Thursday, June 30, 2011

AIR brochures winging their way to you

New Artist Image Registry brochures are in the mail!

The AIR is an online database of Wyoming visual artists, a program of the Wyoming Arts Council.

There is no registration. All WY artists are eligible. Just fill out and sign the AIR form and return it to the WAC with a CD of up to five images of your work.

AIR is in the testing stage but will go public later this summer. Check out the test site at http://wyomingartscouncil.org/artists/airsearch.aspx

Call for applications: Brush Creek Arts Foundation

Located on the historic Brush Creek Ranch, a 13,000-acre working cattle ranch and luxury lodge at the base of the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming's Brush Creek Arts Foundation offers writers, visual and performing artists, musicians and composers from all backgrounds and levels of experience an unique opportunity of time and space to create.

Selected artists will receive housing, meals, exclusive studio access and use of the library, lounge and kitchen, which are all nestled in a meadow along the riparian corridor of Brush Creek. Seasonally based, two-week and four-week residencies will be offered beginning January 2012. A blind jury will choose residents based on work samples provided with application.

Applications for 2012 Winter/Spring Sessions are due September 15th. Click here for our Quick Facts (.pdf)Application Guidelines (.pdf), and Application form (.pdf) documents. For general inquires about the Brush Creek Arts Foundation or other program details, please email katie.christensen@brushcreekranch.com.

Call for applications: Bard Fiction Prize

The Bard Fiction Prize, established in 2001 by Bard College, is given annually to an emerging writer who is an American citizen and under the age of 40 at the time of application. The prize includes a $30,000 cash award and appointment as writer-in-residence at the College for one semester, during which the winner is asked to give at least one public lecture and meet informally with students but is not expected to teach traditional courses. Eligible writers should apply with a cover letter explaining the project they plan to work on while at Bard, a CV, and three copies of the published book (manuscripts are not accepted) that they feel best represents their work. For more information, click here. 

Daily hard-hat tours of renovation work at National Museum of Wildlife Art


Another good reason to visit Jackson this summer:

Beauty is being restored to the rugged National Museum of Wildlife Art façade one carefully placed piece of Oakley Quartzite (shown in photo) at a time as the museum’s construction projects continue on schedule. More than 37,000 square feet of the multicolored stone, mined in Idaho, will eventually sheathe the building’s façade as part of summer improvements that include a new roof and initial work on the new sculpture trail in addition to the upfit to the exterior walls, with capital improvements to the building scheduled for completion by October 31, 2011.


The museum remains open on its regular schedule during construction, and visitors can check the work-in-progress on the new sculpture trail via free “hard hat tours” daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The three-quarter-mile-long outdoor art venue designed by renowned landscape architect Walter Hood will showcase nearly 30 permanent and temporary artworks and is slated to open September 2012. A special installment of the tours will be led July 1 at 10 a.m. by museum Director of Security and Facility Service Joe Bishop, who will share museum history, fun facts and hard-to-believe stories from his more than 20 years on staff.

In addition to the capital improvements and new sculpture trail, work has been underway on a new underpass to allow easy biker and hiker access to the museum from the Jackson-to-Grand Teton National Park North Highway 89 pathway. A panel including the museum’s Curator of Art Adam Harris recently selected artwork featuring playful ravens by Wisconsin sculptor Don Rambadt for the new underpass’s retaining walls.

Read this intriguing article about trailblazing landscape architect Walter Hood in Fast Company magazine.

WY Territorial Prison hopes to make Butch Cassidy Days a national tourist destination

Interesting article from the Associated Press about our sister agency in the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Butch Cassidy Days at Wyoming Territorial Prison just wrapped up on Sunday. The site's superintendent, Deborah Amend, is thinking big for next year's event:
“My vision for this site is to make this a national destination site, a regional intrigue site and an integral part of the community. I want it to become a very important part of Wyoming history and a part of the heritage of Laramie and this county.”
Read more here.

