Focus is on Rocky Mountain Foodways Dec. 2 at Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum

Foodways! One of our favorite topics here at the Arts Council. Found this on Tammy Christel's excellent Jackson Hole Art Blog:

The Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum opens “Key Ingredients: Jackson Hole Flavors,” on Sunday, December 2, from 1-5 p.m. Emphasis is on “local.” The exhibit explores Jackson Hole food culture and is associated with Key Ingredients: America by Food, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. Artifacts from the museum collection, including select recipes that have been interpreted, give museum visitors a sense of Jackson’s the evolving food culture.

At 2 p.m. Andrea Graham, Folklife Specialist, delivers a program entitled Foodways in the Intermountain West, says the museum. During the program attendees will learn about the importance of our food traditions. Graham studied food culture in the American Studies Program at the University of Wyoming, where she conducts fieldwork statewide and produces public programs.

Beverages and favorite cookies from Jackson Hole cooks will be served during Sunday’s afternoon opening celebration. Free! www.jacksonholehistory.org/

Trail End Historic Site Holiday Open House Dec. 7-9 in Sheridan

Our State Parks and Cultural Resources colleagues at Trail End Historic Site in Sheridan sent us this announcement:

 

Kick off the holiday season right this year and make plans to attend the Trail End Holiday Open House in Sheridan. This three-day event celebrates the season with live music and tasty treats served up in a historically elegant atmosphere complete with all the traditional trappings of the holidays.

An annual tradition for over twenty-five years, the Open House is scheduled for December 7-9, at the Trail End State Historic Site. Sponsored by the Trail End Guilds, Inc., the event features live entertainment and holiday decorations throughout the spectacular 1913 mansion. Open House hours are 4-7 p.m. each day. Admission is $2 for adults. Children are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Trail End – a 14,000 square foot brick mansion overlooking Sheridan’s Kendrick Park – is decorated from Thanksgiving through mid-December (open daily from 1-4 p.m. for self-guided tours). Seven ornately decorated trees stand throughout the house, from the Drawing Room to the Ballroom. Windows and staircases are draped with garlands and ribbons, while potted poinsettias enhance nearly every horizontal surface.

 

One major attraction of the Open House is the live music, with a different act featured each hour. This year’s schedule is as follows (subject to last-minute changes):

Friday, December 7

4:00 p.m. – Barbara Campbell (piano)

5:00 p.m. – Cathy Storm (pump organ)

6:00 p.m. – Micah & Julie (guitar & vocal duet)

Saturday, December 8

4:00 p.m. – Canary Joe (jazz vocal/instrumental)

5:00 p.m. – Juliet’s Muse (instrumental ensemble)

6:00 p.m. – Methodist Handbell Choir (instrumental ensemble)

Sunday, December 9

4:00 p.m. – Sheridanaires (vocal ensemble)

5:00 p.m. – Patchwork Singers (vocal ensemble)

6:00 p.m. – Just Harmony (vocal ensemble)

 

Guided tours of the mansion, home of former Wyoming Governor and United States Senator John B. Kendrick, are also offered during the Open House. Conducted by Trail End staff and volunteers, the tours feature the history of the house and grounds, plus a look at what the holidays were like earlier in the Twentieth Century.

In the mansion’s historic kitchen, Trail End staff and volunteers will serve up tasty seasonal treats. This year, hot, spiced cider is paired with delicious homemade Figgy Pudding – a holiday tradition at Trail End.

In addition to Trail End’s regularly displayed furnishings – nearly all original to the house – many additional Kendrick family items are included in the annual holiday exhibit. Visitors have an opportunity to see toys, sleds, skates, dishes, and Christmas cards from the 1910s, 20s and 30s, as well as a nativity scene made in Germany prior to World War Two, and an old-fashioned “feather” tree.

This year’s focus exhibit is “The Ad Made Me Buy It: The Power of Advertising in the Early Twentieth Century.” The whole-house panel exhibit explores the art and science of advertising, and how potential consumers were influenced by the ads placed in their reading material.

The Holiday Open House is nearly the last opportunity for visitors to enjoy the historic site this year. Trail End is closed during the winter months, from December 15, through March 31.

