Space aliens invade WYO Theater Nov. 12

Great line-up for Wednesday's "20:20"

This comes from the UW Art Museum blog:

The 20:20 for statewide visual and performing artists, musicians and writers, arts educators and organizations is this Wednesday, September 23 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Little America in Cheyenne. This event is being held in conjunction with the Wyoming Arts Council Arts Summit, also at the Little America. The WAC will be holding conference registration Wednesday evening, immediately preceding 20:20.

20:20 is a fast-paced presentation whereby presenters are allotted 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds, resulting in a 6 minute and 40 second presentation. It's a great opportunity for artists to share what they're working on. The goal of 20:20 is to foster open dialogue, connect colleagues and provide a forum for discussion within the Wyoming arts community. Please join us on Wednesday night for this fun event!

The presenters are:
1. Georgia Rowswell
2. Pravina Gondalia
3. Carolyn Hoyle
4. Sonjia Weinstein
5. Zak Pullen
6. Kristi Baxley (Rawlins Main Street)
7. Joy Keown
8. Bea Haggar
9. Mary Jane Edwards (Jentel)
10. Win Ratz
11. Dan Hayward
12. Sonja Caywood
13. Ken Driese
14. Anne Hatch
15. Mark Koons

A future 20:20 event is planned for statewide art students in February. For more information on 20:20, please call or email UW Art Museum assistant curator Rachel Miller at 307.766.6621 or rmiller@uwyo.edu.

You're invited to pre-Summit workshop on arts-based development in the West

This e-mail invitation comes from wyomingarts' colleague Randy Oestman:

Greetings Everyone,

I'm hoping you might be able to spread the word on this Pre-Summit Workshop I am putting together. Anyone may attend free regardless of attending the WAC Arts Summit.

Pre-Summit Workshop
"Creating and Sustaining Arts Based Development in the Rural West"
Facilitated by Dan Wecks
Wednesday September 23, 2009
Location: Cheyenne Depot Museum
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This Workshop is free to all, but attendees must RSVP!

More than ever communities across Wyoming are realizing the importance of Community Development and the Arts with may of the same questions being raised. Where do we start? How do we determine and communicate the importance of arts and creativity? What are possible projects? How do we attract participants? How do we fund this project and make it sustainable?

This will be an open discussion exploring successful and unsuccessful examples of Community Development and Arts projects from smaller communities with an opportunity to glean information from a very successful Community Development Leader. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for community leaders with similar visions to network and connect for assistance in making things happen throughout Wyoming.

Dan Wecks has a broad background of experience including government, non-profit, and private business. Before deciding to follow his heart to do what mattered to him, he was President of a large real estate and development company. He was elected to the Manitou City Council and later as its Mayor. During this time he became the Executive Director of the Business of Art Center, a business incubator for artists and arts organizations in Manitou Springs.. Dan’s twin loves are assisting arts/community organizations, schools and government in looking to creative solutions to community issues and helping build Strength Based organizations through the development of their people.

In recognition of challenging economic times, the Wyoming Arts Council is offering travel stipends to Wyoming artists, arts organization representatives and community leaders interested in attending the Arts Summit Sept. 24-25 at Little America in Cheyenne.

Thank you!

Cheers,

Randy Oestman
Wyoming Arts Council
Community Development and the Arts Specialist
307.777.7109

RSVP WAC to attend sessions on grants training and creating arts-based communities

The Wyoming Arts Council requests that people interested in attending its Sept. 23 pre-conference sessions at the Arts Summit send in their RVSPs by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

A grants training session will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sept. 23 at the Wyoming Arts Council conference room. This free session will be led by WAC staffers Mike Shay and Karen Merklin. To RSVP, call Karen at 307-777-7743 or e-mail kmerkl1@state.wy.us.

Another session, "Creating and Sustaining Arts-Based Development in Small Town Rural West," will be facilitated by Dan Wecks from 1-5 p.m. at the Historic Depot in downtown Cheyenne. This workshop is free to registrants of Wyoming Arts Summit. To RSVP, call Randy Oestman at 307-777-7109 or e-mail roestm@state.wy.us.

The Arts Summit kicks off at 5 p.m. on Sept. with registration and reception at Little America in Cheyenne in Wyoming Rooms A&B. Stick around for the 20:20 presentation for 7-9 p.m. This event is hosted by the UW Art Museum.

