"Esse Quam Videri: Muslim Self-Portraits" exhibit at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center through Sept. 18

From the Heart Mountain Foundation web site:

The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center at the site of a World War II Japanese-American internment camp outside of Cody, Wyo. will present a new exhibit featuring self-portraits that reveal Muslim Americans in everyday life. The exhibit is intended to counteract stereotypes and preconceived notions about Muslims in America at this time in history. Esse Quam Videri: Muslim Self-Portraits will be exhibited in the Ford Foundation Special Exhibition Area through Sept. 18, 2012.

"This exhibit is the first in a series of exhibits at the Interpretive Center that will encourage visitors to think about prejudice, stereotyping and religious, racial and ethnic profiling," said Stevan Leger executive director.

"Esse Quam Videri" means "to be rather than to seem." The exhibit includes photographs, collaged images and self-drawn portraits of and by Muslim Americans are presented with short essays to add context.

For more information, please contact Steve Leger at 307-754-8000 or by email at sleger@heartmountain.org. The Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center hours are 10 to 5 Wednesday through Saturday.

Bas Blue Theatre holds "Buffalo Gal" benefit for volunteer fire department

This isn’t a Wyoming event but recent wildfires have impacted all of us in the region. The Guernsey State Park fire in Platte County was one of the first in the recent spate of fires, and there have been several others in Wyoming since then. The largest (and nearest to Cheyenne and Laramie) has been the High Park fire above Fort Collins. So…

Bas Bleu Theatre Company, 401 Pine Street in Fort Collins, Colo., is holding a benefit for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department

Buffalo Gal performance on Thursday, June 28, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department.

Cash, check or credit card only please.

Buffalo Gal by A.R.Gurney, directed by Rebecca Hilliker, featuring Wendy Ishii as Amanda

BUY TICKETS

Photo essay: "Play Ball" sculpture dedication at Torrington Correctional Facility

Artists Tom and Jean Latka of Pueble, Colo., created "Play Ball," the Art in Public Buildings sculpture dedicated June 21 at the Wyoming Medium Correction Institution in Torrington. Photo by Annie Hatch.



"Play Ball" sculpture in the entrance cupola of the Correctional Facility. Materials in the sphere are fused dichroic glass and stainless steel. According to artist Jean Latka, each of the glass disks is engraved with a positive message such as "tolerance," "compassion," and "forgiveness." "I though of it as a prayer," she said. Because the glass changes colors with the changing light, "you always encounter it in a different way," said SPCR Director Milward Simpson at the dedication ceremony. Photo by Annie Hatch.



Close-up of dichroic fused glass disks. Photo by Sue Castaneda.

Presentation of dedication plaque at June 21 ceremony. Pictured  (from left to right): Artists Tom and Jean Latka; Warden Steve Hargett; Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert; State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson; Wyoming Arts Council Manager Rita Basom. Photo by Annie Hatch.

Volunteer guitarist needed for annual Walk in My Shoes fund-raiser on June 9

From Virginia Sellner, Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless:

I've asked my friends
to brave Wyoming's winds
on the second Saturday in June
to raise funds for those in need.

The Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless in Cheyenne needs a volunteer to play guitar for those participating in the annual Walk In My Shoes fund-raiser on June 9. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. Walk takes off at 9:00 a.m. from the main WCH building at 907 Campbell.

Food, fun, door prizes, music, and more. Bring your children, your dogs (on a leash), your friends, family, club members, church members, employees/employers.

Click on the links below to sign up as a ghost walker/walker http://www.wch.vcn.com/walkregis11.htm, (this is for June 9, 2012) or as a sponsor at http://www.wch.vcn.com/sponsorregis.htm
For more information contact Virginia at 634-8499, Mon - Fri from 10 am until 2 pm

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.

