"A Sharper View of the West" at the Bradford Brinton though Sept. 5

Allan Mardon painting "Custer Battle II"

Aztec Pattern Carving Set by Ted Larsen

The Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum in Big Horn presents "A Sharper View of the West," featuring paintings by Allan Mardon and knives by Ted Larsen through September 5 in the Main Gallery. FMI: http://www.bbmandm.org/current-exhibitions-events/

"Rust to Dust" staged reading Sept. 9 & 10 at LCCC in Cheyenne

Lois B. Hansen sends this notice:

You are invited to a staged reading of “Rust to Dust” by John Remington, winner of the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players New Play project, on Friday and Saturday, September 9 and 10, 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5. At the Laramie County Community College Playhouse. The play is set in the time of gunfighters and camp fires, it sees a notorious gunfighter finally meeting his match ... Jane Mortier, played by ... me!!! FMI: http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org/new_play_project_2011-12.asp

Learn how to write your own press releases Sept. 14 at Factory Studios in Jackson

From Travis Walker, Teton Artlab:

Ever wonder how to get your art in the news? Meg Daly is teaching a DIY press release writing workshop on Wednesday, September 14 at the Factory Studios. This workshop is designed for artists, athletes, and other independent contractors who want to learn how to get their news and events in the local papers.

Let me know if you are interested and I will send you more information close to the date. Also please pass this along to anyone you think might want to attend. 

Workshop fee will be a mere $5.

FMI: 307.699.0836 or info@tetonartlab.com

Courtney Balaker raising funds for film set in Jackson Hole

News from jhunderground about a Teton County movie project:

Courtney Balaker, a writer and director from Los Angeles, is seeking to shoot her first full-length film in Jackson Hole this fall. She not only is seeking funding for the project but also a title and other creative input, such as extras. 

At the now-defunct Jackson Hole Film Festival, Balaker won the 2008 Audience Choice Award for best short film for her debut, Cute Couple. She has teamed with the festival’s ex-artistic director, Melanie Miller, who is serving as producer of the untitled Jackson Hole film. 

The two have turned to Kickstarter to raise money. They set out to raise $50,000 in 50 days, and so far have netted $12,140. The deadline is 1:53 p.m. Thursday. 

Synopsis of the plot: UNTITLED JACKSON HOLE PROJECT is a feature film that brings a group of lifelong friends together in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming over a long holiday weekend. What starts out as a festive and fun-loving reunion between friends filled with reminiscing quickly degrades into a test of relationships once Meredith reveals she is ready to have a baby – and she wants one of the guys in the group to step up to the plate and donate! More details can be found on the Kickstarter site.

"Compositions: Poetry in Oil" reception will be held Sept. 7 at UW's UP Gallery

Hilary Havlik sends this: The “Compositions” exhibit will be opening on Monday, Sept. 5, and then the public reception will be on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 6-8 p.m. The show will be at the UP Gallery in the UW Fine Arts Building, and the reception will also be held there. The last day of the show is Sept. 16. Since the art department is hosting a picnic near the art building at the same time on Sept. 7, my reception will have light, summery, dessert-type foods, while the department will be cooking BBQ/picnic stuff. 

"Heroes and Villains" installation part of Sept. 9 Palettes and Palates art walk

Teton Artlab joins forces with MADE Jackson Hole for this year’s Palettes and Palates gallery walk on Friday, Sept. 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Local printmaker and Teton Artlab founders Travis Walker and Tristan Greszko will lead a team of artists in creating this special installation in downtown Jackson’s Gaslight Alley entitled, "Heroes and Villains".  FMI: http://www.facebook.com/travwalk

Clay Paper Scissors marks 9/11 anniversary with New York City photos by Karen Cotton

New York City murals. Photo by Karen Cotton, 2005.

In honor of the 10^th anniversary of 9/11, Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio is delighted to present “New York City: Rising from the Ashes.” This exhibit features photographs by Cheyenne artist Karen Cotton taken four years after the attack on New York City’s Twin Towers. The mix of images combines the vibrant resiliency of New York with haunting images of ground zero, and memorials.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, 5-8 p.m., as part of the monthly Art Design and Dine art walk in Cheyenne. A second reception will be held October 13, 5-8 PM. The exhibit continues through Oct. 23.

