Wyoming SPCR Commission meets Oct. 26 at the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center

Washakie Museum and Cultural Center, Worland. David Huber Photography.

From a State Parks and Cultural Resources press release:

Members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland, October 26.

During the meeting, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Commission will elect a new president and vice president.

Additionally, the Commission will receive reports on agency activities and programs within the Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails and the Division of Cultural Resources.

The Commission has advisory responsibility for the agency which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, the State Trails Program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The Commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archaeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the Cultural Trust Fund.

Members of the Commission are: President Dan Barks, Gillette; William Vines, Wheatland; Mary Hawkins, Devils Tower; Dudley Gardner, Ph.D, Rock Springs; Chuck Engebretsen, Lost Springs; Aaron Bannon, Lander; Karen Haderlie,Thayne; Don Schmalz, Cody; and Michelle Sullivan, Sheridan.

October is Wyoming Archives Month

Wyoming State Achives, our sister agency in State Parks and Cultural Resources, is celebrating Archives Month in October. They invite you to explore the agency's extensive historical and cultural resources. FMI: http://wyoarchives.state.wy.us/ 

Mike Strom named new manager of Wyoming State Archives

SPCR press release:

Mike Strom has been named the new Wyoming State Archives manager and will begin his new duties on August 22.

Previously a senior archivist at Texas Christian University, Strom was responsible for the operation of the school’s archives.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree from Central Washington University.

Strom previously worked in the Manuscripts and Archives Department at Yale University, where he processed the papers of the Yale Law School faculty and alumni.

“We feel fortunate to have someone with the experience and background of someone like Mike lead our State Archives,” Cultural Resources Administrator Sara Needles said. “We’re sure he will be a strong asset to our organization.”

Strom is a currently or previous member of several professional organizations including New England Archivists, the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA), and the Society of American Archivists (SAA). His professional involvement includes terms on the SSA’s Executive Board and the steering committee for the SAA’s College and University Archives Section. He will chair the 2012 SAA Leland Award Committee, which recognizes outstanding writing about archives.

Save the date: 4Cs conference in Cody Oct. 6-9

More info coming soon from the Wyoming Arts Council

WY SPCR Commission meets May 12-13 in Rock Springs

Members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet in Room 1309, Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs, May 12-13.

The Commission will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 12; and tour the Piedmont Kilns and Lincoln Highway Bridge on May 13.

During the meeting, the Commission will receive divisional updates and discuss a variety of State Parks and Cultural Resources issues, including a Glendo State Park flood update.

The Commission has advisory responsibility for both divisions of the department – State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails and Cultural Resources -- which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, state trails program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The Commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the management of the Cultural Trust Fund.

Members of the Commission are: President Ernie Over, Pavillion; Dan Barks, Gillette; William Vines, Wheatland; Mary Hawkins, Devils Tower; Dudley Gardner, Ph.D, Rock Springs; Chuck Engebretson, Lost Springs; Carolyn Buff, Casper; Karen Haderlie, Thayne; and Barb Vietti, Thermopolis.

Wyoming Archaeology Month poster wins national award

The 2010 Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month (WAAM) poster, featuring the Tolar Petroglyph site, has been awarded first place in the Society for American Archaeology’s (SAA) annual nationwide poster contest.

The poster features a well preserved image of a Comanche warrior on horseback, elaborately carved into sandstone bedrock and strikingly contrasted with the dark natural varnish of the cliff face. The panel design is likely over two centuries old. The site is valued by several Indian nations as a sacred and honored place. The glyph used on this poster was chosen with the concurrence of the Comanche, Eastern Shoshone, Ute, and Northern Arapaho tribes, a cross-cultural collaboration that benefits all of Wyoming.

This is the thirteenth year the Wyoming poster has been recognized with an award from the SAA. The announcement was made at the SAA’s annual meeting held in Sacramento, Calif. Production of the poster was coordinated by Judy Wolf of the State Historic Preservation Office.

The Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month posters are available free of charge and may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office in Cheyenne, 3rd floor Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave. or in Laramie in the new Anthropology Department building, 2th and Lewis,Room 312.

If you would like a poster mailed to you, a $10 charge is necessary to cover mailing costs. Limit one poster per person. Send your request along with a check or money order payable to "Wyoming Archaeology Month" and your name and mailing address to: Judy Wolf, State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Archaeology Month, Dept. 3431, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie WY 82071.