Call for entries: Habitat for Humanity's "Salvage Art Show & Auction"

Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County will be hosting a Salvage Art Show & Auction in conjunction with Habitat’s ReStore Annex grand opening in late spring and you are invited to participate! The Salvage Art Show & Sale will focus on pieces made primarily of recycled, salvaged and found objects. If chosen to participate, artists will receive a $15 voucher to use to buy items from the ReStore. If you would like to be a part of the show or have any questions, contact Elizabeth Williams at elizabeth@cheyennehfh.org or 307.637.8067 by Wednesday, February 29.

Sheridan author Abbie Johnson Taylor reflects on her new book and her role as "family caregiver"

Wyomingarts picked this up from the Wyoming Writers, Inc., listserv. Abbie Johnson Taylor of Sheridan is a long-time member of both WyoPoets and WWInc. She’s a prolific writer, singer, full-time caregiver for her husband Bill, and an activist for the visually impaired. This info is about her new book, followed by a Q&A. Inspiring reading for the holiday season:

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver is a book of poems just released by author Abbie Johnson Taylor of Sheridan and published by iUniverse. In January of 2006, the author’s husband suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side. After months of therapy in a nursing facility, he returned home in September of that year. Although he still had little use of his left arm and leg, it was hoped that through outpatient therapy, he would eventually walk again. In January of 2007, he suffered a second stroke that wasn’t as severe, but it was enough to impact his recovery. In August of that year, his therapy was discontinued because he showed no progress. He has never walked since.

The first five poems in the book tell the story of how Taylor found her husband when he suffered his first stroke, detail events in the first few months afterward, and describe Taylor and her husband’s reactions. The rest of the poems in the first part were inspired by Taylor’s experiences while caring for her husband. Covering such topics as dressing, feeding, toileting, their relationship, and his computer, 
they often provide a humorous outlook. Some poems are from the husband’s point of view. Poems in the next two parts cover childhood memories and other topics. The last section of poems was inspired by Taylor’s fifteen years of experience as a registered music therapist in a nursing home before marrying her husband.

Abbie Johnson Taylor’s novel, We Shall Overcome, was published by iUniverse in July of 2007. Her fiction has appeared in Magnets and Ladders and Emerging Voices, her poetry in Distant Horizons, her creative nonfiction in Christmas in the Country and SageScript. She is President of WyoPoets and secretary of Behind Our Eyes and is involved with other writers’ groups including Sheridan Range Writers, Wyoming Writers, and Explorations in Creative Writing. She also participates in a monthly poetry critique group. When not writing or caring for Bill, she facilitates a support group for the visually impaired, sings with a women’s group called Just Harmony, and participates in water exercise 
classes at the YMCA. Please visit her blog at http://abbiescorneroftheworld.blogspot.com and website at http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com

How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver, ISBN #978-1-4620-6794-7, is available from iUniverse, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. Links to where the book can be ordered on these sites can be found at http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com/bettermousetrap.htm Copies can also be ordered from the author by calling (307) 674-6109.

Q&A with Abbie Johnson Taylor

Q. Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

A. I was born in New York City on June 1st, 1961. We only lived there for about a year. My parents had degrees in education, but they wanted to become actors. However, they realized that teaching careers would provide a more stable income. After a year in New York, we moved to Boulder, Colorado. When I was about four, we moved to Tucson, Arizona. In 1973, we moved to Sheridan, Wyoming. My grandfather died a couple of years earlier, and my grandmother needed someone to run the family’s coin-operated machine business. Since no one else seemed interested, my father felt obligated to take over. Sheridan has been my home ever since.

Q. Because of your visual impairment, were you educated in special schools?

A. In Tucson, I attended the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind for five and a half years. When my parents became dissatisfied with my education, they transferred me to a public school. When we moved to Sheridan, I completed my education in public schools.