The Wyoming Arts Council provided a grant to Wyoming Territorial Prison Park to defray expenses for a June 2007 Butch Cassidy Days performance by Prickly Pair.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Helen Schmill announces publication of three books

Helen Schmill
Casper writer Helen Schmill announces publication of three books through Xlibris:

"A Morning with God," an illustrated children's book
"Paradise Lost 2011," described as "a reading play for churches and schools"
"A Grandmother's Old Testament Hymns," a living autobiography

Order copies of Helen's books through amazon.com, xlibris.com or through http://www.wix.com/helenschmill/books#!contact

Hear stories of Wyoming ethnic traditions July 14 at Laramie County Public Library

One World, Wyoming Stories
When: Thursday, July 14, 7– 8:30 p.m.
Where: Laramie County Library Cheyenne (map)
Description: Annie Hatch, Wyoming Arts Council Folk & Traditional Arts Specialist, and Andrea Graham, Folklorist with the University of Wyoming American Studies Program, will share stories about a variety of ethnic traditions in Wyoming. They’ll also encourage participants to share their own stories. This is held in conjunction with the “One World, Wyoming Stories,” exhibit in the library through August 16. (Adults, Sunflower Room, 3rd floor)

Artists prepare for emergencies using Studio Protector


The CERF Studio Protector Online Guide is the source for emergency preparedness and recovery information for artists. Small measures taken in advance of an emergency, and the right sequence of emergency response actions, can make a huge difference in reducing loss and in the time it takes to rebound from a setback.

New bronze at Historic Cheyenne Depot celebrates Wyoming's history as "The Equality State"

A new bronze statue by Veryl Goodnight, "A New Beginning," will be dedicated Wednesday (today) at 3 p.m., at the Historic Cheyenne Depot. The event is free and open to the public. The artist will be at the ceremony. Her work often celebrates the West and has been displayed all over the world. She has created 20 different "Women of the West" bronzes since 1984. Goodnight lives in Mancos, Colo., and shows her work at the Goodnight Trail Gallery of Western Art.

Read the entire article and see a photo of the sculpture at New bronze statue at depot honors early pioneer women - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

Cheyenne's Reproacher launches new CD July 15 at Ernie November

Duct Tape Fashion Show, outhouse races and street dance July 8-9 at Rawlins SummerFest

An artist's materials (Evan-Amos, Wikimedia Commons)
Rawlins' SummerFest, Rawlins Jam and Outlaw Show ‘N' Shine take place on the second weekend of July, which is July 8-9:

• Student Duct Tape Fashion Design Exhibition at Rawlins Main Street Gallery, Friday, July 8, 5-8 p.m.
• Student Duct Tape Fashion Show on Saturday, July 9, 3 p.m.
• Outdoor Movie Showing on Friday Night
• Two Poker Runs
• Activities Downtown each day including eating contests, games, vendors and more
• Motorcycle, Car and Truck Shows with Prizes
• Street Dance on Saturday Night
• Free Transport from Car Show at Fairgrounds to Downtown SummerFest Activities
• Outhouse Races

FMI: Rawlins Carbon County Chamber of Commerce at 307-324-4111 or Rawlins DDA/Main Street at 307-328-2099.

This event produced in cooperation with the Carbon County Visitors' Council. For more information on the diversity and beauty in our county, please visit www.wyomingcarboncounty.com.

In memoriam: Cheyenne writer Mary Hartman

Writer Mary Hartman passed away June 24 in Cheyenne. She was the author of "Texas Granite: Story of a World War II Hero," part-memoir and part-history about World War II Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lummus, and co-author (with historian Elmo Ingenthron) of “Bald Knobbers: Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier.”

Mary grew up in Nebraska, spent the World War II years in L.A., and later worked as a newspaper reporter. After moving to Cheyenne in the early 1990s, she co-founded Southeast Wyoming Writers and was a member of the Cheyenne Area Writers Group. She was the program chair for SEWW and brought a number of well-known poets and writers to Cheyenne for presentations and workshops. She was on a “memoir writing” panel at the Wyoming Book Festival in October 2001 in Cheyenne.

Mary was producer for a World War II oral history video sponsored by the Cheyenne Family YMCA’s Writer’s Voice Project. This video is now part of the U.S. Library of Congress’s World War II oral history collection. 

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Two new innovative sculptural works coming to UW campus


Chris Drury, Carbon Sink: What Goes Around, Comes Around, 2011
Courtesy of the artist

A year ago, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund awarded a second grant of $25,000 to the University of Wyoming Art Museum, in support of the ongoing exhibition “Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational”. Art has been on display throughout the U.W. Campus and City of Laramie, and this grant supports the expansion and reinvigoration with new works.

