Just think of it as The Sixth Annual State of Wyoming Poetry Bee

You're invited to the state finals of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition at 7 p.m. this evening at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. The event is free and open to the public. It's sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Competing will be 13 students in grades 9-12 from schools around the state:

Bryce McKenzie – Buffalo

Eddie Collins – Dubois

Jon Adams – Cheyenne East HS

Pheonix Hardin – Laramie 

Hannah Hout – Casper

Alicia Juanita Sanchez – Ft. Washakie

Alyssa Prado – Cheyenne South HS

Tyler Clementson – Shoshoni

Sara Ellingrod – Arvada/Clearmont

Raena Bush – Sundance

Marco Dominguez – Kaycee

Maddison Nielsen – Jackson

Izzy Jack – Cheyenne Central HS 

The students will compete in three rounds of poetry recitation. Judges are M.L. Liebler, a performance poet from Detroit; Max Maxfield, Wyoming Secretary of State; and Sophia Puccini, dancer and poet from Saratoga. 

The winner will go to Washington, D.C. on an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the national level, with 52 other contestants. The state winner also receives $200 and the winner’s school, $500 for the purchase of poetry books. The state runner-up receives $100 and their school, $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

P.S.: You could consider this a warm-up for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which opens March 18 at the Atlas. Get more info at http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org. 

"The Western Novel: History, Lore and Practice" March 11 in Buffalo

Presentation by two Wyoming Arts Council roster writers. Bring them to your community through an Arts Across Wyoming grant. Go to http://wyoarts.state.wy.us.

Spread the word about the Arts Alliance of Cheyenne

From the Arts Alliance of Cheyenne:

Can you help the Arts Alliance publicize your events?

Please post the above Logo and weblink on your websites. Posting it somewhere on your home page would be ideal.

By posting the Arts Alliance logo and website on your website, you help promote the Calendar and increase its use.

The more people find their way to the calendar the more the Arts Alliance can publicize your events with

* Calendar Postings
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Blog

One organization that has over 6,000 followers is re-Tweeting our postings for us!!!

By Creating a Network of Participating Arts Organizations Everyone Benefits.

We create an Arts “brand” that is easy to recognize, and natural to click on! This is Facebook and Twitter logic.

FMI: artsforall1@yahoo.com

University of Wyoming Calendar for Feb. 27-March 6

All sorts of cool arts stuff at the University of Wyoming next week:

University of Wyoming Calendar for Feb. 27-March 6

Poetry and music Feb. 26 at the Atlas Theatre

Detroit performance poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis will perform Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., at the Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Tix are $5 general admission, $3 for students, military and seniors. M.L. and Peter are in town as part of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud project sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Poetry Foundation. More info at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us.

M.L. this to say about the Saturday performance:

"We'll do some of the songs that are sort of more or less poetic, songs we've written together and then Peter will perform acoustically some of the Moby Grape songs from his group, some of his own original pieces. We kind of have a nice little set where we're merging some of what we do together, some of my poetry in music, some of his Moby Grape and some of his original."

WPR: "Our Town" - A Final Salute To Laramie

Lynne and Pete Simpson say farewell to Laramie with performances of Thornton Wilder's classic "Our Town." For Wyoming Public Radio interview, go to WPR: "Our Town" - A Final Salute To Laramie

National Museum of Wildlife Art hosts "Snow Critters Contest for Kids" March 6

Above: A wintry exterior of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. Below: A polar bear sculpture made of styrofoam by local artist Ben Roth.

From a press release:

Blocks of snow will be waiting for young carvers to try their hands at the frosty art of snow sculpture at the National Museum of Wildlife Art on Sunday, March 6. The “Snow Critters Contest for Kids” will take place on the future site of the museum’s new sculpture trail as part of the museum’s popular First Sundays series. Also on hand to celebrate outdoor sculpture, Jackson artist Ben Roth will create one huge snow sculpture as well as offering snow carving pointers for the kids. Free refreshments will accompany live music from “ski bum rock band” Waist Deep to round out the perfect winter afternoon.

March 6 First Sundays snow sculpture day schedule is as follows:

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Museum open and free

1 – 2 p.m.: Kids snow sculpting

1 – 3 p.m.: Artist Ben Roth on site as Waist Deep rocks the museum. Free refreshments.