Clay Paper Scissors is located at 1506 Thomes Ave., Suite B, Cheyenne. The gallery is located in an historic warehouse off of 15^th Street across from the rail yards. Open 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays or by appointment.

FMI: 307-631-6039 and on Facebook

WPR: Jackson tries to make itself a destination point for art

Suzanne Morlock's sweater project on site at Jackson's ArtSpot last winter

Wyoming Public Radio's "Open Spaces" program (8/26/11) interviews Teton County arts scene movers and shakers Candra Day, Jim McNutt and Carrie Geraci on this timely subject: Jackson tries to make itself a destination point for art

Plein air painting demo Sept. 10 at String Lake in Grand Teton National Park

String Lake (courtesy GTNP)

From Tammy Christel at Jackson Hole Art Tours:
Jackson Hole artist Erin C. O’Connor will give a free plein air painting demonstration at String Lake, Grand Teton National Park, on Saturday, September 10, 2011, 2:00-5:00 pm. O'Connor's appearance winds up the Grand Teton Association’s 2011 "Artists in the Environment" plein air series, and coincides with the opening days of 2011’s Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.

O'Connor finds her greatest inspiration by painting directly within the environment. Noted for her participation in many prestigious plein air events, she is represented in collections and exhibits throughout the country. Since being awarded the 2009 Joshua Tree National Park “Artist-in-Residency” post, she has taken part in numerous Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP) events, most recently being awarded "Artists' Choice, Best Body of Work" by her peers at RMPAP's Pagosa Springs, Colorado competition. Plein Air Magazine’s Spring 2011 issue named the artist one of "Today's Masters."

"To gain the endorsements of your fellow artists--there's no higher accolade," O'Connor says.

O'Connor came to Jackson 25 years ago, and stays because it's a place where she and so many others are free to "follow their bliss." As an artist, you can never paint as much as you'd like, she says. O'Connor sees the world around her afresh daily. It's a point of ecstasy or a point of madness--but for her, wanting to paint everything you see--and seeing everything as a painting--is a gift.

O'Connor drew and painted from the time she was little.

"When I first started painting en plein air I'd say I strove more to capture details and "true" colors than I do now," she notes. "Now, I don't get as wrapped up in those details. It's the essence behind the details I want to capture. That was never a conscious decision--you're not going to change the way you paint, it's as unique as your signature. My style is not really contemporary, not really traditional. The “Taos Ten” greatly influenced me, and the California Impressionists--the people in the U.S. who were painting outside. It was their clarity of light and brilliant color."

Describing herself as essentially a "solitary individual," O'Connor has lately been painting hay bales--"round bales, square bales, hay loaves, hay laying on the ground, in stripes and in piles!" Painting alone allows her to stay in her "zone," frees her to get into her signature style. Summers, O'Connor works as a landscaper. The job gets her outside, and she can think about how to access certain scenes.

"I'm not above stopping on the Wilson Bridge and placing orange cones around me so I can paint!  But there's usually an easier way," says a smiling O'Connor.
A few years ago, while painting at String Lake, a Western Tanager flew down to perch on the artist's easel.

"I don't know if it was attracted to the colors of the paint or if it was a mooch! It was a great experience," recalls O'Connor. "There's so much going on at String Lake. There are the mountains, so dramatic. There's the lake itself, quiet and serene. It's shallow enough to see logs beneath the water's surface, everything is so interesting, there's so much to choose from. And it's an honor to be asked back to "Artists in the Environment."

About the Series: “Artists in the Environment” is funded by the Grand Teton Association, an organization whose purpose is to promote appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Area. Free to all, with Park entry fee or pass. Viewers are invited to bring a chair, a snack, and those who would like to are welcome to paint alongside the artist.  Look for the big, bright "Artist's Demonstration" banner!

For artist contact information, email Tammy Christel at tammy@jacksonholearttours.com; www.grandtetonpark.org

Ten episodes ordered for new "Longmire" TV series based on Craig Johnson's novels

Wyoming man of mystery Craig Johnson shares this bit of good news (from the Shelf Awareness blog): A&E has given Longmire, based on Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire Mystery series of novels, a 10-episode order, Deadline.com has reported. The pilot, which was directed by Chris Chulack, stars Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase and Cassidy Freeman.

