Local musicians featured at Paramount Cafe grand opening Feb. 23

The Paramount Café, 1607 Capitol Ave. in Cheyenne, holds its grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 23, all day long. Here’s the plan:

We are having a Grand Opening celebration! We will have several local musicians playing all day long! We will have specialty drinks and door prizes! This will be an all-day event! Make sure you can swing by. Our performers include Devon Dvorak, a local acoustic artist; Bret Herrick, a local violinist (played at Carnegie Hall); Peat Bog Mysteries, a local Bluegrass Band; and so many more! We will also have Bubble Tea! More info at http://www.facebook.com/events/245044685575977/

Nominations close Friday for "Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America"

Nominations close this Friday, February 17 for The BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America.

The BCA 10 recognizes businesses of all sizes for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education, and the community. Celebrate a business with exemplary art support in your community by nominating them forThe BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America. 

Here are a couple examples of stories we’ve been hearing: law firms that invest in early arts education, major retailers that work to boost museum attendance, and even a real estate company that not only supports artists through commissioned works, but does so to inspire its employees. Winning businesses will be honored at a gala in New York City on October 4, 2012.

Nominations close this Friday, February 17, so submit your nomination today! For more information, www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/BCA10 or contact Timarie Harrigan at tharrigan@artsusa.org.

Attending fellowship biennial opening Nov. 4? Stick around for Art Association's "Business Skills for Artists" workshop

For those artists coming to Jackson for the fellowship biennial opening events Nov. 3-4:

Bruce Baker will be presenting a workshop entitled “Business Skills for Artists: Thrive not Merely Survive as a Studio Professional” on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5-6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Art Association’s Borshell Studio at the Center for the Arts in Jackson. Fee is $175.

Description: Have you often wondered what it might be like making a living creating and selling your artwork? Do you want to learn what is entailed in participating in an art fair? Learn from one of the industry’s leading consultants, Bruce Baker who has conducted over 600 workshops on the subject. In this 2-day workshop Bruce will review booth design, sales and customer service, tips on slides for juried shows and trends and product development. His workshops are lively, entertaining and motivational. Whether a seasoned professional or just starting out, you will learn more than a gem or two from Bruce!

Registration and more info: www.artassociation.org

SocialWyo holds social media conference Oct. 13 at Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne

From the SocialWyo blog:

Thanks to the generous support of Laramie County Community College and the College of Workforce and Community Development, the third SocialWyo conference will be Oct. 13.

And to celebrate some of the great stuff going on downtown, we're switching it up a bit! Here's the quick and dirty breakdown:

SocialWyo 3.0 will be at the Hynds Building, 1602 Capitol Ave., in downtown Cheyenne on Oct. 13.

Admission is $99 and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Call LCCC's Darlene Kaelin at 778-4381 to register. (Sorry, phone registrations only.) 

Here's the schedule:
8 a.m. Doors Open
8:30 -10 a.m. Facebook for Marketers
10:15 - 11:45 a.m. Twitter for Business
Noon - 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Speaker Erika Napoletano
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Roundtable Discussions

You want details? OK!

The Facebook and Twitter classes will start at the ground level, but if you're an experienced marketer, you will get something out of the sessions. We'll cover, quickly, the basic set up of a fan page and Twitter account, introduce you to the Facebook algorithm and basic Twitter operation and help you develop strategies for deploying your new knowledge. If you're trying to figure out how often to tweet or post, much less what you should tweet or post, we'll help you out.

After those sessions, we'll move onto lunch with keynote speaker Erika Napoletano, head redhead at Redhead Writing. She'll discuss personal branding and how not to look like a doofus online -- all of that material will be relevant to your personal and professional brands. And judging from her social media presence, I'm pretty sure you won't want to miss out. I've been following her (and laughing with her!) for about a year now, and I'm increasingly impressed with her commitment to teaching and learning about social and branding. Based in Denver, she blogs regularly, tweets and posts often and writes a column for Entrepreneur.com. On any platform, she promises unfiltered content, blunt advice and unpopular thoughts. Follow her. 

After all of that, we'll still want to make sure you've got a plan of action when you return to the office. Roundtable discussions will help you work out some finer points of your content strategy, answer more detailed or even more basic questions about social media and marketing, much less connect directly with professionals whose goals for social are similar to your own.