First Sundays featured artist Ben Roth’s work ranges from two-dimensional pieces on plaster and steel to large-scale sculptures incorporating natural materials like 50-foot standing dead lodgepole pines. Roth’s public art works include pieces for the MurieCenter and FordPark in Vail. The March 6 snow sculpture event including Ben Roth’s appearance is sponsored by Wells Fargo with additional support from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jackson band Waist Deep, known for its powerful riffs, top-notch musicianship and meaningful lyrics describing the ski bum experience, features Peter Chandler on vocals and harmonica, Jeff Eidemiller on guitar, Andy Calder on bass and Andy Peterson on drums. Part of the Community Performance Series, Waist Deep’s First Sundays concert is sponsored by Jan and Larry Finch.

First Sundays, which occurs the first Sunday of the month throughout the year, offers free museum visitation to area locals. (“Area locals” include Jackson as well as the neighboring communities of Teton Village, Wilson, Moran, Kelly, Moose, Hoback, Star Valley, Bondurant, Teton Valley, Pinedale and Swan Valley). First Sundays are sponsored by Wells Fargo.Check for details on activities, entertainment, and hands-on fun for kids on the museum website at www.wildlifeart.org, or call 307.733.5771.

A member of the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook at wildlifeartjh and on Twitter at @wildlifeartjh.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Ponteir Sackrey, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5444, psackrey@wildlifeart.org.

Tonic Sol-fa performs at UW on March 4

From a UW press release:


One of the nation's most popular a cappella ensembles, Tonic Sol-fa, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, in the University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

The first 300 full-time UW students will be admitted free, IDs must be submitted in advance at the Wyoming Union information desk or Fine Arts Center box office. Tickets cost $25 general admission and $21 for senior citizens and students not among the first 300.

Creating a sound the New York Times described as "a vocal kaleidoscope ... unique to the human voice," Tonic Sol-fa has appeared on NBC's "Today Show," on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show," on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion," and in two national TV specials of its own. The ensemble was also the subject of a multipage spread in Newsweek.

Tonic Sol-fa now plays about 150 dates annually, and has sold more than 1 million albums.

"We're pleased to present a group that already has a large following among a cappella aficionados," says Cedric Reverand, director of UW Cultural Programs that sponsors the concert with Friday Night Fever.

Photo: Tonic Sol-fa performs Friday, March 4, at the University of Wyoming (Cultural Programs)

Call for entries: Aspen ECO Fest exhibition

The Red Brick Council for the Arts in Aspen, Colo., seeks entries for Aspen ECO FEST Juried Art Exhibition which will take place June 2-23, 2011.

Entries are open to all artists. Art must be made from recycled and/or reclaimed objects.

Entry forms are due on Friday, April 15, 2011. Images will be accepted on CD only. Images must be at least 300 dpi and 1 mg in jpg format. Artists will be notified by email of jury’s results on May 2, 2011. $25 per artist for up to two entries.

FMI: www.aspenecofest.com; info@aspenart.org; 970.429.2777

Call for applications: WAA Juried Showcase Program

Western Arts Alliance (WAA) is now accepting applications from performing artists, companies, or their agents for its 2011 Juried Showcase Program. The showcase, part of 2011 WAA Annual Conference in Seattle, will take place on August 31 at the Broadway Performance Hall. The Juried Showcase gives presenters and delegates the opportunity to see a diverse range of performance of outstanding quality in a short program. Juried Showcasing artists are selected in a competitive process by a committee of WAA members, and their performances take place as part of the core conference program.

The application fee is $65; you need not be a member of WAA at the time of application, but all showcasing artists must be members (or represented by a member) exhibiting at the conference. The application form and full details may be found here. All materials must be received in the WAA Office by Friday, March 25, 2011.

Western Arts Alliance is a membership association of touring and performing arts professionals engaged in promoting and presenting performing arts throughout the western states and provinces. The WAA Annual Conference will convene presenters, artists, and agents August 29-September 2, 2011, around the shared goal of programming live performances. Opportunities for meetings, exhibits, performances, networking, speakers, classes and workshops will be featured throughout the conference week. Artists, Managers and Agents will be able to share their or their artists' work with more than 200 presenting organizations based in the West, making the WAA Conference one of the best resources for connecting with presenters and colleagues.

Learn more at www.westarts.org

Call for entries: Wyoming Writers, Inc., writing contest

Wyoming Writers, Inc., announces contest guidelines:

Hard copy entries much be postmarked by April 9, 2011.