Q. Where did you go to college?

A. When I graduated from high school in 1980, I thought I wanted to be a rock singer. I went to Sheridan College for two years where I majored in music performance and graduated with an AA degree. I then transferred to Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, where I again majored in music performance and graduated with a BA degree after two and a half years. While I was there, a career counselor told me about music therapy, the use of music with a variety of populations including the elderly and mentally ill to achieve therapeutic goals. Since Montana State University had a music therapy program, I transferred there after graduating from Rocky Mountain College. After two more years of study and an internship in a nursing home in Fargo, North Dakota, I returned to Sheridan in 1988. Almost a year later, I found a job conducting activities in a nursing home where I used the 
music therapy skills I learned.

Q. You’re not working there now?

A. No, I quit so I could write full time.

Q. Was that when your writing career got off the ground?

A. No, I started writing a few years before I quit my day job. Several of my poems and stories were published in various journals and anthologies, and I wrote my first novel We Shall Overcome. When I 
married my husband Bill, he persuaded me to write full time.

Q. How much vision do you have, and do you use any adaptive devices to make your life easier?

A. I can see people, objects, places, and some pictures. I can read print if it’s large enough. I use a desktop video magnifier, and my computer has software that reads the screen to me in synthetic speech, allows me to navigate using the keyboard, and tells me what I’m typing. I use a white cane while walking around town.

Q. Where did you get the idea for How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver?

A. In January of 2006, three months after we were married, Bill suffered a stroke that left his left side paralyzed. He spent months in a nursing facility where he received therapy and finally came home the 
following September. At that time, I found myself writing more poems about him and the trials and tribulations of being a family caregiver.

Q. Where did you come up with the title?

A. I’ll have to give our caseworker at the local senior center’s in-home services program most of the credit for that. Several years ago, one of the aides who gave Bill his shower three days a week claimed the process of transferring him from the bed to the commode was bothering her back. Our caseworker said, “I wish I knew how to build a better mousetrap.” That’s what being a caregiver is about. You 
sometimes have to find different ways of doing things, and it can be especially tricky when you can’t see very well. You often figure things out by trial and error.

Q. Are all the poems in the book about taking care of Bill?

A. No, the majority cover such topics as feeding, dressing, and toileting. Some are from Bill’s point of view. One in particular is from the point of view of his computer which he has trouble using because of his lack of short-term memory and use of his left arm. Some poems provide a humorous outlook on being a family caregiver. Others offer a heartwarming look at our relationship. Poems in the second and third parts of the book cover childhood memories and reflect on other topics. The last part contains poems inspired by my fifteen years experience working with nursing home residents.

Q. Bill is still in a wheelchair today?

A. Yes, when he came home in 2006, we hoped that through outpatient therapy, he would eventually walk again. But in January of 2007, he suffered a second stroke that wasn’t as severe, but it was enough to impact his recovery. In august of that year, his therapy was discontinued because he wasn’t showing any progress. He may never walk again, but that doesn’t matter. We love each other, and we’ll enjoy our life together for as long as we can.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish by publishing this book?

A. If anything, I want others in my situation to know they’re not alone. Fortunately for me, Bill is still relatively healthy and mentally alert. The only great challenges I face are the physical ones involved with his personal care, and I’m thankful for the help I get from the senior center’s in-home services program. But others are harder to care for because of Alzheimer’s’ or other more serious medical problems. Their loved ones should know that help is available. Our local senior center has a support group for caregivers and other services, and I’m sure senior centers in other communities have similar 
programs. Caregivers should seek out such help and not feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities.

Dates to remember for 10th anniversary of Wyoming Art for the Cure

Artists

The outstanding artwork donated by regional and national artists has elevated the Wyoming Art for the Cure to one of the most anticipated events of the year! The 2012 gala will be held April 20 at Little America in Cheyenne.

Donation Information

To donate to the 2012 Wyoming Art for the Cure, please download our Artist Donation Letter for submission rules, categories and other important information. Commitment postcards due Feb. 24.

Once your piece is ready for submission, please send it to Deselms Fine Art, located at 300 E.17th Street Cheyenne, WY 82001, along with an Art Entry Form. Donated artwork must be delivered by April 6.

Or, please fill out our email contact form, including your mailing address, and we will send you a packet of information as soon as possible.