In July, land artist Cris Drury will create a new work near Old Main called “Carbon Sink: What Goes Around, Comes Around” (artist's rendering shown above, courtesy UW Art Museum blog). Made from Wyoming coal and beetle kill pine, the 36 foot diameter work appears as a vortex, rotating inward. Drury, a British artist who has been at the forefront of the land art movement since the 1970s, will be on location for three weeks to start the work.

In August, Idaho artist Gerri Sayler will install a site specific work in the new computer lab at Coe Library. Created from hot glue, the suspended work will fill the two-story space with a cloud like form that will change with the light. The work is titled “Nebulous”, and furthers Sayler’s work inspired by water in its various forms. It also introduces the idea of art for interior public spaces on campus.

Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund awards $690,870 in grants

Interpretive program at the Vore Buffalo Jump in Crook County. The Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation received a $24,282 grant from the WCTF for interpretive and educational materials. 
As many as 36 Wyoming cultural and heritage projects and sponsoring organizations will benefit from $690,870 in grant awards from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund (WCTF).

The grant awards, approved by the five-member Cultural Trust Fund board at a recent meeting in Sundance, came from 50 total applications from 19 communities in 18 counties. The requests totaled more than $1.435 million, with requests capped at a maximum of $50,000. Applicants in this year’s grant pool anticipate generating over $10 in matching local support for every $1 received from the Cultural Trust Fund.

These requests were for a variety of projects including the preservation and rehabilitiaton of historic buildings and sites, museum equipment and exhibition development, arts education programs, endowment campaigns, and organizational infrastructure needs including staff and planning processes.

In 1988, the Wyoming Legislature, recognizing that Wyoming and its people possess a unique cultural heritage, created the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Act. The mission of the WCTF board is to serve the citizens of Wyoming by supporting the state’s cultural heritage through grant funding of innovative projects for the enjoyment, appreciation, promotion, preservation and protection of the arts and cultural historic resources.

For more information about the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, please contact Renee Bovee, administrator, at 307-777-6312.

Albany County
Laramie Plains Civic Center, $25,000, Theater Fly System Restoration
U.W. American Indian Studies Program, $10,000, Comprehensive Plan for U.W. American Indian Center
U.W. Art Museum, $40,000, Master Teacher Endowment Challenge
Campbell County
American Legion Post 42 of Gillette, $5,000, Bricks for Vets: United We Stand Monument
Converse County
Independent Order of Odd Fellows c/o City of Douglas, $3,158, Camp Douglas Officers Club Restoration
Crook County
Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation, $24,282, Interpretive and Educational Materials
Fremont County
Lander Art Center, $10,500, Native American Emerging Artists Training and Exhibition
Johnson County
Hoofprints of the Past Museum, $20,000, Museum Building Addition
Laramie County
Cheyenne Depot Museum, $3,250, Collection Display
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, $20,000, Museum Acquisition of the C.B. Irwin Collection
Cheyenne Little Theater Players, Inc., $42,500, Mary Godfrey Playhouse Equipment Upgrades
City of Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board, $8,907, Lakeview Cemetery Historic Holding Vault Restoration
LightsOn!, $25,000, International Mentor Artist-in-Residence/Exhibit Planning and Development
Natrona County
Casper Children’s Theater, $7,900, Destination Drama Program Expansion
Elks Lodge 1353, $42,000, Elks Lodge Library Windows Restoration
Fort Caspar Museum Association, $6,867, Collection Storage Upgrades
Nicolaysen Art Museum, $25,000, Educational Program Revitalization
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, $22,500, Capacity Building through Staff Development
Wyoming Veterans’ Memorial Museum, $25,000, Collection Curation
Platte County
Chugwater Historical Unity Group, $6,298, Digital Storage of Museum Photos and Documents
Sheridan County
WYO Theater, Inc., $8.000, Technical Support
Sublette County
Pinedale Fine Arts Council, $3,500, Mapping Opportunities/Visual Arts Symposium
Sublette County Historical Society, $40,000, New Fort River Crossing Historical Park
Teton County
Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10,000, Artspace Gallery
Center for the Arts, $25,000, Endowment Campaign Infrastructure and Preparation
Cultural Council of Jackson Hole, $10,600, Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative
Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, $10,000, “The Coach: An American Crossroads” Documentary
pARTners, $10,000, Create and Learn through the Arts Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Uinta County
Roundhouse Restoration, Inc., $24,916, Superintendent’s Office Restoration
Washakie County
Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, $20,000, Exhibition Equipment
Statewide
State Historic Preservation Office, $50,000, Interpreting Culture and History on the Wind River Reservation Planning
Wyoming Arts Alliance, $14,200, Capacity Building
Wyoming Center for the Book, Inc., $5,000, Wyoming Book Festival Roadshow
Wyoming Music Educators Association, $12,000, Executive Director Compensation
Wyoming State Historical Society, $25,270, WyoHistory.org
Wyoming Women’s Business Center, $49,762, Works of Wyoming Arts and Business Online Education, Outreach and Seminars

