"Cotton Patch Gospel" on stage in Cheyenne Oct. 12-14 and 19-21

Randy Oestman, our one-time colleague at the Wyoming Arts Council and now a minister at Cheyenne's Vineyard Church, is presenting a musical production, "Cotton Patch Gospel," October 12-14 and 19-21.  

The"Cotton Patch Gospel" as a translation of most of the New Testament by ClarenceJordan, who was a Baptist minister in Georgia. Jordan's goal was to communicate the New Testament in the idiom of the South so that "plain folks" could better understand it. To do this, Jordan, who worked from Greek texts, changed both the setting and the language of the New Testament. For example, John the Baptist conducts baptisms in the Chattahoochee River, the disciple Peter is given a "Yankee"accent, and Jesus is born in Gainesville, Georgia. Also, Jesus makes such statements as "Come to me, all of you who are frustrated and have had a bellyful, and I will give you zest" (as opposed to the Matthew 11:28 verse, traditionally translated from the Greek as "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest").

The musical "Cotton Patch Gospel" was written in 1982, by Atlanta-based actor Tom Key and stage director Russell Treyz.  It was based on Jordan's version of the Gospels of Matthew and John . The popular music songwriter Harry Chapin collaborated with Key and Treyz on the adaptation, which they completed in June 1981, one month before Chapin was killed in an automobile accident. Three months later the musical opened off-Broadway and had a successful run; it has since been performed in numerous venues. 

This local presentation produced by the Cheyenne Vineyard Church includes a combo of guitar, banjo, upright bass, harmonica and lively vocals brought to the stage by Kevin Guille, Pastor Kevin Uhrich, Jerry Gallegos, Bob Fontaine, Brad Eddy and Randy Oestman.  Both Kevins have completed the process of adopting while rehearsing this show! The production's country songs move the characters through the stages of Jesus' earthly ministry, most of which written to have occurred in Georgia. Like Jordan's original, the musical adaptation is intended to offer people a fresh perspective on Jesus's life and provide a modern twist on the Gospel message.

While it is urged that cost of admission be food goods, people who cannot bring food are encouraged to attend this uplifting and lively re-telling of the Gospel. 

People must call 307- 638-8700 to reserve a seat for this production because seats will fill up quickly.

DATES: OCTOBER 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21

TIME: 7 PM on 12, 13,19, 20; 2 PM on 14 & 21

COST OF ADMISSION: UNPERISHABLE FOOD, GROCERY GIFT CARDS for the hungry

LOCATION:  CHEYENNE VINEYARD, 1506 THOMES AVENUE, CHEYENNE 

CONTACT:  RANDY OESTMAN, 307-638-8700, roestman01@yahoo.com

Poetry takes center stage today in Wyoming State Legislature

Wyoming Poet Laureate Pat Frolander of Sundance read from her work today in the Wyoming House. Pat read  "Houston Creek" (from her new collection Married Into It) and "Requiem in Lace" about her pioneer grandmother -- "smallpox and snakebite/she dealt with it all." She also read to the Wyoming Senate on this second-to-the-last day of the Wyoming State Legislature. Arts supporter Rep. Rosie Berger (R-Sheridan County) opened today's House session with another poem -- a Bible reading from Ecclesiastes 3: “There is a time for everything/and a season for every activity under heaven/…a time to plant and a time to uproot/…a time to tear down and a time to build.” Those lines were the inspiration for a sixties rock song, "Turn, Turn, Turn" made famous by The Byrds. Thanks to Sara Needles for the smartphone photo.

Free tickets available Feb. 29 for Gary Snyder's upcoming presentation in Jackson

Gary Snyder. Photo by Leon Borensztei.

From the Teton County Public Library in Jackson:

A quiet enthusiasm has been growing as word spreads about Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder’s upcoming visit to Jackson.

Get free tickets to “Page to the Podium: Gary Snyder” beginning on Wednesday, February 29 at 5 p.m.  at Teton County Library or during regular hours at Alta Branch Library. Tickets are limited to one per card; available first-come, first-serve. Patrons may claim tickets for friends or a spouse but must bring a library card or card number for each ticket they wish to claim.

