Saturday University makes a stop in Gillette

On November 10, From 8:30 a.m to 1:15 p.m. at the Gillette College Main Building Presentation Hall, join the Wyoming Humanities Council, the University of Wyoming, and Gillette College for Saturday University, the free one-day college education. This, the second Saturday University program offered in Gillette, includes talks by Jean Garrison, chair of Global and Area Studies at the University of Wyoming, on the future of U.S. relations with China; Phil Roberts, of the Department of History at the University of Wyoming, on the rise and fall of Wyoming's open-range cattle companies; and Ann Spehar, instructor of mathematics and economics at Gillette College, on the U.S. banking system and global financial stability. The lectures will conclude with a free luncheon and roundtable discussion. Now in its fourth year, Saturday University is a collaborative program connecting exciting University of Wyoming professors with Wyoming residents who have a desire to learn. Saturday University is sponsored by the University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming Foundation, Wyoming Humanities Council, and area businesses. The program is presented locally by Gillette College.

Oct. 25 banquet in Laramie raises funds for women's education in Tanzania

October 19, 2012 — A University of Wyoming cross-cultural communication class will host a banquet to raise money and general awareness for the women of Tanzania Thursday, Oct. 25, from 7-10 p.m. at the Laramie train depot.

Women’s Education and Economic Centre (WEECE) Director Valeria Mrema will lead the discussion on gender equality and the economic stability of Tanzanian women. WEECE, a nonprofit organization that supports marginalized women and their families in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, joins the UW students to raise money.

“It is common in the Kilimanjaro region for girls to be uneducated or only educated through primary school,” Mrema says. “This limited education undermines women in their ability to be economically self-reliant; in their having the knowledge, skills and ability to exercise their rights; and in their ability to foster a healthy future for themselves and their children.”

Proceeds collected from the event will go toward expanding existing girls’ schools. Contributions purchase educational materials such as books, paper and writing utensils for the future education of Tanzanian women and children.

Catered appetizers and refreshments will be provided. The Wyoming African Students Association (WASA) and the UW Belly Dance Club will provide entertainment for the evening.

Tickets cost $15 for students, $25 for non-students and $40 for couples. Five tickets can be purchased together for $100. Children 12 and under are admitted for free. To purchase tickets and for more information, call Sierra Johnson at (307) 760-5440 or email teamingupfortanzania@gmail.com. Tickets also will be sold at the door.

The UW cross-cultural communication class also has held benefits for a water spigot in Botswana during 2011 and a silent auction for Kenyan orphans in 2010.

The UW African American & Diaspora Studies department sponsors this event. For more information, contact Tracey Patton at (307)766-3857 or teamingupfortanzania@gmail.com.

Photo: It is common in the Kilimanjaro region for girls to be uneducated or only educated through primary school.

UW Writing Project and Dept. of Ed team up for week-long writing workshop in Laramie

This info comes from a UW press release. Writing Project workshops are great because writing teachers take classes from actual writers who also have teaching experience. It's fun too, and includes an open mic session July 18 at Night Heron Books with some fine Laramie writers. The sessions start July 16 so sign up soon. Here are the details:

The Wyoming Department of Education and the University of Wyoming Writing Project have joined together to bring the Wyoming Writer’s Workshop to Laramie July 16-20, at Laramie Junior High School.

The program offers open enrollment and teachers can attend by emailing marina-barela@wyo.gov or calling (307) 631-0637.

The workshop is designed to grow teachers of writing through professional development with other writing teachers. It is a national research-based model with documented success in growing students in not only writing but also reading, says Sheryl Lain, WDE instructional leader.

“The workshop is a complete immersion into the reading and writing processes,” Lain says. “Teachers will learn by doing. They will write, revise and publish within a supportive community of fellow teachers, and they will read and discuss together, emulating the best practices proven to be successful in balanced literacy classrooms.”

Included in the training is an open microphone session from 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, at Night Heron Bookstore, 107 Ivinson St. Among readers are Pam Galbreath, nonfiction, an academic professional lecturer at UW with an MFA in creative writing; Aaron Graham, poetry, a UW master's candidate in English literature; Maggie Mullen, fiction, graduate student in creative writing at UW; and Diane Panozzo, fiction or nonfiction lecturer in the Honors English Colloquium at UW.

