Call for entries: 2013 Cheyenne International Film Festival

The Cheyenne International Film Festival now is seeking entries for 2013 via Withoutabox. The event will be held in Cheyenne May 16-19. Go to http://cheyenneinternationalfilmfestival.com/blog/film/1850/

Kudos rolling in for Cheyenne's inaugural 17th Street Arts Festival

Arts Cheyenne reports this in its latest newsletter:

More than 2,500 area residents attended and celebrated Cheyenne's first community-wide arts festival, the 17th Street Arts Festival, last month. Arts Cheyenne and the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority hosted the event on the new Dinneen Downtown Plaza.  The Festival featured dozens of visual and performance artists in the large Artists Tent and on the Performance Stage, located on 17th Street under the new 17th Street Lighting Project.  Hundreds of artistically-minded young people also took part in the participatory children's art and dance workshops at "Emmie's Corner." You'll find a showcase of all the Festival photos on the Arts Cheyenne website.

Post-festival evaluations from both attendees and artists were enthusiastic, with high marks for organization and art sales to patrons.  Comments included:

• "Keep doing it.  Cheyenne needs more things like this." (Attendee)
• "What a great new tradition.  It's nice to have colorful community events in Cheyenne." (Attendee)
• "I was stunned and impressed.  People commented on how excited they were that Cheyenne was doing this type of event." (Artist)
• "This show had it all.  Kudos to you folks.  I'd like to come back next year." (Artist)

The Festival also received support from sponsors and grant sources, including the Dinneen Family, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power, WEST, Inc., CBS Channel 5, Traders, Visit Cheyenne, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, and the Wyoming Arts Council.

Planning has already begun for the 17th Street Arts Festival next summer . . scheduled for August 16-17, 2013, also on the Dinneen Downtown Plaza.  

At Sod Farm Festival: 16 acts at 20 minutes each to build a school in Nicaragua

From sheridanmedia.com:

This Saturday night, music lovers in Sheridan County will be able to get their fill with 16 acts set to take the stage at this year's Sod Farm Festival to benefit Project Schoolhouse, which builds schools and water systems in Central America. This year's goal is to raise $35,000 for an entire school in Nicaragua. 

Event Organizer Tab Barker says that in order to get through 16 acts in the allotted time, he's taken a page from Vaudeville. Listen to his unique method. 

The Sod Farm Festival will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. at the Green Carpet Sod Farm West of Sheridan. To get there take Big Goose Road until you hit Owl Creek Road, then take a right and follow the road until it ends.

You'll also be able to get a sneak peak of some of the music Friday night, as the band Seu Jacinto from Austin, Texas, which Barker is a member of, will be doing a pub crawl in downtown Sheridan starting at P.O. News at 5:30, and ending up at the Black Tooth Brewery for a set at approximately 8 p.m. Tickets for the Sod Farm Festival are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the WYO Theater, or at the gate Saturday evening.

Don King Days features cowboy polo, bronc riding and a concert by Jalan Crossland

Don King Days will take place at the Big Horn Equestrian Center in Sheridan County Sept. 2-3. Ten Sleep's Jalan Crossland will perform at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Events feature classic equine events like polo, steer roping, bronc riding and wild cow milking, both days. The Big Horn Equestrian Center’s few fences and big fields put the crowd right in the middle of all the action. The Don King Days events began when local ranchers came up with this unique combination of equestrian events to be held in honor of King, owner of King’s Saddlery and renowned saddle maker world-wide. King was the recipient of a Governor's Arts Award from the Wyoming Arts Council and a National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA.

FMI: http://www.sheridanwyoming.org/activities/rodeos/don-king-days/

Blues and brews this weekend in Rock Springs

Caldera Festival, Jackson, August 17-18

If you are in the Jackson area (or if you like music and art), don't miss the annual Caldera Festival, presented by the Teton Artlab! 

The festival kicks off on August 17th with the Terra: Textile runway show at the Center for the Arts Theater, billed as "a multi-dimensional event...exploring the relationship between cloth & landscape." The show features Ashley Ernest, Lizz Basinger, and Wyoming's own Orwell Ashelter and Abbie MIller. 