Wyoming State Museum welcomes new arts curator

From the Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources newsletter:

David L. Newell joins the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne as Curator of Art.

Newell has worked in the museum profession for over twenty years and holds graduate degrees in Theatrical Design and Museum Studies. He worked previously with the Museum of Texas Tech University; the Texas Fashion Collection, University of North Texas; the Dallas Historical Society; the Colorado Historical Society; and the Gilcrease Museum. He has recently organized exhibitions on Ansel Adams, Maynard Dixon, Edward Sheriff Curtis, John James Audubon, and Nashville cowboy couture designer, Manuel Cuevas.

Newell is responsible for the management and interpretation of the museum’s permanent art collection. He will also organize the annual Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition and manage the Governor’s Capitol Art Collection. He will advise and manage projects for the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities and the Capitol Complex Advisory Committee, in addition to participating in the state’s Art in Public Buildings program through the Wyoming Arts Council.

Wyomingarts says: The Wyoming Arts Council staff welcomes David and we all look forward to working with him.

That Daniel Pink is one animated guy

Take a look at this animated version of a talk by Daniel Pink. A neat overview of the material he will cover when he speaks in Cheyenne Sept. 23-24. To reserve a ticket for this free event, call the Wyoming Arts Council at 307-777-7742.

New portraits of seven Wyoming governors to be unveiled at evening reception in Cheyenne

One of three painters of recently-completed Wyoming Governor portraits: Russian-born artist Galina Perova of Salt Lake City

A public reception for the newly unveiled official portraits of seven Wyoming governors will be held Friday, August 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Historic Governors* Mansion, 300 East 21st Street, Cheyenne.

This year's Governor's Portrait Project features artistic renditions of Governors John E. Osborn (1893-1895), DeForest Richards (1899-1903), Bryant B. Brooks (1905-1911), Leslie A. Miller (1933-1939), Nels H. Smith (1939-1943), Lester Hunt (1943-1949) and Milward Simpson (1955-1959).

Artists for this year's portraits are Robert Kuester, Galina Perova and Michele Rushworth.

The portrait exhibition will be held in conjunction with the mansion's newest exhibit, "Road to the Capitol," which explores the process one takes to become elected Governor of Wyoming.

Additionally, the exhibit examines the first state election between F.E. Warren and George Baxter.

Visitors can also learn about this year's gubernatorial candidates, and kids 17 and younger can cast their vote for the next Governor of Wyoming in a mock election.

The Governors' Portrait Program was created by the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities in 2005. The Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources is also a partner.

The Select Committee on Legislative Facilities has been a champion of this program to ensure that the State of Wyoming honors former governors with an official portrait.

The program unveiled five original portraits: J.J. "Joe" Hickey, Stanley K. Hathaway, Clifford P. Hansen, Michael J. Sullivan and James E. Geringer, in 2007.

The completion of the seven new portraits brings the number of portraits in the state collection to 25, which includes nearly all elected governors after statehood, who have served at least one full term.

For more information about the Historic Governors' Mansion and/or exhibitions, please call 777-7878. For more information about the Governors Portrait Project, please contact Renee Bovee at 307-777-6312.

Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund announces grants

From a SPCR press release:

As many as 38 Wyoming cultural and heritage projects and sponsoring organizations will benefit from $542,017 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 Worland, came from 53 total applications from 21 communities in 16 counties. The requests totaled more than $1.3 million, with requests capped at a maximum of $50,000.

Applicants in this year’s grant pool anticipate generating more than $8 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 rehabilitation of historic buildings and sites, museum equipment and exhibition development, filmmaker showcase, ethnic celebrations and festivals, organizational infrastructure needs including staff and planning processes, and documentation of Wyoming events and citizens with oral history projects.

