Casper College art students hold annual sale Dec. 3-5

From a Casper College press release:

Casper College art students will be holding the Annual Remainder Art
Sale for three days: Friday, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday,
Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Casper College Visual Arts Center.

The annual fund-raising sale, sponsored by the Casper College Art Club, will feature student created art "primarily ceramics" but also jewelry, photographs, paintings, and sculptures.

"The proceeds go to help bring in guest artists and travel to museums
by art club students. All the work is handmade original pieces and range
in price from a few dollars to hundreds," said Mike Olson, ceramics
instructor at Casper College.

The Casper College Annual Remainder Art Sale will be held in Room 102.

The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be
served.

Scottsdale promotes Dave McGary's sculptures of Native Americans

This video comes to us via the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Convention and Visitors Bureau. It features sculptor Dave McGary and some of his work now on the grounds of the Camelback Resort and Spa. McGary grew up near Cody and got his start as an artist in Wyoming. He's best known for his Chief Washakie sculpture which is one of Wyoming's two pieces in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. A duplicate is in the Wyoming State Capitol Building and soon will be relocated to a spot in front of the Capitol Building. Another Chief Washakie statue resides on the Wind River Reservation. Dave has galleries in Scottsdale and Ruidoso, N.M.

Jackson Community Theater holds auditions Dec. 1, 3 and 5 for Stephen Sondheim's "Company"

From Jill Calaway in Jackson:

Hello Theatre lovers!!

Come one, come all to Jackson Community Theater's auditions for Stephen Sondheim's "COMPANY", a musical directed by Kathy Byron. Auditions will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 3, 6:30-9 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 5, 4-7 p.m.. Join us at the 49er Inn's Goldpan Room located on Clissold & Pearl.

If you are interested in helping behind the scenes please stop by or call Kathy at 413-2057. Rehearsals will begin after the holidays and the production is slated for end of February and first of March.

We hope to see you at the auditions this week, come sing and play with us.

FMI: Jill Callaway, Jackson Community Theater, 307-733-7925; 307-690-8573; jill.callaway@gmail.com

"Brokeback Mountain" goes "Beyond Brokeback" at the Autry in L.A. Dec. 11

The Autry in L.A. describes itself as "California’s only museum and cultural center dedicated to the history, art, and stories of the American West. Located in Griffith Park, the Autry features special exhibitions, lively programs, and hands-on activities for kids." While the Autry isn't exactly commuting distance from Wyoming, it is interesting to note that one-time Wyoming resident Annie Proulx wrote the story that started it all. "Brokeback Mountain" was in her collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories, with color illustrations (in the hardcover first edition) by noted Denver artist William Matthews. Annie also shared the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the film, now celebrating the fifth anniversary of its release. According to Variety mag, New York's City Opera had plans for a "Brokeback Mountain" opera until the 2008 economic collapse -- and the departure of its artistic director -- caused it to shelve the project.

Rocky Mountain Land Library praises a classic book -- "Sheepwagon: Home on the Range"

The Rocky Mountain Land Library blog waxed eloquently about two Wyomingites in an 11/28 post: 

In 2001, a wonderful Wyoming publisher, High Plains Press, published one of the Land Library’s favorite books, Sheepwagon: Home on the Range. Author Nancy Weidel offered one crisp, concise reason for our admiration: “The sheepwagon is a marvel of practicality and efficiency.”

But there’s more reasons to love this book, with its stories, photographs, and sensitive appreciation for hard lives lived in a starkly beautiful land. This book makes clear that the sheepwagon provided both a bit of warmth, and a touch of home. Weidel: “Designed to provide shelter and heat, mobility, and storage, the sheepwagon was the ideal home for the herder….It could easily be moved by two horses, a most important feature.”

Yes, as you can see, every inch counted, but space also needed to be found for the unexpected. Some sheepwagons had side boxes that “came in handy during lambing, when a weak newborn might be placed there overnight to be revived by the heat of the wagon stove.”

Nancy Weidel is wyomingarts' colleague within the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. She is senior historic preservation specialist at SHPO. Nancy Curtis runs High Plains Press out of her ranch near Glendo. Nancy is a long-time supporter of the state's writers and the statewide writers organization, Wyoming Writers, Inc.

Call for entries: ROOTS Fest 2011

Call for artists to perform at ROOTS Fest 2011: "Many Communities, One Voice," June 22–26, 2011, Baltimore, MD

http://alternateroots.org/festival

Alternate ROOTS is pleased to announce artist opportunities to perform at ROOTS Fest 2011: "Many Communities, One Voice," a national arts festival celebrating the very best of our nation’s local art in honor of ROOTS’ 35th Anniversary. ROOTS Fest 2011 will be held June 22–26, 2011 in Baltimore, MD. As part of this national event, five days and evenings of local, regional, and national performances, workshops, case studies, community dialogues, and more will be presented.

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2010

Shop locally at the "Among Friends" exhibit Dec. 9-11 in Cheyenne w/update

You are invited to the Among Friends Art Show and Sale, December 9, 10, 11. Hours are 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 9-10 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 11. The "Among Friends" are Chad Blakely, Maura Jacobsen, and Connie Norman. This year the show will be at The Artful Hand Gallery, 302 East 1st Ave. Guest artists are Georgia Roswell, mixed media and paper; Jennifer Rife, silk fiber coil baskets; Kelley Jones, mixed media figurative kinetic sculptures; and Heather Fetsco, jewelry. If you live in the Cheyenne area, stop on by and say hello.

This exhibit will be a part of Cheyenne’s Art, Design and Dine Art Walk, Thursday, Dec. 9, 5-8 p.m. Art, Design & Dine features local galleries, businesses, and dining options in downtown Cheyenne Wyoming, every second Thursday of the month.

Visit the Among Friends page on Facebook, it has pictures of all the art work.

This year all of Chad Blakely’s art work is pink in honor of his sister who is battling breast cancer, and he is donating all his proceeds help Heather with her medical bills and missing so much work.

And this update from Connie Norman:

I am selling raffle tickets from my Ceramics Blog for a pair of my black and white salt and pepper shakers ($150) with the quote, “Add Spice to Your Conversation.” Proceeds will go to my friend Heather Blakely Voyles who is battling breast cancer. Heather is only 32 and just had a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, and her biopsy came back positive for malignant lymph nodes. Heather is a second grade teacher and will be missing the rest of the school year.

$1.33 for one ticket and $5.45 for six tickets.

http://connienorman.com/blog/

The weird prices for the raffle tickets are to offset the Paypal charges, so when I give Heather the proceeds of the raffle she will won’t have to share with Paypal. The drawing will Dec. 11 at the end of our Among Friend’s Art Show and Sale. If you are buying a Paypal ticket I will fill out a raffle ticket for you for the physical drawing. I will email the winner on December 12.

If you want to help support Heather, but don’t want to purchase raffle tickets on-line, you can come to our Among Friends Art Show and Holiday Sale.

Tate Geological Museum hosts mammoth holiday celebration and "Dee and the Mammoth" book launch

Tate's Mammoth ready to party!