On the road with the Monk and Moby Grape

When the idea came up for me to come to California and tag along as a possible back-up singer in M.L. Liebler and Peter Lewis's poetry and music act, I thought it was just a passing fancy of the time when you all meet for the first time and everybody's high on the positivity of whatever event that brings you all together. (M.L. and Peter came for Wyoming Poetry Out Loud at the end of February of this year.) So I really never thought that it would happen. Then Peter called me and asked me if I was still coming. "Absolutely," I decided at that moment.

You might want to get your broom and dustpan out now so you can sweep up all the names I'll be dropping here. It's the world that these guys travel in. All very nice folks, working hard at their craft. And a note on the visuals--they aren't great.

This past long weekend was my trip to Hollywood. ML picked me up at the airport after having spent all Thursday afternoon practicing with Peter and the band out in Venice. They had three gigs scheduled, one each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and the performance in Venice at Beyond Baroque in the theatre would be the first.

Capitol Records Building
On Friday morning, M.L. and I went to Redondo Beach for a 2-mile fast walk. He warned me. I kept up, but he definitely won. He then took me on a mini Hollywood tour; first past the  Capitol Records building. Then past movie and television stars homes -- Ozzie and Harriet's, Lucille Ball's, Jack Benny's and Agnes Moorehead's. I took a photo of the Nelson's house, the front door of which was used in the opening shot of the TV show when the family would come out and stand during the opening credits.

Nelson's home

We drove past Book Soup, the famous independent book seller. M.L. was there for Chris Lemmon's (Jack Lemmon's son) book signing, where he sat next to Jack Klugman. There's where The Morrissey's have an apartment. There's the hotel (now an apartment house) where Janis Joplin died. Down this street is where Sal Mineo was stabbed to death. There's Whiskey a Go Go. The Roxy. Past Doheny Drive. Laurel Canyon. Stone Canyon Road, where Ricky Nelson lived and the band's name came from. Peter and Ricky were good friends. There's a song titled "Between Clark and Hillsdale." M.L. has this classic album. We drove by Pink's, the famous hot dog stand where many of the stars eat. There was a big line. M.L. had a dog there the day before. "Sometimes the line is all the was down the block," he said.

That afternoon, the boys wanted to have another short practice session and so I met Tony, at whose house they were practicing. Tony and Peter became friends when Tony was doing a documentary on Moby Grape, which is yet to be released. I also met Bill Bentley, drummer (VP of Vanguard Records; there isn't anybody in the music business who doesn't know Bill, and vice versa), who put on some nice brush work. M.L. and I took off to get ready for the gig.

Beyond Baroque is THE literary and arts center in L.A., and one of the leading poetry centers in the U.S. There are a few other centers around the country that also reach this realm -- Poetry Center in San Francisco; St. Mark's Poetry Project in New York City; Poetry Flash in Berkeley. The black box style theatre seats 70 and is, as you'd expect, intimate. M.L. and Peter were brought in under Baroque's new Beyond Music (scroll down to read more) series.
Poster in Beyond Baroques's
window

That evening I met Joyce Jenkins, editor and publisher of Poetry Flash. She came to California from Detroit in the 1970s to do the hippie and literary thing and ended up staying. I also met her daughter Claire, who is a visual artist. Claire and I had a terrific conversation about the weird kind of isolationism of L.A. and the famous Hollywood sign that LAers inevitably try to inventively climb up to (artistically and financially), but who are all living under it's seemingly significant cultural shadow.