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. Or go to http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/CTF/index.aspx

Grants were awarded to:
Albany County
Ark Industries & Rehabilitation Center Memorial Foundation, Endowment Challenge, $12,500
City of Laramie, Garfield Street Foot Bridge Painting Project, $30,000
U.W. American Studies Program, Heart Mountain Barracks in the Contemporary Wyoming Landscape Research Project, $6,000
U.W. American Heritage Center, Digitization of Wyoming’s Photographic Heritage, $10,000
U.W. Art Museum, Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational, $25,000
Ruckelshaus Institute of Environmental and Natural Resources, Historical Living Narrative Project, $10,000
Carbon County
Carbon County Museum Foundation, Advertising Campaign, $8,600
Wyoming Frontier Museum, Display Cabinet Upgrade, $4,295
Crook County
Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation, Building to Protect & Preserve Archaeological Site, $35,000
Fremont County
Dubois Main Street, Downtown Design Guidelines, $3,000
Fremont County Library, Carnegie Library Performance Space Project, $40,000
Lander Arts Center, Expanding Exhibition Capacity, $3,000
Lander Children’s Museum, Lander Explores “Termespheres”: a community presentation of art, geometry, and science, $9,010
Hot Springs County
Hot Springs State Park/Shoshone Indian Historical Society, White Sulpher Springs Stairway Restoration, $2,200
Johnson County
Big Horn Basque Club, Celebrating 30 Years National Basque Festival, $15,000
Laramie County
Cheyenne Arts Council, Hynds Building Rehabilitation & Artist-in Residence Program, $49,500
Cheyenne Depot Museum, Hispanic Festival, $4,100
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, Endowment Challenge, $20,000
Laramie County Community College Foundation, Unleashing the Power of the Creative Community Project, $10,000
Wyoming State Archives, Wyoming Events Oral History Project, $15,860
Wyoming State Museum, Clothing Storage Project, $7,000
Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails, Ames Monument Restoration Project, $15,000
Lincoln County
Star Valley Arts Council, Executive Director Position, Initial Funding, $6,762
Natrona County
Casper Museum Consortium, Museum Minute on the Brian Scott Morning Show, $6,500
Fort Caspar Museum Association, Museum Collection Storage and Equipment Upgrade, $5,500
Nicolaysen Art Museum, Internal Technical and Organization Infrastructure Support, $20,000
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Educational Outreach Programming, $10,000
Park County
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, “Arapaho Journey: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation, $10,250
Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation, Interpretive Learning Center Interior Build Out, $40,000
Sheridan County
Sheridan County Historical Society and Museum, Sheridan Trolley Restoration Project, $6,500
Sheridan YMCA, Heart Mountain: A Film Project, $15,000
Sweetwater County
Sweetwater County Historical Museum, Documentation & Preservation of Granger, WY Cemetery, $3,000
Teton County
Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum, Exhibition Research for “The Shoshone in Jackson Hole: Stories Told by the People”, $7,500
Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Wyoming Filmmakers Showcase Event & Tour, $9,200
Uinta County
Young Musicians, Inc., Equipment Purchases, $9,000
Statewide:
Alliance for Historic Wyoming, Executive Director Position Support, $29,440
Wyoming Museum Training Network, Mobile Lab: Onsite Professional Development and Technical Services for WY Museums, $16,000
Wyoming State Historical Society, Wyoming History Website, $12,300

Wyoming Arts Council town meeting tonight at Natrona County Public Library in Casper

Upcoming Wyoming Arts Council "Arts in Economy, Education and Everyday Life" town meetings:

Converse, Natrona & Niobrara counties town meeting will be held on Wednesday (today), June 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Natrona County Public Library, Crawford Room, 307 E. 2nd St., Casper.

Free and open to the public.

Share your thoughts about the future of the arts in Wyoming.

FMI: 307-777-7742

Colorado Council on the Arts gets new name and mission on May 18

Wyomingarts found the link to this news release on the Colorado Council for the Arts twitter site:

You are cordially invited to join Gov. Ritter as he signs four bills that will strengthen Colorado's Creative Industries

Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 1-2:30 p.m., The Art Institute of Colorado, 1200 Lincoln Street in Denver

From 1 to 2 p.m. enjoy light refreshments, the Industrial Design students' gallery show and interactive student artwork in the fields of design, culinary arts, media arts and fashion.

At 2 p.m. Gov. Ritter will sign the bills and provide remarks. He will be joined by lawmakers and members of the creative industries.

The Governor will be signing these four Creative Industries bills:

SB 10-158, The creation of the Creative Industries Division within the Colorado Office of Economic Development - merges the Office of Film, Television and Media, the Colorado Council on the Arts, and the Art in Public Places Program, and renames the State Council on the Arts as the Council on Creative Industries and authorizes the Council to establish policies for the merged entity.

HB 10-1180, The Criteria to Qualify for a Performance-Based Incentive for Film Production Activities in Colorado - changes the criteria required of a film production company to qualify for a performance-based incentive for film production activities in Colorado, making the incentive more usable and thus able to attract more film and television work to Colorado.