From a Casper College press release:

A festive time is in store for all who attend the Tate Geological Museum's Holiday Open House on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to Deanna Schaff, director of museums, the event will include the sale and signing of the new children's book Dee and the Mammoth by Gene Gagliano, author, and Zachary Pullen, illustrator. Both Gene and Zac will be on hand to autograph all copies sold during the open house, said Schaff.

"The book will include a documentary of the entire story of Dee the mammoth from discovery to display in DVD form, along with an audio version of the book, Schaff noted.

In addition to Gagliano and Pullen, Laramie ceramics artist Jodie Atherton will also be at the open house with a display of her unique dinosaur mosaics currently for sale. "These one-of-a-kind sculptures are about recycling, history, and the melding of art and science. I create these mosaics on plaster jackets that were used by the Tate to transport fossils safely from the field back to the prep lab," Atherton said. For every work sold, Atherton will donate 20 percent of the proceeds back to the Tate.

Perennial favorite Santasauraus will be on hand and those attending are encouraged to bring their camera for a photo opportunity with not only Santasauraus, but also the museum's newest member, Dee the mammoth.

The gift shop within the museum will feature 10 percent off purchases and free gift-wrapping.

The Tate Geological Museum Holiday Open House is free and open to the public.

FMI: Lisa S. Icenogle, Information Coordinator, Casper College, 307-268-2372

Wyoming Arts Council CAP grant helps fund new outdoor kiln at Gillette's AVA Center

From a story about the AVA Center's new kiln in today's Casper Star-Tribune:

The city of Gillette provided two grants so residents can, for the first time, have access to a large community kiln. The Wyoming Arts Council kicked in a $10,000 grant, and donations to the AVA Center also helped pay for the $28,000 kiln and its enclosure, which will protect it from Wyoming's harsh elements.

"In northeast Wyoming there isn't any place they have an outdoor kiln," said Sandi Aberle, executive director of AVA. "It's a whole new opportunity for potters and students and their imaginations can just explode."

After the kiln is in place alongside the building at the corner of 4J Road and Wyoming Highway 14-16, the AVA Center plans to offer pottery classes that will feature new techniques, clays and glazes. Aberle said the current plan is to fire the kiln about once a month starting in mid-December. The frequency will depend on the size and number of items to fire.

"With that big kiln we open so many opportunities for potters," Aberle said."If you were just putting cups in there, you'd literally be able to fire hundreds of them."

Read the entire CST story at http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_6c99f869-1ac9-5b79-8841-ff4bba26e8c7.html

The $10,000 Wyoming Arts Council grant for this project came from the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) category. Get more information about these grants at the WAC web site or by contacting Randy Oestman at 307-777-7109.

W.C. Jameson to sign books and sing songs this weekend in Wheatland and Glendo

News from Nancy Curtis at High Plains Press:

Remember if you are going to be in the Wheatland area today (Saturday, noon-3 p.m., Book Nook) or the Glendo area tomorrow (Sunday, 3-5 p.m., Micke's), that W.C. Jameson will be signing his new book and performing live music. Jameson has sung with Willie and Waylon as well as being a nationally renowned treasure hunter. Ya'll come!

"I have a dream" plays set for December performances at LCCC

"I have a dream" is the theme of short plays written by students from elementary schools in Cheyenne. These plays will be staged, directed and acted in by theatre students at Laramie County Community College. Performances will be held Dec. 2-4 and 10-11, 7:30 p.m., at the LCCC Playhouse, 1400 E. College, Cheyenne.

This project is a cooperative effort of the YMCA After School programs and Laramie County Community Partnership.

FMI: 307-778-1158.

Next "First Friday" reading series Dec. 3 at Second Story Books in Laramie

UW Art Museum prepares for its Festival of Trees

This comes to us via the University of Wyoming Art Museum blog (museum dressed up for the holidays in photo at right):

The Art Museum will have different hours this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be closed Thursday - Sunday, but will re-open on Monday, November 29th. Preparations will continue for the 18th Annual Festival of Trees and Silent Auction. Decorating is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 30th. Tuesday also marks the opening of the Laramie and Albany County Children's Art exhibition.

Festivities culminate next Saturday, December 4th with the community celebration Happy Holidays, Laramie! This day of music, cookies, artwork, and Santa Claus is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

Enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We hope you will visit us tomorrow and next week to celebrate the holidays!

Check out David Klaren's new web site

Pondhawk (2009), David K. Klaren, Graphite on Arches cover, 43 x 60 inches

Pinedale's Sue Sommers sends this:

Pipeline artist David K. Klaren has a new web site, featuring a full portfolio of his latest graphite and ink drawings. The site was designed by Sommers Studio (http://sommstudio.com/ ), which also designed the Pipeline Art Project site.

"A Cowboy Christmas" and chocolate pretzels just a few offerings at the Trails Center's Dec. 11 event

Received this press release from the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center which is perched on the ridge in north Casper. If you haven't visited, this is a great opportunity to take a tour with the whole family. The Center has hosted a number of Wyoming Arts Council events, including poetry readings and Wyoming history events during the first Equality State Book Festival in 2006.

Here's the info for the center's holiday celebration:

Bundle up and visit the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) for a day of holiday cheer and family fun. The event is free and open to the public.

The Trails Center’s annual "Holiday on the Homestead" will be held on Saturday, Dec 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival will feature holiday music, and a variety of activities, including making paper snowflakes and ornaments, and dipping pretzels into chocolate melted in a Dutch oven at the Prairie Sweet Shop.

Music and stories will be performed by Casper College's I Cantori, Buffalo Bill Boycott and Ana, Rachel and Friends. 

"Holiday on the Homestead is a community holiday celebration," said Trails Center Director Mike Abel. "We are offering a variety of family-oriented, educational and fun activities."

For a full list of activities, go to http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/news_room/2010/november/22nhtic-holiday.html

Ceramist Connie Norman celebrates the holiday season(ing)

Cheyenne ceramist Connie Norman posted this photo on Facebook, saying that these new salt and pepper shakers were right out of the kiln and she'd post better pictures later. But this is already a pretty good photo. Please pass the salt and pepper in Connie's artful containers. This gravy needs seasoning.

NEA awards $26.68 million in grants

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman today announced the latest round of NEA funding totaling $26.68 million awarded through 1,057 grants to nonprofit national, regional, state, and local organizations nationwide. This also includes the NEA's most recent class of Creative Writing Fellows.

Chairman Landesman said, "I continue to be impressed with the creative, innovative, and excellent projects brought forward by arts organizations across the country. Our grantees are not only furthering their art forms but also enhancing their neighborhoods by making them more vibrant, livable, and fun."

This round of funding is provided through three grant programs: Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America Fast Track, and Creative Writing Fellowships.