A full slate of Arts Summit presentations and panel meetings will be held on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 24-25, at Little America. Still time to register for this one-of-a-kind statewide event that addresses the crucial role that the arts play in community development.

FMI: http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Events/ArtSummit2009registrationbrochure.pdf

C'mon down to Cheyenne -- WAC offers travel stipends to Sept. 24-25 Arts Summit

In recognition of challenging economic times, the Wyoming Arts Council is offering travel stipends to Wyoming artists, arts organization representatives and community leaders interested in attending the Arts Summit Sept. 24-25 at Little America in Cheyenne.

The Summit features sessions by renowned experts exploring linkages among the arts, government, community development, economic prosperity and business.

The WAC travel stipends, available on a first-come, first-served basis, will help defray costs associated with the conference. Cheyenne residents can receive reimbursement for their Arts summit Registration; residents outside Cheyenne but within a 50-mile radius can receive $150; and those living in Wyoming outside the 50-mile radius can receive $300. Please – only one request/representative per arts organization may receive a travel stipend.

In return, the Arts Council asks stipend recipients to attend all sessions and fill out an in-depth evaluation that will help the agency with its strategic planning for the future of the arts in Wyoming.

Postmark deadline for requests is Sept. 15. Please call the WAC at 307-777-7742 and ask for Linda Coatney if you’re representing an arts organization, government (local, state, federal), schools, college/university or business. Ask for Michael Shay or Linda Coatney if you’re an individual artist.

For more information about the Summit, go to the WAC web page at http://www.wyoarts.org/

Deadline Sept. 9 for Arts Summit 20:20

This reminder comes from the University of Wyoming Art Museum blog:

The deadline to submit images for 20:20 is Wednesday, September 9. This means that there is still plenty of time to sign up to give a presentation! Images must be submitted in a PowerPoint format to Assistant Curator Rachel Miller at rmiller@uwyo.edu. They can also be mailed on a CD to Dept. 3807, 1000 E. University Dr., Laramie, WY 82071 or dropped off at the Art Museum. Sign up is on a first come, first served basis.

This 20:20 is for statewide visual and performing artists, art organizations, educators, musicians and writers. It is being held in conjunction with the Wyoming Arts Council Art Summit, so the hope is to get a diverse group of presenters! 20:20 will be held on Wednesday, September 23 from 7-9 p.m. at the Little America in Cheyenne. If you're attending the Arts Summit, registration is that same evening, immediately preceding 20:20.

20:20 is a program that was begun by the Art Museum in April. The idea behind the program is to provide Wyoming artists a forum for presenting new works, projects and accomplishments. It's a chance for folks from around Wyoming to stay up to date with the arts, network with colleagues and share ideas. Presenters are allowed 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds, resulting in a 6 minute and 40 second presentation. The format allows for multiple presentations within a short (usually 2 hour) time period.

For more information, or to sign up, contact Rachel at 307.766.6621 or rmiller@uwyo.edu.

Pre-Summit workshop addresses arts-based development in the rural West

The Wyoming Arts Council is hosting three pre-Arts Summit workshops in Cheyenne on Sept. 23.

The WAC's Community Development and the Arts Program Specialist Randy Oestman is the planner for "Creating and Sustaining Arts-Based Development in Small Town Rural West." It will be facilitated by Dan Wecks on Wednesday Sept. 23, 1-5 p.m. Location TBA (and we'll have it on the blog when it is). This workshop is free to registrants of Wyoming Arts Summit 2009

Here's some background on the workshop:

More than ever communities across Wyoming are realizing the importance of Community Development and the Arts with may of the same questions being raised. Where do we start? How do we determine and communicate the importance of arts and creativity? What are possible projects? How do we attract participants? How do we fund this project and make it sustainable?

This will be an open discussion exploring successful and unsuccessful examples of Community Development and Arts projects from smaller communities with an opportunity to glean information from a very successful Community Development Leader. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for community leaders with similar visions to network and connect for assistance in making things happen throughout Wyoming.

Dan Wecks has a broad background of experience including government, non-profit, and private business. Before deciding to follow his heart to do what mattered to him, he was President of a large real estate and development company. He was elected to the Manitou City Council and later as its Mayor. During this time he became the Executive Director of the Business of Art Center, a business incubator for artists and arts organizations in Manitou Springs.. Dan’s twin loves are assisting arts/community organizations, schools and government in looking to creative solutions to community issues and helping build "Strength-Based" organizations through the development of their people.