Author and Star-Trib columnist Mary Billiter will be keynote speaker at Casper GED graduation

Author and Casper Star-Tribune columnist Mary Billiter will be the keynote speaker at this year’s GED graduation ceremony at Casper College on Saturday, May 5. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. in the “Swede” Erickson Thunderbird Gymnasium on the Casper College campus.

Billiter, a weekly columnist for the Casper Star-Tribune and author of “Not My Kid…” earned a bachelor of arts in journalism from California State University at Northridge. She has taught fiction writing courses for both Western Wyoming Community College Outreach and Casper College. “We (ABE/GED employees) knew about Mary from her weekly column in the Casper Star-Tribune and we felt that because of her openness in regard to her struggles that she would be able to relate to our students and their struggles,” said Kelsee Miller.

According to Miller, Adult Basic Education and GED instructor, approximately 150 people are eligible to walk in the GED graduation ceremony this year. “We are encouraging all those who either are, or know someone who is, a GED graduate to contact the GED Center at 268-2230 for cap and gown information if they haven’t already done so,” Miller said.

The GED graduation ceremony is free and open to the public.

Anti-racist author and educator Tim Wise is keynote speaker for 16th annual UW Shepard Symposium

From a UW press release:

Tim Wise, anti-racist essayist, author and educator, is the keynote speaker Wednesday, March 28, for the University of Wyoming's 16th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice. Wise will speak from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. "Identities: Dismantling the Boxes" is the theme of this year's Shepard Symposium, which runs March 28-31.

Wise, who is among the nation's most prominent anti-racist writers and educators, has been called "one of the most brilliant, articulate and courageous critics of white privilege in the nation," by best-selling author and Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson.

Wise is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed memoir, "Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White"; an essay collection, "Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama"; and his recent book, "Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority."

In 1997, former UW College of Education faculty members Omawale Akintunde and Margaret Cooney organized the first symposium, then called "The Symposium for the Eradication of Social Inequality." Since then, the symposium has evolved into a major national conference that engages participants in discussion and analyses of strategies and actions that can eliminate social inequality.

Honoring the work of the Shepard family and the memory of their son, Matthew Shepard, a UW student and social activist who was murdered in 1998, the symposium's name was changed in 2002. That spring, the Shepard Symposium received funding from an anonymous endowment given to UW to pursue social justice activities throughout the campus.

The symposium is a living reminder of the need for information and dialogue about social justice concerns in America and beyond.

"We want people to deconstruct and interrupt the ways in which proscriptive identities are forced upon members of marginalized groups by society," says Chair Angela Jaime in explaining the latest theme for the symposium. "Specifically, we hope that attendees will critically examine the ways in which society forces people to identify with certain membership groups."

Various presentations will be made during the symposium. Highlights include:

Beth Loffreda, UW Department of English associate professor, will present the plenary speech, "The Consequences of Identity," at the noon luncheon Thursday, March 29, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. She is the author of "Losing Matt Shepard."

Bridget Kisling, a junior music therapy and psychology student at Anna Maria College (Paxton, Mass.), will use a life-size version of the 1950s Barbie doll to shed light on how the media plays a significant role in shaping a young girl's sense of body image. Her presentation is Friday, March 30, 1:45-3 p.m., in the Wyoming Union Big Horn Room.

An endnote student panel discussion, "Boxed In," will be presented Friday, March 30, at 11:30 a.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. UW students will discuss complex and misunderstood identities.

The second annual Shepard Symposium Friday Night Party is from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. at the Library Bar and Grill. All proceeds benefit the recognized student organizations that have contributed time and efforts to the Shepard Symposium. Tickets are $5 at the door or $4 in advance, and can be purchased at the symposium.

For more information about the Shepard Symposium, visit the website at http://www.shepardsymposium.org/, or contact Jaime at (307) 766-3991 or email jaimea@uwyo.edu.

Photo: Tim Wise will be the keynote speaker for the 16th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice.

College students interested in the arts face tough choices when choosing a major

Excellent article by Cody Porter in today's Branding Iron about some of the tough choices college students face as they consider majors. Often it's a choice between passion and practicality:

Some of the most unconventional and creative pursuits in education, work and life can become the most successful. For the college-age individual, income and money too often become a higher priority than creativity. This may be partially because of the decline of the economy and the specter of student loan debt many of them face. Financial stress too often leads students to choose a major based on potential income, rather than following passions.