Artist Awards

In addition to supporting the Wyoming Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, donating artists have the opportunity to receive awards. All artwork will be voted on by the patrons of the event.

Prizes are awarded to the top two pieces in the categories below.

• Oil Painting
• Watercolor and Acrylic Painting
• Sculpture and Ceramics
• Jewelry and Fiber Arts
• Photography and Digital Media
• Drawing and Pastel
• Mixed Media (Other)

First Place in each category will receive $200.

Second Place in each category will receive $100.

All pieces will also be eligible for Best of Show which will win $300.

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.

"Children of Haiti" exhibition features "portrait days," puppet show and reception

From Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studios in Cheyenne:

Clay Paper Scissors has a lot going on this December, and we hope to see you come by at some point this month. We'll be open during Art Design & Dine from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, and also on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Dec. 17 from 3-5 p.m. We are also open by appointment -- just call 307-631-6039 to set up a time.

We are featuring a show of portraits by Cheyenne artist Paula Egan-Wright called Children of Haiti. These wistful and winsome portraits are being sold as a fundraiser for the new Kay Lesli school for orphans in Haiti. Clay Paper Scissors is donating part of the commission on every piece sold from this show to the project. Additionally, we will be offering some items by local artists that will make great gifts for yourself or someone on your list! We have bright and useful tote bags, beautiful functional pottery, lovely seasonal cards and jewelry for yourself or that special someone. All these items are by Wyoming artists -- most local here in Cheyenne! Support your local artists for Christmas!

Paula Egan-Wright is offering a couple of opportunities to have your portrait -- or that of someone you love--done! Portraits are by donation with proceeds supporting the Kay Lesli school in Haiti. Paula will be available on a first come, first serve basis on Dec. 10 from 11:15-1 p.m. and on Dec. 17 from 3-5 p.m. These portraits make unique gifts for grandparents or a special someone. Bring your children or grandchildren down to sit!

On Dec. 10, Paula Egan-Wright and students will present a puppet show called "The Magic Orange Tree." This short show is a Haitain folktale that paints a portrait of life in Haiti, all the while  touching on several contemporary issues—superstition, the oppression of children, and the public responsibility for meeting the needs of children. The play features several Caribbean melodies and will be performed with puppets by seven dedicated students. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 10 and is open to the public. Donations benefiting the Kay Lesli school for orphans in Haiti will be gratefully accepted. 

On Dec. 17, 3-5 p.m., there will be an artist reception for Children of Haiti. Paula Egan-Wright will be there doing portraits for donations. These quick portraits make wonderful gifts -- anyone can sit, and all donations benefit the Kay Lesli school. In addition, the vocal trio Just Friends will sing a few syncopated melodies from the islands and some Christmas tunes to add to the ambiance. 

May the food be with you -- at July 7 "Star Wars" food-raiser

Darth Vader wants your food -- for Cheyenne NEEDS

Highlands United Presbyterian Church announces its "Star Wars" Festival “food-raiser” for NEEDS. The STAR WARS FESTIVAL, is scheduled for 6:30-9:30 p..m., Thursday, July 7, at the Highlands United Presbyterian Church, 2390 Pattison Ave., Cheyenne . The public is invited to attend. Admission is FREE with the donation of any non-perishable food item or baby item such as diapers. All items collected will be donated to NEEDS, Inc. for their food bank.

A variety of events are planned as part of this family evening: 

6:30 pm - Intergalatic Meet-and-Greet
Want to meet Darth Vader, Imperial Stormtroopers or R2D2? Come early to the talk and meet some of your favorite characters from the Star War films. Bring your camera and take as many pictures as you like! Re-enactors include members of the Mountain Garrison of the 501st Legion -- www.501st.com. Members reside in both Colorado and Wyoming.

Dr. Toby Rush presents "The Music of Star Wars"

7:30 pm - Presentation: The music of Star Wars 
This 90-minute multimedia presentation from UNC music professor TOBY RUSH, includes excerpts from all six films. Dr. Rush will present the music of Star Wars and explore how John Williams used the soundtrack to help tell George Lucas' epic tale.