Snyder’s Page to the Podium event will be on Tuesday, March 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, Center Theater. Snyder will give a poetry reading followed by an interview with author, Exum mountain guide, and Zen practitioner, Jack Turner. A book signing with Snyder will complete the evening.

Snyder’s accomplishments include 18 published collections of poetry and essays, numerous awards and fellowships, countless international interviews, keynote lectures and an endowed chair at University of California at Davis. His writing delves into themes of pollution and overpopulation, wilderness ethics, Buddhist principles, as well as Native American mythology. In 1975, Snyder won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “Turtle Island,” a meditation on the geo-mythical history of the planet. Read more about Snyder at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gary-snyder.

Also, on Wednesday, March 14, from 5:45-7 p.m. at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse, Snyder will give a poetry performance. Space for this second event will be limited, without tickets, and seating is first-come, first-serve.

Learn more about this and many other library events at www.tlcib.org.

Red Desert Rendezvous and Art Show June 17-19

Photo by Ken Driese

From the Wyoming Association of Churches:

We welcome your participation at the Red Desert Rendezvous and Art Show scheduled in and around Rock Springs for June 17-19.

The Rendezvous will offer people an opportunity to come and experience the Red Desert first hand with tours and an evening educational session on June 18. The goal of our collective effort for Red Desert Week and the Red Desert Rendezvous is to focus attention on this spectacular and mostly unknown piece of Wyoming's landscape and to do what we can to protect this important part of our heritage. Many in our coalition of Red Desert supporters would love to see the best parts of these lands designated a National Conservation Area while others would be content to see responsible federal and state agencies work to protect its unique features.

For a guided tour, you must sign up in advance.  There are four tour options. The tours are limited to 20 each per BLM requirements.  Registration will be on a first come, first serve basis.  Travel costs for gas will be shared.  You will be contacted to confirm your reservation and for specific directions. 

For the dinner, we also need advance registration and payment by June 13th. The Red Desert Rendezvous dinner is on Saturday, June 18, 5:30 pm at the Young at Heart Senior Center, 2400 Reagan Avenue, Rock Springs.  The dinner is $16 per person payable to the Wyoming Association of Churches on line at the link below or by check sent to:
Warren Murphy
50 Diamond View Drive
Cody, WY 82414

All other events are free – Also at the Young at Heart Senior Center, Saturday, June 18
Reception with an art show, 3 – 5:30 pm
Key note speaker and panel, 7 pm

Ecumenical Service for the Earth on Sunday, June 19 at 1 pm, at an outdoor site yet to be selected.  Plan to be there by 12:30 and bring a picnic lunch!

Overnight camping is allowed in the Red Desert.

A small block of rooms for June 17 and 18 are being held until June 15 at the new Comfort Inn & Suites in Rock Springs at 2622 Commercial Way. Call 307-362-9100 and ask for the BOCES block.  The cost is $99/night and includes breakfast.

Click here to Register

Message of "love, kindness and peace" behind Cheyenne downtown mural project

Artist's depiction of proposed downtown Cheyenne mural

Reporter Becky Orr wrote about "Downtown getting giant cherub mural" in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

The building at the southwest corner of 17th Street and Warren Avenue is a tidy brick structure with white shutters near the windows.

Owner Ed Murray wants to expand its purpose. He said he wants to provide an artistically beautiful mural on its south wall for people to enjoy.

The mural will depict a cherub created by 16th-century Renaissance artist Raphael. Murray, a business and property owners in Cheyenne, said he wants the art to help revitalize downtown and become a catalyst for more such works. 

Gillette artist Harvey Jackson will paint the mural on the south wall. It will be about 47 feet tall and 60 feet wide. “It’s nice to convey a message of love and peace and understanding,” Jackson said, especially given the turmoil in the world. 

Currently, a painting of a green martini glass covers part of the south wall’s red surface. The glass is part of the state’s message against underage drinking. 

Murray considered a western theme for the new mural, but nothing “embraced or beckoned” him, he said. 

During their deliberations, Jackson asked Murray what was in his heart that he wanted to project, Murray said. Murray started soul-searching and concluded that he wanted to project a message of love, kindness and peace. An angel is the best way to accomplish that, he said. 