Each person’s own vision of the “American Dream” and what it means to be happy. While everyone needs to make a living, wealth and power should not necessarily be a person’s key focus. Somewhere along the line many make a decision to follow a heartfelt dream to do what they love, rather than following common sense or social norms of our time.

One University of Wyoming student, Dan Higgins, is pursuing a passion that does not exactly follow the ideal of financial security of many other college students. Higgins, whose father had also attended UW, was only 17 when he came here last year from San Francisco on an alumni scholarship. His initial choice for a major was criminal justice. Higgins said he felt that major and career path would provide job security.

Read the entire article at http://www.brandingirononline.info/2012/03/08/student-goes-against-grain-follows-heart/

Sneak peek at video featuring Promoting Arts in Lander Schools (PALS)

Governor's Arts Awards - PALS to be feted Feb 24th from Indie Media: The New Journalism on Vimeo.

Align Nonprofit Leadership Institute offers classes for nonprofit arts organizations

Managers and staffers of arts nonprofit orgs may want to look at Align’s classes. Wyoming Department of Workforce Services offers grant funds to defray costs:

Align’s Nonprofit Leadership Institute (NLI) is the region’s leading training series for non-profit management. This series of hands-on classes builds leadership and management skills for the current and future generation of nonprofit leaders. Core topics range from financial and personnel management to high level leadership skills. Participants earn a certificate for each class and gain practical experience to strengthen their organization. Bring any or all of the NLI classes to your community or organization. Call us for details on scheduling and pricing.

Grant funds for tuition may be available to Wyoming organizations from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. For more information, call 307–772-9100 or email info@TheAlignTeam.org

Wyoming Music Educators Association seeks executive director and newsletter editor

From the Wyoming Music Educators Association: 

The Wyoming Music Educators Association (WMEA) seeks an Executive Director, term to begin July 1, 2012. The Executive Director functions as an independent contractor and the position pays a stipend of $6,000.00 annually. For more information and detailed job description contact WMEA President Kate McKeage at mckeage@uwyo.edu

WMEA Windsong Editor

The Wyoming Music Educators Association (WMEA) seeks an Editor of the publication Windsong. The Editor produces three issues per school year and may serve as an appointed member of the WMEA Board. This position pays a stipend of $1,000.00 annually. For more information, please contact:

Dan Holroyd

WMEA President Elect

holrodydd@lararmie1.org

The Wyoming Music Educators Association (WMEA) is the professional association for music teachers in the State of Wyoming. WMEA is a non-profit association affiliated with NAfME: the National Association for Music Education. The mission of the WMEA is to further the advancement of music education in Wyoming through public and private instruction, and encourage lifelong appreciation and involvement in music. For more information visit: http://www.wyomea.org/

Call for proposals: Beet Street's Arts Incubator of the Rockies project

Beet Street of Fort Collins, Colorado, a registered 501c(3) nonprofit, is accepting proposals to develop professional development curricula for the Arts Incubator of the Rockies, AIR, the regional arts incubator being launched by Beet Street. This will be a concept to completion project that will include significant public comment and committee interaction. This project is funded, in part, by a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant. Federal guidelines are being followed to ensure that this RFP process provides a fair evaluation for all candidates and to provide the candidates with the evaluation criteria against which they will be judged.

Beet Street will be hiring a lead consultant to help design the educational program and facilitate work with additional consultants, staff and stakeholders. In addition to serving as a project manager, the candidate will be expected to deliver curriculum and materials for the program. The candidate could be considered for writing and editing the entire curriculum or, if additional writers are needed to complete the project on time, candidate could provide high level editing in addition to writing.

Candidate should have experience with curriculum development for adult learners, the arts, strong writing and facilitation skills, and experience working with a volunteer committee. Preference will be given to local small, women-owned, and/or minority-owned businesses.

The project will begin in January 2012. Heavy conceptual work would be done in January and February. Writing of the actual class materials would begin in March. Writing/materials will be reviewed by staff and volunteer committee through May. July pilot program of the full curricula is desired. First classes should be ready to implement for fall 2012.

Questions regarding this RFP may be directed to Beth Flowers, bflowers@beetstreet.org.

Proposals are due no later than 3:00 pm MST, Friday, January 6, 2012. 

