In Memoriam: Rod McQueary

We end of the year on a sad note. Rod's poetry enlivened almost every Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. He served on the WAC artist roster for many years. Recluse, Wyoming, won't ever be the same. R.I.P., Rod.

Rod McQueary

July 16, 1951–December 29, 2012

Beloved husband of Sue Wallis; treasured father of Porter, Cecile, Ian, and Justine McQueary, stepfather of Isaac Wallis, Megan Kruse, and Rys Martin; Boppa of Ezra, Cora, and Maddox Kruse; son of Eloise, and brother of Lyle and Neil McQueary; who has touched the lives of so many, many family, friends, compadres, and like-minded souls who appreciated his articulate wit…has followed his father Howard over that Last Great Divide. He was the epitome of kind.

A memorial service will be held at the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada at 10 am on Wednesday, January 2^nd. Instead of flowers, please send generous contributions to the Western Folklife Center for the support of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the center of the art and the culture that Rod defined his life by, and the gathering place of his far flung friends. 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada, 89801.

If you can make it to Elko on Wednesday, please come ready to share stories, songs, poems, and especially jokes. After a short service in the G Bar Three, we will have a potluck dinner in the Pioneer Saloon, please bring something to share. Rod’s daughter Ceci is putting together pictures and videos…if you have images of Rod that we can include please send them to cecilem@cashmanpro.com.

Family and friends will gather again on the full moon of July in Ruby Valley, Nevada and Bitter Creek, Wyoming to scatter his ashes over the mountains and ranches that he rode for the majority of his life.

Please feel free to forward and post, call each other and hold each other close…he loved you all so much…

In memoriam: Richard Olveda, photographer and graphic artist, Wyoming Arts Council board member

Fermin “Richard” Olveda was born July 23, 1939 in Powell, Wyoming. He was the youngest of Jesus and Aurelia Olveda’s eight children. After attending school in Powell and graduating in 1958, Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army. During his service he spent 14 months overseas attached to Company C 385th MP Bn.

Richard met the love of his life in Edcouch, Texas, in 1970. Linda Rodriguez had been a teacher’s aide at the Migrants Organization where he was the Center Director. They were married April 11, 1971, started a family and settled in Powell, Wyoming, in 1977.

While living in Powell, Richard focused on art during his free time. His artistic skill was diverse and included; painting, sculpting, photography, literature and poetry. Richard’s first opportunity to display his work in Wyoming came in 1986 at Northwest Community College. His passion for art led him to open the Black Cat Gallery. As director he worked to make the gallery a centerpiece location for exhibiting work from not only accomplished artists, but the emerging and underserved creative minds throughout the region. The gallery was recognized in 1994, being nominated for the Governor’s Art Award thanks in large part to the tireless effort of Mr. Olveda. After his retirement, being inspired by Picasso, he began work in digital photography. He created over 60,000 digital works, spending up to 10 hours daily. This persevering attitude and a resolute belief that art should be shared compelled him to serve two terms as a board member on the Wyoming Arts Council. His exhibits have been shown throughout the state over the years, the last one having been on display from May 23-June 30, 2011, in Laramie.

Relaxation for Richard came in several forms. Spending time with his six grandchildren would of course top the list. Right behind that would be satisfying his craving for fresh trout, the North Fork River in Cody being his preferred testing grounds for his own flies.

Exercise for Richard typically came in the form of a heated debate. Anyone looking to get their blood pumping could read through his political blogging and find something to get riled about. Whether it be savoring a slice of sweet, cold watermelon, listening to Bob Dylan on the radio, perusing a bookstore or haggling at a flea market, Richard was always smiling. With his trusty camera slung over a shoulder, Richard was always ready for an adventure. “I may forget to put my pants on in the morning, but I never forget my camera.”

Richard passed away on July 11, 2011. He is survived by his three children, Melissa Wilson and her husband Jeremy, Roxanne Fish and her husband Jason, Adolfo Olveda and his wife Jennifer; 6 grandchildren -- Andrew and Justin Wilson, William, Nathan, and Urijah Fish, and Isabel Olveda.

At his request no services will be held.

In memoriam: Cheyenne writer Mary Hartman

Writer Mary Hartman passed away June 24 in Cheyenne. She was the author of "Texas Granite: Story of a World War II Hero," part-memoir and part-history about World War II Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lummus, and co-author (with historian Elmo Ingenthron) of “Bald Knobbers: Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier.”