Over the winter, staff will be busy updating the site’s interpretive panels. The current exhibit will be replaced by a special exhibit celebrating the hundredth anniversary of Trail End’s occupation by the Kendrick family (John, Eula, Manville and Rosa-Maye Kendrick moved into the house on July 27, 1913). Keep an eye open for more information on upcoming centennial activities.

The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan (exit 23 off Interstate 90; turn onto Fifth Street; then left onto Clarendon). Parking for the Open House is available on Delphi, Clarendon and Victoria Streets. Limited handicapped parking is available in the circular drive between the Kendrick Mansion and the Carriage House Theater. An elevator provides access to the upper and lower floors for the mobility challenged.

Trail End is operated by the State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information on the Trail End State Historic Site, the Holiday Open House or the Trail End Guilds, phone307-674-4589, or visit their website at www.trailend.org.

Read our latest Five Question Friday Q&A with Powell photographer Wayne Thomas

We interviewed photographer and filmmaker Wayne Thomas of Powell for our latest Five Question Friday feature on Facebook. For the full Q&A go here. 

Wayne sent us links to samples of his work. He wrote the story and shot the photos for an excellent photo-essay in Doubletake Magazine Online marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma Civil Rights March. View it at http://www.waynethomasphotography.com/selma. 

One of his favorite photographers is William Albert Allard of the National Geographic. Wayne likes his work so much that, when they met, he asked the photographer if he could do a short film about him. The trailer for this recently completed film on Allard can be found here: http://www.waynethomasphotography.com/allard.

Mt. Sinai Synagogue to screen two Holocaust documentaries on Nov. 3

Mt. Sinai Synagogue in Cheyenne will present a double feature of two short documentary films on Saturday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.  The films are:

Shanghai Ghetto (95 minutes): A gentle, loving accounting of 20,000 mostly German Jews who were able to escape the Nazi's before World War II started and go to Shanghai, China, where the Japanese were in control of that city.

Visas and Virtues (30 minutes): 1997 Oscar-winning short by Chris Tashima. Haunted by the sight of hundreds of Jewish refugees outside the consulate gates, a Japanese diplomat and his wife, at the beginning of World War II, must decide how much they are willing to risk. Inspired by a true story, this Academy Award® winning portrait gracefully captured in period black and white by noted cinematographer Hiro Narita poignantly pays tribute to the rescuer of 6,000 Jews from the Holocaust.

The movies will be shown in the Social Hall at the Synagogue. For more information, go to
http://mtsinaicheyenne.org/special_events.asp, or contact Jaimee Sodosky, 303-503-1844

Dr. Mark Miller speaks about "Military Sites in Wyoming 1700-1920" on Oct. 25

We can't wait to read the published book, as Dr. Miller is a fine writer:

Dr. Mark Miller, Wyoming’s State Archaeologist, will celebrate National Archaeology Day with a lecture at the Wyoming State Museum, October 25 at 7 p.m.

From the earliest carved and painted images on stone cliffs to locations dating to the 20^th Century, Wyoming is dotted with hundreds of sites that bear witness to military activities.

In his talk, Dr. Miller draws from his recently completed book “Military Sites in Wyoming 1700-1920.” The slide show and lecture summarizes a study of more than 300 sites that have been incorporated into this historic context, beginning with early evidence of military activity in Native American rock art.

The discussion culminates with a discussion of sites related to Wyoming’s role in the United States entry into World War I.

Dr. Miller is a Carbon County native and adjunct professor of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming.

This program is presented by the Wyoming State Museum, State Historic Preservation Office and Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist. It is free and open to the public.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. For more information about this and other State Museum programs, please call 777-7022.