Access to Artistic Excellence grants support the creation and presentation of work in the disciplines of artist communities, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting, theater, and visual arts. Projects include commissions, residencies, workshops, performances, exhibitions, publications, festivals, and professional development programs. This round of funding also includes grants to local arts agencies for multidisciplinary projects, such as community-wide festivals and public art commissions. Through the Access to Artistic Excellence category, 843 grants out of 1,524 eligible applications are recommended for funding for a total of $23.75 million. Please see the complete listing of projects at http://www.arts.gov/grants/recent/11grants/11AAE.php?CAT=Access&DIS=Artists%20Communities

Challenge America Fast Track grants offer support primarily to smaller and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, demographics, economics, or disability. In this funding round, 170 projects are recommended for support of $10,000 each for a total of $1.7 million. Please see the complete listing of projects at http://www.arts.gov/grants/recent/11grants/11cham.php?disc=Challenge%20America  

Creative Writing Fellowships encourage the production of new works of literature by allowing writers the time and means to write. The fellowships alternate annually between poetry and prose with poetry supported in this round. Panelists reviewed more than 10,000 manuscript pages from the 1,063 eligible applications submitted. The 42 poets who were recommended will receive a fellowship of $25,000 each for a total of $1,050,000. Please see the complete listing of poets at http://www.arts.gov/grants/recent/11grants/litFellows.php

Here in Wyoming, the Lander Children's Museum received a Challenge America Fast Track grant to support Lander Explores Termespheres - A Community Presentation of Arts, Geometry and Science. Artist Dick Termes, who paints in six-point perspective, will present an exhibit of his work and lead public workshops and classes for high school art and geometry students.

YMCA Teen Program holds fund-raiser Nov. 26 at the Cheyenne Barnes & Noble

The Cheyenne Family YMCA Teen Program is holding a fund-raising event.

On Friday, Nov. 26, all day at Barnes and Noble on Dell Range -- a percentage of gift-wrapping sales and merchandise sales will go to the YMCA Teen Program. Pick up your vouchers at the YMCA or at Barnes and Noble. Just say you are supporting the Teen Program.

Click here for a printable voucher.

FMI: YMCA, 634-9622

American Life in Poetry: Column 296

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

Those of us who live in the country equate the word “development” with displacement, and it has often been said that subdivisions are named for what they replace, like Woodland Glade. Here’s a writer from my state, Nebraska, Stephen Behrendt, with a poem about what some call progress.


Developing the Land

For six nights now the cries have sounded in the pasture:
coyote voices fluting across the greening rise to the east
where the deer have almost ceased to pass
now that the developers have carved up yet another section,
filled another space with spars and studs, concrete, runoff.

Five years ago you saw two spotted fawns rise
for the first time from brome where brick mailboxes will stand;
only three years past came great horned owls
who raised two squeaking, downy owlets
that perished in the traffic, skimming too low across the road
behind some swift, more fortunate cottontail.

It was on an August afternoon that you drove in,
curling down our long gravel drive past pasture and creek,
that you saw, flickering at the edge of your sight,
three mounted Indians, motionless in the paused breeze,
who vanished when you turned your head.

We have felt the presence on this land of others,
of some who paused here, some who passed, who have left
in the thick clay shards and splinters of themselves that we dig up,
turn up with spade and tine when we garden or bury our animals;
their voices whisper on moonless nights in the back pasture hollow
where the horses snort and nicker, wary with alarm.

Call for blog posts: Creative Nonfiction food issue

From Creative Nonfiction magazine:

Creative Nonfiction is seeking narrative blog posts to reprint in our upcoming food issue.

We’re looking for: interesting, true stories that focus on food, including restaurant reviews; tales of meals gone awry; secrets, tips and kitchen short cuts; confessions from cooks, chefs and/or servers; an examination of the kitchen life; and so on. Narrative, narrative, narrative. Posts that can stand alone, 2000 words max, from 2010. Something from your own blog, from a friend’s blog, from a stranger’s blog.

The small print: We will contact individual bloggers before publication and pay a flat fee for one-time reprint rights. Deadline for nominations: 11:59 PM EST, Monday, November 29, 2010. Nominate as many posts as you like, though we ask that you not nominate the same post multiple times.

FMI: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/blog_nomination.html

Application and Guidelines for Global Connections

From Theatre Communication Group (TGC)
ONLINE REGISTRATION and APPLICATION POSTMARK DEADLINE DECEMBER 20, 2010

This program encourages reciprocity and cultural exchange throughout the world-recipients may use the funds to pursue activity abroad or to host international colleagues within the U.S. to pursue unrestricted travel and projects by professionals working in all aspects of theatre.

The grants are offered through two separate initiatives:

On the Road travel grants will award six grants of up to $6,000 each, per cycle, to foster new relationships with international colleagues that will inspire each other-s work and aesthetics by creating opportunities for cultural exchange. This initiative is open to a broad range of theatre professionals from artists to administrators to those in production areas.

In the Lab project development grants will award three grants of $10,000 each, per cycle, to further pre-existing international collaborations by supporting residencies that either advance the research and development of a theatre piece or explore elements leading up to a full production. Projects do not need to result in a final mainstage production.

On the Road grants are not prerequisites for the In the Lab initiative. Previous recipients of other TCG grants are eligible to apply in this program. Both these initiatives will be awarded over two cycles in this inaugural round. Please review the timeline for specific deadlines for each period of activity.

Supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Visit the TCG website to register, and download the guidelines and application form:  www.tcg.org/globalconnections

The Mayors' Institute on City Design releases "Creative Placemaking"

The Mayors' Institute on City Design releases "Creative Placemaking" Report focuses on how communities are using the arts and other creative assets to help shape their physical, social, and economic character.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman, U.S. Conference of Mayors Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran, and American Architectural Foundation President and CEO Ron Bogle are pleased to announce the Mayors' Institute on City Design's (MICD) most recent publication, Creative Placemaking by Dr. Ann Markusen, principal of Markusen Economic Research Services, and Anne Gadwa, principal with Metris Arts Consulting.

Creative Placemaking is a resource for mayors, arts organizations, the philanthropic sector, and others interested in understanding strategies for leveraging the arts to help shape and revitalize the physical, social, and economic character of neighborhoods, cities, and towns.
In the words of the report, "Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired."
NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, "Dr. Markusen's report lays out the elements, benefits, challenges, and how-tos of using the arts in smart and sustainable community design. Art works across America to help shape communities where residents want to live, work, and play."
Burnsville (MN) Mayor and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Elizabeth Kautz said, "As a mayor who has supported efforts to stimulate my city's economy through creative placemaking techniques, I believe this report will be valuable to mayors who want to learn about best practices that have worked in other cities that promote the arts and economic development."
Since 1986, the Mayors' Institute on City Design has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. MICD organizes sessions where mayors engage leading design experts to find solutions to the most critical urban design challenges facing their cities. Sessions are organized around case-study problems. Each mayor presents a problem from his or her city for the other mayors and designers to discuss.
Creative placemaking is one of the tools that mayors can use to tackle their design challenges, whether it is building artist live/work spaces in abandoned warehouses, designing youth employment programs around mentoring relationships with artists, or curating a performing arts series in urban public places.
"Urban design is one of the tools mayors have used to create the environment for creative businesses to grow. The National Endowment for the Arts support of the Mayors Institute of City Design program for the past 25 years has been critical in allowing mayors to create opportunities for arts and cultural enterprises to flourish," said Charleston (SC) Mayor Joe Riley, who founded the Mayors' Institute on City Design.
Ron Bogle with the American Architectural Foundation notes, "AAF advocates for the power of the arts and design to transform communities. Dr. Markusen's report gives significant validity to this claim and inspires mayors and other civic leaders to incorporate design as a key driver for community development and an integral component in their leadership portfolios. "
"Mayors 'get it' when it comes to creative placemaking. As shown in this report, there are a number of examples where mayors have led the way in using the arts to rejuvenate neighborhoods and spark business development, " said Tom Cochran, U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director.
Creative Placemaking features sections on the:
* Challenges for creative placemaking such as clearing regulatory hurdles and developing evaluation metrics.
* Components of successful projects including mobilizing public will and designing around distinctiveness.
* Recommendations for integrating creative placemaking into public policies.