SB 10-094, The Definition of Capitol Construction Appropriations for Purposes of the Art in Public Places Program - clarifies that the thirty-three year old Arts in Public Places Statute applies to all capitol construction projects funded with state dollars, regardless of the funding mechanism.

HB 1273, Arts Education for Workforce Development - strongly encourages all Colorado public schools to provide education in the visual and performing arts and directs the State Board of Education to recognize the importance of the arts in development of future graduation guidelines.

EDITOR'S NOTE: By way of comparison, the Wyoming Arts Council, an agency within the Division of State Parks and Cultural Resources, supervises the state's Art in Public Buildings program. It offers grants programs for organizations and individual artists, convenes an Arts Summit every two years and stages the annual Governor's Arts Awards. The Wyoming Film Office is in the Travel & Tourism Division of the Wyoming Business Council.

New Cultural Resources Intern

Miracle of Science, oil and ink jet print on canvas, 48"x48", 2008

My name is Ji Eun Kim, and I just started working at Wyoming Arts Council and The State Museum as a Cultural Resources intern. I was born in Korea and currently live in Cheyenne. I received a B.F.A and a M.F.A from Seoul National University, and recently received a M.F.A degree in painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. I completed a summer residency at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, and I've been awarded a full fellowship at Vermont Studio Center for a 4-week residency later this year.

The major interest of my work lies in capturing institutionalized aspects of ordinary life. My previous works focused on the ‘regulated landscape’ of Seoul, Korea. Upon moving to the US, I recognized how the different scale affected the land use pattern in contrast to Korea. While the repetitive cityscape of Seoul was a product of regulation, the homogenized landscape of suburbia is the result of safe investments made by developers, mimicking successes of previous projects.

The experience of living in the Metro Detroit area provides me the opportunity to rethink the meaning of development and to consider cities as whole organic systems in the post-industrial era. Downtown/suburb, shrinking city/growing city and urbanization/de-urbanization—these sound antonymous but are closely connected. This perception allows me to look into one place while thinking about any other place in that socio-economic context.

In my work, I’ve used collage to make a social comment on various levels. I employ collage as a compositional method in painting in general, and I experiment with paper-cut collage as a drawing. I recently started using object collage to show the details of developers’ material choices and the way our world is being constructed. Along with these collages, I juxtapose different painting styles, making reference to painting history. The way I construct paintings to using collage reflects my psychological position between two different cultures. Through these paintings, which are based on my fragmented and mixed cultural experience, I provide to my audience the experience of multi-spaces within the painting as well as multiple viewpoints about society.


Planned Obsolescence, oil, latex paint, shims, cardboard, boxes on canvas, 60"x70", 2009

Dream House, oil and grout on canvas, 60"x80", 2009

http://www.insaartspace.or.kr/exhibitionsEN.asp?idx=58

http://jieunkim25.blogspot.com/

Help wanted: Wyoming Arts Alliance

The Wyoming Arts Alliance is looking for an executive director. Here's the job description:

The Wyoming Arts Alliance is seeking an energetic, self-motivated and fearless individual to help create and lead an outstanding arts advocacy organization for Wyoming. Wyoming Arts Alliance is a statewide 501(c) 3 consortium of artists, arts organizations, presenters, educators and advocates. The mission of the Wyoming Arts Alliance (WyAA) is to uniquely combine arts advocacy, professional services and information to advance a creative and culturally vibrant state. The new Executive Director for WyAA must have a passion for the arts, great communication skills, fundraising ability, a willingness to travel the state of Wyoming and beyond, capabilities in both organizational and event planning and good IT skills.

To achieve its mission, WyAA advocates for the arts at local, state and national levels for legislation beneficial to the arts and arts education. It provides education opportunities for its constituency regarding issues which effect arts and arts education. WyAA convenes an annual conference of presenters and performing artists and it provides professional development opportunities for its membership.

WyAA seeks to expand its support of artists and the arts in Wyoming through increased membership and participation from all arts disciplines and creative industries. The Executive Director of WyAA will lead the organization in this expansion, including development of new programs, professional services, legislative agenda and advocacy strategies. Creating an advocacy network throughout the state of Wyoming and the expansion of services to visual, literary and performing arts makes this a challenging and rewarding opportunity.

