Call for artists: San Francisco Arts Commission

Wyoming artists are eligible!

The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams working in a variety of media and artistic approaches residing in the Western States (see eligibility requirements) to submit qualifications for potential inclusion in a prequalified artist pool for upcoming public art opportunities. The 2013/2014 Prequalified Artist Pool will be used to select artists for a range of new public art projects associated with the construction of new civic buildings, parks and playgrounds, as well as transportation and streetscape improvement projects throughout San Francisco. Read more...

APPLICATION DEADLINE 
Applications must be completed online by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 (PST). Applications are available through SlideRoom (sfgov.slideroom.com), an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom.Please be sure to allow adequate time to submit your application as technical difficulties can occur. Applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered will not be considered. Applications will not be accepted after the 4:00 pm deadline. More info...

For March, the Poetry Box is stocked with Gary Snyder's work

From Meg Daly:


I am excited to announce that The Poetry Box is stocked with poems by Pulitzer Prize-winning Beat Poet extraordinaire Gary Snyder. Teton County Library produced bookmarks featuring four of Snyder's poems. Collect all four between now and March 13, the date of Snyder's Page to Podium talk in Jackson.

Fore information about tickets to the Snyder event:
http://tclib.org/index.php/site/events/tickets_available_at_5_p.m._for_page_to_the_podium_gary_snyder/

The Poetry Box's wonderful host, Valley Bookstore, has a bunch of Synder's books on hand for your edification.

This is a dream come true for The Poetry Box -- that the work of local and regional poets would intermingle with poetry greats like Snyder, Nye, Pinsky. Thanks to our collaborators and sponsors: Teton County Library, Jackson Hole Review, JH Writer's Conference, pARTners, and the amazing JH Public Art Initiative. Thanks also to you readers. Please spread the word!

At "Out West at the Autry" in L.A. on Feb. 27, Sen. Al talks about new book and his longtime support of LGBT rights

Wyoming Sen. Al Simpson of Cody will be featured at "Out West at the Autry" Feb. 27 at the Autry in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. How did Sen. Al wind up at an event that in L.A. that celebrates Western art and writing and LGBT issues? It goes beyond the fact that he is the subject of a new biography, "Shooting from the Lip: The Life of Senator Al Simpson." In a Feb. 7 post, writer Gregory Hinton, who grew up in Cody and just finished a research fellowship at the BBHC, muses on how he found common ground with Sen. Al on the issue of being gay in Wyoming. Read the Autry blog post here.

Free tickets available Feb. 29 for Gary Snyder's upcoming presentation in Jackson

Gary Snyder. Photo by Leon Borensztei.

From the Teton County Public Library in Jackson:

A quiet enthusiasm has been growing as word spreads about Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder’s upcoming visit to Jackson.

Get free tickets to “Page to the Podium: Gary Snyder” beginning on Wednesday, February 29 at 5 p.m.  at Teton County Library or during regular hours at Alta Branch Library. Tickets are limited to one per card; available first-come, first-serve. Patrons may claim tickets for friends or a spouse but must bring a library card or card number for each ticket they wish to claim.

Snyder’s Page to the Podium event will be on Tuesday, March 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Center Theater. Snyder will give a poetry reading followed by an interview with author, Exum mountain guide, and Zen practitioner, Jack Turner. A book signing with Snyder will complete the evening.

Snyder’s accomplishments include 18 published collections of poetry and essays, numerous awards and fellowships, countless international interviews, keynote lectures and an endowed chair at University of California at Davis. His writing delves into themes of pollution and overpopulation, wilderness ethics, Buddhist principles, as well as Native American mythology. In 1975, Snyder won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “Turtle Island,” a meditation on the geo-mythical history of the planet. Read more about Snyder at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gary-snyder.

Also, on Wednesday, March 14, from 5:45-7 p.m. at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse, Snyder will give a poetry performance. Space for this second event will be limited, without tickets, and seating is first-come, first-serve.