FMI: Randy Oestman, WAC, 307-777-7109.

P.S.: The other two pre-Arts Summit workshops will be on arts education and writing WAC grants. More info later...

Check out the 2009 Wyoming Arts Summit

Wyoming Arts Summit 2009 will be held September 24-25, at Little America in Cheyenne.

[Update: On July 30, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's office emailed the WAC office saying the mayor has committed to another function and is unavailable for the summit]

Two presenters invited back from the 2007 summit after receiving exceptionally positive responses from attendess are Patrick Overton and Stuart Rosenfeld. Overton is director of the Front Porch Institute in Astoria, Oregon, which creates resources for rural and small community arts and cultural development. Rosenfeld serves as a principal in Regional Technology Strategies located in Carrboro, North Carolina, which assists governments, foundations, and other organizations with economic development strategies.

Presenter Kelly J. Barsdate has managed the National Association of State Arts Agencies strategic collaborations with partners such as the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the NEA, among many others.

Session topics include Mayors & Their Creative Communities, Creating Festivals, Sheridan—Creative Community Spotlight and Artists on Main Street, among others.

Three pre-conference presentations by WAC staffers will take place on September 23. Topics include using evaluation data to tell the story of your program; a discussion on rural community development and the arts; and a session in grants training.

A block of tickets for the UW vs. UNLV football game on Saturday, September 26 have been held for those wishing to attend the game after conference’s end. Tickets can be purchased for $28.00 each on the registration form. Other activities include a Wednesday evening UW Art Museum-hosted 20:20 presentation, where individual artists, organizations, or towns can show their work or latest project, and a Thursday evening reception at the Old West Museum in Frontier Park.

For further information about Wyoming Arts Summit 2009, call the Wyoming Arts Council at (307) 777-7742.

Call for artists: Sign up now for next 20:20

This news comes from our friends at the UW Art Museum:

The next 20:20 event is set for Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7-9 p.m. at Little America in Cheyenne. It will be held in conjunction with the Wyoming Arts Council's Arts Summit.

This 20:20 is the second in a series of three events hosted by the UW Art Museum. In the past, 20:20 was held specifically for artists from the southeast region of the state, but the event in September is open to all statewide artists, arts organizations and art educators. Because it is being held in conjunction with the Arts Summit, writers, musicians and performing artists are also encouraged to sign up.

20:20 is a fast-paced presentation format where presenters are allowed 20 images, in PowerPoint format, and each image is only shown for 20 seconds. The result is a 6 minute and 40 second presentation. This allows for as many people as possible to show their latest work, their accomplishments, new projects and new ideas. 20:20 is meant to encourage dialogue and networking among colleagues throughout the state. It's a great opportunity to update and inform the Wyoming arts community.

Sign up is on a first come, first served basis. Images must be submitted in PowerPoint format no later than Wednesday, September 9. For more information or to sign up, please contact Art Museum Assistant Curator Rachel Miller at 307-766-6621 or rmiller@uwyo.edu.

"Artscapes" explores creative communities

The Wyoming Arts Council's intrepid correspondent, Linda Coatney, is up in Torrington this week investigating Goshen County's blossoming arts scene.

By now, you've probably read Linda's profile of Cokeville in Lincoln County which appeared in our fall print newsletter, Artscapes. In August, the WAC launched its quarterly publication with Linda's article on the burgeoning arts community that is Gillette.

If you have any suggestions about arts events and artists in Goshen County, either e-mail Linda or me (see sidebar for links). If you have any suggestions for future profiles of "Wyoming's Arts Communites," let me know.

At the Wyoming Arts Summit last October in Casper, speakers from all over the U.S. discussed the rise of "creative communities." Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, predicted that the West will play a major role in this effort. "I'm a Westerner and believe that the future of this country is going to be pioneered in the West," he said.

Read about Wyoming's "creative communities" in the WAC's Artscapes newsletter. If you're not receiving it via mail, let me know and I'll get you on the mailing list. You also can pick up a copy at your local library.

NEA Chair addresses national arts conference

NEA Chair Dana Gioia addressed last week's National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' conference in Baltimore. This is the second time in the past two months that Wyoming Arts Council staff members have heard him speak. In mid-October, Gioia traveled to Casper to speak at the first-ever Wyoming Arts Summit. This time, he spoke to us from a big screen in a hotel ballroom.