The Friday gig went well. Joyce began the program with readings of poems that she'd written about Detroit, "in a California state of mind." A poem to her friend who passed away, "Robin's Song," was poignant and heartbreaking. The full band sounded great. Joining the band was Willie Aaron, guitarist and producer for Leonard Cohen, and Willie's longtime friend from childhood, Dave Sawyer on bass. M.L.'s and Peter's current repertoire usually includes works such as, "The Road," a tribute to Jack Kerouac; "Louisiana," "Jesus Gonna Be Here," "London," (poem by William Blake); "It's Late," a Ricky Nelson tribute; " and "Monkey Man," by The Rolling Stones.

M.L. picked me up on Saturday morning. We made a trip to Amoeba, that bills itself as the "World's Largest Independent Record Store," and carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and all kinds of rock memorabilia. What a store! We could have spent hours there. M.L. has on other occasions, but that morning, he was scheduled for an interview with Rattle Magazine. I met Editor-In-Chief Alan C. Fox, who greeted us at the front door and escorted us to his offices; editor Tim Green, and Daveen, Alan's wife and board member. The interview, which Alan thought turned out as one of their best, will be in the December issue.

We reached Peter's and we all dressed up for the gig in San Luis Obispo. Peter put on his tuxedo shirt painted with bunches of purple grapes down the placket and on the back tail. It was given to him by a movie star, whose name escapes me at the moment, but you'd know her if I dropped it here.

The drive wasn't far. San Luis is a quaint little town with a European-feel downtown area; it is one of California's oldest communities. There are many historical buildings there. The coffee shop where we'd be playing wasn't busy at all, maybe three people in the back room wheree the stage area was; the person who was supposed to greet us wasn't there. After a couple of songs, for which we received absolutely no notice, it was decided that we'd go to Pismo Beach and have some dinner. We sat out on the heated patio and had wine, big bowls of clam chowder, crab cakes and calamari. It was relaxing, something that it seemed like we hadn't had time for since I'd arrived. When we returned to Peter's he put in the so far unreleased CD recording of Moby Grape members Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson and Peter, Skip Spence's son, Omar, and John Mellencamp's rhythm section, of Grape classics and newer songs. Omar is a terrific rock vocalist. The music moves from rock to Peter's more gentle folk rock songs, and  songs in between.

Peter also let me listen to a couple of new songs that he's composed for a new solo CD. They were surprising in that he moved away from his beautifully gentle melodies and rocked out on these, but they sounded terrific -- relevant and contemporary, but with that history of having authored "brilliant masterpiece songs," brought forward to this point in time. Peter is really such a talented musician and song writer, in that league of people who have been creating in their discipline and have not only the technical discipline and background but the quick discernment about their work and others' work they encounter -- what it might need to make it better or more complete. And as many accomplished artists can, he works very quickly. He does all of his recording work on a Roland Boss digital device, and puts on all the tracks himself -- lead guitar, rhythm, lead vocals, harmony, bass and drums. His studio is minimalist, effecient and effective: a desk on which sits the recording machine, a pair of headphones, a pair of small speakers, a single mic on a stand, and a stool. Peter has been an inspiration to me, as he is to many.

On Sunday, we had to get up to Berkeley for the performance which would be a fund raiser for Poetry Flash at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Theatre (scroll down on home page under June events, and read about this event at Sunday 06/26/11). M.L. and Peter were up second. I joined them for a couple of songs, playing my ukelele, strumming on one song, playing "uke drum" on the next, because I didn't know all the chords to that one yet. Poets read -- Susan Browne, Raymond Nat Turner, and David Meltzer, an icon of the Beat generation poets and the San Francisco Renaissance. He and his wife Julie Rogers read together and then David closed the show by reading "When I Was a Poet" (City Lights, 2011), also the title of his most recent publication of  collected works. We stood when he was done with that one. Whew! We had a great time.

M.L. and I had to leave early on Monday, and so didn't get to say goodbye to Peter, he was still sleeping. We were very late getting home, and had to leave by 9 a.m. to get back in time return the rental car and miss any delays at the airport security checkpoints. But, we did get back to LA in time to go to Pink's and have a dog. We pulled at a most opportune moment. There were only a few people in line; we were served quickly.

