Register now for Americans for the Arts 2012 convention in San Antonio

From Americans for the Arts:

The New Normal—we hear about it every day, but what does it mean to your organization?

The 2012 Americans for the Arts Annual Convention this June 8–10 in San Antonio, TX will bring together more than 1,000 arts and community leaders to focus on how the arts field can function, change, and thrive in The New Normal—a landscape of economic uncertainty and shifting demographics.

Register before the early-bird deadline, April 27, to save up to $175! Plus, register now and receive $50 off a second registration for a colleague. Check out all the Ways to Save and book your hotel room today!

Ron Franscell and books tour Wyoming in October

Wyoming native Ron Franscell is bringing his book tour to Wyoming. For details, go to http://www.booktour.com/author/31715

Call for artists: Texas Tech University public art project

Texas Tech University Public Art Committee has issued a call for artists.

Deadline: May 25, 2011.

The Texas Tech University System Public Art Committee is seeking proposals from artists to create large-scale artwork for the new Rawls College of Business Administration building at the Lubbock campus. The final product will contribute significantly to the public art collection at Texas Tech and enhance and compliment the newly constructed 149,000-square-foot facility.

FMI: www.fpc.ttu.edu/fpcweb/publicart/opportunities.jsf

Cam-Plex features Willie Nelson & Family April 20

http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=21612&schedule=list

"Delivered from Evil" book trailer by Ron Franscell

Wyoming native (and Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship winner) Ron Franscell now lives and works in San Antonio. Some of you remember him from his nonfiction book, "The Darkest Night," an account of the rape and murder of two Casper girls in 1973. In his latest true crime book, due out in January, Ron explores the lives of ten people who survived mass murders. Many writers have gone to video in the form of book trailers to promote their work. In this one, Ron shows how it's done.

Warren Keldsen (a.k.a. WarrenZ): "Let your light shine/In this crazy town"

Warren Keldsen (a.k.a. WarrenZ) dropped by the Wyoming Arts Council offices this afternoon. He wanted to talk about grants for individual artists -- so we did. He also said that he plays most Tuesday and Thursday at Suite 1901 in downtown Cheyenne. Suite 1901 features live music almost every night. Food and cocktails too.

Warren left Wheatland to play in the Austin and Nashville music scenes. For an Americana singer-songwriter, those are about the toughest places to ply your trade. He's now finishing up his fourth CD and living in Cheyenne and encouraging ecveryone to go out and enjoy live music.

He's at Suite 1901 on Tuesday, Nov. 9. He then takes a vacation and will be back on Nov. 23.

Wyomingarts went to Warren's Myspace site and listened to his songs. We suggest you do the same. Listen to "This Town." You'll hear Austin and Nashville in it. Wyoming too. Go to WarrenZ at Myspace Music

Ron Franscell's new book tracks "Outlaw Texas"

"The Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Texas" is a new book by Wyoming expat author Ron Franscell, who nows lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. Ron's a Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship recipient (1996) and former editor of the Gillette newspaper. Many Wyomingites read his true crime book "Fall" about the infamous 1973 killing and rape of two Casper girls.

Ron sends word that the book is set to hit the shelves in two months (just in time for Christmas shopping), but you can pre-order at a discount from Amazon and B&N. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Buffs-Guide-Outlaw-Texas/dp/0762759658/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271290160&sr=8-8

Here's a blurb about Ron's new book:

A fascinating journey through the Lone Star State’s unruly past -- with maps, photos, and more

Texas rightfully claims a celebrated place in the “wildest” West of both myth and reality—which makes it truly stranger than fiction that The Crime Buff’s Guide to Outlaw Texas is the first-ever travel guide to the many sites related to the Lone Star State’s renowned rambunctious past, complete with GPS coordinates that put you at the scene of the action.

From outlaws like Sam Bass and John Wesley Hardin to Bonnie & Clyde and Houston’s notorious Candy Man killer, Texas has dozens of places where true-crime buffs can actually stand close to history. For many readers, the attraction to these sites—some well-known, some obscured by time—is irresistible.

Written with the same fast-paced, gripping style that marked the author’s widely praised earlier work, The Crime Buff’s Guide to Outlaw Texas is an indispensable resource for both criminal-history enthusiasts and travelers. Each site description includes a concise summary of the location’s significance, historical context, maps, directions, and photos.