9 pm - Costume Contest
Wear your Star Wars costume! Guests are encouraged to dress as characters from any of the Star Wars films. A short fashion show, allowing guests to strut their stuff, will be held following Dr. Rush’s talk. Prizes will be awarded for the top outfits!

All this FREE with your donation for NEEDS! So bring the family, this is one event you don’t want to miss! And it’s for a good cause – with all foodstuffs to be donated to NEEDS Cheyenne. 

Highlands Presbyterian Church is located in north Cheyenne at 2390 Pattison Avenue. From Dell Range at Mountain, drive north on Mountain Road to the intersection of Pattison and Mountain.

For more information, contact Rodger McDaniel, pastor of Highlands Presbyterian, at 307-634-2962 (church office) or rodger.mcdaniel@bresnan.net.

Wyoming Art for the Cure "celebrates art & life" April 29

“Wyoming Art for the Cure - A Celebration of Art & Life” will take place on Friday, April 29, 6-9 p.m., at Little America Hotel and Convention Center in Cheyenne.

The event is a live and silent art auction open to the community that includes an evening of light fare, friendly company, and incredible artwork donated generously by regional artists. All monies raised at the Wyoming Art for the Cure event are donated directly to the Wyoming Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

For tickets or more info, go to http://www.artforthecure.org

"Cottonwood Sunset" photo by Doc Thiessen of Laramie is one of the 2011 auction artworks in Art for the Cure.

The Bettys sing for charity at UW event

Photo by DJ Bowman

From a story by Andrea Knous in the Branding Iron:

More than 300 people attended The Bettys event this past Saturday, Helen Chanthongthip, a graduate student in Speech Pathology and member of the group, said.

The group raised $240 for its charities: The Wyoming Family Home Ownership Program, which provides local low-income families with children the opportunity to pay a down payment for a home, and IJM, an organization assisting in the fight to end human slavery, Chanthongthip said.

The group was formed in 2006 by six UW women. Today, the last of the founders is Rebecca Johnson, a graduate student in civil engineering from Arvada, Colo. and current president of The Bettys.

The group was started when she and four other original members saw how much fun the Happy Jacks (the male a cappella singing group on campus) were having.  The Bettys began performing at Coal Creek, and their reputation grew from there, Johnson said.

UPDATE: Handmade for Japan eBay auction

Wyomingarts has been tracking arts-oriented fund-raisers for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. One Cheyenne artist and teacher, Connie Kazuko Norman, will be part of a Handmade for Japan auction on eBay. Here is the most recent information from Connie:

I sure many of have already heard of Handmade For Japan.  It is the brainchild of Ayumi Horie, and her friends, Ai Kanazawa Cheung and Kathryn Pombriant Manzella.  Handmade For Japan is an on-line benefit auction for the Japanese victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami.  I am honored to be one of the artists that are contributing to the cause.  As many of you know that I am half Japanese and I have many relatives that live in Tokyo.  I have been lucky enough to have study ceramics in Japan as well.  My Japanese heritage has always very important to me. The people of Japan really need help with disaster relief.

The auction will be held next Thursday, March 24th, 8pm EST to Sunday, March 27th, 8pm EST on eBay and they will have assured bids so check in early. Right now Handmade For Japan has a public Facebook page where a previewing of items before the auction. Even if you're not on Facebook, you can see the items. Please help us get the word out so that we can reach our goal of raising more than $25,000. 100% of the proceeds will be given to Global Giving’s Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

The collection has grown to over 90 artists, many with well-known and respected names, and you will be astonished how many wonderful pieces of art that has been donated for the cause. 

Ayumi and her friends have been working tirelessly toward this event.  I have been amazed at every update.  Thank you guys for all your hard work!

Here are some of the media coverage we got in the last week, The New York Times, and American Craft Magazine.