ML in front of Pink's
M.L. was on a different airline than I, and his plane was leaving before mine, so we said our goodbye's on the rental car shuttle. He really took terrifically great care of me.

M.L. is off to Israel in a couple of weeks to teach a class sponsored by the State Department. He's been doing an American Studies program since about 2006. As all things do, the classes have evolved from teaching creative writing to teaching classes in American Studies -- The Beach Boys, African-American experience, Native Americans.

Watch for a further article focused more on M.L.'s and Peter's collaborative relationship. They will soon be releasing a CD of ten songs based on M.L.'s poetry that Peter has put to music. If my instincts are on, it will be worth adding this to your music library.
--Linda Coatney

May the food be with you -- at July 7 "Star Wars" food-raiser

Darth Vader wants your food -- for Cheyenne NEEDS
Highlands United Presbyterian Church announces its "Star Wars" Festival “food-raiser” for NEEDS. The STAR WARS FESTIVAL, is scheduled for 6:30-9:30 p..m., Thursday, July 7, at the Highlands United Presbyterian Church, 2390 Pattison Ave., Cheyenne . The public is invited to attend. Admission is FREE with the donation of any non-perishable food item or baby item such as diapers. All items collected will be donated to NEEDS, Inc. for their food bank.

A variety of events are planned as part of this family evening: 

6:30 pm - Intergalatic Meet-and-Greet
Want to meet Darth Vader, Imperial Stormtroopers or R2D2? Come early to the talk and meet some of your favorite characters from the Star War films. Bring your camera and take as many pictures as you like! Re-enactors include members of the Mountain Garrison of the 501st Legion -- www.501st.com. Members reside in both Colorado and Wyoming.

Dr. Toby Rush presents "The Music of Star Wars"
7:30 pm - Presentation: The music of Star Wars 
This 90-minute multimedia presentation from UNC music professor TOBY RUSH, includes excerpts from all six films. Dr. Rush will present the music of Star Wars and explore how John Williams used the soundtrack to help tell George Lucas' epic tale.

9 pm - Costume Contest
Wear your Star Wars costume! Guests are encouraged to dress as characters from any of the Star Wars films. A short fashion show, allowing guests to strut their stuff, will be held following Dr. Rush’s talk. Prizes will be awarded for the top outfits!

All this FREE with your donation for NEEDS! So bring the family, this is one event you don’t want to miss! And it’s for a good cause – with all foodstuffs to be donated to NEEDS Cheyenne. 

Highlands Presbyterian Church is located in north Cheyenne at 2390 Pattison Avenue. From Dell Range at Mountain, drive north on Mountain Road to the intersection of Pattison and Mountain.

For more information, contact Rodger McDaniel, pastor of Highlands Presbyterian, at 307-634-2962 (church office) or rodger.mcdaniel@bresnan.net.

Jentel Presents July 5 at SAGE Space in Sheridan

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, July 5, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on 5th and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn.   This month’s presenters include a sculptor, an installation artist, a painter/performance artist, a fiction writer, a creative non-fiction writer and a printmaker. “Jentel Presents” is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Presenters include: Elissa Cox, West Union, IA; A sculptor, Elissa has seen the world and lived in many cities but has decided to live in a small community in Iowa. Where she can create and imagine her sculptures. Rebecca Cummins, Seattle, An optical sculptor/photographer, Rebecca is the oldest of 7, she is from Lehigh, Iowa (pop. 497). She now lives in beautiful, drooly Seattle after 16 years in Australia. She can yodel a little. John Gonzalez, Boston; A painter/performance artist, John believes creativity is the last subjective refuge within a systematic and standardized world. As an artist, it is his job to reframe and repurpose these systems. John Lee, Menlo Park, CA; A fiction writer, John likes outdoor sports, second running cinemas, afternoon ball games, coffee shops with character, Japanese noodles, short stories, long drives, spicy food, chamber music, the novels of William Maxwell and Kazuo Ishiguro, any wearable cotton, English breakfast tea, fresh baked cookies, pale lagers, fall afternoons and girls in hats. Gail Schilling,  Concord, NH; A creative non-fiction writer, Gail, a single mother,  supported her four kids by skinning antelope, singing at funerals, teaching – and writing. As an empty nester, she wandered France alone – still writing. Sarah Smelser, Bloomington, IL; A printmaker, Sarah enjoys picking the yarn more than wearing the sweater, chopping the ingredients more than eating the meal, taking the walk more than reaching the destination.