Mary grew up in Nebraska, spent the World War II years in L.A., and later worked as a newspaper reporter. After moving to Cheyenne in the early 1990s, she co-founded Southeast Wyoming Writers and was a member of the Cheyenne Area Writers Group. She was the program chair for SEWW and brought a number of well-known poets and writers to Cheyenne for presentations and workshops. She was on a “memoir writing” panel at the Wyoming Book Festival in October 2001 in Cheyenne.

Mary was producer for a World War II oral history video sponsored by the Cheyenne Family YMCA’s Writer’s Voice Project. This video is now part of the U.S. Library of Congress’s World War II oral history collection. 

In Memoriam: Harry Jackson

Always supportive of the arts community, Harry Jackson attended an artists’ reception at Stone Soup Studios in 2007 with (from left) Janet Bedford, Melodie Ferri, Stephanie Hedrick, Sybil Hedrick, the Rev. Daphne Grimes and Lura Brewes. Cody Enterprise photo.

From the Cody Enterprise:

Cody lost a living legend and the art world an icon when Harry Jackson died Monday, April 25.

The internationally-renowned artist, who turned 87 on April 18, passed away at the V.A. Hospital in Sheridan. He finally succumbed to the life-long effects of head wounds he suffered as a front-line combat marine and combat artist in the Pacific Theatre of World War II.

Read entire obituary here

In Memoriam: Locke Hamilton

Locke Hamilton (photo by Earl Sampson)

It is with sadness that the Wyoming Arts Council notes the passing of musician Locke Hamilton of Dubois. Audiences throughout Wyoming and the West know her as a member of Prickly Pair & the Cactus Chorale. The group has been on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster for many years. Here is the notice about Locke's death as it appeared on the Davis Funeral Home web site:

Locke Hamilton died at her home in Dubois on April 7, 2011. She was 58.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held this summer.

Locke Hamilton was born June 16, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pa. to Joseph and Charlton Corson.

She married Les Hamilton on Dec. 31, 1996, in Lander, Wyo.

Mrs. Hamilton was a world class equestrian trainer and competitor.

She performed with her husband, Les, and Norman Winter as the Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale. Musical achievements include winning the Western Music Association’s Marilyn Tuttle Best of the Best 2009 Harmony Award and the 2010 Award for Best Traditional Album by a Duo or Group for their album “Romance With the Range.” Six of the trio’s eight albums charted nationally on Americana Folk Radio and were rated in the top 10 for well over a decade in the Western Music genre.

She also won the Christian Music Association’s Album of the Year award for her mid 90s release “God’s Country.”

Her family said her whole life was music and horses.

She is survived by her husband Leslie Hamilton of Dubois; daughter Tara Golliher of Dubois; her father, Dr. Joseph Corson of Pa.; brother Bill Corson and sister Dr. Ann Corson, both of Pa.; stepson Shad Hamilton and his wife Amanda and their children of Lander; stepdaughter Hope Hamilton of Va.; close friend and band member Norman Winter of Dubois.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Charlton Corson, and brother Ted Corson, both of Pa.

Memorial donations to help offset medical costs may be made to Les Hamilton, 605 East Fork Road, Dubois, WY 82513.

In Memoriam: Catherine E. Mealey of Laramie

Catherine E. Mealey was a person who cared deeply about her community of Laramie and the community of writers and books. Her Second Story Books hosted many literary readings, often accompanied by goodies from her kitchen.

From her obituary:

Her love of find food and books led her to many places. She was influential in the redevelopment of the 100 block of Ivinson Avenue in the early 1970s and some of her many inspirations were the Tuesday Tearoom, The Scoop, Gallery 121, The Deli on the Tracks, The Rose Door, the First Story Café, The First Street Gallery and Cooking School, to name a few. Planning for retirement, she opened the Second Story Bookstore in 1988

Catherine E. Mealey obit in the Laramie Boomerang

In memoriam: Faye Snyder of Cody

A number of people in Wyoming have sent donations to the Wyoming Arts Council in memory of Faye Snyder of Cody. The WAC thanks you for your generosity.

Faye was a folk artist, art teacher and was very involved in the local arts community. She passed away on Nov. 15. Here's the obituary that ran in the Billings Gazette:

CODY, Wyo. — Faye Snyder, 97, Cody, passed away at home on Nov. 15, 2010.