Entry fee:  $10.00 for each entry from members of Wyoming Writers, Inc., $15.00 for non-members,

Member fee for poetry is $10.00 for 3 poems, non-members $15.00 for 3 poems. We encourage non-members to join the organization. Information and membership form are available on www.wyowriters.org. Contest entry forms are also available on the web site, and from flyers in libraries and bookstores, and in the WyoWriters newsletter.  You may photocopy an entry form.

No limit on the number of entries, but there is an entry fee for each manuscript and every 3 poems. Include one check for the total amount. No entry fees will be refunded. 

Eligibility: The contest is open to all writers. All works must be the unpublished and the original work of the   submitter. All works must be in English. Work accepted or under consideration for publication elsewhere, or entered in another contest simultaneously is not eligible. Work that has previously placed or received an honorable mention in a Wyoming Writers, Inc. contest is not eligible. Work may be submitted to other contests or for publication after the contest deadline.

Categories

Adult Fiction: (No horror or erotica) 3000 words maximum

Fiction for Children/Juveniles:  3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Personal experiences and Memoirs3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Articles and Essays., 3000 words maximum

Traditional Poetry:  28 lines maximum; up to 3 poems per submission.

Free Verse Poetry:  28 lines maximum;  up to 3 poems per submission

Prizes:   First place: $50, Second place: $30,  Third place $20. Each will get a certificate. There will be no Honorable Mentions.  Winners will be notified the latter part of May. Winners will be announced at the WWInc 2011 Conference to be held at the Ramada Plaza Riverside,Casper, WY June 3-5, 2011.

Latest news from the Casper Artists' Guild

Carole Glenn, Teresa Cowan, Bob Odell and Marj Haass are representing the Casper Artists' Guild by showing their artwork at the Bank of the West in Casper through the end of March. The CAG urges people to come out and see this show. The Guild's Ellen Black coordinated the shows and was responsible for hanging the artwork. FMI: casperartguild@bresnan.net or 307-265-2655.

The CAG will hold its All-Member Planning Session on Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m.-noon at the West Wind Gallery, 1040 W. 15th St. (behind Westside Albertson's Store). New member directories will be distributed and members' artwork will be on display. Allen Singleton will provide tips on using a digital camera to photograph your artwork. FMI: 307-265-2655.

Metropolitan Opera simulcasts come to Lander

New York’s Metropolitan Opera comes to Lander this month by HD satellite television, thanks to the efforts of local opera fans calling themselves Lander Met Opera and staffers at the Fremont County Library. Lander and Jackson are now the only two locations in Wyoming to receive these broadcasts. The first performance will be Gluck’s masterpiece “Iphigénie en Tauride” featuring acclaimed tenor Placido Domingo, broadcast beginning at 10:30AM, February 26, 2011, with curtain-up at 11AM.  Five more operas will be presented this season: March 19, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti); April 9, Le Comte Ory (Rossini); April 23, Capriccio (R Strauss); April 30, Il Trovatore (Verdi); May 21, Die Walküre (Wagner). Because the Metropolitan Opera requires that each attendee pay a fee of $10 per performance, single tickets will be offered for a $10 donation, the entire amount going to the Metropolitan Opera. Lander Met Opera will also accept additional donations to help cover its own printing costs and other expenses.

Performances will be shown on a large screen in the Library’s second floor conference room until the remodeling of the Carnegie Room is completed. Lunch on the day of each performance can be pre-ordered before the performance begins at 11 AM, from the Breadboard and enjoyed during intermission (usually 30 minutes). Tickets and more information will be available shortly at Main Street Books, Cabin Fever Books and at the Library.

If you wish to receive e-mail reminders for the broadcasts, contact Marvin Brown at marvjobrown@wyoming.com. Include your name, address, phone number, and email address.

Funding for this project covering equipment purchase and installation was provided by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Local donors, the Fremont County Library System and the Fremont County Library Foundation matched the WAC grant.

Photo: Fremont County Library Technology Coordinator Jonmikel Pardo stands on the Library's roof with special satellite antennas he helped install to receive the Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts.

Spoken-word artist Gina Loring performs at UW's Friday Night Fever on Feb. 25

Gina Loring, spoken word artist, promises a powerful performance celebrating Black History Month at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, in the lower level of the Wyoming Union.