The report concludes with fourteen case studies from different communities across the country. Those case studies are:
Art-A Rural Community's Newest Crop: Arnaudville, Louisiana
After Autos ... Artists: Artspace Buffalo Lofts: Buffalo, New York
After School Matters in Chicago, Illinois
Community Developers Partner with Theaters: Cleveland, Ohio's Gordon Square Arts District
Art as Healing: Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota
Art Shores Up the Walk of Fame: Remaking Los Angeles, California's Hollywood
Chasing Artists, Not Smokestacks: Paducah, Kentucky Artist Relocation Program
Transforming Neighborhoods and Lives: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Mural Arts Program
Animating Infrastructure: Phoenix, Arizona Public Art Program
Building Community, Boosting Ridership: TriMet's Interstate MAX Public Art Program: Portland, Oregon
Mayors and Artists Spark a Renaissance: Providence, Rhode Island
Marrying Art to Technology: 01SJ Biennial: San José, California
Artists, the Third Leg of the Cultural Stool: Creative Entrepreneur Project, San José, California
Unusual Bedfellows Transform the City of Music: Seattle, Washington


This report is available http://arts.gov/pub/CreativePlacemaking-Paper.pdf  on the NEA's website along with other arts and community design resources including:
* Examples of creative placemaking projects through the MICD25 funding program http://arts.gov/national/MICD25/index.html MICD25 grants were awarded in July 2010 to 22 organizations that used the arts in innovative ways to improve their neighborhoods.
* Research reports such as Live from Your Neighborhood: A National Study of Outdoor Arts Festivals http://arts.gov/research/Festivals-Report.pdf  and The Arts and Civic Engagementm http://arts.gov/pub/CivicEngagement.pdf
* An archived webcast of a panel on creative placemaking http://arts.gov/av/video/creativeplacemaking/video/creativeplacemaking/index.html  featuring Dr. Markusen and author Richard Florida among others.
* Videos http://arts.gov/national/MICD25/index.html  about community design with NEA Design Director Jason Schupach.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government that has awarded more than $4 billion on projects of artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at www.arts.gov

Baritone Leon Williams in Cheyenne

The Cheyenne Concert Association presents a family friendly program of holiday favorites, spirituals, show tunes and classics on December 16, 7:30 pm, at the Central High School auditorium.

"Leon Sings Noel" features the charismatic and world-acclaimed baritone, Leon Williams. An alumnus of the Harlem Boys Choir, Williams is also a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. This December show will feature a host of cherished Yuletide music.

Tickets are available at the door. Adults $20. Students $10. Season memberships are also still available. Call 635-0833 or 634-8606 for information or visit http://www.cheyenneconcert.com/

Williams is a regular at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center with appearances at the White House and Kennedy Center. He has toured worldwide, earning rave reviews wherever he appears.

Pinedale Fine Arts Council brings Repertory Dance Theatre to town Jan. 22

The prestigious Repertory Dance Theatre will perform "Time Capsule: A Century of Dance," a guided tour through a 100-year legacy of dance paying homage to 20th-century choreographers. Performance on Saturday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m., at the Pinedale Auditorium. A Pinedale Fine Arts Council production.

Original Haitian artwork on display at The Corridor Gallery

"The Art of Determination," a showing of original Haitian artwork, opens at 7 p.m. tonight at The Corridor Gallery, 120 E. Second St. in Casper. Proceeds from sales at the show will benefit Wyoming-based Haitian relief efforts. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

FMI: http://thecorridorgallery.com/

Pronghorn Press asks: Heard any good books lately?

Heard any good books lately?

We have!

Wyoming's Pronghorn Press has announced that some of its best-selling titles are available now as downloadable unabridged audiobook files. Also, if you check out the site, you can get a free download of one of Annette Chaudet's stories. Go to http://pronghornpressaudio.com/

Annette is Pronghorn's publisher and editor. She says that the press's newest title is Tom Ringley¹s Wranglin' Notes, A Chronicle of Eatons' Ranch 1879-2010. Tom Rea's book about the Hole in the Wall Ranch will be out next month.

She adds that the press will be converting a number of titles into multi-format ebooks after the first of the year. So stay tuned, Kindle users.

BBHC in Cody dresses up for the holidays

From a BBHC press release:

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center shifts to its winter schedule December 1, but celebrates the upcoming holiday season with festive decorations, a popular free event, and special added open days to accommodate out-of-town guests visiting in Cody during the holidays.

Beginning December 1 and running through the end of February, the Historical Center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Although generally closed Monday through Wednesday during the quiet season, the Center makes an exception during the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's Day. From December 16 through January 2, the Center is open every day except December 25 and January 1. Regular winter hours resume January 3.

For the whole month of December-in fact from the day before Thanksgiving-the Historical Center dons holiday decorations, from a sixteen-foot Christmas tree that welcomes visitors at the front doors to a pretend gingerbread house big enough to walk inside. The festive touches add to the atmosphere during the Holiday Open House, the Center's annual free day, traditionally the first Saturday in December-December 4 this year.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for the Holiday Open House, with Santa making his appearance at 10 a.m. and entertainment beginning at 10:15 a.m. Activities for the day include performances by music and dance groups from the surrounding region, films from Wyoming PBS, a sneak peak at Don Hardy's upcoming biography of Al Simpson, holiday stories from the Cody Reading Council, special savings in the Museum Store, the crowning of Little Miss Snowflake and Mr. Snow Prince at 12:15 p.m., prizes and giveaways, and to top it all off, complimentary cookies and lemonade throughout the day.

For more information on the Historical Center hours, activities, and museums, explore the Web site at www.bbhc.org http://www.bbhc.org/  . A schedule of activities for the Holiday Open House can be found at www.bbhc.org/events/holidayopenhouse, and also appears in the December 1 Cody Enterprise and the December 2 Powell Tribune.

Committed to connecting people with the Spirit of the American West, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center weaves the varied threads of the western experience-history and myth, art and Native culture, firearms technology and the nature of Yellowstone-into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily through November, and begins winter hours of 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - Sunday on December 1. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. For general information, visit the new www.bbhc.org or call 307.587.4771.

Photo: The Buffalo Bill Historical Center welcomes visitors with "peace" and "goodwill" for the holiday season.