UW history professor Phil Roberts named "Outstanding Educator of the Year"

University of Wyoming history professor Phil Roberts has been recognized for his efforts to teach about emigrant trails in the state.

The Oregon-California Trails Association presented its "Outstanding Educator of the Year" award to Roberts recently.

The association noted that Roberts' efforts to make the history of the emigrant trails come alive for students.

Roberts has taken classes to trail sites and averages about 50 public presentations annually to civic, educational and historical groups around the state.

Roberts has been a UW faculty member since 1990.

Upbeat Project and Lion Soul Jahs perform Sept. 2 in Laramie

Hip hop in Jackson tonight

From jhunderground:

After a summer of jam bands, bluegrass, funk, rock and even a hippie circus, it’s time for a night of hip-hop. 

Courtesy of Teton Artlab, we’re giving away two pairs of tickets to Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson on Friday at Q Roadhouse. In the comments below, say you’re in or any variation thereof, and at 3 p.m. Friday two winners will be chosen by random drawing. Each winner will receive two tickets ($44 value). Valid email address or full name must be provided. 

Aesop Rock rhymed to prominence in the late 1990s and scored a big hit with the song “Daylight” from the 2001 album Labor Days. The Long Island native is known for cryptic lyrics; in the video above, the title track to his 2007 album None Shall Pass, he references the Snake River Canyon (probably in Idaho). 

Kimya Dawson is a freak folkie best known as half of the duo The Moldy Peaches. The show will feature an acoustic set by her, an acoustic set by her and Aesop Rock, and a full rap set by Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. The three play in the band Hail Mary Mallon and also have been collaborating with Dawson. Expect to see all four together at some point. Tickets are available at Q and online via Teton Artlab.

"Chasing Water" screening tonight at WY Film Festival in Saratoga

Chasing Water - Trailer from Peter McBride on Vimeo.

FMI: http://www.wyomingfilmfestival.org/aboutWyomingFilmFestival.html

Free screening of Wyoming's post-apocalyptic "Undead Lovers" Saturday in Laramie

K. Harrison Sweeney

Must be something in the water or the air or the schools up in Washakie County.

Wyomingarts just finished writing about a Kickstarter project by Dave Henderson, an artist who grew up in Worland and now lives in Maine, when another arts project with a Worland connection came across our virtual desk. This one's a film that’s the brainchild of K. Harrison Sweeney, a 1996 Worland H.S. and a 2001 UW Theatre & Dance graduate. He now lives in Santa Monica, CA, and acts and makes films:

"From the Trailer to the Grave" is a post-apocalyptic film set just eight months after the Undead Uprising caused by natural disasters... Think "Napolean Dynamite" meets "Shaun of the Dead" meets "Whip It."

Wyoming exists as a relative utopia with a giant wall… bordering the entirety of the state to protect its ranches, farmlands, natural gas, wind turbines, solar panels, and geothermal energy.

"From the Trailer to the Grave" is slated to shoot next fall of 2012 when Wyoming's landscapes are at their most colorful. With your financial contributions we'll be able to reunite K. Harrison Sweeney's favorite colleagues and show the world what happens when they don't tend to their resources like the Cowboy State does.

One intriguing aspect of the project is the soundtrack featuring Wyoming musicians Jalan Crossland (Ten Sleep), The Upbeat Project (Laramie), Micah X. Wyatt (Sheridan) and others.

K. Harrison informs wyomingarts that there will be a screening this weekend.

We are holding free screenings of our short film "Undead Lovers" (using Jalan Crossland's honky tonk song of the same name) around the state. The first screening is 2 p.m. this Saturday, August 27, at the UW Fine Arts Main Stage in Laramie. Live music and hors d'oeuvres will be available at the reception.

Do you have recommendations on how to better raise funds for the feature film we're shooting next fall on which this short film is based? Because of the marquee actors involved, we've already been asked to screen "Undead Lovers" at two festivals/comic cons without even having submitted for them yet.