August 18th promises a big night of music on the Center's lawn, with internationally renowned headliner Andrew Bird supported by critically acclaimed musicians Kelly Hogan and Sharon Van Etten. 

General admissions tickets for both events are each $20, and available online. VIP tickets are also available for $75 and offer special seating/ viewing areas and complimentary beverages.

Big West Arts Festival in Sheridan

Head to Sheridan next weekend for the seventh annual Big West Arts Festival! This year’s festival, celebrating the visual, culinary and performing arts, will be held at the center of the Sheridan College campus on August 4^th & 5^th.

There is something for everyone, with a diverse and full slate of performers, a “Welding Rodeo” on the 4^th, food by students in the College’s Culinary Arts program and visual artists from all over the West!

The event opens at 10 am each day, with free admission and free parking.

Wyoming Summer Music Festivals

Summer is the time to get out and enjoy Wyoming’s great outdoors and great musicians! Luckily there are still plenty of music festivals coming up across the state.

The Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole is celebrating its 51st season with concerts Tuesday through Saturday nights until August 18th. Music fans have a variety of choices, from the Festival’s renowned classical offerings to bluegrass and jazz.

This coming weekend (July 27-29) head to Kemmerer and take part in the Oyster Ridge Music Festival, Wyoming’s “largest, free music festival”! Don’t just come for the music though, Oyster Ridge has planned workshops, competitions and vendors.
Travel to Casper Mountain August 4-5 for an exciting weekend of great bluegrass music at the Beartrap Summer Festival! Beartrap promises a variety of vendors including artists, craftspeople and, of course, food!
 
Music fans have a couple of choices the weekend of August 10-12! Head to Ten Sleep for the twelfth Nowoodstock festival, only $30 for a weekend pass!
 
Or, if you find yourself in the south of the state on August 11^th, join the Sweetwater Blues and Brew Festival at Bunning Park in Rock Springs.

Giant crawfish invade Jackson!

Patti Fiasco at Evanston's Beer, Brats and Bluegrass Festival June 23

The arts and culture of Mexico highlighted at Casper's NICFest

News from the NIC:

The Nicolaysen Art Museum will host the popular NICFest summer art festival this Friday through Sunday, June 22-24. NICFest is a vibrant multi-day festival that provides endless opportunities to celebrate the arts with professional artists creating and selling artwork, two stages of musical entertainment, fun activities for kids and families, food and art exhibitions for everyone. For 2012, NICFest introduces a new celebration of folk-life. Each year, a different cultural region, country or tradition will be explored. This year, the festival will celebrate and explore the Mexican culture through art, music, dance, and food.

The visual arts include more than 60 artists from across the region and nation selling their artwork in the main tent and on Collins Drive. Exhibitions in the museum explore a variety of themes from agriculture, fashion, Mexican folk art. Featured in Bryce Hall and in the Discovery Center, is the National Arts Program exhibition, which highlights the artwork of city employees and their immediate family. Don’t miss the Doodle 4 Google exhibition in the Discovery Center, which Wyoming children from all across the state reimagined the Google logo.

NICFest would not be complete without music and this year’s headliner main stage performers include 3 Twins Broadband on Friday evening at 7 pm, the Fireants on Saturday at 6 pm, and Jalan Crossland on Sunday at 4 pm. Also, don’t miss our full schedule of music and dance performers on the family stage from Friday to Sunday.

Come and enjoy the 7th annual NICFest celebration of arts and culture. The festival, which will be open from 5-9 p.m. June 22, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. June 23, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on June 24 is free and open to the public.

For more information, call the Nic at 235-5247 or visit our Web site at http://www.thenic.org/.

"Aerial art" takes to the skies over Laramie during Butch Cassidy Days

Press release from our colleagues at Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites:

The skies of Laramie will be painted with a multitude of colors as kite fliers from throughout the region are featured during this year’s Butch Cassidy Festival at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site on Saturday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Come see giant kites, some up to 525 square feet and some with 100 foot tails as well as stunt kites. Don’t forget a camera there will be plenty of “aerial art” to photograph!