Ready to learn? OK. Here are the digits: 778-4381. Register. Or else.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LCCC to offer "The Art of Business" courses this fall at the Hynds Bulding

From the Arts Alliance of Cheyenne:

LCCC is offering a whole new line of courses at the Hynds Building centered around “The Art of Business.” Classes start August 22, 2011.

Upcoming Entrepreneur Classes located at the Hynds Building downtown:

Grants 101 for the Entrepreneur
Participants examine grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, loans, scholarships and other sources of funding for business and non-profits to learn how to find, apply for and manage these financial instruments.

The Business of Art
Participates explore all aspects of the business of art including, marketing, portfolio development, photography and entrepreneurship for emerging and mid-career artist of all media including art educators and creative entrepreneurs

Upcoming entrepreneur classes offered at LCCC main campus online include:
•  Successful entrepreneurship
•  Creating a Business plan
•  Analyzing Business Opportunities
•  Creativity:  the Business Tool

FMI: 307 778-4381

LCCC offers courses for artist-entrepreneurs

http://www.wyen.biz/

Public-private partnerships enlivening Casper's city center

"A thriving downtown environment requires people. The more people who live and work down there, the more vibrant it will stay."

That's Wyoming National Apartments developer Steve Grimshaw speaking in the Casper Star-Tribune about the revitalization efforts in the Nicolaysen Art Museum neighborhood in Casper. Grimshaw is the developer of Sunshine Apartments I & II, low-income apartment complexes being built on the old KC Apartments space.

Casper received word this week that the National Endowment for the Arts approved a $50,000 grant for an arts space to be included in the redevelopment, which is being financed by the Wyoming Community Development Authority.

Also contributing to revitalization efforts are the city's new plaza and transit hub on Beech Street and the removal of a large barrier that separated the NIC from Kimball Street, opening up the area to residential neighborhoods to the south.Also in the works is a $1.63 million improvement project on Collins Drive between Durbin and Kimball.

Another quote from the CST:

"When all of this gets completed, between the new apartments, the street construction and the community installation, it's going to be a whole new neighborhood, almost," said city Community Development Director April Getchius.

PHOTO: Keifer Russell, with Grizzly Excavating, works on the edge pieces to a brick inlay on the sidewalks near the former KC Apartments with co-worker Manuel Alberto on East Collins Drive in Casper. Improvements to the area include two new apartment buildings, street beautification and a public art space. Photo by Tim Kupsick, CST.

Suite 1901 receives Dubois Award May 11 from Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board

From Don Threewit: The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board is presenting its annual Dubois Award for Excellence to Suite 1901 at -- you guessed it -- Suite 1901. On Wednesday, May 11, 7-10 p.m. This downtown business is a spectacular example of adaptive reuse of a a hotel and lounge and is the newest of Cheyenne's hot spots. Please join us to celebrate John Harrison and his team's success and imbibe in a tasty infused martini. Any questions, feel free to call me, Don Threewitt, at 307-256-4879

Mother's Day grand-reopening of Night Heron Books in downtown Laramie

From the Downtown Laramie Facebook site: "It was a beautiful Mother's Day downtown. Perfect for celebrating the grand re-opening of Night Heron Books!"

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

Message of "love, kindness and peace" behind Cheyenne downtown mural project

Artist's depiction of proposed downtown Cheyenne mural

Reporter Becky Orr wrote about "Downtown getting giant cherub mural" in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

The building at the southwest corner of 17th Street and Warren Avenue is a tidy brick structure with white shutters near the windows.

Owner Ed Murray wants to expand its purpose. He said he wants to provide an artistically beautiful mural on its south wall for people to enjoy.

The mural will depict a cherub created by 16th-century Renaissance artist Raphael. Murray, a business and property owners in Cheyenne, said he wants the art to help revitalize downtown and become a catalyst for more such works. 

Gillette artist Harvey Jackson will paint the mural on the south wall. It will be about 47 feet tall and 60 feet wide. “It’s nice to convey a message of love and peace and understanding,” Jackson said, especially given the turmoil in the world. 

Currently, a painting of a green martini glass covers part of the south wall’s red surface. The glass is part of the state’s message against underage drinking. 

Murray considered a western theme for the new mural, but nothing “embraced or beckoned” him, he said. 

During their deliberations, Jackson asked Murray what was in his heart that he wanted to project, Murray said. Murray started soul-searching and concluded that he wanted to project a message of love, kindness and peace. An angel is the best way to accomplish that, he said. 

Murray looked at dozens of angel images before he selected the cherub. The image is a departure from a typical western theme. Even so, cherubs have a western connection with their presence in paintings in many Old West saloons, Murray said. 