American Civil War classic "John Brown's Body" Nov. 15 at the Cheyenne Civic Center

Juneteenth celebration set for June 16 in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Park in Cheyenne

The annual Juneteenth celebration will take place on Saturday, June 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Park in Cheyenne. Speakers include Mayor Rick Kaysen, Wyoming State Rep. Jim Byrd and Cheyenne NAACP President Elder Rodney McDowell. Performances throughout the day by DJ Riley Jeleneic, singer/songwriter Brandon Mucklow, Flores De Colores, singers/dancers Rashinda Calloway and Maricruz, and poet Stephen Stinger with Dr. James Peebles on the bongos. The Excel Perry 3on3 Basketball Tournament goes all day. Food vendors and informational booths will be located throughout the park. FMI: http://www.naacpcheyenne.org/meetings-and-events

Stage III looking for volunteers for Aug. 18-19 Renaissance Faire in Casper

From Stage III Community Theatre in Casper:

Mark your calendars. The Renaissance Faire is returning to Casper August 18-19 at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds Arena Building. Stage III is happy to announce the return of this family friendly event. There are many venues for Renaissance Faire fans to get involved. Stage III is looking for volunteer musicians, jugglers, mask makers, face painters, hair and headpiece designers and crafters of all kinds. Auditions for Renaissance performers will be held at Stage III May 14 & 15 at 7:00 pm. Actors of all ages are needed for Shakespeare's “Hamlet;” as well as fairies, jesters, knights, fair maids, heralds and more. Would you like to write and perform your own middle ages play, poetry, or song? Contact Stage III with your ideas and they will work with you to provide stage time. Stage III is also seeking food vendors for the two-day event. You can provide a full meal such as grilled turkey legs, burgers and hot dogs, pizza or pulled pork. Snack vendors for drinks, cotton candy, fudge sno-cones, or kettle corn, for example, are also wanted. There will be lots of activities to work up the appetites of faire participants. The Renaissance Faire Committee welcomes anyone with ideas or interested volunteers wanting to help plan and carry out this event to attend the next planning meeting 6:30 pm April 30 at Stage III 900 North Center Street. Want to know more? Email Stage III at stage3@wyoming.com or visit our http://www.stageiiitheatre.org/ or call 307-234-0946 or for details.

Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund seeks new board member

From Renee Bovee, Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Administrator: The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund will be seeking a replacement for one of our board members whose term will expire in March 2013. The WCTF has a unique appointment process, in that nominations are made by either the State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission (SPCR) or the Wyoming Arts Council Board to the Governor of Wyoming for a board appointee. Board candidates should have a general interest in or a background of service to any of the following disciplines: arts, history, humanities, archaeology or other related disciplines. If you are aware of someone you believe would be an excellent WCTF board member, or you, yourself, are interested in serving, please contact the WCTF Administrator, Renée Bovée, 307-777-6312 or renee.bovee@wyo.gov, for information

"The Horse, Of Course" opens May 1 at Wyoming State Museum

Horses have had a huge influence on the western experience and Wyoming history, a new exhibit “A Horse, Of Course,” opening at the Wyoming State Museum May 1, explores that relationship.

Through photographs, artwork and artifacts drawn exclusively from the collections of the Wyoming State Museum and State Archives, the exhibit focuses on the important role horses played in opening the American West.

“Paleo horses became extinct on the North American continent around 10,000 BC and weren’t re-introduced until the Spanish arrived in what is today Florida and Central America in the 1500s. It wasn’t until the 18th century that horses were brought to this region,” notes the exhibit’s curator, David L. Newell. “So in the history of the world, modern horses have only been in this area a relatively short time.”

But as shown in the new exhibit, their impact was profound. “North America has a population of more than 9.5 million horses today, among the largest concentrations in the world, and the development of the American West would not have been possible without them. Before the invention of the internal-combustion engine, mankind was truly reliant on real horse power!”

“A Horse, Of Course” begins with Sioux ledger book drawings and works its way from the 19th to the 21st century using period and contemporary art, advertisements, documentary photographs and objects relating to horse culture. The exhibit features overviews of the relationships between American Indians and cowboys and their horses, horses at work and in sports, and symbolism relating to horses.

“A Horse, Of Course” will be on display from May 1, through March 31. There will be a public reception on May 24 from 5 - 7p.m.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. The museum is open Monday through Saturday. Hours are seasonal. Admission is free. Call 307-777-7022.