Look up K. Harrison on Facebook and send him your idea about funding, screenings, etc. Head out to Laramie Saturday for the screening. And contribute, if you choose, to the feature film that’s in the works at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bighornsamuraisinema/reunite-the-red-dead-redemption-stars-for-our-zomr

WY Humanities Council's "Civility Matters" series features Naomi Shihab Nye

Award-winning Palestinian-American poet, writer, and educator Naomi Shihab Nye will tour Wyoming with "Civility Matters! Potlucks and Poetry," a series of community picnics and readings across the state that will feature the topics of civility, tolerance, and bridging cultures. Families and adults are invited to bring picnic dinners and gather outdoors in Jackson, Riverton, and Casper for an enjoyable fall evening with Nye, who describes herself as a "wandering poet." Nye, the daughter of a Palestinian father and American mother, has appeared on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion and several times with Bill Moyers on PBS poetry specials. While in Wyoming, she will also present programs at selected schools. Additional sponsors include the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, the Teton County Library Foundation, Central Wyoming College, Natrona County Schools, the McMurry Foundation, and Casper College Literary Conference.

Events:

Tuesday, September 20, 5:30 p.m.--Outdoor Tent, Center for the Arts, Jackson

Wednesday, September 21, 5:30 p.m.--Outdoor Social Powwow Circle, Intertribal Education and Community Center, Central Wyoming College, Riverton

Thursday, September 22, 5:30 p.m.--Outdoor Plaza, Summit Elementary School, Casper

Photo Credit: Ha Lam

Enter the S.D. Festival of Books Getaway Contest

Our neighbors at the Oct. 7-9 South Dakota Festival of Books is giving away prizes. Details at http://www.facebook.com/sdbookfestival

Clay Paper Scissors Gallery participates in "Patchwork Prance" on Friday and Saturday

From our pals at Clay Paper Scissors in Cheyenne:

Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio is delighted to be a stop on the Patchwork Prance, part of Cheyenne Heritage Quilters 27th annual quilt show! We are featuring a quilt by Penny Morris. Please stop by Friday or Saturday to see it, and the Frontier Days show which is ending this week. We'll be open from 10-4 Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th of August. Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio has an open studio space! If you are looking for a place to make art, in a community of artists, this is for you. Potters, a kiln and slab roller are available for use. If you are interested in looking at the open space, please come by the studio on Saturday from 1-5, or call 307-631-6039 to make an appointment. If you have been to see our spaces before, and found them too small, we will have other spaces open in November which could be larger--come talk to us about it! 

Follow us on Facebook! Become a fan at: http://www.facebook.com/claypaperscissors

WAC 2009 visual arts fellowship winner Dave Henderson using Kickstarter to kick-start a new project

WAC 2009 visual arts fellowship judges and recipients at the Visual Arts Symposium in Laramie. From left: Colorado sculptor Lawrence Argent (judge); New York mixed-media artist Gina Ruggeri (judge); Greg Esser (judge), director of the Roosevelt Row artists' district in Phoenix; Dave Henderson (fellowship winner), Worland; Florence McEwin (fellowship winner), Green River; Bart Fetz (honorable mention), Green River. Not pictured: Fellowship winners Leah Hardy, Laramie, and Jill Hartley, honorable mention, Rock Springs.

David Henderson just notified wyomingarts about a project that he is trying to kick-start on Kickstarter. David (fourth from left in photo) was one of the winners of a 2009 visual arts fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. His work was featured in the 2008-2009 biennial fellowship show at the Wyoming State Museum Gallery in Cheyenne. 

In the 2009 fellowship competition, he submitted a series of oil and enamel paintings on panels that are part of his “American Dream” series. Henderson says he’s “inspired by the nostalgic and iconic imagery of Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers depicting American life. He spent last summer “painting interpretations of the American Dreams of my coworkers, friends, relatives and their children.” This was his first submission to the WAC fellowships. He grew up in Worland and received his B.F.A. in sculpture from the Maine College of Art in 2005.

Portrait of Audrey and Holden Truman ("Young Ambitions"), oil and enamel on panel, 20"x16", Dave Henderson 

David now lives in Portland, Maine. He is continuing (and revising) this project and aims to raise $10,000 for his “American Poor Traits” book. Here’s how he describes it:

"American Poor Traits" will be an art monograph -- a coffee table book -- that will detail fifty Americans struggling with poverty. Through classical portraiture and a true objective journalistic approach, I hope to capture the essence of each of my subjects and tell their unique story, share their own "American Dream" with the rest of the country. 

My plan is to spend one year beginning this January, 2012, traveling the country in my silver little '91 Subaru Loyale and spend one week with one person or family in one community in each state, interviewing and documenting each's experience - their ambitions & obstacles, and then spend the following year of 2013 creating 24"x24" portraits (oil on panel) to compliment each individual's story. 