Learn more about this and many other library events at www.tlcib.org.

L.A.’s Artist Bailout: Like bringing Kickstarter to life for one night, plus pie

Cool new way to fund small, innovative community-based arts organization:

Last summer, Nina Becker (above, right) converted her van into a "gigantic pinhole camera." Now she needs $1,000 to use the "VanCam" for five photography workshops with students in Los Angeles. "We wanted to teach kids about photography on a scale that related to their own bodies," she explained to a crowd of 100 potential micro-investors gathered at Human Resources, a gallery in L.A.'s Chinatown, to consider her pitch over slices of sweet potato-bacon and coconut cream pies.  

Becker's organization, The Mobile Pinhole Project, was one of seven local arts groups seeking funding at the third installment of an event series called Artist Bailout, which looks to "democratically fund new work by emerging artists." Attendees donated $10, or more if they were willing, in exchange for dinner and a ballot (GOOD matched donations with a $1,000 check). At the end of the night, participants cast votes for their two favorite organizations. 

When all the votes were tallied, The Mobile Pinhole Project came out on top, along with Knowledges, a curatorial collective that's planning a weekend-long exhibition in June at Mount Wilson Observatory, a neglected telescope in the San Gabriel Mountains. The winning groups received $1,000 each, with $100 going to each of five runners-up. 

With funding for local arts and community programs drying up because of the economic downturn, the Artist Bailout provides an alternative for artists whose work lies outside traditional funding mechanisms, and gets art lovers invested in their communities. Think of it as bringing Kickstarter to life for a night, plus pie. Elana Mann, one of the event's organizers, said she thought Saturday "went amazingly well... We were hoping to at least make $1,000, so we're thrilled," she said, while handing rolls of 20-dollar bills to presenters claiming their prizes. Past Artist Bailouts have funded projects like Stair Street Ghosts, a walking tour of L.A.'s historic Mt. Angelus neighborhood, known for its staircase sidewalks that typically remain closed to the public. 

With $1,000 in the bank after Saturday night's success, Knowledges cofounders Christina Ondrus and Elleni Sclavenitis only need about $500 more to realize their event. They plan to host installations and film screenings by 40 artists whose work or aesthetic is inspired by astronomy. Ondrus and Sclavenitis hope the event will be the first of many site-specific exhibitions around Los Angeles. "Art doesn't happen in a vacuum," said Ondrus. "It happens somewhere. Not just in a gallery or a closed space." 

From GOOD Magazine. Photo by Zak Stone

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

"Ricky Nelson Remembered" Sept. 17 at Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne

From a press release:

He is the only artist to have a No. 1 song, No. 1 movie and No. 1 TV show in the same week. Life Magazine coined the phrase ‘Teen Idol’ after him and he is credited with pioneering the country rock sound. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ricky Nelson’s life and music touched millions; his twin sons, multi-platinum recording artists, Matthew & Gunnar Nelson, relive the music and memories in their multi-media event, Ricky Nelson Remembered.

Ricky Nelson Remembered is live in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Saturday, September 17, for two shows at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Atlas Theatre. Reserved seating costs $35. Applicable fees may apply. Tickets can be purchased at Ernie November, KRRR FM office, via phone at (800) 514-3849 or online at Tickets300.com. Doors open one hour prior to performances. 

Featuring hit songs like “Hello Mary Lou,” “Poor Little Fool,” “Travelin’ Man,” “I’m Walkin’,” “I Gotta Feeling,” “Teenage Idol,” “Garden Party” and many more, RNR showcases his life with never-before-seen interviews from artists he influenced, including Paul McCartney and Chris Isaak. Matthew and Gunnar’s musical event is heartfelt and full of laughter. 

Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash on his way to perform a New Year’s even concert in 1986. He left a legacy that included 53 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and nineteen other top-ten hits.  He is one of the biggest-selling artists of all time, a Golden Globe winner for his performance alongside John Wayne in Rio Bravo and in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

From Ozzie and Harriet to Ricky to Matthew and Gunnar, the Nelson’s are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family in history with three successive generations of No. 1 hit makers. Matthew and Gunnar are also nephews of NCIS star, Mark Harmon, on their mother’s side.

The Atlas Theatre is located at 211 West Lincolnway, in Cheyenne. Visit http://www.RickyNelsonRemembered.com for additional information.

FMI: Melissa Kucirek, Melissa@jadepresents.com , 402-677-0930

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."

Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative sponsors March 10 workshop & presentation by Barbara Goldstein

Carrie Geraci, director of the Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative, sends this announcement:

SAVE-the-DATE!
March 10, 2011
Barbara Goldstein
Public Art Director for the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs.
At the Center for the Arts, Jackson

Morning Workshop 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Coffee, Center Theater Lobby: 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Presentation, Center Theater: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. followed by Q & A
Public Art best practices the pros and cons of different funding sources, use in cultural tourism and creative placemaking.

Evening presentation, Center Theater, 7 p.m.
"The Next Generation, National Trends in Public Art"

Barbara Goldstein is the Public Art Director for the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs and the editor of Public Art by the Book, a primer recently published by Americans for the Arts and the University of Washington Press. Prior to her work in San José, Goldstein was Public Art Director for the City of Seattle. Goldstein has worked as a cultural planner, architectural and art critic, editor and publisher. From 1989 to 1993, she was Director of Design Review and Cultural Planning for the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. From 1980-85 she edited and published Arts + Architecture magazine. She has written for art and architectural magazines both nationally and internationally, and has lectured on public art throughout the United States, and in Canada, Japan, China, Taipei, Korea and Abu Dhabi. She is currently Chair of the Public Art Network for Americans for the Arts.

FMI: www.jhpublicart.org

Americans for the Arts hosts public art preconference at June 2011 gathering in San Diego

"Sun God" by the late Niki de Saint Phalle, part of the Stuart Collection at the University of California San Diego.

Americans for the Arts announces its Public Art Preconference June 15-16 at its annual gathering in San Diego:

Join the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network (PAN) and other public arts leaders at the University of California at San Diego for a program that includes professional development, visioning sessions discussing current public art innovations, and resources and information on the state of the field.

Highlights of the program schedule include the presentation of the annual Year in Review and the PAN award and featured keynote speaker Erika Doss, educator, critic, and author of the recently published, Memorial Mania.

New this year, the preconference offers an Artist Professional Development Track curated just for independent artists! Gain the critical tools necessary to compete and succeed in public art.

Just when you thought we couldn’t pack in anything more, attendees will have guided tours of the renowned Stuart Collection (see photo above), woven artistically throughout the University of California at San Diego campus. 

UW Eminent Writer in Residence will work with students on Laramie Atlas Project

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Rebecca Solnit, an acclaimed author of numerous celebrated works of nonfiction, is the latest Eminent Writer in Residence in the University of Wyoming's MFA program in Creative Writing.

An activist, art critic and cultural historian, Solnit will spend four weeks at UW guiding an interdisciplinary group of students in creating a unique atlas devoted to Laramie and the region. Her most recent work is "A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster," and "Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas."

"Rebecca Solnit believes maps and atlases can lead us toward a new way of understanding the places we live in," says MFA faculty member Alyson Hagy. "The sense of place is strong in Wyoming. Solnit's Laramie Atlas Project will invite students to make new maps -- some of them traditional, some of them innovative and even eccentric -- of the region to chronicle its nature and ties to the larger world."

Solnit will visit UW classes across campus and consult with MFA students on their writing during her residency. Her visit is co-sponsored by the Albany County Public Library Foundation, the UW Art Museum, The Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Social Justice Research Center.

Solnit also will conduct two public presentations during her residency.

The first presentation, "Infinite City/Gem City: Reimagining Maps and Atlases," is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Albany County Public Library. She will introduce the Laramie Atlas Project, discuss her latest book and sign books after the presentation.