Come meet Tom O'Day and Bronco Nell and keep your horse in plain sight!

Tom O'Day

Experience the Wild West through the eyes of real life outlaws as Ray Maple and his wife, Jackie, portray the life and times of Tom O’Day and Bronco Nell, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum Multi-Purpose Room. The presentation is free and open to the public.



Bronco Nell

Both O’Day and Nell are colorful characters in Wyoming history. O’Day, along with Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Kid Curry, were sometimes members of the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang, and participated in a number of famous robberies throughout the region.

Nell split time between running a freight company and stealing horses. Both O’Day and Nell served time in the Wyoming Territorial Prison for their crimes.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. For more information about this and other State Museum programs and exhibits, please call777-7021.

Wyoming Humanities Council seeks programs for forum

The Wyoming Humanities Council seeks programs for the Humanities Forum. The forum is a roster of independent contractors who travel throughout Wyoming, speaking on humanities-centered topics.  The format of presentations varies, but they should be 30 to 45 minutes long, followed by focused audience discussions.  The Wyoming Humanities Council pays a $150 honorarium for each presentation, as well as mileage, lodging, and per diem expenses. 

The council is especially interested in presentations related to the upcoming Wyoming tour of “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit about food and foodways. 

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2012. For information on how to apply, see:
http://www.uwyo.edu/humanities/_files/HF_RFP.pdf

Wyoming State Archives holds genealogical research workshop April 28

Registration is underway for the Wyoming State Archives’ genealogical research workshop from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 28.

This free workshop will provide information on less traditional sources for genealogical research, and focus on records that will help tell an individual’s life story.

The workshop if open to the public, however, seating is limited.

To register for the workshop or for more information, please call 307-777-7826, or email wyarchive@wyo.gov.

"Make It Plain" exhibit in Gallery 234 focuses on African-American views of history and religion

From a UW press release:

An African-American view of history and religion will be featured in Felicia Follum's exhibition "Make it Plain," March 19-April 2 in Gallery 234, room 004 in the lower level of the University of Wyoming Union.

A reception for the exhibition is scheduled Wednesday, March 28, from 6-8 p.m. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.

The exhibition promotes looking at American history through the lens of all different cultural groups involved, as well as investigating the ways we persecute members of society today.

This exhibition will be shown in conjunction with the Shepard Symposium for Social Justice , March 28-31.

"Titanic" reenactment at Jackson Hole Middle School on March 14

From the Teton County Public Library:

Teton County Library invites the community to come aboard the "Titanic" for a fun, historical reenactment and discussion of the fateful night this famously "unsinkable" ship hit an iceberg a century ago and the unthinkable happened.

On Wednesday, March 14, beginning at 7 p.m., would-be passengers may come to the Jackson Hole Middle School Commons where they will be greeted by the Titanic's crew. The Titanic's Captain Smith will be reenacted by the-one-and-only Terry Yazzolino, a Jackson musician and storyteller. Yazzolino's sons, Miles and Gabe, will serve as the ship's First Officer and Third Officer, and crew members will greet arriving passengers. The community party and reenactment is open to everyone who participated in the One Book One Family project by reading a Titanic-themed book and to anyone interested in being part of a fun, educational reenactment and discussion of this fateful event.

Participants will be assigned the identities of real Titanic survivors and be escorted to the ship's classes where those real survivors would have been assigned. The various classes of passengers will participate in small-group discussions of books they have read about the Titanic and the historical event itself. Then all passengers will gather in the first-class dining lounge for light refreshments, further conversation and a few surprises! Costumes are encouraged.

"We hope to draw on all ages and types of readers to attend just as the Titanic had such a diverse representation of passengers," said Debbie Schlinger, the library's Youth Program Coordinator. "Although we don't want to make this a celebration in any way due to the horrific consequences of that night, we do want to provide a happening that will be both memorable for the One Book One Family project as well as memorable of that historic night."

The reenactment and community discussion is the culmination of One Book One Family, a community-wide reading project to promote family literacy and community discussion. Families and local book clubs were invited to read a selected book about the Titanic and watch related films, marking the 100th anniversary of this historic event.