For anyone looking for a stimulating evening, come join the crowd at the SAGE Space, at the Historic Train Depot, 5th and Broadway.  There is no admission charge for “Jentel Presents” and refreshments are available.

The Jentel Foundation offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. While at Jentel, visual artists and writers have the opportunity to experience unfettered time to allow for thoughtful reflection and meditation on the creative process in a setting that preserves the agricultural and historical integrity of the land.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program accepts applications twice a year from visual artists in all media and writers in all genres for a one-month residency. A residency includes a comfortable accommodation; common living, dining and recreation areas; a private workspace and a stipend to help defray expenses during the program.  For more information please visit www.jentelarts.org or call Jentel at (307)737-2311.

In Minot, the show will go on once flood waters recede

Photo by Eloise Ogden, Minot Daily News
Have to hand it to Cheyenne's unofficial sister city, Minot, N.D. (Minot has missiles too).
The rain and decidedly un-summerlike weather has put a serious crimp in the Arts in the Parks summer concert series, but organizers hope to resume the Oak Park performances as soon as is practical. 

The show must go on, and it will, as soon as the Souris River recedes and patrons don't need boats to attend concerts.

There are many ways to support Minot's hardy people and its lively arts scene. There is the very active Minot Area Council of the Arts. Many of the city's arts venues will need restoration. That takes money, which always is in short supply in the non-profit arts world. Also see the complete list of community and government resources at http://www.minotdailynews.com/. Donations to the American Red Cross can be designated for a particular need. Go here

Monday, June 27, 2011

Voices of Freedom/Faces of Freedom features community portraits at July 4's Music in the Hole

Roseneide G, Providencia, Brazil
Tedx Jackson Hole has joined the global art project initiated by TEDPrize winner, the French street artist and photographer JR, and you are invited to be part of the fun! In partnership with the Grand Teton Music Festival and the Wyoming Humanities Council we have launched Voices of Freedom/Faces of Freedom.
There are three elements:
1. During GTMF’s Music in the Hole Celebration on the Fourth of July, personal statements about the meaning of Freedom will be incorporated into one of the pieces of music
2. A large photo installation featuring poster-size portraits of the will be exhibited (location TBD) outside as a public art installation during July
3. Photos and personal statements will be uploaded as part of TED Prize-winner JR’s Global “Inside Out” art project. Check out www.insideoutproject.net to browse what has already been uploaded and see for yourself what we have in mind!
You can participate in any and all of this. We would like at least 100 and would welcome 1,000! Here is what you would need to do:
Answer the question “What does Freedom mean to you?” Define it any way you wish—it is a big notion—and send it to us. We will arrange to take your portrait and will take care of the rest. We will have a photo booth at Music in the Hole in partnership with the Wyoming Humanities Council’s “Rumination Wheel,” as well.
Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested. If you are involved with a group or organization that would like to participate en masse, that is welcomed, too!

Big West Arts Festival celebrates sixth year

http://www.bigwestartsfestival.com
The Big West Arts Festival celebrates its sixth year as a large cultural event on the front lawn of the Sheridan College campus in Sheridan, Wyoming.  Its site is nestled in the valley with the dramatic Big Horn Mountains to the west and the spacious, wide-open plains to the east.  Sheridan lies midway between the Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park.

Sheridan College is sponsoring and hosting the festival on its beautiful campus.  Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD) is one of the seven community colleges in Wyoming that includes Sheridan College and Gillette CollegeSheridan College is known for its strong academics, arts, and variety of technical programs.  For more information about Sheridan College, visit www.sheridan.edu.

For demographics, cultural activities and services, call the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce at (800) 453-3650, or visit www.sheridanwyomingchamber.com.

NEAT exhibit opens July 1 at Lander Art Center

"Black Coal" by Colleen Friday
The Native Emerging Artist Training (NEAT) exhibition is scheduled to open July 1, 2011 and run through August 6 at the Lander Art Center in downtown Lander.