She was born May 15, 1913, in Belle Plaine, Iowa, the single child of Enoch and Lettie Davies. She moved to Cody at age 10, riding much of the way from Iowa on the running board of her dad's Model T, and lived here the rest of her life.

Faye held a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics, Nutrition, and Institution Management from the University of Wyoming. For 77 years, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority. Her management skills stood her in good stead when she and her husband Don owned Sunlight Ranch. They delighted in providing their legendary hospitality to generations of dude ranch guests.

Like her father, Faye was an accomplished artist. She was a decorative folk artist and art teacher. Her interest in Rosemaling took her to the back country of Norway to study the folk art painting in historic homes and churches. Because of her interest in art, Faye welcomed the opportunity to volunteer as a docent during the developing years of BBHC.

Faye delighted the women of the community with beautiful clothing from her dress shop, Bustles and Bows. She taught knitting and quilting and started a knitting store. Cody knitters made a path to her door for help with unfinished projects.

She was proud of her family and enjoyed the company of her friends. She loved playing cards and trading recipes and stories over coffee at the kitchen table. She loved her country and enjoyed decorating her home and planting her flowers.

A lifetime member of the Cody United Methodist Church, Faye also gave her time to women's service organizations, AAUW, PEO, and United Methodist Women. She was a true practitioner of Christian good works.

Faye was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 64 years, Don Snyder.

She is survived by her daughters, Sue LaFever of Seattle, Sally (Birney) Holberg of Cody; grandchildren Kate Holberg of Cody, Kirsten (Jerry) Rief of Cheyenne, Lukas (Amber) Holberg of Billings, Cresta Faye LaFever of Seattle; and great-grandchildren Kiana and Jeremy Rief of Cheyenne, Lilly, Lucy and Jack Holberg of Billings, Simon Obrzut of Cody; and her beloved Welsh Corgi companion, Davey.

Memorials may be sent in Faye's honor to The Morris Animal Foundation, 10200 East Girard Ave., B430, Denver, CO 80231; The Wyoming Arts Council, 2320 Capitol Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82002; or the Park Co. Library (Cody Location), 1500 Heart Mountain St., Cody, WY 82414.

Memorial services will be held at Cody United Methodist Church on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m., with Rev. Dan Wanders officiating. Friends and family are welcome to join in a time of lunch and fellowship following the service in the church's fellowship hall. An online guestbook is available at http://www.ballardfh.com/.

Funeral details for Karol Griffin

Thanks to Riverton writer Carol Deering for this info:

Karol Griffin’s funeral will be Friday, March 12, at 1 p.m. at the Davis Funeral Home, 2203 W. Main St., Riverton. Visiting hours will be 6-8 p.m Thursday, March 11, at the same place.

FMI: 307-856-3217 or http://www.thedavisfuneralhome.com. Also see previous Wyomingarts post.

In memoriam: Karol Griffin, writer

Writer Karol Griffin of Riverton passed away March 4 due to renal failure.

No details yet about a memorial service.

But colleague Jeffe Kennedy wrote a fine post on her blog. Read it at http://lovepowerandfairytaleendings.blogspot.com/

Karol was awarded a 2000 Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award for women writers. She was the author of the memoir, "Skin Deep: Tattoos, the Disappearing West, Very Bad Men, and My Deep Love for Them All." When she lived in Laramie, she was a member of the Silver Sage Writers Alliance. The group spawned a number of talented writers, including Jeffe, who now lives in Santa Fe, N.M.

Wyomingarts will pass on more information as it becomes available.

Other readers who've penned memorials to Karol may e-mail them (or links) to mshay@state.wy.us.

In memoriam: Sally Jo Rogers

Former Wyoming Arts Council board members Sally Jo Rogers, 61, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010.

She was born Nov. 7, 1948, in Topeka, Kan., the youngest of three daughters born to Merlin Charles “Babe” and Winifred Anne “Peg” Rogers. After brief transfers to Omaha and Denver, the family moved to Cheyenne in 1951 and then to Rawlins in 1955.

During her senior year in high school, she joined the international cast of Up With People and spent the year traveling with 150 young adults from multi-national and cultural backgrounds. The group’s goal was to make the world a better place by reaching across borders with gestures of peace, love, honesty, purity and unselfishness.

Ms. Rogers attended the University of Tulsa and University of Wyoming and graduated from California State University Long Beach.