I plan to work in whatever capacity I can as I travel from state to state, answering part-time or temporary help wanted ads to pay for food, and will sleep in my car as much as I can during the cold months and camp outside during the warm ones.  I need help with the cost of the travel itself, gas and oil changes and windshield washer fluid and tire rotations.  

When I start the painting part of the project, I will need to pay for supplies; paints, wood for panels, and studio space. 

I will also be creating a website for the project and will be documenting the entire process from start to finish -- from the minute I hit the road to the minute I finish the last portrait in the series.

A $25 supporter will receive a T-shirt from Lead Belly Press with a design by Jamakin Dave. For a $50 contribution, you will receive a signed copy of the “American Poor Traits” book.

Donate at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/20360490/american-poor-traits

Chris Dixon presents program on Annie Oakley in Spain Aug. 25 at the BBHC

On Thursday, August 25, Chris Dixon of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, presents an illustrated program focused on Annie Oakley as she appeared in William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s 1889 Wild West trip to Barcelona, Spain. The program begins at 2 p.m. in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s Coe Auditorium and is free with admission. “Annie Oakley” is sponsored by the Center’s Papers of William F. Cody department of which Dixon is Associate Editor for Language Translations and European Tours. Dixon is also a research fellow at the Historical Center for the 2011-2012 season.

A Senior Research Fellow in the School of Humanities at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, Dixon has addressed in his work to date subjects as diverse as Columbus’ first voyage, the poetry of Federico García Lorca, the use of translation in language teaching, and language policy in Scotland, Ireland, and Catalonia. Dixon is a member of the United Kingdom’s Chartered Institute of Linguists and holds two master’s degrees from Glasgow University.

Last year, the University of Nebraska Press released Dixon’s updated edition of Charles Eldridge Griffin’s Four Years in Europe with Buffalo Bill originally published in 1908.

He recently completed a new edition of a Cody biography by John M. Burke who functioned as general manager, press agent, advance scout, and talent scout for Buffalo Bill. Dixon’s latest edited work, Buffalo Bill from Prairie to Palace, will be published by University of Nebraska Press in 2012. He is currently working on a new book about the Wild West show in Barcelona.

Read more about the Papers of William F. Cody at http://www.bbhc.org/research/mccracken-research-library/the-papers-of-william-f-cody/.

Eye-opening "Circle of Light" exhibit at Gallery 234 through Sept. 1

From a UW press release:

The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank's (RMLEB) exhibition "Circle of Light" can be seen through Thursday, Sept. 1, in Gallery 234, Room 004 of the University of Wyoming Union. The event is free and open to the public.

A reception for the exhibition is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 1. An eye bank representative will discuss the RMLEB and the exhibition.

The photos, part of the eye bank's Circle of Light Photo Project, were taken by people from throughout the United States who received cornea or sclera (the white part of the eye) transplants from eye donors in Colorado or Wyoming. RMLEB asked recipients to pick up a camera and capture the things they were most grateful to be able to see through their restored vision.

"It is indescribable," said John Matejov, project participant from Story. "This is the best I've seen since my vision problems began in the 1980s. Life goes by so fast. You begin to appreciate things that you never knew existed."

The photos featured in the exhibit were selected by professional photographers Lucia De Giovanni and Natascha Seideneck from more than 150 submissions. The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank facilitates the donation and transplantation of more than 1,500 corneas each year from donors in Colorado and Wyoming. Since 1982, RMLEB has facilitated more than 30,000 transplants.

Photo: "Jump" is among the photographs in "Circle of Light" on display through Thursday, Sept. 1, in Gallery 234 of the University of Wyoming Union. (RMLEB Photo)

Pravina Gondalia exhibit opens with Sept. 14 lecture and reception at LCCC

Cheyenne artist Pravina Gondalia will exhibit her work Sept. 14-Oct. 19 at the Esther and John Clay Fine arts Gallery at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

Her “artistic investigation of culture, identity and spirituality are presented through her mixed-media art.”