The position is three-quarter time and features a flexible schedule determined by the individual. The Executive Director can work from any location in the state and will have the additional advantage of being able to work from home.

The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors and will have full authority and responsibility as the chief executive officer of the Wyoming Arts Alliance, (WyAA). Responsibilities include:
* Provide leadership for developing and effectively implementing WyAA’s mission. This includes building an advocacy organization, agenda and strategies; increasing outreach to artists, educators, presenters, employers and advocates; and managing the annual presenters conference.
* Lead WyAA’s fundraising efforts, including expanding the donor base, cultivating relationships with individuals and foundations, grant writing and soliciting major gifts.
* Provide a high degree of visibility throughout the state. The Executive Director will serve as chief spokesperson for WyAA; establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with critical regional entities, state government, presenter organizations, Chambers of Commerce, libraries, educational organizations and institutions, regional galleries, cultural organizations, and donors; positioning WyAA to be the advocacy and education organization for arts in the state.
* Partner with the Board for effective long-term governance and leadership of WyAA; help to identify, recruit and develop the Board; direct the administrative management of WyAA; implement a staffing plan as needed for the expansion of the organization; develop strategic plans and program evaluations.
* Managing the organization in a fiscally responsible manner within the Board-approved budget and in accordance with accepted financial accounting practices.

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of the following:
* A passion for all of the arts, and experience in visual/performing arts and/or arts management.
* Leadership abilities, especially a high level of initiative, strong interpersonal skills, creative and flexible problem solving skills, the ability to partner with the Board, and the capability to direct and lead future staff.
* Ability to successfully fundraise.
* The capability to develop and maintain positive relationships with community leaders; strong political acumen; the ability to maneuver in the state with comfort and credibility.
* The capacity to implement the vision for the Alliance, including innovative programming, professional practices, consensus-oriented management, effective decision-making, strategic visioning, and practical implementation.
* Effective financial management skills.
* A strong work ethic, good sense of humor, sincerity, and a high energy level.

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be: Five to six years in visual and performing arts with increasingly responsible supervisory and/or administrative duties. Prior experience in grant writing is advantageous.

Individuals interested in applying for this position should send a letter of interest and resume to: wyomingartsalliance@gmail.com Only email applications will be accepted.
Visit: www.wyomingarts.org

Preparations underway for October's National Arts & Humanities Month

This article by Adrian Versteegh was in today's edition of the New York Daily News Online:

Preparations are underway for the seventeenth National Arts and Humanities Month, a country-wide smorgasbord of public events, open houses, and media coverage coordinated each October by the nonprofit advocacy group Americans for the Arts. The official partner for the 2009 installment is Art21, the contemporary visual arts organization behind the Emmy-nominated PBS series "Art21 -- Art in the Twenty-First Century."

“Everyone recognizes the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities,” Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and national coordinator of Arts and Humanities month, said in a press release. “National Arts and Humanities Month offers us a chance to celebrate the often overlooked economic, educational, and civic engagement values that the arts impart in our daily lives.”

Recognized by Congress and held annually since 1993, the month-long celebration grew out of National Arts Week, which was begun in 1985 under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts. National Arts and Humanities Month subsumes a host of cultural events across the country, including the Creative Conversations program, which features emerging arts leaders in local communities, and the National Arts Awards. Honorees at this year’s ceremony -- slated for October 5 in New York
City -- include Salman Rushdie, who will receive the Kitty Carlisle Hart Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts, and Robert Redford, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Stone preservation workshop July 30 in Casper

From a Wyoming Stat Parks and Cultural Resources press release:

A free workshop on stone preservation will be held by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office on Thursday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Highland Cemetery in Casper.

Gravestone Conservator Jonathan Appell will teach techniques in conserving, stabilizing, and cleaning gravestones. Appell also will demonstrate how to join broken gravestone fragments with the correct materials and how to re-set stones. Participants will have the opportunity to practice learned techniques. Further information will be provided on conservation treatments and the materials utilized during the workshop.

The SHPO is sponsoring this workshop as part of their Monuments and Markers stewardship program.

To get to the workshop, enter Highland Cemetery from either Conwell Street or East 4th Street and proceed to the Highland Cemetery Office Building. The workshop is free, and lunch will be provided. If you would like more information on the Stone Preservation Workshop, please contact Laura Nowlin at 307-777-6179 or lnowli@state.wy.us, or Ashley Rooney at 307-777-7566 or aroone@state.wy.us.