She briefly taught school and had a long career selling real estate in Jackson Hole. She was the executive director of the Silver Buffalo Club, major gifts manager at Wyoming Public Radio in Laramie and was the vice president of Business Development at Rocky Mountain Bank for the last four years.

Sally was appointed to the Wyoming Arts Council Board of Directors. She served as president of the Teton County Republican Women, secretary of the Albany County Republican Central Committee and vice president of the University of Wyoming Alumni Association. She was a member of the Off Square Theatre Board, St. John’s Hospital Auxiliary, Rotary Club of Jackson Hole and charter member of the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole.

She was honored by the Rotary Club as the November 2009 Citizen of the Month.

Her interests included making friends all over the world, music, her friends and family, dancing, Wyoming and being a University of Wyoming Cowboys fan.

She is survived by her son, Chris Pierce; sister, Nancy and husband Larry Harris; niece, Valorie and husband Butch Smith; nephew, Sean Harris and companion Tamar Kummel; great-nieces, Annie and husband Dylan Cooper and Erin Brown; sister, Mary Kay Carr; cousins, Mary Ann Hille, Sid Moyers and wife Lynn, Leslie and husband Mark Hamrick, Sheila and husband CJ Laquerica, Maggie and husband Kajeer Yar and Shirley Moyers; and her best friend, Donn Dorsett.

A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins. A reception will follow immediately at Rawlins Elks Lodge No. 609.

In memoriam: Anne Rognstad

Wyoming Arts Council Board Chair Bruce Richardson sends this sad news from Casper:

"On a sad note, some of you know that long-time arts supporter Anne Rognstad died unexpectedly last Sunday night in her sleep. Anne was a key person in the Chamber Music Society, sustainer and planner for many humanities festivals, famous for in-house musical and literary parties, and author of a memorable book of puns about pears. She also curated her own "pear museum." She worked with international students at Casper College and was much beloved on the campus as well as everywhere else.

"There will be a memorial event with music from her son and brother on Friday at 3 p.m. at Durham Hall. I will be one of the speakers. She is survived by her long-time companion, Rainer Schwartkopf, an architect, musician and specialist in the repair of stringed instruments. This loss rips a hole my life and all our lives here in Casper."

Condolences from the Wyoming Arts Council go out to Rainer Schwartzkopf and all of Anne's family and friends. I knew Anne for her enthusiastic support of the Casper College Literary Conference and the Equality State Book Festival. She loved books and music and life.

--Mike Shay

Daniel Pearl World Music Days the month of October

The Daniel Pearl Foundation is honored to invite you to participate in the 8th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days October 1-31, 2009, a global network of events promoting peace and understanding through the language of music. This year, we already have a growing list of more than 500 registered events and we hope to add yours to this global map!

World Music Days, which coincides with Daniel's October 10 birthday, is an awareness-raising initiative, not a fund-raising program. There is no fee to participate. A simple registration of your event(s) at http://www.danielpearlmusicdays.org and the site will confirm your participation and promote your event(s) worldwide. Once you register your event(s), participation entails a shout out from the stage, or a mention in the printed program, in support of the "Harmony for Humanity" theme at your scheduled October performances.

For the past seven years, thousands of professional and amateur musicians have joined this expanding network of concerts to honor the legacy of journalist/musician Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal South Asia Bureau Chief, who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists
in Pakistan shortly after 9/11. These concerts commemorate Pearl's lifework by using music to spread a message of hope, unity and "Harmony for Humanity."

FMI and to confirm your participation, visit the website listed above. There you will find many links, one of which is to NPR where Daniel's mother Ruth Pearl reads from an essay she wrote.

LAG Membership Show & Sale

The Laramie Art Guild unanimously voted to dedicate this show to the memory of Edgar J. Lewis. Thirt-seven works of art will be on display for the entire months of September and October.

Artists' reception will be at Artisans' Gallery, 215 S. 2nd Street, Laramie, Saturday, Sept. 12, 4-8 p.m. The public is cordially invited!

FMI: http://laramieartguild.blogspot.com/

Remembering a worldly Wyoming poet

Wyomingarts, in the forms of WAC staffers Mike Shay, Linda Coatney and Marirose Morris, traveled to Laramie Wednesday evening to attend a memorial service for poet, UW writing professor and WAC roster artist Craig Arnold.

The memorial was held in the UW Art Museum lobby. Banners with some of Craig's poems flanked the podium. A long buffet table featured some dishes that even a gourmet cook such as Craig Arnold would have found intriguing.