Schedule:

• Wednesday, Sept. 14 Artist Lecture, 7 p.m., LCCC Science Center, Room 121
• Wednesday, Sept. 14 Gallery Show and Reception, 8 p.m., Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery
• Artwork on display Sept. 14-Oct. 19

Aug. 27 ArtMarket gathering features local artists and music

Jackson’s Travis Walker sends this info:

Come check out the second installment of many ArtMarket gatherings on Saturday, Aug. 27, noon-5:30 p.m., in the Boardroom parking lot, 225 W. Broadway, Jackson.

Last week was a great success, and this weekend will be bigger and badder. 

Check out art from local artists like Kelly Halpin, Mike Tierney, Cut la Whut, Rob Kingwill, Ben Carlson, and more....

We will have fresh coffee and beats all day. DJ Whipple is down to throw a set, should be rocking all day! See you there and please spread the word!

This M.E.T.A. event brought to you by the Boardroom and AVALON7.

FMI: AVALON7 JACKSON HOLE: @AV7JH

"Arctic Lace" author at Ewe Count in Cheyenne Aug. 27

Ewe Count, 819 Randall in Cheyenne, will be featuring knitting teacher and writer Donna Druchunas on Saturday, August 27, 1 p.m., for a Q & A discussion and book signing about "Arctic Lace" knitting and musk-ox down in Alaska. FMI: 307-638-1148. 

Jackson's Avalon7 Collective supports "the art and artists of our mountain culture"

Innovative artwork by a group of "riders, painters, lifties, bums" etc., from Jackson Hole. To see samples of their work, go to 

http://www.avalonseven.com/AVALON7ARTISTS.html

"Green Church" by Rawlins author Rebekah Simon-Peter getting national attention

Always interesting to discover Wyoming authors who've been living under our noses the whole time.

Rebekah Simon-Peter, a 12-year resident of Rawlins who describes herself as a "churchwoman," has written three non-fiction books on a subject close to her heart -- the "greening" of our churches. The most recent is "Green Church: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rejoice!" (Abingdon Press, 115 pages, paperback, ISBN: 9781426702921). It received a favorable review this week from Roger Wolsey at the Huffington Post.

Find out more about Rebekah and her books, visit her page at the Wyoming Authors' Wiki.

The book is available in print and Kindle e-book. Order here. 

Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Site dedication Aug. 26

A dedication ceremony for the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark will be held on Friday, Aug. 26. Events will begin at 10 a.m. at the Porcupine Ranger Station located three miles north of Hwy. 14A on Forest Road 13 in the Bighorn National Forest.

The Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark was expanded by an additional 4,000 acres (from 110 acres) to include part of Medicine Mountain. U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the expansion of this Bighorn Mountains site in July. It also got a new name: Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark.

This is a sacred site to Native Americans.

Performers at the ceremony include J.D. Old Mouse, the Crow Drum Group, and a Gourd Dance by Northern Cheyenne tribal members.

Lunch will be provided at noon and there is a site visit to the Medicine Wheel at 2 p.m. A dinner will be held at 6 p.m. in Lovell at the Lovell Community Center.

FMI: Dave McKee, 307-674-2636 or Holly Wardell, 307-674-2655.

Call for artists: Public art project in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

This comes from the Montana Arts Council blog:

The City of Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission is seeking artists for its Wastewater Treatment Plant to create public art to bring forward and support the important functions of the facility and highlight the city’s natural environment and relationship with its precious resources.

The Coeur d’Alene area is one of the fastest growing regions in the Northwest. The new Wastewater Treatment Plant is designed to handle the current and projected growth while protecting the natural environment and public health of the region. The Coeur d’Alene Wastewater Treatment Plant public art should be integrated and made to feel seamless within the overall project, visually enhance areas of the Wastewater Treatment Plant that are within public view/access, create unique, thoughtful and context sensitive public art, educate visitors through interpretive opportunities, and provide cost efficiency through durability and low maintenance.

Information packets are available at City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Avenue, or online at http://www.cdaid.org/. Artist proposals are due by 5:00 p.m., August 31, 2011. Artists with questions are encouraged to contact Steve Anthony, Arts Commission Liaison, at stevea@cdaid.org.

This is a national call to artists. For details, please click on the following link:
http://www.cdaid.org/mod/userpage/images/WWTPCall.pdf

Made in Wyoming chamber music series presents The Equinox Trio Sept. 9

The Equinox Trio from Casper will present a concert as part of the Made in Wyoming chamber music series on Sep. 9, 2011 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Cheyenne.  The doors open at 2:30 p.m., with the concert starting at 3  p.m. 