SPCR Commission meets in Sheridan

In conjunction with the "Living Upstairs in Wyoming" conference May 11-13 in Sheridan, members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet May 12-13 in the Solitude Room of the Sheridan Holiday Inn from 1:15-5 p.m. May 12, and 8 a.m.-noon, May 13.

During the meeting, the commission will receive divisional updates and discuss a variety of State Parks and Cultural Resources issues, including Land and Water Conservation Fund grant applications, departmental budget cuts and the recent move of the State Museum's artifact storage to the Unicover Building in Cheyenne.Also while in Sheridan, the commission will visit Trail End State Historic Site.

The commission advises both divisions of the department --State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails and Cultural Resources -- which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, state trails program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the management of the Cultural Trust Fund.

Cheyenne hosts "Black History Celebration"

The Cheyenne Depot Museum and Love & Charity Club are co-hosting thier first Black History Celebration. There are three main events which are all free to the public. All of the events will be held in the lobby of the Cheyenne Depot Museum in downtown Cheyenne.

It begins Friday, February 20, with a "Fashionable Tale of Black History." Local youths will be modeling authentic and reproduction costumes from the 1700s to today. Each of the youths will be making a presentation about his or her costume and the era that the costume represents. The Fashionable Tale of Black History will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The second event – a Black History Presentation - will be held on Tuesday, February 24 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The Love & Charity Club will be displaying original art, a black doll collection, black inventions over time and providing a talk on Black History.

From February 20-27, the "Images of Black Wyoming" display from the American Heritage Center (University of Wyoming) will be available for viewing in the lobby of the Depot. This exhibit represents “a few of the noteworthy stories of African-Americans who have been influential in the State of Wyoming."

The Black History Celebration is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming State Legislature. This event is also sponsored by the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority and the Wyoming Humanities Council.

For more information on this event, please contact Pam Crochet, Events Coordinator for the Cheyenne Depot Museum, at 307-632-3905, or go to the web site at www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org.

SPCR Commission meets Feb. 12-13

Lots of meetings going on next week in Cheyenne in conjunction with the Governor's Arts Awards gala Feb. 13. Here's one:

Members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet Feb.12-13 at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

The commission will meet from 12:30-3:30 p.m., Feb. 12 and 9:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

During the meeting, the commission will receive divisional updates and discuss a variety of State Parks and Cultural Resources issues.

Also while in Cheyenne, the commission will tour the Division of Cultural Resources new offices in the former Unicover Building, and attend the Governor’s Arts Awards reception and banquet.

The commission has advisory responsibility for both divisions of the department – State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails and Cultural Resources -- which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, state trails program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the management of the Cultural Trust Fund.

Members of the Commission are: President Ernie Over, Pavillion; Dan Barks, Gillette; William Vines, Wheatland; Bill G. Lucas, Lusk; Dudley Gardner, Ph.D, Rock Springs; Linda Fabian, Wheatland; Carolyn Buff, Casper; Karen Haderlie, Thayne; and Barb Vietti, Thermopolis.

FMI: Gary Schoene, 307-777-7014.

Reminder: Send in those applications for the Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition

Wyoming artists interested in applying for inclusion in the 9th Annual Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition are reminded the deadline for entries is February 13 .

All artists living and working in Wyoming are invited to enter this juried competition. Selected pieces will be on display in the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne from April 20 through June 6. Additionally, all work submitted must be for sale with a maximum price of $5,000. Gov. Dave Freudenthal will present more than $10,000 in anticipated purchase awards at a public reception on May 1. Juror’s Choice and People’s Choice awards will also be presented.

The Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition is a joint effort between the Governor’s Office, the Wyoming Arts Council, the State Museum and the Office of Travel and Tourism. The show was initiated to recognize and promote Wyoming artists.

All artistic interpretations from traditional to contemporary are encouraged in all mediums except video and installation. Applicants must be members of the Wyoming Arts Council Artist Image Registry.

Works may be two or three-dimensional and must be original and completed within the last three years. This year’s juror is Ivar Zeile, owner and director of the Plus Gallery in Denver.
Applicants will be notified in mid-March if they are accepted into this year ’s show.

Persons wishing to apply for the exhibit and/or Artist Image Registry can download applications from http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/ or call 307-777-7742. Neither application requires an entry fee.