The NEAT program began in 2009 to help train Native artists from the Wind River Reservation how to enter juried exhibitions and how to market their artwork.

This year, the show consists of young artists from Wyoming Indian Middle School as well as skillful adult artists.

Call for entries: Aurora, CO, Art in Public Places program

The city of Aurora Art in Public Places Program is searching for existing sculptures to be considered for a one-year exhibition called “ART 2C on Havana.”

The exhibition is a sculpture-on-the-street project modeled after others around the country that unites the business community and the arts to attract visitors, energize streetscapes and create great public gathering spaces.

A generous donation from the Havana Business Improvement District will fund the $750 artist stipends to transport and install artwork along Havana Street, and will fund cash awards amounting to $1,000 for People’s Choice, $750 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.

In addition, the Aurora Art in Public Places Program will purchase a sculpture from the exhibit, which will be added to the city’s public art collection and remain permanently displayed in the district.

Interested artists should visit CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org to apply; the deadline is midnight July 6.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Gov. Matt Mead presents purchase awards to six artists at Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition

Six Wyoming artists received purchase awards totaling nearly $8,500 during the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition reception recently held at the Wyoming State Museum.
Following remarks by First Lady Carol Mead (at far left in photo), Governor Matthew H. Mead (at far right in photo) presented  purchase awards to Jerry Antolik of Hudson for his painting, “Mallard;” Sonja R. Caywood of Dayton for her painting, “Evening Cattle on West Pass;” Travis Ivey of Laramie for his painting, “Two Track Morning;” James Kevin Robinett of Cheyenne for his painting, “Brisbee Hill #2;” Georgia Rowswell of Cheyenne for her mixed media work, “She Discovered the West in a Dress;” and Randy Nottingham of Casper for his painting, “Rounding the Hill.”
Secretary of State Max Maxfield awarded the Bobby Hathaway Juror’s Choice Award to Story photographer, Claire L. Leon for her image, “Stained Glass Brook.” The Juror’s Choice Award was selected by exhibition juror, Anne Morand, curator of art, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
This year’s People’s Choice Award was presented to Lindsay Olson of Laramie for her lush photograph “Zamaora – Zamora, Ecuador.”
The pieces receiving purchase awards will be included in the Capitol Art Collection, and are now eligible for display in the offices of the state’s five elected officials. The governor, first lady, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, state superintendent of public instruction, Wyoming Business Council and representatives from the Division of Tourism selected the purchase award recipients.

Sheridan library one of 65 chosen nationally to host Civil War program

The Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library is one of 65 libraries selected to host a new program entitled "Let's Talk About it: Making Sense of the American Civil War." Here are the details:


The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that 65 public, academic and community college libraries will receive Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War reading and discussion program grants. A complete list of the selected libraries is available at www.ala.org/civilwarprograms.


Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War follows the popular Let’s Talk About It model, which engages participants in discussion of a set of common texts selected by a nationally known scholar for their relevance to a larger, overarching theme. As a part of the grant, the 65 selected libraries will receive:
  • A $3,000 grant from NEH to support program-related expenses.
  • Fifty sets of three titles:  including “March” by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2006), “Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam” by James McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002) and a forthcoming Civil War anthology of historical fiction, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biography and short stories, edited by national project scholar Edward L. Ayers and co-published by NEH and ALA.
  • Promotional materials, including posters, bookmarks and folders, to support local audience recruitment.
  • Training for the library project director at a national workshop, where they will hear from the project scholar, expert librarians and organizers and receive a program planning guide, materials and ideas. As part of the grant,NEH will pay for two nights of lodging in Chicago for the library project director.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from NEH to the ALA Public Programs Office. Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War is supported by NEH’s We the People initiative, which aims to stimulate and enhance the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture.
The ALA Public Programs Office promotes cultural and community programming as an essential part of library service in all types and sizes of libraries. Successful library programming initiatives have included Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion series, traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, the Great Stories CLUBLIVE! @ your library and more. Recently, the ALA Public Programs Office developed www.ProgrammingLibrarian.org, an online resource center bringing librarians timely and valuable information to support them in the creation of high-quality cultural programs for their communities. For more information about the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities.  NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, exhibitions and programs in libraries, museums and other community places.  Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.