Americans for the Arts plans to welcome and educate new members of Congress

This is a couple weeks old but bears re-posting:

November 04, 2010—Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch gave the following statement on the Election Day results:

“Frustration with the nation’s lack of economic recovery is clearly top of mind among voters and candidates. Likewise, nonprofit arts organizations have also felt the sting of the recession with state and local government arts funding dropping as much as 16 percent, and private charitable gifts to the arts declining $1.2 billion in just two years. Additionally, individual artists have been experiencing unemployment at twice the rate of other educated, professional workers.

As our newly-elected leaders at the federal, state, and local levels focus on creating jobs and growing the economy, it is imperative that they understand the profound role the arts play in spurring economic growth and job creation. The nation’s 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations are part of the small business sector, and the nation’s 2.2 million professional artists are among the millions of business entrepreneurs fueling the economy. It is also important that our newly-elected leaders appreciate the connection between arts education training and the development of creative and innovative workforce skills, which are essential to future workers to compete effectively in the 21st Century global economy.

For the past four years, the House of Representatives initiated several hearings to spotlight the role of the arts in both the economy and in workforce development, yielding more than $100 million in new public investments in the arts and culture. Americans for the Arts looks forward to working with the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus and Senate Cultural Caucus on Capitol Hill to continue educating freshman members on how the arts fuel our nation’s economy. We want to congratulate three of the four Caucus members who were up for re-election on their convincing win last night and look forward to working closely with them in the 112th Congress. They are Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Representative Todd Platts (R-PA), and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY). We also look forward to working with Representative Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL), both already champions of the arts in the House, as they move into their newly elected Senate seats.

At the state government level, several arts champions— based on their record in other public offices or platform statements—have been elected as Governor. They include Governors-elect Jerry Brown (D-CA), Tom Corbett (R-PA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lincoln Chaffee (I-RI), Mark Dayton (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Rick Snyder (R-MI).

Locally, there were 232 Mayoral elections in cities with a population of over 30,000. Among the many new promising arts champions, Providence, RI Mayor-Elect Angel Taveras and Louisville, KY Mayor-elect Greg Fischer identified the arts as a way to harness local talent and creative energy to power the economy.

Americans for the Arts will soon begin conducting the next installment of national research to document the size, impact, and trends of the nonprofit arts industry for its Arts and Economic Prosperity IV study. The previous study demonstrated that the nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion of economic activity annually, which supports 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs.”

Next Steps:

Americans for the Arts will be undertaking a number of comprehensive initiatives to welcome and educate new members of Congress, but we can’t do this without you! Starting today and in the next few months, we ask you to:

• Send a letter of congratulations to each elected leader representing your community (federal, state, and local levels) and identify yourself or your organization as a resource on arts policy issues.
• Ask all freshman members of Congress to begin thinking about joining the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus or Senate Cultural Caucus. We will be sending more information about this in the coming weeks.
• Work with your state and local arts advocacy organizations to develop a unified message to your newly-elected state and local leaders.
• Save the dates of April 4-5, 2011 to come to Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. We especially need grassroots advocates representing the districts and states of newly elected Congressional members.
• Become an official member of Americans for the Arts Action Fund, it’s free and it helps you stay connected to all the latest political breaking news impacting the arts.

88 more love poems

Saratoga poet Sophia Puccini's second book of 88 more love poems is out. Titled Il Lupa (iUniverse), part of the dedication is "Love is always wild."

From the book jacket:

The mysteries of the heart continue to intrigue, surprise, and warm the soul of Sophia Puccini--a woman who once dreamed of marrying The Gypsy Kings and running away with flamenco dancers. In her second collection of love poems, PUccinin shares her reflections on love written in both the U.S. and Italy during a three period.

Here is #50:

None of my explanations have satisfied you
I brace myself for my fate
The sun's rotation sprays plasma
Across the universe

I listen to the water laughing all around me
The sky is my dance
And twists the sea into waves
Curling in the light

One hundred million movements of water and sun
The truth I wanted to discuss
Has adapted to magnetic field lines and solitude
And everything keeps moving

Wyoming Community Media seeks intern/volunteer

WCM needs an intern or volunteer to cultivate additional capital and human resources in the forms of in kind and in cash contributions and volunteers for two events The Shoot Out Cheyenne 24 hour film making festival October 15 - 17 and the Cheyenne International Film Festival in May 2011. There are on going tasks related to fund development - sponsorships, events and donations from individuals and volunteer cultivation.

FMI: http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/servewyoming/OpenAboutOrganizationAction.do?organizationId=276101

Update from Paul Taylor on "Wardaman Dreaming Project" and 2011 tour dates

Laramie's Paul "Walking Stick" Taylor has a busy winter ahead of him. He sent this letter via e-mail:

Dear Friends,

2010 FIELDWORK
The Wardaman Dreaming Project is excited to report another successful year of fieldwork, amassing a further 15 hours of Wardaman culture with Elder Yidumduma Bill Harney. We continued to document rock art and sacred sites and followed the beautiful Flora River, filming the associated story and songline as it weaved through Wardaman land. We documented bush plants and sign language as Yidumduma transmitted teaching to his grand nephew Jonas Doctor.

WEBSITE
We aim to produce a specific WDP website in 2011 featuring the best of our recordings for teaching Wardaman youth and open to the general public.

ARCHIVE
In August, copies of all fieldwork 2003-9, over 90 hours, were placed in safe-keeping with AIATSIS in Canberra, and with the Wardaman people.

FUNDRAISING
We are busy writing grants and fundraising for the coming year.
Our sincere thanks to the fabulous Kalliopeia Foundation and the WRAR, Western Rock Art Research for their continued support.
Our deepest gratitude goes to these donors:
Peggy Baldwin, John Loyd, LOYD ARTISTS, Phil Edgerton, Terry Wyszynski, Pia Hansen, Anne Taylor, Susan Ely, Laramie Kiwani's, David Romtvedt, Alan Bacque and Leslie Larsen.
This work would not be possible without all your support.

US TOUR 2011
Yidumduma and Paul Taylor will be touring Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and California in January - March 2011. For more information go to Loyd Artists. See the itinerary at the end of this newsletter.

In deepest gratitude,
Paul Taylor
Director
Wardaman Dreaming Project, WDP.
pauldidj@gmail.com
PO Box 1427, Laramie WY 82073
307-721-8853
http://www.paultaylor.ws/

Bill Harney and Paul Taylor Tour

Saturday, January 15, 2011, Laramie, WY Montessori Day

Friday, January 21, 2011 Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum (tentative)

Saturday, January 22, 2011, Superior, AZ Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Wednesday, January 26 to Friday, January 28, 2011, Pinedale, WY Pinedale Arts Center

Monday, January 31, 2011, Rock Springs, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Western Wyoming College

Tuesday-Wednesday, February 1-2, 2011, Riverton, University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Central Wyoming College

Thursday-Friday, February 3-4, 2011, Powell, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Northwest College

Sunday, February 6, 2011, Jackson, WY National Museum of Wildlife Art

Tuesday, February 8, 2011, Laramie, WY Cheyenne, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Laramie County Community College

Wednesday, February 09 and Thursday, February 10, 2011, Torrington, WY Eastern Wyoming College

Friday, February 11, 2011, University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Laramie

Tuesday February 15, Casper, WY Casper College-IS Scholars Series

Wednesday February 16 through Thursday, February 17, 2011, Sheridan College, WY University of Wyoming - IS Scholars Series, Sheridan College

Friday, February 18 and Saturday, February 19, 2011, Buffalo, WY World’s of Music Series

Friday, February 25, 2011, Boulder, CO Fiske Planetarium, CU

Wednesday, March 2 to Sunday, March 6, 2011, San Francisco, CA Kalliopeia Foundation (tentative)

Editor's Note: You can bring Paul to your community through a Wyoming Arts Council Arts Across Wyoming grant. Find info and applications at http://www.wyomingartscouncil.org/

Call for entries: "Wyoming Face of Travel"

From Wyoming Travel & Tourism:

Don't forget there is $500 CASH sitting out there with your name on it. All you have to do is create a short video about why you are the "Wyoming Face of Travel" and post it at http://www.wyomingfaceoftravel.com/ to be entered into the contest. It is so easy. But you have to enter by November 30!