The free event is open to the public and hosted by Friday Night Fever.

With her rich, soulful voice and commanding stage presence, Loring balances poetry and music, singing and rapping.  She has been featured on two seasons of HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Poetry and BET's Lyric Cafe.

The top ranking female poet at the 2002 National Poetry Slam, Loring has performed all over the world in diverse places such as Kuwait, Russia and West Africa. She has conducted creative writing workshops for high school and university students.

For more information call Friday Night Fever at (307)766-6340 or email fnf@uwyo.edu .

Photo: Spoken word artist Gina Loring will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, in the lower level of the Wyoming Union as part of the Black History Month celebration. 

Lander explores Termespheres in March

Dick Termes

Lander Children's Museum
465 Lincoln Street
332-1341
www.landerchildrensmuseum.org
Month-long hands-on exhibit: Up, Down & All Around: Geometry in Your Visual World
Opening Friday, March 4
5:30-7:30 pm
Meet Dick Termes

Lander Library
North 2nd Street
332-5194
www.fremontcountylibraries.org
Month-long exhibit of 24 Termespheres
Artist tour and talk Saturday, March 510:30 am-12:30 pm
Dick will speak at 11 am
Refreshments served

Lander Art Center
224 Main Street
332-5772
www.landerartcenter.com
Artist workshop on 6-point perspective, conducted by Dick Termes
Monday, March 7
Materials Fee $20 per person or $5 per student
6-9 pm
Sign up by February 28
Scholarships Available

PALS (Promoting Arts in Lander Schools)
332-2105
www.palswyoming.com
Dick will be conducting a residency in Fremont County School District #1 the week of March 2-7.
This project is funded by the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts

"Religion Versus Science" author at Second Story Books on Feb. 25

Dr. Ron Frost, author of "Religion Versus Science," will be at the Second Story Book Store, 105 Ivinson Avenue in downtown Laramie on Friday, February 25, 6:30-8 p.m. for a book signing. FMI: (307) 745-4423

Tickets now available for CLTP's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

March 18-20 & 25-27, 2011 at the Historic Atlas Theatre

Ticket Prices:

Adults - $24

Seniors (60+) - $22

Students - $18

** This show contains Adult Language and Situations

     PG -13 Rating

To book your tickets, contact the  

Mary Godfrey Box Office at 307-638-6543, 

9-4 Monday through Friday.

Or book through our website

www.cheyennelittletheatre.org 

We are also looking for Front of House help  

for all performances.  

Email Dana at dheying@cheyennelittletheatre.org  

or call the Mary Godfrey Box Office to sign up. 

BBHC begins spring schedule March 1

From the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody:

As spring approaches, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center expands its public hours to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week beginning March 1. The schedule remains in effect through the end of April, with May 1 bringing further expanded hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the summer.

As the Historical Center moves toward the busier spring and summer seasons, its calendar expands with special events, programs, and additional special exhibitions openings. Upcoming highlights include the following:

Buffalo Bill’s Birthday Celebration, Friday, February 25, 5 – 8 p.m.
Family Fun Friday, March 11: Family Ties.
Historic Homes of Cody Tour, March 26, advance registration required.
Special exhibition opening: Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam, April 15.
Spring Fling Sage Grouse Field Expedition, April 16, advance registration required.
Special exhibition opening: Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation, April 29.

For more information on events, programs, and exhibitions, explore the Historical Center’s Web site at www.bbhc.org.

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 Yellowstone natural history—into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is now operating its winter schedule, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, daily beginning March 1.

UW Art Museum holds Feb. 25 gallery walk-through for Etsuko Ichikawa exhibit

Ucross Fellows Retrospective Exhibition reception Feb. 19 in Big Red Barn Gallery

The opening reception for the Ucross Fellows Retrospective Exhibition will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2-4 p.m., at the Ucross Foundation Art Gallery, 30 Big Red Lane, Ucross.

The exhibit features the work of more than 40 artists representing 27 years of visual arts residencies.