Ways for artists and artisans to help Japan

From Cornelia Carey at the Craft Emergency Relief Fund:

All of us are standing by with great concern as the aftermath of last Friday’s powerful earthquake in Japan continues to unfold. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families as well as those who are on the front lines of the relief efforts there. 

A number of you have written looking for suggestions about where to send contributions and aid. We strongly encourage supporting the first responders and want to pass along Network for Good’s list of some of them: http://www1.networkforgood.org/help-survivors-pacific-quake-tsunami. We have also put feelers out to the arts community in Japan about artists and cultural workers who could use our support further down the line. We will keep you informed about what we uncover. Please also let us know if you have contacts or recommendations for us.

Cheyenne artist donates to Handmade for Japan for earthquake and tsunami relief

Cheyenne artist and teacher Connie Norman sends this:

I’ve been asked to donate to Handmade for Japan at http://connienorman.com/blog/  I have more  info on my blog with images. It is a international fund raiser. The sale of donated items will go on sale March 18 – 20, on eBay. 

I will send you the link when the site is live, but in the meantime items up for auction can be seen at

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/handmadeforjapanauction?sk=wall .

This is their Facebook site announcing updates and donated artworks. 

I copied and pasted Handmade For Japan’s mission statement below. 

Handmade For Japan

eBay auction March 18-20 to help the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami

Description Mission:
Handmade For Japan's mission is to raise money through an online auction on March 18-20 for relief efforts to assist the victims of Japan's catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emissions.

Handmade for Japan is an online auction of unique, handmade art donated by concerned, invited artists. One hundred percent of all net proceeds collected via the auction will be donated to the relief efforts in Japan.

Because of the urgency of the situation, the auction will begin on eBay on Friday, March 18th and end on Sunday, March 20th. The auction items will be listed under the "Handmade for Japan" seller ID.

Previews of the auction items will be available in English and Japanese through Facebook pages and Twitter updates. All inquiries in either language should be sent to handmadeforjapan@gmail.com.

Who We Are:
Handmade For Japan was borne out of concern for Japan's residents by Japanese-American ceramic artist Ayumi Horie http://www.ayumihorie.com. She, Ai Kanazawa Cheung, and Kathryn Pombriant Manzella have mobilized to solicit, promote, and auction handmade pieces of art generously donated by talented artists throughout North America and Japan.

FMI: http://www.connienorman.com

Award-winning "Kicked Out" features foreword by Casper's Judy Shepard

Casper's Judy Shepard wrote the foreword to the new anthology edited by Sassafras Lowrey, "Kicked Out." Last night, the book received a major literary award. Here's info from Lowrey's web site:

Last night Kicked Out received a HUGE honor and was not only included in the American Library Association’s Over the Rainbow booklist for 2011, but was also included in their Top 11 books of 2011!    Being included is a tremendous honor, and one which will help get Kicked Out into even more libraries across the country, and thus the hands of folks who need its messages the most. You can see all the books included in the top 11 as well as the full Over the Rainbow book list here

I’m so grateful to the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table and its Jurors  for honoring Kicked Out.

Here's a description from the book jacket:

In the U.S., 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and tells the forgotten stories of some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Diverse contributors share stories of survival and abuse with poignant accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families. Kicked Out highlights the nuanced perspectives of national organizations such as The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness and regional agencies, including Sylvia’s Place, The Circus Project and Family Builders. This anthology, introduced by Judy Shepard, gives voice to the voiceless and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness. To learn more, visit us online at KickedOutAnthology.com

Wyoming Humanities Council offers civility program as an antidote to these "uncivil" times

Milward Simpson, director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, wrote a guest op-ed for the Oct. 24 Casper Star-Tribune. His essay focused on the new Wyoming Humanities Council program on a timely topic -- civility. This is a slightly longer version of the CST op-ed:

October is National Arts and Humanities Month. In honor of the occasion I’m writing to announce that the Wyoming Humanities Council (WHC) will be conducting a new series of programs and activities beginning in fall 2010 bringing Wyoming citizens together to focus on an important and timely topic: civility.