Violinist Jennifer Cowell, violist Gary DePaolo, and cellist Christine Dunbar have been playing together as a trio for the past seven years. Exploring the evolution of classical strings music, they feature selections from Mozart to contemporary composers.  Instructors and teachers in college and secondary schools, they are also principal players with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra.

The trio will present selections from the C Minor trio sonata by Beethoven, and from the modern string trio by Vaclav Nelhybel. 

The concert is part of the Made in Wyoming chamber music series, which features Wyoming musicians and composers.  Funded by the Wyoming Arts Council and donations from area businesses, with the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra serving as fiscal agent.  The series will not only showcase Wyoming musicians, but also provide a serious venue for chamber music, which is under-served in the state.

Tickets cost $12 for adults, and $6 for seniors, students and children.  Tickets may be purchased at the Cheyenne Symphony office at 1904 Thomes Ave., or at the door.

FMI: Dave Shaul at 307-214-2359 or WyomingChamberMusic@yahoo.com.

"Grainery Grove" by Meghan Meier part of the Laramie Mural project

Artist Meghan Meier continues to work on her mural at Whole Earth Grainery. Grainery Grove will be completed in the coming weeks and will be the second of as many as five murals to be created in downtown Laramie this fall. The Laramie Mural Project is a partnership between Laramie Main Street Associates and the UW Art Museum. Source: UW Art Museum blog. 

Ancient art celebrated at Aug. 25 grand opening of Legend Rock State Historic Site

A grand opening of the Legend Rock State Historic Site visitors’ center will take place at 6 p.m., Thursday, August 25. In addition to Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), other dignitaries expected to speak at the event are Starr Weed of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, State Parks and Cultural Resources Commissioner Carolyn Buff and BLM Archaeologist Mike Bies. FMI: http://www.wyomingtourism.org/overview/Legend-Rock-Petroglyph-Historic-Site/32516

Renaissance-style mural may spur downtown Cheyenne renaissance

Thanks to filmmaker Alan O'Hashi for sharing his video of the launch of the new downtown Cheyenne mural project. Go to http://vimeo.com/27912954

WY ceramic artists Connie Norman and Jenny Dowd featured in NCECA exhibit at Arvada Center

www.arvadacenter.org

Creative placemaking continues in downtown Rawlins

From Rawlins DDA/Main Street:

Tickets for the third annual Passion & Pride Ball on Saturday, September 10, at the Jeffrey Center are for sale now at the Rawlins DDA/Main Street Office in the Rainbow Teton Entrepreneur Center at 116 4th Street, Rawlins. Theme for this year: "Music of the Night." Tickets are $60 per person and include a plated dinner, live band, live auction, and fun all night long.

Monies raised will be used by Rawlins DDA/Main Street to fund Phase 1 of the Rawlins Downtown Plan (for more information see below). Some auction items this year include:

·         An Exotic Trip with beaches and warm breezes

·         Weekend Getaways with lovely vistas

·         Original artwork by local artists

·         A Murder Mystery Dinner for 10

This event is formal, black tie optional. Limited tickets are available, so please call 307-328-2099 or stop by now to get yours.

The money for Passion & Pride for 2011 has been set aside to create more parking in downtown and to increase walkability. This is the first phase implementing the Rawlins Downtown Plan (click here to download). For more information on what the money will be specifically used for, click here.

Farmers' Market in Jackson blends fresh food and theatre and music

Anne and Pete Sibley

Jill Callaway in Jackson sends this:

Come on out to the Farmers' Market on the square Saturday morning (tomorrow)!

Jackson Community Theater is the featured non-profit of the week! Anne and Pete Sibley (JCT veterans) will be singing and Sweetwater Restaurant will be cooking! 

It's going to be a beautiful morning on the Jackson Town Square so stop by for some hot coffee and juice and hear what your community theater is up to.

Vertical Dance at Vedauwoo Aug. 20-21

Watch the University of Wyoming's vertical dancers perform this weekend at Vedauwoo Recreation Area off of I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne. Details at Vertical Dance at Vedauwoo Aug. 20-21

Gillette clebrates its "End of Summer Bash" tonight with Jalan Crossland

The AVA Community Arts Center in Gillette invites you to the "End of Summer Bash" with Jalan Crossland and his band.