The 41-year-old Craig disappeared during an inspirational quest for volcano poems. In April, he was hiking a rugged volcano on a remote Japanese island. Traces of his passage were discovered by search teams, but the body was not recovered.

At UW on Wednesday, we celebrated the life of a man. Poetry was obviously the best way to do this.

Several of the speakers read Craig's poems, and the rest used lines from his work. Russell Swenson from Houston, a former student of Craig's at University of Utah, read several selections, including the title poem from Craig's most recent collection from Ausable Press, "Made Flesh." Fiction writer Alyson Hagy and one of Craig's colleagues in the UW creative writing program, read "Asunder." English Department Chair Peter Parolin wrapped up the presentations with the poem "A Ubiquity of Sparrows," which was published in the summer 2009 issue of The Paris Review (read "Sparrows" and one other poem by Craig at http://www.theparisreview.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5922).

For a change of pace, Janice Harris read a "food remembrance" of Craig, celebrating another of the poet's passions. Janice's reading including a recipe for eggplant caponata -- she thoughtfully provided copies included with Craig's remarks and directions.

It was a somber yet celebratory occasion. Craig's father spoke of the incredible outpouring of support the family received from all over the world, but particularly from the University of Wyoming (Pres. Buchanan was in the audience) and from the state's Congressional delegation. Although Sen. Enzi, Sen. Barrasso and Rep. Lummis could not attend, all three sent staff members -- and Sen. Enzi sent a personal letter that was read aloud by Peter Parolin at the beginning of the evening.

Mr. Arnold spoke of all the letters and e-mails that came in from people they didn't know, people who had been influenced by Craig's work and teaching. He admitted that he and his wife had been a bit startled as they learned of their quiet son's influential life. He was a bit startled that the shy boy they knew, the one who wrote his first book at eight years old, would be the same one who urged other quiet boys and girls to come up and perform their work at poetry slams. As Peter said earlier, many of them would never have found their voice with Craig. "He gave those young people a gift," he said.

The ceremony ended with a wine toast to Craig.

Farewell, poet.

Search ends for UW poet Craig Arnold

This somber news comes to us via the University of Wyoming English Department:

Dear Friends,

This morning we received dreadfully sad news.

Searchers looking for Craig Arnold in Japan found evidence that Craig fell from a cliff.They conclude that he could not have survived this fall. Searchers are currently unable to retrieve Craig because of the steep and dangerous nature of the terrain.

So many in our community and across the country were fervently hoping for Craig’s safe return that this news today feels unbearable. We are especially thinking of Craig’s son Robin, his partner Rebecca, his mother and father Judy and Dan, and his brother Chris and his family.

Knowing Craig has enriched our lives. We will remember him always and we will have a time in the near future to celebrate his life and his beautiful work.

Peter Parolin, Department Head of English
Beth Loffreda, Director, MFA in Creative Writing

Wyoming Arts Council staff members join our friends and colleagues at UW and around Wyoming -- and all over the world -- in mourning Craig Arnold. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Craig's family.

In Memoriam: Ken Rand

Mike Rand sent news over the weekend that his father, Ken Rand, one-time Wyoming resident and long-time member of Wyoming Writers, Inc., passed away April 21.

I first met Ken when he was living and working in Kemmerer and was named an honorable mention in the Wyoming Arts Council’s creative writing fellowship competition. If I remember correctly, Ken received a WAC Individual Artist Professional Development grant back in the early 1990s to conduct research for a book about the Port Chicago (Calif.) disaster that happened in his hometown during World War II.

Ken was a fine writer who freely shared his expertise with writers all over the U.S. Last time I saw him was at a Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference, talking about his writing -- and giving writing and publishing advice to other writers.

Here’s a remembrance of Ken from his son Mike:

Ken "Media Man!" Rand "kicked the bucket," as he would say, April 21, 2009. Born July 19, 1946, in Spokane, WA, he lived in Port Chicago, CA and Wyoming. His final years were spent in West Jordan, UT, where he died peacefully at home with his family by his side.

Ken worked as a freelance writer, reporter, photographer, talk show host and producer, editor, actor, and announcer for sports events and daredevil shows.

Ken wrote more than a hundred short stories, two hundred humor columns, and
two dozen books. He's won numerous awards in writing, reporting, and photography, and mentored many budding writers.