The winner also takes away two free Wyoming Governor's Hospitality and Tourism Conference registrations for your company, a $740 value! The conference this year is January 30 through Feb. 1, 2011.

Tell us your story!
Encourage your employees to enter!
Don't miss your chance to win $500 CASH!

Best,

Alan Dubberley, Deputy Director
Wyoming Office of Tourism
1520 Etchepare Circle
Cheyenne, WY 82007
307-777-7777
alan.dubberley@visitwyo.gov
http://www.wyomingtourism.org/

Official Rules for Wyoming Face of Travel contest: http://wyomingfaceoftravel.com/pg/official_rules.htm

WOW hosts opening reception Nov. 19 for "Affordable Art for the Holidays"

Laura Bell speaks about "Claiming Ground" Dec. 9 at Teton County Library in Jackson

On Thursday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m., author Laura Bell will talk about “Claiming Ground” at the Teton County Public Library in Jackson.

With stints as a rancher, forest ranger, outfitter, masseuse, wife and mother, author Laura Bell vividly recounts her struggle to find solid earth in which to put down roots in her memoir, "Claiming Ground." At loose ends after graduating from college, Bell leaves her family home in Kentucky for a wild and unexpected adventure: herding sheep in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. Inexorably drawn to this life of solitude and physical toil, a young woman in a man’s world, she is perhaps the strangest member of this beguiling community of drunks and eccentrics. Only through time and distance does she acquire the wisdom that allows her to see the love she lived through and sometimes left behind.

Location: Ordway Auditorium. Free. Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@tclib.org.

Nicolaysen Art Museum names new director

From a press release:

The Board of Directors for the Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center has hired Connie Gibbons, a 20-year museum professional in Texas and the Midwest, to serve as the museum’s new executive director, according to Board President Peter Nicolaysen.

“The board was extremely impressed with Ms. Gibbons’ qualifications and character, and her experience in museum leadership,” he said. “We are certain that Ms. Gibbons will be a wonderful leader for the NIC in the years to come.”

Gibbons will begin her duties on Jan. 1, 2011.

A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Gibbons received her Masters in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas and her BA from Drury University in Springfield, Mo.

Most recently, she was executive director of the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss., where she oversaw construction and exhibit development of that museum, which opened in September 2008. In the last two years, Gibbons has also served as a panelist for grant reviews with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Mississippi Arts Commission, a field reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and MAP Reviewer with the American Association of Museums.

“I am excited about moving to Casper and working with the museum,” Gibbons said. “I think it’s doing some incredible work and I can’t wait to get started.”

Gibbons will take over the position currently served by the NIC’s Acting Director Val Kulhavy, who will continue as Director of Administrative Services.

The museum conducted a nationwide search to fill its top position and the board received more than 25 applications.

For more information, call the NIC at (307) 235-5247.

"The Refuge and the Muries" on display through Jan. 12 at Teton County Library

The Teton County Public Library in Jackson hosts the ehibition "The Refuge & the Muries: An Arctic Exploration."

Olaus and Mardy Murie played a pivotal role in preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the world’s last unaltered landscapes.

The Murie Center celebrates the Refuge’s 50th anniversary with an interactive exhibit of stunning photos and sound recordings. See artifacts from the 1956 Murie Arctic Expedition, which provided political momentum for preserving the Refuge's millions of acres of pristine wildlife habitat. Read journal entries and view photos from local writer and adventurer Molly Loomis, who in 2010 retraced the expedition, following in the adventurous spirit of the Muries. The Murie Center presents this exhibit, on view through Jan. 12.

Location: Library Exhibit Gallery. Free.

FMI: Adult Humanities Coordinator Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@tclib.org.

UW Eminent Writer in Residence Rattawut Lapcharoensap wins Whiting Award

Rattawut Lapcharoensap, an Eminent Writer in Residence in the University of Wyoming's MFA Program in Creative Writing, recently received a prestigious national award.

Lapcharoensap was awarded $50,000 from the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation for writers of exceptional talent and promise in early career. He was among 10 writers nationwide to receive the 2010 Whiting Writers' Awards. The awards, totaling more than $6 million since 1985, have gone to 260 poets, fiction and non-fiction writers and playwrights.

The recent 10 award recipients were announced at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

"Lapcharoensap writes with a depth of emotion, of tenderness really, and fluent descriptive detail," said the Whiting selectors. "We like the access he provides to a world we know nothing about ... and the way he manages to maintain an edgy tone without being off-putting or overdoing it. He isn't interested in condescending to the reader, as the material might invite him to. And we admire his fidelity to the short form in these stories -- he does not stretch material that should not be stretched."

Author of of the best-selling collection "Sightseeing," Lapcharoensap, during his UW residency this semester, is teaching a graduate fiction workshop, visiting university classes and meeting with students. In 2007, Granta, the magazine for new writing, named Lapcharoensap to its list of "Best of Young American Novelists."

Born in Chicago and raised in Thailand, Lapcharoensap studied writing at Cornell University and the University of Michigan. "Sightseeing" was selected for the National Book Foundation's "5 Under 35" program, won the Asian American Literary Award and was also short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award. Lapcharoensap spent the last year in Thailand researching his first novel, under contract to Grove Press

Whiting Writers' Awards candidates are proposed by about a 100 anonymous nominators from across the country whose experience and vocations give them knowledge about writers in early career. Winners are chosen by a small anonymous selection committee of recognized writers and editors, appointed annually by the Whiting Foundation.

The Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation was established in 1963 by Flora E. Whiting. The foundation created the Whiting Writers' Awards in 1985.

For more information about the UW Eminent Writer in Residence Program, visit the MFA Web site at www.uwyo.edu/creativewriting or e-mail Beth Loffreda, MFA Program director, at loffreda@uwyo.edu.

