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for general public.

The evening will include a sneak preview of the exhibit, as well as Hawaiian dance demonstrations, music, island appetizers and drinks.

FMI: Aimee Reese at 307-778-1416.

Wilde play at Lander Valley High School

"The Importance of Being Earnest," a play by Oscar Wilde, will be presented Thursday though Saturday, May 8-10, 7 p.m., at Lander Valley High School in Lander. Produced by the Wyoming Shakespeare Theatre Company.

For ticket information, call 307-332-2905 or go to http://www.wyoshakes.com

Eco-friendly book sale at Teton Co. Library

"Read, Reuse and Recycle" is the theme for the annual Friend of the Teton County Library Spring Book Sale from Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18. Bookworms can burrow through rows of best sellers, biographies, thrillers, romance, classics, Oprah selections, art books, photography books, children's literature and more during the four-day sale in the Ordway Auditorium and conference room at Teton County Library, 125 Virginian Lane. Although the book sale is open to all buyers, carts and scanners are prohibited. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Friends, who support the library through volunteer projects and events for the community.

The Friends aim to make this already eco-friendly book sale even greener this spring by offering free, re-useable Friends book bags. The bags will be handed out, one per family with a book purchase, to encourage shoppers to "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Both the book sale and book bag fall in line with the Town of Jackson and Teton County 10x10 initiative to cut community fossil fuel and electricity consumption by 10 percent by 2010.

Book Sale hours: Thursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-3 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Friends offer free books to teachers and non-profits. Teachers can find potential classroom treasures, such as a hardcover copy of the Guinness Book of World Records, snapped up by one educator at last fall's sale.

The library accepts donations of books, videos and CDs all year long. Donated materials are first evaluated for potential addition to library collections. Any materials being added to the library, whether purchased or donated, must meet current collection development criteria.

FMI: Andy Angstrom, volunteer coordinator, at 733-2164 ext. 255 or e-mail aangstrom@tclib.org

Publication party May 11 for Jeanne Rogers

Sundance author Jeanne Rogers, long-time member of Bearlodge Writers and Wyoming Writers, Inc., will be honored at a publication party and book signing for her book, Standing Witness: Devils Tower National Monument, A History, on May 11, 2-4 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Devils Tower National Monument. The event is hosted by the National Park Service and Devils Tower Natural History Association.

Published by the National Park Service as part of the Centennial celebration, Standing Witness: Devils Tower National Monument, A History is based on years of dogged research by the author. Designed as a commemorative history of America’s first national monument, the 290-page trade paperback includes photographs, an extensive bibliography, and a complete index.

Jeanne was recently invited to contribute to a forthcoming collection of poems to honor Nebraska's Ted Kooser, a former U.S. Poet Laureate. Her work is also included in three collections of women’s writing, several literary chapbooks juried by national award-winning writers, and many regional publications.

FMI: Linda Tokarczyk, Devils Tower Natural History Association, at 307-467-5283 Ext. 631 or Linda_Tokarczyk@partner.nps.gov; Jeanne Rogers at 307-283-2125 or jrogers@collinscom.net.

Photo Gallery: Poetry Out Loud Finals in D.C.

In the two photos above, Buffalo High School senior Caila Booth performs at the Poetry Out Loud semifinals April 28 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Leslie Liberato (left), program manager for National Initiatives at the National Endowment for the Arts, presents a plaque to Wyoming's Caila Booth at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. Caila traveled to D.C. as Wyoming's state champion for POL.

Wyoming's senior U.S. Senator, Mike Enzi (left) congratulates Caila Booth at the Congressional Luncheon April 29 on Capitol Hill. At right is Dana Gioia, chairman of the NEA. Photos by James Kegley.

Honors for UW's Rod Garnett

From a University of Wyoming press release:

For international students and visitors to the University of Wyoming, Rod Garnett's home is a sort of foreign embassy.

"Holiday dinners at his home can resemble dinners at the United Nations," says Jenny Ingram of the Laramie-based Wyoming Humanities Council.

Garnett's efforts to bridge cultural and language barriers, particularly through music, a tie that truly binds together all peoples, have earned him the 2008 Faculty Award for Internationalization. The award was established in 2001 by the UW International Board of Advisers to recognize excellence in promoting international activities at the university.

A faculty member in the Department of Music since 1990, Garnett has traveled across the world from New Zealand to Japan, Ireland to Peru to gain insight into other cultures and help develop his own teaching curriculum.

During that time, says Oliver Walter, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Garnett has cemented a reputation as "one of our very best teachers."

Garnett founded UW's World Music Series, an annual showcase of musical sounds from around the world, and is the "backbone" of the university's Gamelan group, says Oana Ivan, a UW student from Romania.

"His students, collaborators and colleagues know more about the world and its music because of Rod," adds Ivan.

One of his former students, Aura Newlin (Riverton), was named to USA Today's All USA Academic First Team in 2005. Under Garnett's supervision, Newlin developed a self designed major in ethomusicology and her research spurred the creation of a panpipe ensemble at UW.

In addition to his work in the classroom, Garnett has taken UW students to Indonesia, New Zealand and Slovakia to study and play music. He has also coordinated cultural exchange programs with schools in those three countries.

"I believe that he has worked very happily and effectively to introduce international heritages to the society of the UW," says Soonja Cho, director of the Gagok Inheritance Center in Korea. Cho and Garnett worked together last year to organize a traditional Korean music concert at UW.