"We've all read different books about the sinking of the Titanic, but that said we can still have a conversation," said Lynn Wegner, who leads the Teton County Parent-Child Book Clubs.

"This ship was supposedly unsinkable. What went wrong? Human error? Arrogance? Was somebody asleep at the switch?" Wegner asked, giving a sampling of questions participants might discuss during the reenactment. "What must people have felt between the moment the ship was struck at 11:50 p.m. and the time it sank at 2:20 a.m.? There are so many questions, which might be why people remain fascinated by this event a hundred years after it happened."

One more Titanic event is planned for the anniversary of the sinking of the ship, which occurred on April 15, 1912. The community is invited to a free screening of the classic Titanic movie, "A Night to Remember" (1958) at the Middle School Commons from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 15.

One Book One Family is a collaboration of Teton County Library, Teton County School librarians, Teton Literacy Center, Lynn Wegner and Teton County Parent-Child Book Clubs.

"I'm excited to see the interest and energy so many folks have invested in this community-wide project from the school librarians to adult book clubs in the valley," Schlinger said.

One Book One Family events are free, and free book checkouts are made possible by a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole and District #5440. The Titanic reenactment evening and discussion also is being supported by the Friends of the Library, Teton County Parent-Child Book Club members, Persephone Bakery, Bistro Catering and High Country Linens.

For information, visit tclib.org/onefamily or contact Youth Program Coordinator Debbie Schlinger, 733-2164 ext. 118, dschlinger@tclib.org.

National Historic Trails Center exhibit celebrates the creativity of fiber arts

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) in Casper is recognizing Women’s History Month with a temporary exhibit, “Wyoming Knits! Contemporary Knitting in the Cowboy State.”

A baby boy, Asher Rose, warmed with a hand-knit blanket, created by his aunt, Erin Rose. Photo by David Pelham.

The exhibit opens on March 3, and runs throughout the month. It celebrates the beauty and diversity of the fiber arts, and features over 100 examples of knit and crocheted items by Wyoming artists.

“The exhibit provides a modern day connection to our pioneer past,” said Trails Center interpreter Alex Rose.

Wyoming fiber artists from Casper, Cody, Lander, Riverton, Buffalo, Thermopolis, and Laramie contributed to the exhibit.

Pioneer women knit socks, mittens, even shawls. Today, fiber artists create hats, purses, slippers, stuffed animals, and even knit prosthetic breasts for breast cancer survivors.

“We often buy clothing made in other countries, in factories by machines, by people we do not know, with fabrics that are synthetic and unnatural,” Rose said. “With the fiber arts, people create items, with their hands, that express their love for family, friends and even strangers.”

Some of the items in the exhibit are available for sale, with part of the proceeds benefitting the National Historic Trails Center Foundation.

The following Wyoming yarn shops and organizations helped facilitate the exhibit: Cowgirl Yarn of Laramie, Dancing Sheep Yarn and Fiber of Casper, Fremont Fiber Arts Guild, Jennings Family Fibers of Riverton, Lucy’s Sheep Camp of Thermopolis, Mountain Meadow Wool Mill of Buffalo, and Needlework Paradise of Cody.

Erin Rose, curator of education at Fort Caspar Museum, and a knitting instructor, contributed to the exhibit.

For more information, contact Alex Rose at the NHTIC, (307) 261-7780.

"The Scarlet Letter" at Casper College is simply SIN-sational

This production of "The Scarlet Letter" at Casper College ties into the Humanities Festival that has "SIN" for a topic:

The Casper College Theatre and Dance Department will present Nathaniel Hawthorne’s dramatic morality tale, “The Scarlett Letter” February 16-18 and 22-26 on the Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre.

“The contemporary adaptation by Phyllis Nagy of Hawthorne’s novel looks at a moral dilemma: Should Hester confess who the father of her illegitimate baby is or should she boldly wear the scarlet letter as a daily reminder of her disgrace in the community. Hester’s struggle makes us all examine the meaning of morality in our contemporary world,” said Douglas Garland, director.