His most rewarding role in life was being a dad and grandpa. He took his tads and grandtads on wonderful adventures and loved each one with all his heart. His children include Molly (Loren), Mike (Leslie), and Missy (Randy). Ken's grandchildren are Taylor, Kristin, Alexander, Mikey, Chance and Layson.

In 1969, Ken asked Lynne to share life with him the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. They divorced five years later; but after a 19 year separation, they remarried in 1993. They are the perfect love story. Lynne took care of Ken lovingly day and night until his passing.

Ken is survived by his wife, tads, and grandtads, sisters Phylis, Judy, Peggy, Bev, Dee Dee, and Laurie, and by brother Chuck. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.Ken was preceded in death by his parents and brother Jerry.

The family would like to thank all those wonderful health workers and friends who have helped us.We will love and miss him. We'll let Dad have the final word: "Lighten up!"

Condolences may be sent to the family here.

Read other remembrances of Ken at:

Ken Rand obituary at
http://www.legacy.com/saltlaketribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126514604

Ken Rand's new web site: http://www.kenrandmediaman.com/

Patrick Swenson's Live Journal announcement: http://tbclone47.livejournal.com/313334.html

Remembering Solomon Foss, WAC volunteer

Wyoming Arts Council Administrative Assistant Evangeline Bratton recruits and supervises volunteers for the agency. One of the WAC's longtime volunteers was Solomon Foss who passed away March 16 in Cheyenne. Here's a remembrance of Sol, written by Evangeline:

Wyoming Arts Council Volunteer Solomon Foss joined the WAC's Volunteer Family with his wife Wanda in 1988.

Sol, as he preferred to be called, enjoyed his time spent with others either in assembling a massive mailing for the Arts Council or to braving the early cold morning hours at Lions Park picking up debris and whatever else he would find to clear the park of trash. As he once mentioned at one of his volunteer visits to the Arts Council, he likes that time of the day when it's very quiet, no one else is around and one's thoughts are not hindered as he would pick up bottles, papers, etc., He found treasures as well as "stuff" at the park for more than 10 years.

During World War II, Sol played in the U.S. Army Band. He loved wearing his signature veteran's cap, a familiar sight that revealed his character. It was his friendly, talkative, amiable, down-to-earth character and his smile we will always remember.

Sol was a witty, sharp, and intelligent guy as he would talk to just about anyone and about any subject. He could speak in a German dialect that he learned from his German immigrant parents. He spoke often of his Army experiences, and liked to give out Hawaiian greetings as well.

The Arts Council was delighted and honored that Sol and Wanda came to the December 2008 WAC Christmas party. They also attended the annual Governor's Arts Awards dinner over the years until health reasons prevented them from coming to the event.

Sol's last stint donating his skills, time and good cheer to the Arts Council was on March 13, 2007, with labeling of the Youth Arts Month Poster mailing. He and Wanda were always happy to take the time to help us out until ill health forced them to curtail their activities and be home bound.

Whenever I would call them for an upcoming project and Sol answered the phone, he would always say: "I'll have you talk to Wanda, the boss." And then Wanda would say that both of them would be at the WAC on the appointed day.

In Memoriam: Jean Healy of Worland

One-time Wyoming Arts Council board member Jean Elizabeth Bailey Healy of Worland died Monday, Jan. 19, at Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center after a long-term battle with the side effects of radiation treatment for a brain tumor in 1991. She was 63.

A Minnesota native, Jean was instrumental in the establishment of the Washakie Museum. Jean, Georgia St Clair, Dorothy Froyd, Carol McCormac, Celia Davis, Dan Healy, the Worland Artists and the Washakie County Historical Society formed the Friends of the Museum group and raised private funds to buy the present museum building for Washakie County. Jean served as the first president of the board of directors of the museum after the commissioners released it to the private sector. Jean stayed active with the museum in its day-to-day operations. She also wrote a column for the Daily News called “At the Museum.”

Jean loved horses, skiing, reading, cooking and entertaining, and to be with her family. She wrote a small book about her experience with brain cancer titled “Hope for a Miracle.”

Jean is survived by her husband Mike Healy of Worland, a former state legislator, and her sons Daniel J. “DJ” Healy serving in the Peace Corps in the Ukraine and Brian Healy who is a law student at the University of Wyoming.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 24 at noon at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Worland with the Rev. Joe E. Galligan officiating. A reception will follow the service. Cremation has taken place and the ashes will be scattered near Jackson Hole at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Washakie Museum, 1115 Obie Sue, Worland, Wyo. 82401.