Adds Ingram, "I can think of no one more deserving of the award. Rod realizes that our small town is international, and that the UW and Laramie communities are interested in other cultures. He has been able to make the most of these points, especially in the area of music, which has the capability to cross cultures and boundaries."

Garnett earned his B.A. in music education (1975) and his M.A. in music (1986) from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is currently a Ph.D. student in UW's Department of Anthropology.

He's been a recipient of a Governor's Arts Award from the Wyoming Arts Council for his contributions to music and music education.

Reception May 9, 5-7 p.m. at AVA Center

Photogs shoot upper Green River valley

The Associated Press reports that nature photographers from around the world will gather in Wyoming's upper Green River valley this month to photograph "the challenges of conservation there in the face of intense gas development."

The International League of Conservation Photographers plans to conduct a three-day expedition to the valley in May. It's called a rapid assessment visual expedition, or RAVE. A statement from the league says that although gas development there has diminished air and water resources, the landscape still contains much of high scenic and ecological value.

Later this month, the National Museum of Wildlife Art outside Jackson will host an exhibit of the photos.

Read excerpt from Fuller's book at wyofile.com

Call for entries: poetry anthology

Montana writer Lowell Jaeger is editor of a new poetry anthology and is seeking submissions:

Many Voices Press is accepting submissions for an anthology of poets from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. We are selecting poems now. No deadline. We will continue to review submissions until we have selected a quantity sufficient to compile a 400-page manuscript. Poets of the American West will be published in 2009. A $200 Many Voices Prize will be awarded to the "editor's choice" poem from each state.

Guidelines for Submissions:
- Send up to twelve poems of any length, any style, any subject matter
- Include contact information on each poem: name, address, phone, email
- Include a SASE for response. No manuscripts will be returned
- Include a $12 entry fee. All entrants will receive a copy of the anthology (a $20 value). Many Voices Press is a non-profit public service organization
- Poems in Native American languages or in Spanish must also include English translations. (We will publish both versions side-by-side.)
- Include a brief bio (yes, we want to know about your awards and previous publications, but please also tell us something more creative, original, and interesting about your life in the American West).
- Poems previously published must include name of magazine, issue, and date. If the poem was previously published in a book, include title of book, publisher, and date. Important: Authors must obtain reprint rights. MVP cannot pay reprint fees.
- After publication of Poets of the American West, all publication rights revert to the author
- Include a completed Submission Data Form (obtainable by writing to the address below, or printable from our website http://www.fvcc.edu/news-events/academic-news/many-voices-press/)
- Send all the above materials to: Many Voices Press, Flathead Valley Community College, 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, Montana 59901. Call 406-756-3907.

Many Voices Press aims to publish the best poems available. Recently we published Poems Across the Big Sky (an anthology of Montana poets), which sold more than 2000 copies in less than six months. We are especially interested in new or established voices of the American West. In addition to poems in English, we are seeking poems in Native American languages or in Spanish.

What Are We Looking For? We are most interested in poems that offer original insights into historical or contemporary life in the American West. We are open to all poems of merit, regardless of style, though narrative poems accessible to a broad readership are most likely to catch our attention.

Help wanted: Works of Wyoming Project

From a press release:

The Wyoming Women’s Business Center is hiring a part time coordinator for its Works of Wyoming Project located in Laramie, WY. The successful candidate will develop and implement a program to provide education, training and support for artisan clients working towards entrepreneurship. Qualifications include business management education, the ability to work independently, ability to organize, prioritize and manage projects with timelines and meet deadlines. Experience in textile arts preferred. Resumes must be received by Thursday, May 15.

FMI: 307-766-3083 or wwbc@uwyo.edu.

Ucross hosts concert at WYO Theatre

Sharon Dynak of the Ucross Foundation sends this news:

Three award-winning musicians return to the stage of Sheridan's WYO Theater on Saturday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. Pianist Philip Aaberg ("the best piano player I’ve ever heard" – Elvin Bishop), cellist Eugene Friesen (a two-time Grammy Award winner with the Paul Winter Consort) and violinist Tracy Silverman ("the greatest living exponent of the electric violin" – BBC) are on a mission to redefine contemporary chamber music.

The trio will perform works from their new all-Bach CD, "3-Part Invention." Their live concerts -- full of good humor and wonderful surprises -- also include original works and reinventions of other classical repertoire. Silverman, Aaberg and Friesen have all created vibrant solo careers by stretching from their classical roots into folk, jazz, rock and world music. Together in The Great Big Piano Trio, their paths converge in homage to the music they first loved.

Ucross Foundation President Sharon Dynak says: "The trio first performed together at Big Red and at the WYO Theater in the fall of 2006, as part of a community music project, Continental Harmony. We're delighted to bring these wonderful musicians back together in Sheridan -- their work is an inspiring example of the kind of creativity that the Foundation seeks to support. The concert is a fine way for us to share the Ucross spirit with the community, as well as to celebrate the opening of our second composer's studio at Ucross this year."

The concert is supported in part by Dr. Seymour Thickman, Gib and Rebecca Leibinger, Bella Graphics, High Land, Inc. and Tongue River Masonry (Bob and Beth Hruza). High Land has landscaped the Ucross studios and Tongue River Masonry has done the stone work on the visual arts complex as well as the new music studio, Jesse's Hideout Two.

Tickets are $18 adult, $14 senior/military, and $9 students. For tickets, please call the WYO Theater at (307) 672-9084, or visit www.wyotheater.com.

FMI: Ucross at (307) 737-2291 or email info@ucross.org.