“Everyone in this story is concealing a crazy spider web of emotions except for young Pearl who is struggling to find her true self in this odd world of tortured adults. Phyllis Nagy has done a marvelous job of bringing Hawthorne's novel to the stage in a sparse and complex way,” Garland added.

“The Scarlett Letter” begins at 7:30 each night with a 2 p.m. matinee only on the final day of production. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students ages 16 to 18. The play is for mature audiences only. Tickets can be purchased at the Krampert Theatre Complex box office between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, by phone at 307-268-2500, or one hour before each performance, for that performance only. The Thomas H. Empey Studio Theatre is located in the Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex on the Casper College campus.

Deadline May 1 for Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund grants

From our colleague Renee Bovee at the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund: 

The 2012 Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund Grant Application is now available! The next deadline for WCTF applications is May 1, 2012, for projects/events/activities which occur from July 1, 2012 onward. If you have an idea which you would like to bounce around, please contact the WCTF Administrator, Renée Bovée, at renee.bovee@wyo.gov or by calling 307-777-6312. I will be pleased to help, and I am always willing to review drafts (until, say, April 15 when I just get a little too swamped). Let me know what your needs and plans are, and let’s see how we can make your application to the WCTF competitive!

State museum sponsors reception Jan. 19 for "Coffee: The World in Your Cup"

A public reception for the Wyoming State Museum’s temporary exhibit, “Coffee: The World in Your Cup,” will be held from 5-7 p.m., Thursday, January 19.

Coffee from City News and Pipe Shop, and the treats, will be served in the Multi-Purpose Room of the museum in Cheyenne.

“Coffee: The World in Your Cup” is a nationally touring exhibit currently on display at the Wyoming State Museum. The exhibit provides a broad overview of the powerful influence of coffee on environments, human cultures, and economies worldwide.

The exhibit features color photographs of farms from South America to Africa to the Pacific Islands that tell the global story of coffee cultivation and trade, four short videos featuring different aspects of the coffee industry, including a look at migratory birds in shade grown coffee regions and interpretive displays of traditional Turkish and Ethiopian coffee sets, picking baskets, and more than 40 coffee sacks from around the world.

Looking to become a responsible sipper? “Coffee” explores the environmental and social impacts of the coffee industry and recommends ways for consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible coffee purchases at the grocery store or in a coffee shop.

Concerned about how coffee affects human health? Learn about the impacts of caffeine, the world’s most commonly-used drug, on your body.

Curious about how coffee became so popular? Discover its early controversial reputation as a “revolutionary drink,” and consider the culture that surrounds coffee in the twenty-first century.

“Coffee: The World in Your Cup” has been organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle. Major sponsorship has been provided by The Boeing Company, Microsoft Corporation, Starbucks Coffee Company, and the University of Washington.

FMI: 307-777-7022.

P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers step up Jan. 18 at UW to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

From a UW press release:

In celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue, the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers will perform a free show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

Meaning "Participating in the Lives Among Youth to Educate and Restore Society," the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club Steppers (PCS) perform shows using dance as inspiration. Having begun in 1996 in the Bronx, the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers perform to entertain but also to educate. Much of their dancing originates from slavery; when slaves were unable to speak while working they would use stepping to communicate with each other.

"We discussed quite a few different options for this year's SAC event during MLK Days of Dialogue, and wanted to have some sort of performance, whether that would mean music, dance, or some other more artistically focused presentation," says Stephanie Long, SAC graduate assistant. "We wanted to offer a performance that still kept with the theme of the week, but offered a chance for the university community to take a breath from the heavy and important subject matter and just have some fun."

Not only have the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers performed in the White House, they have also gone on tour with popular musicians such as Alicia Keys, Usher and Ja Rule and have even been cast in the movie "Stomp the Yard." They also perform at colleges and universities.

For more information about the P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers, visithttp://www.gernyc.com/theplayersclubsteppers.html .

The show is sponsored by the Student Activities Council and Friday Night Fever. Individuals needing assistance to attend this event should call (307) 766-6340. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/sac .

Photo: The P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. Club steppers will perform a free show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the Arts and Sciences auditorium.