Her Laramie Atlas Project presentation is similar to the "Infinite City" project in San Francisco. Solnit will solicit input from Albany County residents as she launches the creation of an innovative set of local maps.

The second public event, "The Laramie Atlas Project: Work-in-Progress Discussion," is at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, at the UW Art Museum. Solnit will discuss her effort with UW students to "remap" the community and its resources. A reception follows.

Solnit's residency follows the Eminent Writer residencies of fiction writer Rattawut Lapcharoensap and poets Jan Zwicky and Robert Bringhurst. Previous Eminent Writers in Residence have included Edward P. Jones, Philip Gourevitch, Claudia Rankine and Joy Williams.

For more information, visit the MFA Web site at www.uwyo.edu/creativewriting or e-mail Gwynn Lemler at cw@uwyo.edu.

Photo: Rebecca Solnit is the latest Eminent Writer in Residence in the University of Wyoming MFA program in Creative Writing. (Photo courtesy of Scott Sommerdorf/San Francisco Chronicle)

New YA novel set in Jackson is "Unearthly"

This is the publisher's trailer for Cynthia Hand's debut TV novel, "Unearthly," set in Jackson Hole. Cynthia grew up in Idaho Falls and neighboring Idaho communities. She spent a lot of time in Jackson. She now lives in California and teaches creative writing at Pepperdine University.

Cody native Gregory Hinton interviewed on NPR about his "Out West" series at the Autry Museum

This info on the Autry Museum's "Beyond Brokeback" and other offerings in its "Out West" series comes from Wyoming native Gregory Hinton:

Below is a link to our L.A. National Public Radio affiliate which has an interview of me about Out West and includes a copy of the speech I gave for our first event. This might be of interest to you if you wish to reprint it. It mentions Ucross, my Wyoming history, and includes a nice quote from Al Simpson and Annie Proulx. You should also be aware that my interview with Brian Kahn on Yellowstone Public Radio's Home Ground is being aired tomorrow at 6:30 and will be available on podcast.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2009/12/10/out-west-series-autry-national-center/

http://www.yellowstonepublicradio.org/programs/local/home_ground.html 

Call for entries: Before Columbus Foundation

This listing comes from the latest issue of LitOps, written and edited by Guy Lebeba of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. To subscribe to LitOps, send an email to gwl1973@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line:

Before Columbus Foundation
American Book Awards
Deadline: December 31, 2010
Web site: http://www.beforecolumbusfoundation.com/
E-mail address: strads@haas.berkeley.edu
Approximately 10 to 18 awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the preceding year that make outstanding contributions to American literature. Winners are nominated and selected by a panel of writers,
editors, and publishers, but anyone may make a submission or recommendation to the panel. Submit two copies of a book published in 2010 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, or e-mail for complete guidelines.
Before Columbus Foundation
American Book Awards
The Raymond House,
655 13th Street
Suite 302
Oakland, CA 94612.
(510) 268-9775.
Gundars Strads, Executive Director.

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

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

Call for proposals: San Diego Airport

Reception for "Ghost in the Cargo Van" show Aug. 13 at the Corridor Gallery in Casper

"Coats That Were Wings," Luke Whitlatch, acrylic and dye on canvas, 14x28x16 inches, 2007

Press release from the Corridor Gallery in Casper:

Casper native Luke Whitlatch is making the trek from his current city of Los Angeles for the debut Casper showing of his artwork at the Corridor Gallery. The press and public are invited to attend the free opening reception on Friday, August 13, starting at 7 p.m. Luke will be present during the opening and presenting an artist’s talk the following day, Saturday August 14, at 2 p.m. The artist’s talk is also a free event to the press and public. Luke’s artwork will only be on display through Sunday, August 15, during business hours.

Luke creates intricate and colorful works of art on linen or canvas by bleeding aniline die initially and finishing with oil and acrylic paint. Luke’s works are then stretched onto handmade dimensional frames that lend shape to the work. Every aspect of this artwork is unique and visually stimulating.