WYDOT FTA Team auctions framed picture puzzles to benefit Friday Brown Bag Program

Another great holiday fund-raiser by our state government colleagues. The money raised goes to a good cause:

To support the need being filled by the Friday Brown Bag Foundation, the WYDOT Fuel Tax Administration Team is conducting a Silent Auction Fun-draiser of 22 professionally framed and matted picture puzzles from November 28 to December 7. The framing for the puzzles has been generously donated by Michaels and the FTA Team. The large variety of framed picture puzzles can be viewed and bids offered at either www.fridayfoodbag.org or http://www.wix.com/wyofta/communityservice

While the students receive nutritional meals during the week through free or reduced fee breakfasts and lunches, many still do not have consistent access to nutritious food (or any food at all) on the weekends. Wyoming Department of Education data indicates, for the 2010-2011 school year, 45.8% of all students in LCSD #1, and 36.4% of all students in LCSD #2, qualified for free or reduced fee meals.

The Friday Food Bag Foundation works with educators and social workers from both LCSD #1 and LCSD #2 to deliver bags of nutritious, non-perishable food each Friday while school is in session to children who otherwise might not eat well, or at all, during the weekends.

To participate in this fundraiser for the Friday Brown Bag Program, please view the pieces offered for auction at one of the two above websites and bid on the puzzle(s) of your choice. The winning bidders will be contacted on December 8, and the pieces will be available for pickup on December 9.

In addition to individual bidding, the Fuel Tax Team hopes that teams throughout WYDOT will consider purchasing a puzzle as a team to display in their office.

For more information about the fundraiser, please call (307) 777-4826. For more information about how you can help the Friday Food Bag Foundation, please call (307) 778-4254.

Greg Estes presents "Darwin and Galapagos" Nov. 14 at Casper College

Renowned Galapagos expert, Greg Estes, will be at Casper College on Monday, Nov. 14 to speak on “Darwin and Galapagos.” The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. following the unveiling of the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Darwin exhibit: “Rewriting the Book of Nature: Charles Darwin and the Rise of Evolutionary Theory at 5:30 p.m.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Greg’s caliber come to Casper College to speak on Darwin and the Galapagos,” said Will Robinson, Casper College biology instructor.

Estes first arrived in Galapagos in 1982 leading the Cambridge Darwin Centenary Galapagos Expedition to conduct research on the feeding ecology of marine iguanas. For the past few years he and his wife Thalia have been retracing Darwin’s footsteps through Galapagos using information from Darwin’s original notebooks and manuscripts of the famous voyage. Their research was published in “Notes and Records of the Royal Society,“ September 2000 and was the basis of their book “Darwin in Galapagos: Footsteps to a New World,” published by Princeton University Press in 2009. He is a licensed naturalist guide of the Galapagos National Park Service works as naturalist and expeditions leader in the islands.

The unveiling and reception will take place in the Goodstein Foundation Library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Estes will sign copies of “Darwin in Galapagos: Footsteps to a New World,” and hors d’ oeuvres and refreshments will be served. His presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Roberts Commons Ballroom and will be followed by light refreshments. Both events are free and open to the public.

Estes talk is sponsored by the Goodstein Foundation Library, the Casper College Biology Department, the University of Wyoming/Casper College Center, Wyoming INBRE, and Casper College.

Jeffrey Lockwood writes about the collision of "Art & Energy" in Wyoming

"Carbon Sink: What Goes Around Comes Around," a sculpture by Chris Drury on the UW campus.

Wyoming author and science writer Jeffrey Lockwood writes on WyoFile about Art & Energy: Coal’s reaction to ‘Carbon Sink’ sculpture reveals the power of art — and the essence of education.

Don't you just love it when a historian is named UW homecoming parade grand marshal?

Phil Roberts, associate professor of history at the University of Wyoming, has been chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the annual UW Homecoming parade.

He will lead the procession of floats, bands and other units through downtown Laramie beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. The parade starts at Ninth and Ivinson streets, goes west to Second Street, south on Second Street to Grand Avenue, then east on Grand to 12th Street.

A native of Lusk, Roberts spent his early years on a ranch homesteaded by his grandfather. He holds a B.S. in political science and a J.D. from UW and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Washington.

A UW faculty member since 1990, Roberts has served as editor of "Annals of Wyoming." He is co-author (with his two brothers) of the "Wyoming Almanac," now in its fifth edition, and his edited textbook, "Readings in Wyoming History," is in its fourth edition.

The Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) presented its Outstanding Educator of the Year award to Roberts earlier this year. He was honored for "excellence in making the history of the emigrant trails come alive for University of Wyoming students"  and for his work in using the trails across Wyoming to illustrate an approach to looking at Wyoming from the perspective as a "trail to somewhere else."

"While my office is at the university, my classroom is the state of Wyoming," Roberts says.

The Homecoming tradition, started in 1922, continues with this year's theme: "WANTED: Cowboys of the West," highlighting the rich history of Wyoming and cowboys and cowgirls who helped tame the west.

Special guests include the UW Alumni Association distinguished alumni Charles "Chuck" Brown, Michael Jording and Carol (Buchenroth) Tome, along with Medallion Service Award recipient Peter K. Simpson.

For more information about the parade or Homecoming events call the UW Alumni Association at (307) 766-4166 or visit www.wyoalumni.com .

Photo: Phil Roberts, University of Wyoming associate professor of history, will lead the annual UW Homecoming parade that starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Ninth and Ivinson streets. (Dave Roberts Photo)

Focus group for Wyoming artists and arts professionals Sept. 22 at UW

From the UW Art Museum blog:

The Portland Art Museum's Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art, Bonnie Laing-Malcomson, will present a focus groups meeting for artists and arts professionals on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., at the UW Art Museum in Laramie.

The purpose of the meeting is to share information on opportunities for artists of the greater Northwest region (which includes Wyoming), a focus area for the Portland Museum of Art. Laing-Malcomson invites artists to bring CV's, exhibition catalogs, and CD of recent work for the museum's growing collection of contemporary NW artists.

Laing-Malcomson invites attending artists and arts professionals to join her in a no-host dinner following the meeting at Altitude's (320 S Second, Laramie). The event is free. Please RSVP by Sept 20 to Rachel Miller, UW Art Museum assistant curator, if you plan to attend. FMI: 307-766-1121.

UW history professor Phil Roberts named "Outstanding Educator of the Year"

University of Wyoming history professor Phil Roberts has been recognized for his efforts to teach about emigrant trails in the state.

The Oregon-California Trails Association presented its "Outstanding Educator of the Year" award to Roberts recently.

The association noted that Roberts' efforts to make the history of the emigrant trails come alive for students.

Roberts has taken classes to trail sites and averages about 50 public presentations annually to civic, educational and historical groups around the state.

Roberts has been a UW faculty member since 1990.

Cody Institute awards resident fellowship to Gregory Hinton for "Out West at the BBHC"

Wyomingarts wrote in the spring about Gregory Hinton’s project, Beyond Brokeback. UW Theatre and Dance Professor John J. O'Hagan directed a one-hour staged reading of Beyond Brokeback for the 15^th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice on April 8 at UW in Laramie.

Beyond Brokeback was adapted for the stage by Hinton from the book Beyond Brokeback: Impact of a Film written by Members of the Ultimate Brokeback Forum, a web community which formed in the aftermath of the release of the award-winning film, Brokeback Mountain. The story was written by Wyoming author Annie Proulx. It was first published in The New Yorker and was in her book Close Range: Wyoming Stories.

The Ultimate Brokeback Forum, comprised of people from all walks of life -- country, city, gay, straight, men, women, young, old -- received over 500,000 posts in the first year. Excerpts of essays, poetry and music inspired by the film was presented along with the song "Meet Me on the Mountain," written by noted composer Shawn Kirchner. 

Beyond Brokeback was originally performed at the Autry National Center Museum of the American West in Los Angeles on December 11, 2010, in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Ang Lee's seminal western film, Brokeback Mountain. 


Greg Hinton will be bringing his expertise to his hometown of Cody this fall. He sent this news release:

I am very proud to announce that the Cody Institute of Western American Studies at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody has selected me for a Resident Fellowship for my abstract "Out West at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center."  

 “Telling stories, sharing culture, and staking claim to the mother lode of Western American history for all diverse cultures is the mission of Out West. In particular, scholarship before the twentieth century in the area of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender western studies is incomplete and therefore underserved. A survey of the hidden histories of these communities through the examination of the vast assets of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center will lay an important foundation for future scholars in this unique, fascinating, and expanding area of Western American Studies." 

This award was highly competitive and I am honored and frankly humbled to be included. I hope to take my residency in November/December of 2011 and report my findings with an article and/or documentary and a public presentation in the fall of 2012. I am particularly grateful to the Autry National Center for their early generosity and vision. Thanks to you all for your interest and encouragement in the Mission of Out West.