He returned to a topic he discussed at the Summit. There, he said that there were two kinds of people in the world: consumers, and consumers who do things. This first group tends to spend most of its time consuming. You get the image of couch potatoes and teens plugged into their electronic gaming devices. The second group conjures those people who watch TV and play video games, but who also play games together, attend plays, bowl, join a local club, march in the Fourth of July parade, sing in a choir, etc.

In Baltimore, Gioia slightly changed the definitions of these two groupings of Americans: non-participants on the one hand; participants/readers on the other. Different labels, same groups. The facts remain the same. Those people who do things together volunteer at a rate 400 percent higher than those who don’t. Studies show that arts participants also are more likely to join a bowling league or coach soccer. Readers, especially, have a tendency to exercise more and volunteer more than non-readers.

He chastised this national gathering of arts administrators. He said we've done a poor job of reaching out to the greater society. This is odd because most arts administrators seem to be participants to the core. But maybe we're spending too much of our time talking to each other. This oversight and/or neglect may have alarming consequences.

"One-third of American teens are dropping out of high school," said the electronic Gioia on the big screen. "Arts are the missing piece of the equation, both in education and in public life in general."

Gioia likes the fact that a program he started three years ago, Poetry Out Loud, is appealing to some of those at-risk kids. This has been true in most states, Wyoming included. Five of the 12 particpating states in the first year of Wyoming Poetry Out Loud were from so-called "alternative high schools," such as Triumph in Cheyenne. The third-place finisher in POL's first year was a young man from Pathfinder High School in Lander.

But NEA programs such as Poetry Out Loud and The Big Read have "reached millions of people in each of your states," said Gioia. "That's a powerful way of making people your allies.

"And members of Congress want to see that we're reaching every community in their state. We've been doing that and thousands of articles are being written about it." He added with a laugh: "Poetry Out Loud is getting the same kind of coverage as high school football."

For more info about Wyoming Poetry Out Loud, contact Mike Shay at the WAC at 307-777-5234.

Wyoming photogs meet UW Symphony

Dean Petersen, videographer for State Parks and Cultural Resources, assembled a presentation for our recent Arts Summit that features photos by Wyoming artists set to music by the University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. The music composition is Wind River. Here's a description from the Summit program:

“Wind River was commissioned by the UW Symphony Orchestra for the celebration of the new millennium in 2000, and was first performed in Laramie in April 2001. “Since the piece was inspired by Wyoming, premiered by a Wyoming Orchestra, and commissioned by the Wyoming Arts Council and other Wyoming groups, it is the perfect piece for this wonderful event,” says Michael Griffith who invited Joseph Curiale to compose this work.

Curiale remembers, “The thought of paying honor to both the majesty and power of Wyoming’s beauty and the enduring spirit of its people really touched my heart.....I made many trips to Wyoming and one to the Wind River mountains ...to feel the wind, to breathe the air, and to experience oneness with this monumental beautiful temple of the earth.”

Wind River was composed in Santa Ynez, California and is dedicated to Michael Griffith.

Click on this link to the video, sit back, and enjoy your own private WYO:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1364707EaMcXKmy?c=wyomingmuse

Great letter of support about the Arts Summit

Dear Editor:

For some time now the big buzzword in Douglas has been economic development. Housing, Wal-Mart, zoning, brain drain, business park, roads…the list goes on and on. Thousands of other towns have the same issues.

Then, last week your front page reported about 20-somethings moving to town to “launch their professional careers.” Excessive hyperboles aside, what is displayed in the front page photo are three young people on their cell phones and electronic devices interacting not with each other, not necessarily with Douglas, but with the entire world of social and business opportunity.

On this playing field we all are on equal footing. Big city folks and country bumpkins all have an equal chance because of technology. Professionals don’t really need a unique place to live. Thousands of towns provide them with equal opportunity.

So, what makes Douglas unique from other small towns? Why not live in Glenrock, Wheatland or even Wright? Is the soul of Douglas in the Jackalope?

Last weekend I attended a seminar in Casper that addressed the problem. It found that cities and towns are discovering the arts and cultural heritage as key ingredients for economic development. A strong educational arts program helps students find meaningful work based on critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Strong arts venues attract tourists that spend more money exploring new museums, galleries, landmarks and historical areas. Arts are a key ingredient in attracting jobs for when the minerals run out; where technology, intellectual property, design, writing and entertainment become an inexhaustible supply of jobs and wealth.

Study after study have shown a strong correlation between arts participation and civic engagement, building socially stronger communities that have less crime, fewer student dropouts, more volunteerism, greater physical activity and better health.