Kids will have an opportunity to purchase kites, as well, or can bring their own and fly them in the wide open area at the event.

A “Kite Doctor” will also be on hand to help kids adjust their single line kite and help kids fly their kites!

This year’s Butch Cassidy Days will have numerous new activities featuring the kite demonstrations, search and rescue dogs, Wyoming wildlife identification, horse-drawn stagecoach rides, corn shelling, bouncy castle and more. Returning favorite activities are the kids’ money scramble, kids’ stick horse rodeo, a “prisoner” escape, petting zoo, as well as vintage cars and tractors.

“Butch Cassidy Festival is a community celebration that is designed to engage visitors of all ages with activities, entertainment and education,” Deborah Amend, site superintendent said. “Experience a day full of fun from kids’ kites running with the Bols, trick ropers to story time with Moose. Meet Butch Cassidy and a special guest appearance by Smokey the Bear.”

Author Larry Pointer will give a presentation in the afternoon on his newly released book “Butch Cassidy’s Story: Bandit Invincible” detailing the lives of Butch Cassidy and William Wilcox (aka William Phillips) a Butch Cassidy impersonator, who was imprisoned with Cassidy at the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Pointer is one of the leading experts on outlaw history and Butch Cassidy in North America.

For an evening of fun and good food, the public can stay for supper after the festival activities have ended with a Milk Can Dinner and musical entertainment in the Horse Barn Theater at 5:30 pm. Academy of Western Artist’s Female Performer of the Year Award winning songwriter Mary Kaye will be performing cowboy and outlaw songs.

“My western music differs from country music.We have much to celebrate here in the West and we deserve our own music that celebrates who we are and honors our wild and wooly past.” Mary Kaye said.

Admittance to Butch Cassidy Festival is Adults $5, students ages 12 to 17 is $2.50 and children 11 and under free. The Milk Can Dinner and Musical Show have limited seating and tickets cost $20.

Wyoming Territorial Prison State historic Site is located at 975 Snowy Range Road in Laramie. Open daily 8 a.m.to 7 p.m. admission charged for event.

For more information on Butch Cassidy Festival go to http://www.wyomingterritorialprison.com/

"Wyoming Showcase" night at the Cheyenne International Film Festival

Tonight is officially opening night at the Cheyenne International Film Festival. Wyoming films are showcased, including "The Summer of '81," winner of the Wyoming Film Office's Short Film Contest. It all wraps up with a screening of "Wyoming Triumph." Get the complete schedule by going to http://cheyenneinternationalfilmfestival.com/blog/film/opening-night-showcases-wyoming-films/

Get tix now for May 19 CIFF event honoring filmmaker Daniel Junge

The Cheyenne International Film Festival is honoring Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Junge on Saturday, May 19. The full evening event is selling out, but CIFF is offering tickets for the films, interview and questions and answers with Daniel Junge. The films include “One Day” which is Daniel’s latest short film followed by the Oscar-winning “Saving Face.” Tickets are also available at the Phoenix Books and Music walk-up box office 1612 Capitol Avenue in Downtown Cheyenne. Tickets for the reception honoring Daniel Junge are also on sale online and at the box office.

Yiddish Food Festival features Klezmer music, Israeli folk dancing and (of course) great ethnic foods

Hal Aqua and The Lost Tribe perform "noveau Klezmer music" May 20 at the Yiddish Food Festival in Cheyenne.

The seventh annual Yiddish Food Festival is scheduled to take place in Cheyenne at Mt. Sinai Synagogue on Sunday, May 20, between the hours of 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Mt. Sinai Synagogue is located at 2610 Pioneer Ave in Cheyenne Wyoming. The festival is an open-house style event designed to introduce visitors to Mt Sinai Congregation's historic building, rituals, music and delicious ethnic foods. FMI: https://www.facebook.com/events/289859201089398

The Festival includes Klezmer music, Israeli folk dancing, and Synagogue tours. Hal Aqua and the Lost Tribe, self described as playing "an exuberant musical experience, rooted firmly in traditional Jewish modes and melodies and driven by contemporary rhythms and danceable grooves," are scheduled to play Klezmer music. In addition, there will be trained, costumed folk dancers performing a variety of Israeli folk dances with time allotted to teach the audience.