NASAA: Debt ceiling deal spells deep cuts in domestic discretionary spending

Sent to the Wyoming Arts Council by Thomas L. Birch, Legislative Counsel, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). The WAC is a NASAA member.

There can be little doubt about the result of the debt ceiling deal signed into law last week by President Obama. Discretionary spending will suffer mightily. President Obama has said that the deal will result in the lowest level of domestic non-defense spending since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.  

The Budget Control Act of 2011 passed by the House and Senate increases the debt ceiling through the 2012 elections. Just as significantly, the new law creates a 12-member bipartisan commission of Senators and Representatives charged with cutting $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over ten years. The committee must complete its work by Thanksgiving this year and Congress must enact the cuts by December 23.  

Everything in discretionary spending is on the table, and appropriators are initially uncertain how the recommendations of the new committee are going to interact with the appropriations process already underway. The debt limit bill sets spending caps for fiscal 2012, as well as fiscal 2013. The new law calls for trimming discretionary spending from the current $1.050 trillion level to $1.043 trillion in fiscal 2012. Since the Senate has not adopted a budget resolution, appropriators there now have the guidelines to allow them to proceed with their spending bills.  

However, both sides of Capitol Hill see little chance, given the limited time, to complete all the spending bills by the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. Another continuing resolution is more likely. The objective is to avoid the kind of protracted spending negotiations that dragged on six months into the 2011 fiscal year before Congress voted an end to funding process.  

Here are the highlights in the Budget Control Act:
• The bill allows a debt ceiling increase by as much as $2.4 trillion dollars in total. Included is an immediate increase of $400 billion dollars. President Obama would be permitted to request another $500 billion increase in the coming months, which Congress could vote to disallow by a veto proof two-thirds margin. A further increase of between $1.2 trillion and $1.5 trillion would be available after the special congressional committee does its work and identifies matching levels of additional spending cuts.
• Discretionary spending would be further cut by more than $900 billion over ten years. It would include security-related and non-security-related cuts. According to the Congressional Budget Office, discretionary spending would be decreased by $21 billion in 2012 and $42 billion in 2013.
• The 12-person House and Senate special committee, in addition to identifying spending cuts, could propose tax code reforms and make savings in benefit programs like Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. Congress could not modify the committee's recommendation.
• If the special committee deadlocks or Congress rejects the committee's recommendations, automatic across-the-board spending cuts of at least $1.2 trillion would go into effect.
• The agreement requires that the House of Representatives and the Senate vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, although its passage is not guaranteed.
NASAA continues to pursue our advocacy agenda focused on achieving the best results in the 2012 funding bill for the National Endowment for the Arts, with attention to policy issues of interest to state arts agencies. We are engaging our members with contacts to key legislators charged with the decision-making in the bringing a budget to conclusion for the next fiscal year.

Casper College offers night class in digital photography beginning Aug. 23

If you are like most people with a digital camera you have some great photos on your computer that you would like to turn into prints, but just don’t know how. It may be easier than you think, with the help of a digital photography class being offered for the fall semester at Casper College. 


“Electronic Digital Photo” (ELTR 2145 01) will include the basic techniques of digital photography and an overview of what is needed to acquire, store, retouch, and print digital and hybrid photographs.

Miles Hecker, digital photography professional, will teach the class on Tuesday nights from 6 to 9. According to Hecker, students will learn the fundamentals of digital photography, how to make quality prints on their inkjet printer, how to scan their old slides and negatives, and how to master Adobe Photoshop CS skills to create better photos.

For more information or to register, call Casper College at 268-2206. “Electronic Digital Photo” begins on August 23, 2011.

Sarah Dahlberg leaving WOW to be elementary art teacher in Laramie schools

Sarah Dahlberg

News from Sarah Dahlberg, coordinator of Works of Wyoming in Laramie:

At the end of the month, I will be leaving WOW to take a position as an elementary art teacher here in Laramie. I would like to thank all who have been so supportive of me and WOW since I begun working here in November of 2009. It has been a wonderful experience meeting and collaborating with artists and organizations to bring quality shows, workshops and events to the community. Thank you!

Wyomingarts hates to see you go, Sarah. But best wishes in the classroom. The Wyoming Arts Council worked with WOW in May for a series of professional development workshops for visual artists. WAC hopes for more of these types of collaborative ventures in the future.