It is of utmost importance that Douglas begins to do more than provide infrastructure for economic development. It should follow the lead of many other more livable cities and provide an infrastructure for social strength through greater arts participation and program support.

This is what will stem the increasing flow of cars going to Casper. Not a Wal-Mart store. And maybe those 20-somethings in your photo might start talking to each other face to face.

Rom Hinz
301 S. 6th St.
Douglas

Moments in time from the Wyoming Arts Summit

Banners at the Wyoming Arts Summit represent every county in the state. Representatives from each county brought in each banner.

(l to r) Evangeline Bratton and Marirose Morris of the Wyoming Arts Council man the registration table at the Wyoming Arts Summit

WAC events -- in print, audio and video

Click this image to

• read about the ten folk artists featured in the current Wyoming Arts Council Gallery Show in Cheyenne


• see videos of those artists at work in their studios around the state -- from Ethete to Elk Mountain


• hear podcasts of talks by some of the nationally-known presenters at last weekend's Wyoming Arts Summit in Casper

Any questions? Call the WAC at 307-777-7742.

Longfellow Poetry Out Loud: "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls"

Last Thursday at the Wyoming Arts Summit in Casper, Dana Gioia opened his keynote speech with a poem. This is only right, as Gioia is a poet when he's not at the helm of the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. He chose a classic poem from the on-line vaults of Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation project co-sponsored by the Arts Endowment and the Poetry Foundation. "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls," is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In his introduction, Gioia noted that the U.S. is celebrating the bicentennial of Longfellow's birth this year (see Oct. 11 wyomingarts post). In celebration, Gioia recited the poem POL-style for the audience. Here's the text:

The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveller to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Note to Wyoming students in grades 9-12: You can participate in Poetry Out Loud this year. Advise your English or drama or speech teacher to contact Mike Shay or Camellia El-Antably at the WAC and sign up. It's free, and students whose recitations win their school competitions are eligible to compete in the state finals in Cheyenne in March 2008. Winner of that contest goes on to the national finals in D.C. Big prizes!

So brush up on your Longfellow or Zora Neale Hurston or e.e. cummings for the 2007-2008 session of Wyoming Poetry Out Loud.

FMI: Mike Shay at 307-777-5234 or mshay@state.wy.us.

Lit Conference readings highlight Thursday

I missed hearing Dana Gioia tonight at the opening reception for the Wyoming Arts Summit in Casper. Gioia, the poet who heads the National Endowment for the Arts, was due to speak some time between 6 and 6:30 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum. I dropped in at 5 to help fellow WAC staffers prepare for the onslaught of guests. Nic Director Holly Turner and her staff greeted guests, which by the time I departed at 5:45 included WAC board members Bruce Richardson, David Neary and Dave Kathka; former board member Susie Dowler; State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson; and Cultural Resources Director Sara Needles.

I left early because, as a member in good standing of the Casper College Literary Conference planning committee, I needed to be at our reception and reading at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse a couple miles to the east. Rattling the rafters of the log clubhouse was the Jeff Finlin Band of Colorado, which included Casper's Amy Geiske on bass. The reading began at 7 in front of an SRO crowd. First up was Casper College sociology prof Chad Hanson who read the title story of his collection, "Swimming with Trout." In it, the main character invents the new pastime of "swimming with trout," which is a lot like swimming with dolphins although there's little chance of being attacked by sharks. The character dons a wetsuit, mask and snorkel to swim the North Platte and admire the fish. Later, he plunges into a local creek to "count coup" on trout. A great story. I could see why it sets the tone for the rest of the volume.

Belarus poet Valzhyna Mort's reading was on the theme of "six love poems -- and one about a dead man." Her most powerful one was not the one about the dead man -- that got laughs. But a love poem called "Utopia." This one focuses on Molvina, a little girl with blue hair, which is basically the Belarus version of Pinnochio.

Nick Flynn first read several passages from his memoir, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," then read a section from his newest memoir, "The Year of the Monkey." It centered around events in 2004, which is The Year of the Monkey on what we used to refer as the Oriental Calendar but not sure what it's called now. One of those events was the release of the photos of prison torture at Baghdad's Abu Garaib Prison. Nick tied in a youthful memory of a house fire, Plato, and Vice President Dick Cheney into the piece.