“Ghost in the Cargo Van” Artist’s Statement

For a painting to be truly new it must be responsible for its own history, be it theoretical, technical or physical. “Ghost in the Cargo Van,” is a show about the things that you thought you saw. These images were made to pay homage to the past while rejuvenating historical ideas.

Abstract images rely on the viewer to project their personal opinions and experiences onto the images. Many legends and myths were created by this same phenomenon. Time aged mental recollections can lead to a person changing what they actually saw, into something completely different. When presented with limited amounts of recognizable imagery the viewer can create their own story based on shapes colors lines and past references.

Much is based on emotional recollection while making this work. These paintings are mostly based on personal experiences and emotional information. Modernist ideas of form and color give way to intuition. Specific experiences as well as short moments in time are not represented solely by visual imagery. A memory may be based on a smell, weather or a specific state of mind.

Abstract images allow for these types of variables to be expressed without being bogged down by representation. These paintings are interpretations of points in time that are important to me personally, however when they are finished they are no longer mine. A painting takes on a life of its own when put on display. The ghost of an image can live in the mind much longer than the image itself.

Event Details

“Ghost in the Cargo Van” -- Original Art by Luke Whitlatch

Located at The Corridor Gallery: 120 E. 2nd St. Casper, WY 82601

Free Admission

Opening Reception: Friday, August 13th at 7:00pm

Open Showing: Saturday, August 14th 10:00am to 5:00pm

Sunday, August 15th noon to 4pm

FMI: Please contact The Corridor Gallery at (307) 333-7035, Reed at (307) 259-8001 or visit http://www.thecorridorgallery.com/.

LEAD 2010 -- accessibility, disability and inclusion in the arts

FMI: http://www.kennedy-center.org/accessibility/education/lead/conference.html

Miss "V" hits road for California gigs

Miss "V" the Gypsy Cowbelle, a WAC roster artist from Cora, sends word about an upcoming road trip:

I'll be playing at two libraries in Eureka and Arcada, CA, June 9 and 10 at at 6:30 p.m. doing kids' programs, and one at Hoedown in Eureka (Six Rivers Brewery) for adults on June 12 at noon. Then I'll be at the International House and Faculty Club at University of California at Berkeley on June 16-17. I'll be performing originals and western history for foreign students, then cowboy tunes for the Facullty Club Southwest BBQ.

I'll be working on recording my next CD (which you'll hear about when grant season rolls around!!) at a mountain biker bar for Father's Day, June 16. I hope to be up to Spokane, WA, for a couple shows before closing the tour in Peoa, UT on July 2 (6:30 p.m. at Woodenshoe Park) as part of the Mountaintown Music Summer Concert Series. The "Dandelion Wine" documentary with the Western Folklife Center will immediately follow.

The digstation web site has decribed V's music as “Cowbilly music, integrating the tones of free-spirited-troubadour folk, Old- Nashville-classic country, dusty-trail-round-the-campfire cowboy and old-timey-Appalachian stomp, sure to make you laugh, cry, ponder and dance.”

Screening for "The Exiles" in Riverton

Riverton Branch Library and Central Wyoming College Library present a public screening of the groundbreaking Native American Film, “The Exiles.”

Original cinematographer and Oscar winner, Erik Daarstad, will be the guest speaker. Erik will talk about the historical significance and the making of this film. He will also visit about these real life characters and answer any questions the audience may have.

“The Exiles” chronicles one night in the lives of young Native Americans living in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles in 1958. It is the story of three young American Indians who have left their reservations to live in downtown L.A. and who will once again be displaced. This documentary is reflective and entertaining with an awesome soundtrack that includes Southwestern Native American music and popular rock-n-roll songs from 1958.

Discover what happens to these young Indians on Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 pm in the Riverton Branch Library Community Room.

For more information, please call the library at 307-856-3556.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.