Much has been made of these “uncivil” times. As Americans, we are all familiar with the words and images that have characterized our political landscape in recent months and years: politicians resorting to ugly personal attacks and extreme public statements, the advent of the inchoate tea party movement and the inchoate, mocking response to it, all this amorphous anger, the mob chaos of political town meetings, entire TV “news” programs devoted to one-sided polemic, and here, closer to home, the uproar over Bill Ayers and extremists threatening to burn religious texts on the capitol steps. Even in Wyoming where we know that we daren’t offend our neighbor for risk of offending the entire community that sustains us, we are not immune.

The fuel we seem to keep pouring onto the fire is distilled from a variety of sources: the proliferation of electronic communication leading to an increasingly polarized media (what journalists Halperin and Harris refer to as “the freak show”), the increasing geopolitical phenomenon in which people choose to live where their political views will be reinforced (what author Bill Bishop refers to as “The Clustering of Like-Minded America;” and a frustrated electorate facing the seeming impossibility of getting anything done in the almost complete absence of compromise – we have all been burned by the volatility of these forces.

Of course, our democratic experiment has often been characterized by periods of national upheaval where incivility reigned. The publication “America’s Civil War” in its most recent issue stated “…if you think politics are polarizing now, try to imagine the angst in this country after Abraham Lincoln was elected president 150 years ago…” Cabinet members resigned, seven states voted to secede from the Union and Federal property in South Carolina was confiscated and/or destroyed leaving Ft. Sumter as the only federal property remaining. Yet, though far perhaps from the depth of the divisions which resulted in our great Civil War, the word “secession” has wormed its way back into the national dialogue. Our current cultural environment does call into question the cohesion of our nation and our collective ability to confront the enormous issues facing us - economic, environmental and social.

It is not that we should disagree less. Indeed, part of our American dynamism comes from the fact that we are born and bred to argue. Our democracy draws its strength from it. The esteemed journalist Howard Fineman in his book “The Thirteen American Arguments,” argues that, if anything, we don’t argue enough “…about the fundamentals. The … arguments bitterly divide us, but they also define, inspire, and ultimately unite us by bestowing legitimacy on hard fought deals…”

The difference today seems to be civility – what National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach refers to as the willingness and ability to “walk in another’s shoes.” I had the honor of meeting Mr. Leach during his visit to Wyoming last month as part of his 50-state “American Civility Tour.” Leach, a 30-year Iowa Congressman known for his effectiveness in working across the aisle, launched his tour to “call attention to the need for civility in public discourse.” I have seldom met a more erudite gentleman, yet, he puts this all very simply: “Civilization requires civility. Words matter. Polarizing attitudes can jeopardize social cohesion.”

While pondering this piece, I thought of civility in light of my own family’s history of public service. Many of us are known to be “scrappers” who don’t back down from a fight and are prone, for better or worse, to speak our minds. My grandfather Milward, during his term as Governor in the late 1950’s, once wrote a quite uncivil letter responding to a constituent who seems to have taken issue with his conduct in office. Granddad dashed off his vitriolic missive and told his Chief of Staff Bob McManus to “mail the thing to that #@$&% SOB.” Bob did as he was told. Later that day, Governor Simpson came to him and asked, “…you didn’t mail that letter, did you!?” Bob said that he had. Granddad exclaimed something like “Oh God, we’ve got to go get it!” and they walked (I’m sure with less than sure legal footing) to the postmaster who agreed to retrieve the letter before it left the post office. From then on, when granddad had occasion (as he apparently continued to do) to direct his Chief of Staff to “mail the thing to that dirty rotten…!” or something of the like, Bob would wisely pocket the letter so when he was asked the inevitable “you didn’t mail that thing did you!?,” he simply retrieved it from his vest pocket – a sort of “pocket veto” of an uncivil instinct, for which the family is eternally grateful.