The Yiddish Food Festival will also include a variety of traditional Jewish foods ranging from matzah ball soup and cabbage rolls to Israeli salad and rugelah. Each item is prepared using recipes congregation members have perfected through years of home preparation.

This project is supported in part by a grant from Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Great ethnic desserts, too...

A classic western and an Oscar-winning documentary on tap at CIFF

The Cheyenne International Film Festival program for 2012 is completed. The CIFF May 17-20 is highlighted by Cheyenne native Daniel Junge and his Oscar-winning documentary “Saving Face." He’ll be on hand and in person at a reception taking place on the Mezzanine of the Plains Hotel on Saturday, May 19. The screening takes place across the street at 1615 Lincoln.

Saturday also features a return screening of John Ford’s classic western “Cheyenne Autumn” which made its World Premiere at the Lincoln Theater in 1963. Actress Carroll Baker will participate in a live interview via Skype following the movie.

See the entire program here. More info at http://cheyenneinternationalfilmfestival.com/blog/

Indie Music Awards winner to perform at Donkey Creek Festival in Gillette

This announcement comes from the good people at the Donkey Creek Festival in Gillette: Tell everyone you know: Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three won (in a tie) for best Americana album at the 11th annual Independent Music Awards! They're playing Saturday, June 23rd at the Donkey Creek Festival!

Lander RiverFest Art & Music in the Park set for July 21

This comes from the Lander Art Center:

Lander RiverFest Art and Music in the Park is scheduled for July 21. Artist booth entries are due June 2.

Hope to see you there!

Click on this link for more info: http://www.pitchengine.com/landerartcenter/lander-riverfest-art-and-music-in-the-park-july-21

Gillette's April 21 Prairie Wind Culture Festival celebrates the region's "rich cultural diversity"

The Prairie Wind Culture Festival (PWCF) will take place in Gillette on Saturday, April 21. Sponsors include the Wyoming Arts Council.

Here's a description from the web site:

PWCF was started in 2004. It is an all volunteer, non-profit, secular organization with one goal: to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in northeastern Wyoming.

The PWCF is an annual Festival that is free and open to the public. As with any culture, the three main elements of the Festival are food, music and art! This unique event brings people together to celebrate their differences while discovering the many ways in which we are all related.

By creating an environment where people can be proud of who they are and that teaches respect for all people, we hope to strengthen our community and avoid cultural divisions.

Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival offers live stream Feb. 29 of TED Conference

Join us on Wednesday, February 29, for a FREE live stream of day two of the TED Conference in Long Beach.

This is a FREE event made possible by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and the Center for the Arts. Pick up tickets at the Center for the Arts box office. FMI: 307-733-4900.

The Lab: 9:30 – 11:15 am

Henrik Schärfe, Roboticist
Regina Dugan, Director of DARPA
Jack Choi, Technologist
Marco Tempest ,Techno Illusionist
Donald Sadoway, Materials Engineer

The Earth: 12:00 – 1:45 pm
Karen Bass, Natural History Filmmaker
Sharon Beals, Anthropologist
Wade Davis, Ethnobotanist
James Hansen, Climatologist
T. Boone Pickens, Entrepreneur & Energy Theorist
Civilians Investigative Theatre, Theater Company

The Crowd: 3:15-5 pm
Reid Hoffman, Social Entrepreneur
Lior Zoref, Crowdsourcing Advocate
Reggie Watts, Vocalist/Beatboxer/Comedian
Frank Warren, Secret Keeper
Cameron Carpenter, Organist

The City 2.0: 6 – 7:45pm
JR, Street Artist
Edward Glaeser, Economist
Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Suja Lowenthal, Vice Mayor of Long Beach
Mama Foundation for the Arts: Gospel for Teens Choir, Teen Choir