Call for entries: "Captivar La Luz" photo exhibit

DEADLINE: Sat, August 14, 2010

"Captivar La Luz: A Latino Experience"

The Texas Photographic Society invites amateur and professional photographers to submit images for "Captivar La Luz: A Latino Experience Exhibit." Projects and Individual images welcome. Juried by Kathy Vargas, Professor of Photography and Chair of the Art Department, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX. Opening at Blue Star LAB, San Antonio, TX on October 1. This exhibit is open to all, as long as the subject of the work is related to Latin American life, culture, conflict and/or any social or economic issues in the United States. $2000 in cash prizes.

Contact: Amber Gibson, 210-824-4123, shows@texasphoto.org

On the web at http://www.texasphoto.org/TPSLatino.html

Fanciful American bison at Carter Museum

In 2009, the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to catalog and digitize the entire works on paper collection, which is comprised of over 7,000 drawings, watercolors, and prints. Museum staff is posting some of the newly digitized work on its blog with this comment: "You’ll notice that these are unusually whimsical images, most likely drawn by Europeans who had not seen the American bison (or his friend, the deer) in person." As an example, here's a 1790 (approx.) etching by Swiss artist Johann Rudolf Holzhalb (1723-1806), "Americanischer Aur-Ochs. Bos Bison." For more, go to http://www.cartermuseum.org/blog/notes-from-underground/it-works-on-paper-the-fanciful-buffalo

Nina McConigley to celebrate new story in American Short Fiction with Texas reading

Wyoming fiction writer Nina McConigley (upper right) is one of the writers featured in the new issue of American Short Fiction.

Casper's Nina Swamidoss McConigley (now teaching at UW in Laramie) has a new story out this fall in American Short Fiction magazine. The story is "Curating Your Life." A reading featuring contributors to this issue of ASF will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, at the Austin, Texas, home of Kelty Christman. This is free and open to the public.

The event features readings by writers Nina McConigley and Josh Weil. Actor Gabriel Luna, fresh from his title role in Cambiare Productions’ Orestes, will also read. Buzz Moran and LB Deyo of Dionysium will emcee. Music from the fall issue's diskette will also be played.

FMI: http://www.americanshortfiction.org/blog/?p=1236

"5 Years of Freedom" exhibit in Meeteetse

Photographer and world traveler David Stalcup will exhibit his work this summer at the Meeteetse Museum, 1947 State St., Meeteetse. A reception will be held for the artists on Saturday, June 6, 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

FMI: 307-868-2423 or mmuseum@tctwest.net

For more on David, go to http://davidstalcup.com

"Post-modern kings of western swing" perform Jan. 7 in Jackson

Asleep at the Wheel performs at the Arts Center Theater in Jackson on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

All seats $35. Click Here To Get Tickets

Here's a description from the Arts Center web site:

Over the course of the last 37 years, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have boldly defied the fickle lures of the mainstream – and thrived – by sticking to their noble cause of keeping that distinctly American of art forms, western swing, alive and kicking. Along the way, the band has been awarded nine Grammys, entertained millions, and won praise and admiration from the likes of Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan, George Strait to Van Morrison. Asleep at the Wheel has been called the “post-modern kings of western swing,” and given their storied history, it is a title that few would question.

Warning from Ron: Don't type on this cake!

Wyomingarts strives to keep track of those artists, writers and performers who have wandered away from Wyoming. Well-traveled writer Ron Franscell grew up in Casper, made an impact as a journalist and editor in Gillette, and won a FY 1996 Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship. He writes to us with news -- both professional and personal -- from his home in San Antonio, Texas:

THE DARKEST NIGHT continues to capture readers' imaginations, and has been the hottest selling true-crime book of the summer! It remains in Amazon's Top 10 true crimes and is getting new attention from as far away as Korea and Australia. Kind of daunting for this Wyoming kid, but gratifying to know that Amy's and Becky's trauma might have a positive effect today, 35 years later.

If you happen to be lounging on your back deck next Saturday afternoon, grab your laptop! I'll be appearing on Burl Barer's true-crime radio show at 4 p.m. CDT Saturday (8/9). You can't hear this show on your old-fashioned radio! Just log-on to http://outlawcrime.com/ and listen from the comfort of your deck chair!

Many of you know that I was married on July 5 to my best friend, Mary, here in San Antonio. The ceremony at a former Catholic convent in the Hill Country couldn't have been more perfect. But even on such an occasion, I couldn't get far from the writer's life. Pictured here [see above] is the groom's cake: a replica of my antique 1920s-era Royal typewriter, rendered in dark chocolate! I would have tried to write a story on it, but it would have turned out way too sweet!