How do we confront this issue here in our beloved, wonderful and still wild Wyoming? The Wyoming Humanities Council’s Civility Matters! initiative was inspired by Chairman Leach’s call to action. The WCH describes these statewide programs as being “…presented in a variety of formats and will explore historically contentious events, as well as contemporary state, national, and international issues. Wide-ranging topics may include "cyber-civility" and public discourse in the digital age; sports and civility; cyber and school bullying; academic freedom; generational differences; national topics, such as second amendment rights, labor relations, and energy and water issues; regional topics, such as the Rock Springs Massacre, the Johnson County Wars, and the World War II Heart Mountain Relocation Center; and international topics, such as Islamic contributions to world cultures and the Iraq/Afghanistan wars.” The variable format for these discussions is intended to encourage interaction and will include visiting scholar presentations, online film and book discussions, summer watermelon/ice cream socials, publications, and community potluck dialogues.

The Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources is proud to provide support for these programs and feels they will benefit Wyoming as we explore the issue as a state and rededicate ourselves to our proud “live and let live” credo, to arguing and disagreeing while retaining our civility and our mutual respect. Back to Fineman, our civil discourse, our arguments, “…produced a civil war, the still-smoldering embers of racial tribalism, and pitiless economic competition; but they also produce the freest of societies, an ongoing (if imperfect) accommodation between capital and community, and a Constitution that stands as a beacon to the world even if we sometimes honor it in the breach. Arguing keeps us moving fitfully forward – toward being worthy of the gifts God gave us.”

As we celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month, I invite you to participate in these activities and be a part of this important discourse. After all, it’s the American thing to do!

Amnesty International Film Festival at UW Oct. 23

The Amnesty International Film Festival, featuring short and full-length film on issues of human rights worldwide, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, in Laramie. Many films are award winners. Schedule includes "ICYIZERE: hope" (2008) that is also showing in Casper and Jackson. Refreshments provided. Time TBA (start about 10 AM or Noon) into the evening, Classroom Bldg Rm. 129, UW Campus. Info: Conor, cmullen@uwyo.edu. Free.

U of A prof speaks about "Arizona's Anti-Ethnic Studies Bill 1108" during UW's Ethnic Studies Week

From a UW press release:

Leading ethnic studies researcher, Andrea J. Romero, will lead three programs Monday, Oct. 4, at the University of Wyoming.

Romero, a professor at the University of Arizona, is a key speaker during Ethnic Studies Week at UW. She will give a public lecture on "Chicano/a Students' Engagement with Arizona's Anti-Ethnic Studies Bill 1108: Civic Engagement, Ethnic Identity and Well-being" in the Wyoming Union East Ballroom from 6-7 p.m.

Also Monday, she will discuss "Life Span and Human Development: Positive Ethnic Identity Development for Chicano/a Youth" in the College of Education auditorium from 9-9:50 a.m.

"!El Movimiento Sigue!: How Being Engaged with Anti-Ethnic Studies Arizona Legislation Keeps Chicano/a Students Healthy" will be discussed in the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) from 12:30-2 p.m.

Romero is a Fitch Nesbitt professor in family studies and human development and Mexican American and Raza studies. She has a Ph.D. in applied social psychology with a minor in qualitative methods from the University of Houston.

Ethnic Studies Week is sponsored by the University of Wyoming Chicano Studies Program in conjunction with Multicultural Affairs and the UW chapters of MEChA and Sigma Lambda Gamma.

Other planned activities for Ethnic Studies Week include the Ross Hall Book Club Friday, Oct. 15, from noon-1:30 p.m. in the Ross Hall Conference Room 108. Lilia Soto will lead a discussion on "Every Night is Ladies' Night" by Michael Jaime-Becerra. This event is open to faculty, staff, students and Laramie residents. The first 10 people to register by e-mail to Chicano_Studies@uwyo.edu receive the book free.

Photo: Andrea Romero will discuss "Civic Engagement, Ethnic Identity and Well-being" from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, in the Wyoming Union East Ballroom.