FMI: 307-737-2291

Americans for the Arts: U.S. House makes deeper cuts in Arts Endowment budget

From Americans for the Arts:

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAKES DEEPER CUT TO NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed H.R.1, a appropriations bill written to target at least $100 billion in domestic spending cuts in the current fiscal year. This legislation includes a $43 million reduction for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)—from the current $167.5 million to $124 million. This represents the deepest cut to the NEA in 16 years. Representatives narrowly passed an amendment to the originally proposed appropriations bill on Thursday by a vote of 217-209, which increased an already dramatic cut to total the $43 million reduction. The Senate, which may be more supportive of the NEA, will begin its consideration of the appropriations bill starting February 28, following a week-long recess in observance of Presidents Day. For more information about the federal budget process, please contact Associate Director of Federal Affairs Gladstone Payton at gpayton@artsusa.org.

Laramie printmaker Nyla Hurley at "Jentel Presents" March 1 in Sheridan's SAGE Space

Lynn Reeves sends this from Jentel (note that there is a Wyomingite in the mix)

Jentel Artist Residency Program is pleased to present this month’s residents in an event open to the public. “Jentel Presents” will take place Tuesday, March 1, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on Fifth and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn. This month’s presenters include a fiction writer, painter, printmaker, novelist, fiber artist, and a photographer. “Jentel Presents” is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Presenters include: Kate Blakinger, Hollidaysburg, PA; A fiction writer, Kate has kayaked along the Alaskan coast, gone caving in Puerto Rico and wandered through Moroccan cities. Places often inspire her stories. Eric Elliott, Seattle, WA; A painter, Eric narrowly avoided death many times during his childhood. He struggled from far-off Alaska to travel the world, lived in many places, studied at one of the best schools in the country and began his life as an artist. Nyla Hurley, Laramie, WY; A printmaker, Nyla is a quiet country girl by day and a fervent print nerd by night. She appreciates good friends, great food and good beer. David Samuel Levinson, Berlin; A novelist, David is a Texan, but left Texas for NYC, then left NYC for Berlin. He studied Spanish, Italian and Russian. German? It was never on his mind! Gerri Sayler, Moscow, ID; A fiber artist, Gerri can’t think of any work she’d rather do now than create sculpture with her hands, fibers and space. It thrills her to the bone. Cathrine Walters, Missoula, MT; A photographer, Cathrine is originally from Wisconsin, where she left her family to pursue an idea, a dream, a landscape out West. It took the death of her father to make her realize how precious every moment, every relationship, every day is.

For anyone looking for a stimulating evening, come join the crowd at the SAGE Space, at the Historic Train Depot, Fifth and Broadway. Free. Refreshments are available.

Attention Citizens! Don't Panic! It's just the "War of the Worlds Radio Drama!"

War of the Worlds Radio Drama 
Adapted by Howard Koch
Directed by Dan Jaspersen
Presented by Cheyenne Little Theatre Players

Performance Dates:
February 18-20

Location:
Historic Atlas Theatre, downtown Cheyenne

Back in 1938 Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater broadcast an original presentation of HG Wells science fiction classic, War of the Worlds. This event was historic in that the dramatic nature of the broadcast actually fooled many listeners into believing that aliens from Mars had launched an invasion of the earth.

Order tickets online here.

Contact Dana Heying at the CLTP office at 638-6543 for more information.

Cast List:


Neil Carroll                           Announcer Two
                                                Observer
                                                Operator Four
Charles Hall                         Prof. Pierson
                                                Secretary of Interior
Kristi Lichtfuss                    Carla Phillips
                                                Commander
                                                Operator Two
John Lyttle                           Stranger
                                                Policeman
                                                Smith
                                                Gunner
                                                Operator Five
Renee Macey                       Mercury Theater Announcer
                                                Wilmuth
Rodger McDaniel                Orson Welles
                                                Capitan
                                                Officer
Sonya Shutter                     Announcer Three
                                                McDonald
                                                Operator Three
                                                N.Y. Announcer
Trevor Nowotny                    Foley Artist
Jenny Wagner                      Foley Artist

Eric Lee's "Close to Interpretation" exhibit at LCCC in Cheyenne through Feb. 22

Wyomingarts finally had a chance to view Eric Lee's exhibit at the Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. This "Close to Interpretation" show features Eric's painting, collage and carved cardboard, among many other media. Intriguing art by a Cheyenne arts educator at Central High School.

The show will be up through Feb. 22.