In Memoriam: Michael McClure

" Turner Tie Barn, Northern Wyoming," black and white photo, 2004, Michael McClure

It is with great sadness that wyomingarts reports the death Friday, Nov. 28, of photographer Michael McClure of Lander. He died after a long illness.

Michael received a Governor's Arts Award last year in Cheyenne. His body of work encompasses almost 50 years and documented many changes across Wyoming, notably in the contested Red Desert.

For more about his life and work, go to today's Casper Star-Tribune story at http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2008/12/02/news/wyoming/b927fcafee8633de87257513000b32a2.txt

Here's the text of an article about Michael that appeared in the winter 2008 issue of the Wyoming Artscapes newsletter:

Wyoming became Mike McClure’s home when his mother moved to Lander in 1948 to practice medicine. It then became his life-long photographic subject.

His career began in 1960 as photo editor of the Daily Collegian at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he earned a B.A. in journalism. From there, he moved to United Press International Newspictures and the Detroit Free Press before returning home to Wyoming in 1971.

Publication of the Wyoming State Land Use Plan in 1979 gave Michael his first opportunity to create a border-to-border photographic essay about the state. In 1980, he was awarded a grant from the Wyoming Council for the Humanities and the Union Pacific Railroad for “Wyoming Tradition and Transition,” a 74-photograph exhibit still housed at the Wyoming State Museum and considered a documentary resource.

In 1983, Ansel Adams awarded Michael a scholarship to attend his week-long photography workshop in Carmel, California. He has also studied with Jerry Uelsmann, John Sexton and Robert Gilka.

In the late 1990s, while researching and writing his book Camping Wyoming, Michael began documenting rarely-seen historic sites in remote areas of the state. Abandoned homestead cabins, petroglyphs and other signatures of the past had long been left untouched in the unpopulated landscape. But natural decay, the pressures of development, and plunder by collectors were taking their toll and McClure realized that he should document these remains before they completely vanished from the landscape.

Through grants from the Wyoming Council for the Humanities, the Wyoming Arts Council, the NEA/USFS and Fremont Motor Company of Wyoming, Michael produced a 90-photograph interpretive exhibit, “Artifact: A Cultural Geography of Wyoming.” That exhibit opened at the State Museum in 2003 and remains in the museum’s traveling exhibits program. He also published a book of the same name.

McClure says that “the primary goal of a photographer should be to provide a fresh view of the world around us: an offering of new perspectives and a new opportunity to ‘see’ things differently.”

In Memoriam: Mabel E. Brown

From Mike Shay:

Mabel Brown was one of the first people I met when I came to Cheyenne in 1991. She then was a young lass of 77. She was everywhere -- the legislature, book signings, history events all around the state, Governor's Arts Awards dinner, and at the Wyoming Arts Council. Mabel researched and wrote "First Ladies of Wyoming: 1869-1990," a large format book published by the Wyoming Commission for Women (Wyoming Council on Women's Issues) in cooperation with the Wyoming Arts Council. We sold the book out of the WAC offices until we ran out of copies several years ago. Mabel would come by occasionally to see how we were doing. We eventually sold out of the book and were waiting for an updated version.

We'll have to wait awhile longer. Mabel Brown died Oct. 23. She was 94. R.I.P. Mabel, and we'll keep on doing our best to support the arts and humanities here in Wyoming.

This obituary was in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

Mabel E. Brown, 94, of Cheyenne died Oct. 23 at Cheyenne Health Care Center.

She was born Jan. 19, 1914, near Golden, Colo., and had lived here since 1997.

She was an author, historian, and storyteller for the Wyoming State Historical Society.

Mrs. Brown was a member of the Wyoming Historical Society, Cheyenne Historical Society, the Weston County Historical Society, and PEO.

She is survived by two daughters, Martha Allender of Newcastle and Jeannie Martin of Billings, Mont.; nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

Mabel was preceded in death by her husband, Charles W. Brown; parents, R.O. and Jessie Edwards; a granddaughter, two brothers and three sisters.

Memorial services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Trudy Robinson officiating. Cremation has taken place at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens. Services are under the direction of Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes.

Friends may send contributions to the Wyoming Historical Society, P.O. Box 247, Wheatland, WY 82201, the Weston County Historical Society or a charity of their choice.