Craig Johnson's Le Camp des Morts wins French Prix de 813 -- and Craig hits the road in Wyoming

News from mystery writer Craig Johnson of Ucross:

Some exciting news in that Le Camp des Morts (Death Without Company) won the coveted Prix de 813, and it looks like we’re back in France for the month of January. In the meantime --

Hot Springs, SD, Wild Burro Books, Friday, November, 26th at 7PM
Billings, MT, Masonic Hall, Writer’s Roundup, Saturday, December 4th from 1-3PM
Sheridan, WY, Sheridan County Museum, Saturday, December 11th at 2PM
Story, WY, Story Branch Library, Saturday, December 11th at 6:30PM
Sheridan, WY, Sheridan County Library, December 17th from 10-12 Noon

FMI: http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/

Call for entries: Jackson Hole Review

JH Weekly Editor Matthew Irwin sends this info:

The alt-weekly Jackson Hole Weekly recently acquired a fledgling lit mag, called Jackson Hole Review. We will be redesigning the publication and the website, but in the meantime, we're seeking submissions for our winter issue, themed "connect/disconnect." The cutoff date is January 12, 2011. For submission guidelines, an explanation of the theme and our mission, visit http://www.jhreview.com/.

Gallery Walk in Wheatland on Nov. 18

From photographer Victoria Bennett Beyer in Wheatland:

Meet the people behind some of the best art in Platte County during Wheatland's Gallery Walk, on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 5-8 p.m. There will be refreshments at each of the three stops:

Gilchrist Gallery - 867 Gilchrist Street (shown in photo above)
http://www.gilchristgallery.blogspot.com/

This co-op is home to 16 local artists who specialize in a variety media, from oil and acrylic and watercolor painting to photography to glass art and traditional tole painting. During the holiday season it will also be a great place to find craft items and affordable gifts.

Wyoming Trails Gallery - 1004 16th Street
http://www.wyomingtrailsgallery.com/
You'll need to look closely to see all the items in this gallery, as proprietor Barbara Schaffner has covered every inch of it in quality art. In addition to paintings, you'll find fine jewelry and pottery.

Mark Koons Woodworking - 802 14th Street
http://www.markkoons.com/
Master craftsman Mark Koons (shown in photo) will have his workshop open to the public where you can see his current projects. He will also have discouted work displayed in the windows of the Dance Wyoming Studio (863 Gilchrist Street, two doors down from Gilchrist Gallery). Mr. Koons is offering a 30% discount on these pieces during the Gallery Walk.

For more info on Victoria's work, go to:
Main Site: http://victoriabennettbeyer.com/
Blog: http://victoriabennettbeyer.blogspot.com/  
Photography Shop: http://milemarker.etsy.com/  

Report from opening night of "Common Groundwork" exhibit at Sublette County Library

From writer and photographer Cat Urbigkit in Sublette County:

Last night I had the pleasure to attend the opening reception of a great new art show currently hanging at the Sublette County Library in Pinedale. It will be available through the end of the year, so anyone who has the chance should stop in and see the wide variety of art on display.

Six local artists -- Sue Sommers, Christy Anspach, JB Bond, Delsa Allen, Isabel Rucker and David K. Klaren (shown in Cat Urbigkit's photo, left to right) -- teamed up to present the show, titled "Common Groundwork."

Delsa's nature landscape photography printed on aluminum just "pops" from the wall.

Isabel's laxtex on board "Cloud Spirits" series is both inspirational and peaceful.

JB's hammered and forged mild steel pieces are simply elegant -- his "Latigo" was a personal favorite.

Cristy Anspach's sense of fun and adventure comes through in her new series of pieces called "Front Yard," which are delicate works made of crested wheatgrass, dog hair, and other elements of her front yard environment.

Sue Sommers has entered an entirely new creative realm with her large acrylic on canvas pieces, with Streambed and Grassland being all-around crowd favorites.

I've saved my personal favorite for last: David K. Klaren's new graphite series on large Arches cover is nothing less than striking. The series includes a wide variety of subject matter, but even those of us who know little of art history will be awe-struck by his "Stray," inspired by the Alberto Giacometti's bronze Saluki from the 1950s.

This is simply a wonderful display of contemporary art, and I'm so pleased for these talented artists.

Call for entries: 2011 Cheyenne International Film Festival

Cheyenne International Film Festival Seeks Movies for 2011.

Help develop the film and digital media community by supporting the Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) is a production of Wyoming Community Media (WCM) and set for May 20 - 22 2011, at the Historic Atlas Theater.

CIFF2 is now accepting entries through March 18, 2011. We're especially friendly to first-time filmmakers since CIFF is a grassroots festival. The CALL2ACTion program this year seeks movies about the empowerment of women and uplifting stories about people beating homelessness and poverty.

The mission of WCM is to encourage and celebrate the art of film and digital media through creative forums for artistic and social awareness in the community served.

CIFF is accepting movie entries in four categories: Feature films, Wyoming Showcase, Short films and CIFF Promo Videos. Click the tabs to learn more and enter. CIFF will notify you only your movie has been selected around April 1, 2010.

* GENERAL MOVIE SELECTION GUIDELINES Movies must have been completed on or after January 1, 2008.
* Screeners should be viewable on-line. When you enter, you'll be asked provide a link/password to your movie uploaded to www.vimeo.com
* If your movie is selected, it must be submitted as high-resolution Quicktime Movie H.264/MPG4 video and ACC audio files - either HD or SD on a hard drive, DVD or other media to be played as a digital file. If we can't play your movie, it won't be seen.
* Mark each File with the title, run time, your contact information.
* A media kit isn't required, but remember to include 100 word synopsis of your project.
* All entries will are the property of CIFF, hard drives will be returned at the producers' expense
* CIFF isn't responsible for files damaged during shipment. At the discretion of CIFF, a replacement may be requested from the entrant - shipping costs are paid by the entrant.
* CIFF reserves the right to interpret the guidelines and enforce them at its discretion. They can be changed without notice, so keep checking back.

OPT OUT OF PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION
* Entrants agree that all information about their movie may be published electronically on the festival web page, on TV, and trailers; and all hard copy materials including but not limited to newspaper ads, programs, posters.
* Movies may be shown in part or their entirety on non-commercial or educational TV and tentatively titled "CIFF Presents", or in off-season promotional screenings. This is an "opt out" system. You may opt out by sending an email to the festival upon notification.

For more information:
Alan O'Hashi and Michael Conti
The Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF)
Cheyenne, WY 82001
307-509-0182 (read less)
Help develop the film and digital media community by supporting the Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) is a production of Wyoming Community Media (WCM) and set for May 20 - 22 2011.

CIFF2 is now accepting entries through March 18, 2011. We're especially friendly to first-time filmmakers since CIFF is a grassroots festival.

Yellowstone-area museums offer "Passport to Adventure"

From a BBHC press release:

Five museums in the area that surrounds Yellowstone National Park have joined together to create a new Passport to Adventure. Visitors to any one of the facilities can pick up the colorful brochure and have it stamped there—and each time they go to another of the "gateway museums." When all five have been visited and the passport stamped for each, visitors then receive the reward designated by the museum where they received their fifth and final stamp. Currently, each museum is offering a family membership.

Participating museums are Wyoming's Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody and National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson; and Montana's Carbon County Historical Society and Museum, Red Lodge; Yellowstone Historic Center, West Yellowstone; and Yellowstone Gateway Museum, Livingston.