FMI: http://www.lccc.cc.wy.us/life

"Let Their Voices be Heard" co-author addresses "Body Image Awareness" week at UW

How society views body image will be explored through a series of discussions and interactive demonstrations during "Body Image Awareness" week Feb. 21-26, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

On Tuesday, Feb. 22: Betty Holmes speaks about the book that she co-authored, "Let Their Voices Be Heard: Quotations from Life Stories Related to Physical Activity, Food and Eating, and Body Image." Holmes works for the Wyoming Department of Health and was WIN the Rockies regional project coordinator. WIN the Rockies helped to educate community members to value health, respect body size differences and enjoy the benefits of self-acceptance, physically active living and healthful and pleasurable eating. Event is free and open to the public at the UW Union west and center ballrooms, 7 p.m.

For a complete list of the week's activities, visit the University Counseling Center website at http://www.uwyo.edu/ucc/ or call Tracy at (307) 766-2187.

UW faculty members conduct gallery walk-through March 7 for show at UW Art Museum

Faculty members will discuss their art work during a gallery walk-through at 6 p.m. Monday, March 7, at the University of Wyoming Art Museum in Laramie.

Presented every three years, the UW Art Department Faculty Exhibition includes installation, painting, printmaking, graphic design, sculpture, small metals and drawings.

This year's exhibition includes work by Nathan Abel, Diana Baumbach, Ashley Hope Carlisle, Leah Hardy, Margaret Hayden, Ricki Klages, David Jones, Patrick Kikut, Jessica Perry, Mark Ritchie, Doug Russell, Shelby Shadwell and Jenny Venn.

The walk-though will be followed at 7 p.m. by a faculty 20:20 event, which allows UW and Laramie County Community College faculty members from any discipline to show 20 slides of their work for 20 seconds each.

The walk-through and 20:20 event are both free and open to the public.

"Imagine learning from the masters" is a guiding principle of the UW Art Museum's programs. Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Dr. in Laramie, the museum is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information about the UW Art Museum, call (307)766-6622 or go to the website at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum .

Photo: UW faculty will discuss their work displayed in the Art Department Faculty Exhibition at 6 p.m. Monday, March 7, at the UW Art Museum.

Online article: "How to Publish Your Own Kindle Book: Part I"

This looks like an easy tutorial for those writers in Wyoming interested in publishing a Kindle book. Go to How to Publish Your Own Kindle Book: Part I

Call for student artists: AVA Center Art Attack Youth Show in Gillette

Circus Circus by Will Lopez
2010 Best of Show

A reminder that entries for AVA Center's annual ART ATTACK YOUTH Show are due February 28.

This is a chance for our locally talented youth to show off their work in a gallery setting.
Open to Students from pre-school age to College age.

April 4-29

Reception is April 15, 6-8:30 p.m.


FMI: 307-682-9133 

Zak Pullen unveils painting of Masters Golf Tournament champs Feb. 25 at Corridor Gallery

News from Reed Merschat at the Corridor Gallery:

The Corridor Gallery in downtown Casper announces the completion and debut showing of the "Masters Grip," a painting by Casper artist resident and gallery co-owner Zachary Pullen. On Friday, Feb. 25, Masters Grip will available for viewing to the public for the first time ever. As well as the final painting, the show will also include the work leading up to the final canvas, including all preliminary sketches and layout pencil drawings to completion. Zak is off to the annual Masters Tournament hospitality venue in Augusta, Georgia, this April to announce the unveiling of his latest creation. The painting contains 75 years of history depicting those that helped write it. The public and press are invited to join Zak at the Corridor Gallery for Masters Grip world debut right here in Casper, Wyoming.

Four years ago, professional illustrator and avid golfer Zachary Pullen conceived and began creating Masters Grip. Inspiration for this painting came through a story told of Tiger Woods and Byron Nelson comparing their grips during a champion’s dinner. In 2011, Zachary is happy to announce the completion of a painting culminating his passions into one 72” x 24” canvas. At the center of the painting, seated at a table in the foreground of Amen Corner, a vibrant and expressive Robert Trent Jones, Jr., leads Zak’s rendition of the beautiful Augusta National Golf Course. Around Robert, Zak meticulously integrated the caricature portraits of all 45 professional golfers to date sharing the honor of winning the famed “green jacket." Zak, a professional illustrator for 16 years, has found success with many illustrations and paintings published in such periodicals as Golf World, Sports Illustrated, New York Times Book Review, Esquire, Penthouse, National Geographic Society and many others. In addition to periodicals, Zak’s work has been the content of multiple picture books published by Simon and Schuster, Penguin Putnam and Sleeping Bear Press. Zak has also earned notoriety by his acceptance into The Society of Illustrators and the Communication Arts best in contemporary illustration annual. Masters Grip is a project born for the love of the game. “I’m thrilled to be releasing a new work of art based upon my passions for the culture, personality and history of golf” Zak states.