Jackson expects to start painting in late summer or early fall. It should take 30 to 60 days to complete.

Read the complete article here.

11th annual Native American Business Expo set for May 4 at Intertribal Center in Riverton

The 11th Annual Native American Business Expo/Wind River Business Conference will be held Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at the new Intertribal Center in Riverton. The target market includes those located on the Wind River Indian Reservation, Fremont County, and statewide. This year it has three main focuses: "Artisan, General Business, and Government Contracting."

FMI: Margie E. Rowell, Director, Small Business Development Center, 213 W. Main Street, Suite C, Riverton WY  82501; 1-800-969-8639; http://WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz

Attention arts entrepreneurs: WY Entrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program may be for you

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Would you like to:

• Upgrade your business to one that is more eco-friendly and
• sustainable?
• Discover new markets and customers?
• Save money by reducing waste and energy costs?
• Develop a business plan to guide you through the process?
• Receive grant funding of up $2000 to help you implement your sustainability plans?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the WyomingEntrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program is for you!
Enrollment is free — but limited. Don’t wait. Enroll today!

Understanding and implementing sustainable business practices in your business can save you money, help you reach new markets, provide a healthy and safe workplace for you and your employees, and help your business survive in a world that is increasingly focused on sustainability.

Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC is offering a valuable training program and grant package to help you understand and implement sustainable business practices in your business. It allows you to become more efficient, profitable and able to serve your customers for years to come.

The Wyoming Entrepreneur Sustainable Profits package is worth up to $2,500 to your business. This free program includes:

• A seven session online course that will guide you through the process of developing a sustainable business plan. This course will include a one-hour webinar each week plus group coaching sessions.
• A year-long license to the powerful online tool, “Solutions at the Speed of Business,” featuring modules on Lighting, Heating and Cooling, and Office Equipment. Visit www.NatCapSolutions.org
• Free consultation offered by the business specialists at Wyoming Entrepreneur.
• Participants who successfully complete the program will be eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2000 that may be used to implement sustainable practices identified in their business plan.

To be eligible for the Sustainable Profits program you must:

• Have been in business at least six months or obtain prior approval to apply from sustainability team.
• Agree to the program terms, specified in the application.
• Be a Wyoming company.

GRANT REQUIREMENTS:

• Complete an application. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2011.
• Attend a 7-week online course and participate in group coaching sessions, write a sustainable business plan, and utilize the three “Solutions at the Speed of Business” tools.
• Participants who meet these requirements will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $2000 to support implementation of their sustainability plans.
• Participants will also be expected to report on their progress and outcomes and showcase their successes.

Download

Sustainable Profits Brochure or Sustainable Profits Application

Sunstainible Business Consulting:

Susan Jerke
Regional Director, Wyoming Entrepreneur

2001 West Lakeway Road, Suite D
Gillette, Wyoming 82718

307.682.5232 or in Wyoming 888.956.6060

Email Susan

Wyoming Tribune Eagle: "Mead appreciates art"

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle reporter Karen Cotton attended Friday night's Governor's Arts Awards bash in Cheyenne and wrote about Gov. Matt Mead's first "State of the Arts" speech. Go to

Mead appreciates art - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

"Pricing Strategies for Artists" Oct. 30 at Cheyenne Artists' Guild

You are invited to a presentation on "Pricing Strategies for Artists" on Saturday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Cheyenne Artists' Guild, 1701 Morrie Ave., Cheyenne.

Andrea Pressue, director of micro-lending for the Wyoming Women's Business Center, will present.

Artists should bring a rough estimate of their expenses, including insurance, studio space rental, web site hosting fees, etc.

Fee is $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

FMI: http://www.cheyenneartistsguild.org/

Deadline Oct. 8 for Governor's Arts Awards nominations

The Wyoming Arts Council is accepting nominations for the 2010 Governor’s Arts Awards, an annual honor presented to citizens, organizations, businesses or communities in the Cowboy State that make substantial contributions to the arts.

The awards are presented based on accomplishments that reflect substantial contributions made to the arts in Wyoming, and exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts. Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 8, 2010.

To request a nomination form, selection criteria and a list of previous Governor’s Arts Awards recipients, contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742, or via email at ebratt@state.wy.us. Forms may also be accessed on the Arts Council’s web site http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/.

Previous Governor’s Arts Award recipients are not eligible; however, nomination of previously unselected nominees is encouraged.

Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize excellence in the arts or outstanding service to the arts in Wyoming. These awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a life-long patron of the arts.

Over the years, individuals and organizations from throughout Wyoming have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming. This year is the 29th anniversary of these prestigious awards. This year’s recipients will be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony in Cheyenne, February 11, 2011.

More info available through future blog posts and on the WAC web site.

Entrepreneur workshop not just for artists

"Entrepreneur Workshop" will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Laramie Civic Center, 710 East Garfield, Suite 271, Laramie.

This an entry-level workshop created for all business people (not just artists), to see if entrepreneurship really fits with your lifestyle. You will get a good sense of what it “really” takes to run a successful small business. You will gain the tools to begin to get started on the feasibility of your plan and begin to seriously look at your strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome any problems in those areas prior to actually starting the business. Only $10!

FMI: Rebecca Sissman, Wyoming Women's Business Center, wwbc@uwyo.edu, 307-721-3083

Wyoming entrepreneurs invited to tell their stories on Christmas ornaments

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Wyoming is honored to provide the 2010 Capitol Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol! Wyoming Entrepreneur is sponsoring a "companion tree" that will accompany the official tree to Washington D.C.

You are invited to submit an ornament that tells your story and take part in a social media training and networking event as our tree takes a road trip across the nation to its final destination.

The fee to participate is $50, payable by credit card. The deadline to register is September 10. All submitted ornaments will be featured on our Facebook page.

To register for this exciting project, visit http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz/ and click on "An Entrepreneurial Christmas Story." Questions? Call 1-800-348-5194 or email wyenbiz@uwyo.edu

Symposium for artists set for Aug. 5-6 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper

"What’s in Your Business Toolkit?"

A Symposium on the Nuts and Bolts of Managing an Artistic Career will utilize business and creative skills to enhance your visibility as an artist. It is a business development symposium for visual artists at the Nicolaysen Art Museum on August 5-6.

Many artists wonder if it’s possible to make a living doing what they love most.

This two-day smorgasbord of information will illuminate the processes of becoming more visible and financially successful as an artist.

Tips, tricks, professional insights, as well as business skills and development will all be addressed in this symposium.

This symposium will present sessions and panelists that will explore the following subjects: Legal & Finance, Crafting a Business Plan, Marketing, Technology, Pricing & Value, and Accounting.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

9 a.m.: Introduction

10 a.m.: Accounting 101. This session on basic bookkeeping and accounting will help improve your profitability and teach how to calculate breakeven sales.

11:30 a.m.: Lunch Break

12:30 p.m.: Marketing. This session will explore business professionalism, the art of networking, customer/client cultivation, how to draft artist statements, resume packets, and letters (including proposals and cover letters), how to introduce your work professionally, avoiding market saturation and how to find the right representation or art festival for you.

2:30 p.m.: How to Craft a Business Plan. This session will go over the elements of a good business plan and utilize market research to predict sales.

5 p.m.: Evening Reception (with cash bar)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

8:30 a.m.: Technology. This session will deal with utilizing and becoming familiar with social and media networks o increase visibility, as well as step by step instructions to creating a presence online.

10:30 a.m.: Legal and Finance. In this session, the ins and outs of drafting and negotiating dealer/festival/museum contracts, and copyright agreements will be analyzed. Also, the options and steps artists should be taking for future financing opportunities will also be discussed.

Noon: Lunch Break

1 p.m.: Pricing & Value I

3 p.m.: Pricing & Value II

These sessions will expore understanding your marketplace, evaluating your work for sale, establishing price points and range—and want to go solobucking the system. Local/regional/national artists discuss how they achieved success in the art world and share personal experiences.

Cost for the Symposium (includes reception, 2 full days of panels, snacks & 2 lunches)

125 Non-members of the NIC
$100 Members of the NIC
$50 Students (with valid ID)
$75 Daily Rate (registration for one day)

Please call the museum at 307-235-5247 (and ask for Amanda Helm) to pay by credit card. Please make all checks payable to the Nicolaysen Art Museum.

Hotel Information (ask for the NIC block rate):

Days Inn- 300 East E St. (I25 and Center St.) 307- 234-1159, $69 a night + tax
Super 8 East- 269 Miracle St. 307-237-8100, $79 a night + tax

Registration will open at 8 a.m. both days.

Registration forms will also be available online at www.thenic.org.

Please call 307-235-5247 for more information and ask for Amanda Helm.