The museums designed the Passport to Adventure to encourage visitation in the region, something the group feels is more and more attractive as the cost of travel increases. They also feel that, together, they present a more complete picture of the history and culture of the Yellowstone region.

The passport is valid through December 31, 2011.

Committed to connecting people with the Spirit of the American West, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center weaves the varied threads of the western experience—history and myth, art and Native culture, firearms technology and the nature of Yellowstone—into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is now operating its fall schedule, open daily, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. For general information, visit http://www.bbhc.org/, or call 307.587.4771.

Art Association sponsors "Art for the Soul, Soup for the Bowl" Nov. 19 in Jackson

In the Center for the Arts Theater Lobby, 265 S. Cache Street, Jackson

ONE NIGHT ONLY! November 19, 2010, 5:30 p.m.

SUPPORTS THE ART ASSOCIATION'S EDUCATION PROGRAMMING

Back by popular demand, Art for the Soul, Soup for the Bowl happens this November! Proceeds support the Art Association's community arts education programming. $25 gives you your choice of a hand thrown ceramic bowl created by the ceramics artists of the Art Association, a buffet of soups from local restaurants, beer, Open Mic entertainment and more!

Contributing Ceramics Artists: Shannon & Rudy Borrego, Ginger Burley, Sue Colligan, Jenny Dowd, Sam Dowd, Peggy Mathiesen, Linda MacGregor, Dawn McKibbon, Janet Monahan, Sue Morriss, Dean Stayner, Cynthia Guild Stoetzer and Matt Tosi.

Soup provided by: Cafe Genevieve, Trio, Rustic Inn, Pearl St. Meat & Fish Co., Wild Sage Restaurant, Jackson Whole Grocer, Rendezvous Bistro, Cadillac Grille, 43 North, Nani’s, and Bubba’s Bread provided by: Wild Flour Bakery, Great Harvest Bread Company and Atelier Ortega

Beer from: Snake River Brewery

Sound Engineering provided by: James Booth

Native American Heritage Celebration Nov. 13 at Cheyenne Depot Museum

Native American Heritage Celebration at the Cheyenne Depot Museum. Join us for a celebration of the American Indian history with Native dances, music, jewelry, costumes and more. Special presentations from the various Plains Indians with conversational sign language. Wyoming Arts Council roster artist Willie LeClair will be on stage. A day for the entire family to enjoy. Date: November 13, 2010 Time: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. FREE!

Oscar and Felix on stage Nov. 12-14 at Mary Godfrey Playhouse in Cheyenne

Reminder: "The Odd Couple," Nov. 12-14, 2010, presented by the Cheyenne Little Theater Players. Performances are on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Mary Godfrey Playhouse, Cheyenne. FMI: 307-638-6543.

Call for entries: Openfilm's "Get It Made" competition

Openfilm is looking for short film submissions for the 2nd Get It Made competition. Submit your short film – with a running time of 40 minutes or less – for the chance to win the opportunity to produce it into a compelling feature film with Openfilm Studios. Openfilm will accept submissions throughout the year for the biannual competition (Deadline: December 31, 2010). There is a non-refundable $45 submission fee. Openfilm reserves the right to use still images and show short clips of any submitted films to promote the competition. Grand prize package is $50,000 cash and a $450,000 financing contract. To equalize the process, submitted entries are viewable from the time that they are entered into the competition, but all films will be voted on during the same time period. The top 10 films, as chosen by the Openfilm community’s votes and the Advisory Board, will move to the next round.

Double-bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons performs at UW Nov. 17

From a UW press release:

Double-bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons, joined by guitar and percussion, will perform at the University of Wyoming at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Fine Arts concert hall.

Tickets for the Cultural Programs concert cost $20 for the public and $17 for students and senior citizens. To buy tickets, call (307) 766-6666 or go to the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/finearts/tickets .

"The music includes Celtic, tango, Andalusian folk, African, Latin American and Indian traditions, although Garcia-Fons describes it as ‘Mediterranean rim, Latin America, flamenco, and jazz'," says Cedric Reverand, UW Cultural Programs director. "When we first heard the trio, we thought they came from Brazil. This is jazz, with the polyrhythms one would expect, but with a melodic richness and harmonic inventiveness that listeners may well find surprising."

Garcia-Fons has had rigorous training in classical music, receiving an advanced degree from the Conservatoire da la Ville de Paris. US magazine commends Garcia-Fons for "command of orchestration, and profound skills as an instrumentalist," which "place him in an echelon truly deserving the accolade of ‘genius.'"

Photo: Renaud Garcia-Fons leads a jazz trio in a performance Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the University of Wyoming.

Call for applications: Omi International Arts Center

Omi International Arts Center, a residency program and sculpture park in the Hudson River Valley town of Omi, NY, is currently accepting applications for its Art Omi International Artists Residency, which invites 30 artists from around the world for three weeks every July. The Center provides room and board, and fellowships are available to cover the cost of travel and materials. To apply, submit a completed application form, a résumé, documentation of work (either a CD with six JPEGS or a DVD with three one-minute video excerpts), and an accompanying artist statement and image list or video script. Click here for full guidelines.

Upcoming signings at Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery

Always a pleasure to receive the latest e-mail newsletter from Sheridan Stationery Books and Gallery, 206 N. Main in Sheridan. Wyomingarts especially enjoys the recipes as he/she/it is extremely hungry right now. The store also is hosting a series of pre-holiday book signings. Upcoming events:

Cathy Slikker-Vlahos

Saturday, Nov. 13, 1-3 p.m.
"A Snowman's Gift"
God's Love Never Melts!! Have you ever struggled with trying to explain God to your children or tried to tackle the concept of a God-in-three-persons Trinity? Author Cathy Slikker-Vlahos provides an entertaining take on these complicated concepts in her new book, A Snowman's Gift.

Faith Keahey
Saturday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
"Sins of the Sisters"
One winter's day during World War I, two little girls watched out of the window of their Chicago three-story brick Victorian house, as soldiers struggled with a steel-gray casket against the fierce Chicago wind. The children tried to be invisible as the men entered their house, depositing in the front parlor the coffin carrying their uncle Jacoby. They knew this was the beginning of the end.

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"Free expression in the academy" Nov. 13 in Jackson

From a UW press release:

What are the promises and perils of our increasingly digital world? Who pays for dealing with climate change? Who should speak at a public university?

Three University of Wyoming professors tackle these questions Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., during Saturday U: The Free One-Day College Education at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson.

Now in its second year, Saturday U is a collaborative program designed to connect top UW professors with life-long learners in Jackson Hole. This free college experience offers Jackson residents an opportunity to exercise their minds without homework, or tests - the only requirement is a love of learning.

Offered three times a year, Saturday U is sponsored by the University of Wyoming, UW Foundation and Wyoming Humanities Council. It is presented by Central Wyoming College, National Museum of Wildlife Art and Teton County Library Foundation. For information, contact Teton County Library Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, (307) 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@tclib.org

Participants may earn half a college credit (in-state tuition is $44.50) or half a Professional Teaching Standards Board credit from Central Wyoming College. To register for credit, call Susan Thulin, CWC outreach coordinator, (307) 733-7425.