EVENT DETAILS

Release Title: Masters Grip

Opening Date/Time: February 25, 2011 doors open at 7 p.m., cash bar

Showing: Regular business hours, Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday Noon-4 p.m.

Where: The Corridor Gallery 120 East Second Street, Casper, WY 82601

Contact: The Corridor at 307-333-7035 or Zak direct at 307-262-3549

Miner's Delight Inn B&B hosts songwriting workshop May 20-22 with Miss "V" The Gypsy Cowbelle

Miss "V" The Gypsy Cowbelle called today to tell us about her upcoming events. One of the most intriguing is a songwriting workshop she will teach May 20-22 at the Miner's Delight Bed & Breakfast in Atlantic City. The Miner's Delight Inn B&B is owned by two fine entrepreneurs and writers, Barb and Bob Townsend, who have also helped put together a writing group in tiny Atlantic City. This workshop looks like a fine collaboration between Wyoming's most unique B&B and one of the Wyoming Arts Council's talented roster artists. Here are the details:

THE ESSENTIALS OF SONGWRITING: An Interactive Weekend Workshop with Miss "V" The Gypsy Cowbelle

Let the artist inside you emerge as you take a memorable and enriching creative journey with Miss “V” The Gypsy Cowbelle. Hailed as "the quintessential Wyoming singer/songwriter" (Virginia Moore, Wyoming PBS), “V” has designed a workshop to help students engage the creative process and develop the art of conveying ideas and emotions. The workshop is an excellent forum for beginners interested in introductory songwriting, as well as those who wish to hone lyricism and polish their current repertoire.

The weekend event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, May 20, at Miner’s Delight Inn Bed & Breakfast in Atlantic City, Wyo., with a light-refreshment reception and private concert. On Saturday students will participate in a day-long "Essentials of Songwriting" workshop focusing on: selecting a topic; developing song structure; writing by ear; using artistic language to paint a picture, and adapting music to lyrics. Light refreshments will be available throughout the day.

Saturday evening, “V” will lead a song circle, where students will have the opportunity to perform their own songs and receive feedback from the instructor and fellow participants. A cash bar and light refreshments will be available.

The weekend concludes Sunday morning with an "Introduction to Homemade Instruments" workshop. “V” will discuss the creation of her original Plank Banjo and other assorted homespun instruments and encourage students to participate in a farewell hoedown.

“Nothing fancy but guaranteed authentic," The Gypsy Cowbelle has been recording and performing her original songs throughout the western states for more than a decade. She has been accepted onto the Wyoming Arts Council Artist Roster and was included in the Wind River Music Showcase, a concert series to be aired on Wyoming PBS in March 2011. She has performed on such stages as the 10-Year Celebration for the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, the Nowoodstock Music Festival in Ten Sleep, Wyo., Gold Rush Days in South Pass City, Wyo., and at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nev. She was a semi-finalist in a national talent contest and has produced three original CDs.

V’s engaging perspective on life and inspiration for many of her folk songs and ballads stems from two decades spent roving America and living on a remote Wyoming homestead ranch.

Original hotel in Atlantic City that's now a B&B

Registration is limited to 16 students. Workshop-only fee: $150. Workshop and lodging fee: one person: $315 in a room or $285 in a cabin. For two attendees who desire to share a room or cabin, call us for rates. The lodging fee includes breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday's lunch and dinner are not included, but are available within walking distance. For more information, contact Barbara and Bob Townsend at 307-332-0248 or bandb@minersdelightinn.com, or “V” at 307-231-9252 or gypsycowbelle@gmail.com. Listen to The Gypsy Cowbelle at www.myspace.com/gypsycowbelle.

Photo caption: Miss “V” The Gypsy Cowbelle with her handmade plank banjo and a few of the other instruments she plays.