Here’s the invitation:

Every now and then the workers at the Energy Capitol of the Nation shuts-r-down for a night to kick up their heels and get sloppy with BBQ & Brew!

Since this only happens once a year, you better shut down those drill rigs & park your haul truck on the readyline cause August 19 is the night that we celebrate the hard working people that keep the rest this country going!

Gates open at 6 p.m. at AVA, 509 W. Second St.

$15 tickets available at Coffee Friends and AVA Community Art Center.

FMI: 307-682-9133

While at AVA, take a look at the toilet seat art fund-raiser in the gallery. Bid on a shark or a bucking bronco or a chicken or the pyraminds. Over 40 designs to choose from! Then ejoy the music.

Help wanted: Director of Marketing and Communication for Arts & Venues Denver

Arts & Venues Denver is currently looking for a Director of Marketing and Communications. The Director of Marketing and Communications of Arts & Venues Denver (AVD) oversees the marketing and communications functions for the division. AVD operates nine City-owned venues; administers the Public Arts Program; manages special events and community arts-based programs; and oversees the City’s creative sector initiatives.

The position is responsible for establishing the overall marketing and public relations goals, oversees the development of a comprehensive communications, marketing, and public relations plan including policies, procedures, guidelines and standards, and directs the development, design, implementation and evaluation of informational materials, programs, projects, and other outreach activities. This also includes overseeing the continuation of the sponsorship program and proper revenue maximization.

This individual will administer the financial operations of the department, including approving the annual operating budget, monitoring financial activities, developing required budget reports, preparing justification for programs and staffing levels, and submitting final budget for executive management approval.

The Director of Marketing and Communications acts as the spokesperson for the agency, advancing the primary mission and goals, and develops comprehensive communications strategies and programs. They will interact with internal and external stakeholders in order to develop partnerships and to create public awareness and implement media campaigns.

Arts & Venues Denver works to enhance Denver’s quality of life and economic vitality through premier public venues, artwork, and entertainment opportunities. They are also responsible for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, repair, management and operation of the City's public assembly facilities. Arts & Venues oversees many of Denver's most sophisticated, high-profile facilities: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater; the three largest venues in the Denver Performing Arts Complex: the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Newton Auditorium, the Buell Theater and Boettcher Concert Hall, plus the historic Denver Coliseum, Colorado Convention Center and newly acquired Crossroads Theater.

For full job description, go to http://agency.governmentjobs.com/denver/job_bulletin.cfm?JobID=352392

To apply for this position, please visit http://www.denvergov.org/jobs.

"Tierra y Libertad" the first of many murals in unique Laramie business-artist partnership

Laramie artist Talal Cockar's "Tierra y Libertad" is the first in a series of murals in downtown Laramie sponsored by the University of Wyoming Art Museum and the Laramie Main Street Alliance.

Located on the north exterior wall of Big Hollow Food Co-op, 119 S. First St., Cockar's mural recognizes natural foods and agriculture and is a tribute to the land and the people who work it. The Laramie Mural Project is an extension of the Art Museum's "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational" exhibition of public art that opened in 2008.

Cockar has studied and created street art using different media for more than 10 years and has done work in various social and cultural settings from Kenya to New York to Wyoming. 

In the coming weeks, as many as four additional murals will be created in downtown locations. The project pairs a local artist with business and building owners to discuss concepts and ideas so the murals reflect the community and the artist.

Trey Sherwood, Laramie Main Street executive director, says, "The Laramie Mural Project is a wonderful boost to the social vibrancy and diverse aesthetics found in downtown. We encourage the community to come down and watch the artists paint then explore new facets of downtown."

UW Art Museum Director Susan Moldenhauer credits Sherwood for doing "an extraordinary job in identifying businesses and building owners who may be interested in donating a wall for a mural by a local artist."

The Laramie Mural Project is made possible by the Guthrie Family Foundation, Laramie Beautification Committee and the city of Laramie.

For more information about the UW Art Museum, call (307) 766-6622 or visit the museum's webpage at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum or blog at www.uwartmuseum.blogspot.com . Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Dr. in Laramie, the museum is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays. Admission is free.

Photo: A sketch of the mural design by Talal Cockar, courtesy of the artist.