Ekiwah Adler-Belendez wrapped up the evening with poems about the recent protests in Burma by the monks, his ordeals with surgery for spinal problems (Ekiwah travels in a wheelchair), and finished with a long and powerful love poem called "Cyberspace Blues."

Afterwards, I bought too many books and had them signed by the authors. I may be able to take part in some of the events tomorrow, but more than likely I'll be at the WAC Arts Sumiit all day. That's when I can hear Mr. Gioia as he opens the day's proceedings at the Casper Events Center. Gioia delivers the keynote at 9 a.m. For full schedule, go here.

--Michael Shay

Arts galore in Casper this week

A five-day extravaganza of art comes to Casper this week in the form of the Casper College Literary Conference (Oct. 17-19), the Wyoming Arts Summit (Oct. 18-20), and the Wyoming Arts Alliance Block-Booking Conference (Oct. 19-20).

Thursday evening (Oct. 18) offers the opening reception for the Arts Summit (5-8 p.m.) at the Nicolaysen Art Museum and the "President's Reception" for the Casper College Literary Conference from 5-7 p.m. at Fort Casper's Izaak Walton Clubhouse.

Entertainment at The Nic includes the Impact Dance Company and music by The Tremors. Music will be provided by the Jeff Finlin Band at the literary conference, followed at 7 p.m. with readings by conference presenters Ekiwah Adler-Benendez, Nick Flynn, Valzhyna Mort, and Chad Hanson. These events are free and open to the public.

For more info on the Summit, go to http://wyoarts.state.wy.us. For literary conference information, go to http://www.caspercollege.edu/events/literary/. The schedule for the WyAA conference can be found at http://www.wyomingarts.org/.

Don't forget that ARTCORE offers Frank Ferrante as "Groucho" on Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Natrona County H.S. auditorium.

One-day tix available for Arts Summit

By popular demand, the Wyoming Arts Council is now offering one-day tickets for the Wyoming Arts Summit Oct. 19-20 at the Casper Events Center.

While the fee for the entire conference remains at $100, you can choose to purchase a separate ticket for Friday or Saturday's events for $50. Buying a $50 ticket for Friday gets you admission to that evening's Summit Gala featuring music by the University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, the UW Jazz Ensemble, the Casper College Collegiate Chorale, and the Cheyenne Chamber Singers. Governor Dave Freudenthal, First Lady Nancy Freudenthal, and U.S. Sen Mike Enzi will deliver speeches. Sometime in there, dinner and dessert will be served.

Saturday's schedule includes workshops and panel sessions with Dan Kemmis from the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Missoula, Mont., Front Porch Institute Director Patrick Overton, and Wyoming Poet Laureate David Romtvedt. Lunch will be served during a town hall meeting featuring all the conference speakers.

To register, go to http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/summitregistration.htm

Literary conference features worldly line-up

The 21st annual ARTCORE/Casper College Literary Conference, with the theme of "Spiritual Warriors," features an international line-up of poets and writers Oct. 17-19 in Casper.

Presenters include Nick Flynn, New York City poet and essayist and author of the memoir "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City;" Ekiwah Adler-Belendez (shown at right), a 19-year-old poet prodigy raised in the small village of Amatlan, Mexico, who has captivated his country’s literary scene with three poetry collections; Valzhyna Mort from Minsk, Belarus, whose first poetry collection, "I’m as Thin as Your Eyelashes, addresses the upheaval of anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe, when poets became prophets for their nations and when poetry, the only voice of freedom, had to be carefully hidden – because poetry was considered both a sin and a weapon; Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen, author of "Goddesses in Older Women: Archetypes in Women Over Fifty" and "Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World;" Chad Hanson, Casper essayist and fiction writer whose story collection, "Swimming with Trout," was published by the University of New Mexico Press; and Colorado musician and songwriter Jeff Finlin.

Each of them will conduct a writing workshop and read from their work during the course of the conference. There is a fee for the workshops, but the readings are free and open to the public. A free public reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m., at Casper’s Izaak Walton Clubhouse, followed by a "Spiritual Warriors" panel session and reading by Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez, Valzhyna Mort, Nick Flynn, and Chad Hanson. Special guest Dana Gioia, poet and chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, will say a few words and introduce the panel. Gioia will be in town to speak at the Wyoming Arts Summit Oct. 19 at the Casper Events Center.

For a full schedule of events, and to register for the workshops, go to <http://www.caspercollege.edu/events/literary/>.

FMI: Michael Shay, Wyoming Arts Council, 307-777-5234.