COW Radio hosts a Stay at Home Benefit Concert for Locke Hamilton of Prickly Pair

This comes from Andy and Jim Nelson at Clear Out West (COW) Radio out of Pinedale:

Being aware of the need to help folks around us that are experiencing trials or tragedy, we developed the concept of the Stay-at-Home Benefit Concert with help from our good friends at www.CowboyPoetry.com. This is a special concert in which you can stay at home and enjoy without spending any money. With that in mind, you are now free to donate any amount of money that you may have spent in travel, food, tickets, and lodging to this worthy cause. Enjoy the show and thank you for willingness to help others.

Stay at Home Benefit Concert for Locke Hamilton

Listen to our special Stay-at-Home Benefit Concert here:

Listen to Part 1
Listen to Part 2
Listen to Part 3
Listen to Part 4

Our good friend and extremely talented musician Locke Hamilton is having heart problems and has also had surgery to remove a cancerous growth on her tongue. With these ailments, the medical bills are adding up quickly. Here is our opportunity to help out, please send what you can afford:

Make checks payable to The Prickly Pair, and mail them to Norman Winter, PO Box 272, Dubois, WY 82513, or you can make a contribution by credit card at The Prickly Pair website here: www.thepricklypair.com 

Thank you so much for your generosity. Together we can help those we care for.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale are long-time members of the Wyoming Arts Council's artist roster. Please contribute what you can. And get well soon, Locke!

Third Annual Vinyl Art Show

www.spraygraphic.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS
Spraygraphic: THIRD Annual Vinyl Art Show, FILL IN THE GROOVE

Spraygraphic.com is calling for artists and designs grab an old vinyl record and be creative with it. Take the record and turn it into a piece of visual art for all to see. 

We expect to end up with a gallery full of diverse, compelling, and fresh vinyl records from all over the world.

The show will be at Hoodlums Records in Tempe, AZ on FEBRUARY 26th, 2011!!!!!!!!!

FOR SUBMISSION DETAILS GO HERE

LOCAL SUBMISSIONS CAN BE DROPPED OF AT THE HOODLUMS IN TEMPE!!!!!!

ALL OTHER SUBMISSIONS: 

SEND ALL ARTWORK TO: Spraygraphic, 1141 east vaughn street, UNIT C, Tempe, Arizona 85283

Crooked Still on stage in Jackson Feb. 23

Crooked Still performs at the Center for the Arts, Center Theater in Jackson on Wednesday, February 23.  The show begins at 7:30 pm with the Random Canyon Growlers: a high-energy, driving bluegrass that draws inspiration from the green rolling hills of Vermont to the jagged and dramatic landscape of the Tetons.
 
Founded in 2001, this unique quintet of vocalist, banjo, bassist, cellist and fiddler is known for its high energy, technical skill, unusual instrumentation and innovative acoustic style. This talented band has taken traditional American roots music and reinvented it with new life and contemporary style.

Purveyors of the nu-folk, bluegrass movement, Crooked Still are equal parts ambassador and innovators as evidenced on their newest release, Some Strange Country. The musical prowess of this defiantly non-traditional bluegrass quintet is on display as radically re-imagined traditional fare blends seamlessly alongside four original compositions and a surprising take on the Rolling Stones’ “You Got The Silver.”

On Some Strange Country, Crooked Still has honed in on their unique refraction of roots music, recording their most personal, visionary album yet. “The music is not just ‘alternative bluegrass’ or whatever people used to call it,” Brittany Haas remarks. “It’s at another level now: artful, but still grounded in that funky, string band thing.”

For tickets, call (307) 733-4900 or go to www.jhcenterforthearts.org.

Children Looking Back - Sue Sommers

"Baby Sister 1959"

CHILDREN LOOKING BACK

March 2 - 26, 2011

Opening Reception:

Friday March 4, 2011 6-9 pm 

ARC GALLERY / Chicago 

www.arcgallery.org

ARTIST STATEMENT 

This series of watercolor/gouache portraits was inspired by images from my family photo 

album. All of the children pictured would now be 50 to 70 years old. They are my family, myself, 

friends, and classmates, and I am looking back at them across time.

Children are very conscious of the adult gaze. In the photos, I see children looking back at adult 

authority. How they respond to the adult “in charge” will shape their entire lives, and says a lot 

about who they are or yearn to be. It will stay with them into adulthood. 

The process of painting portraits from the photographs forces me to look closely and intimately 

at the expressions and body language of these children. Re-interpreting the image through 

watercolor, a child’s art material, helps me bring out what I know is under the surface.

 Shiner of 1964