Murray looked at dozens of angel images before he selected the cherub. The image is a departure from a typical western theme. Even so, cherubs have a western connection with their presence in paintings in many Old West saloons, Murray said. 

Jackson expects to start painting in late summer or early fall. It should take 30 to 60 days to complete.

Read the complete article here.

Matteo Pistono, author of "In the Shadow of the Buddha," returns to Wyoming April 5-8

Author Matteo Pistono was one of the speakers at the Casper College Humanities Festival in February. He’s returning to the state in April for presentations in Casper and Laramie. Here are the details:

Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m., Casper

Casper College, Leik Auditorium, Physical Sciences 103

“Tibetan Pilgrimage: In the Shadow of the Buddha”

Slide show and Book Talk by Matteo Pistono

Thursday, April  7, 3:10 p.m., Laramie

International Studies Program, University of Wyoming

“China, Tibet, and the Human Rights Debate: Why Can¹t the Dalai Lama and China Find Common Ground?”

Lecture by Matteo Pistono followed by response by Jean Garrison, Tom Seitz and Michael Brose

Friday, April 8, 7-8 p.m., Laramie

Second Story Books, 105 East Ivinson

“Tibetan Pilgrimage: In the Shadow of the Buddha”

Slide show and Book Talk

Watch the video trailer for “In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet” at http://www.matteopistono.com/disc.htm

Call for entries: TIFERET Writing Contest

Casper College hosts 26th annual Humanities Festival and Demorest Lecture

Broughton Coburn

The 26th Annual Humanities Festival and Demorest Lecture at Casper College focuses on the motivations and traditions of pilgrimage.

This event will delve into humanity’s urge to travel, in both sacred and secular voyages, across civilizations.

Humanities Festival and Demorest Lecture Agenda
February 23 - 25, 2011
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday lectures are free and open to all. *

Wednesday, February 23
Wednesday presentations will be at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center
6:00 p.m. William Rossiter, Stories, Songs and Sodbusters:
The Little Old Shanty on the Plain
7:00 p.m. Reed Miller, Trails Through Wyoming: The Pilgrimage West

Thursday, February 24
Thursday and Friday presentations will be at the Casper College Krampert Theatre
8:15 a.m. Rainer Schwarzkopf, music performed between each session
8:45 a.m. Walter Nolte, Ph.D., Casper College President, welcome and introduction
9:00 a.m. William Conte, Ph.D., The Performative Nature of Pilgrimage: Egeria

Nina McConigley

10:00 a.m. Frederick Denny, Ph.D., Pilgrimage in World Religions
11:00 a.m. Tom Empey, Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales
2:00 p.m. Elizabeth Moore Hunt, Ph.D., Rocks of Faith: The Appearance of Islamic
Rock Crystals in Medieval European Reliquaries
3:00 p.m. Bruce Richardson, Ph.D., Yellowstone and the American Pilgrimage
into the Wilderness
4:00 p.m. George Vlastos, The Pilgrimage vs. The Pilgrim
7:00 p.m. Broughton Coburn, Author, Keynote Demorest Lecturer,
Aama’s Journey: A Pilgrimage Between Continents and Cultures

Friday, February 25
9:00 a.m. Georgia Wheatley, Women’s Travel as Pilgrimage
10:00 a.m. Victor Scherb, Ph.D., Pilgrimage in English Medieval Drama
11:00 a.m. Nina McConigley, Cowboys and East Indians
2:00 p.m. Matteo Pistono, In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys,

George Vlastos

Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet
3:00 p.m. Bruce Richardson, Ph.D., Moderator, Panel Session Discussion
7:30 p.m. Casper College Theater Production, Twelfth Night
Krampert Theatre, McMurry Mainstage
* Purchased tickets are needed for the Twelfth Night theatre production.

Margaret Coel presents "Arapahos, the Spirituality of a Plains Indian Tribe"

Colorado author Margaret Coel will be conducting a program entitled "Arapahos, the Spirituality of a Plains Indian Tribe," July 11-17, at Ring Lake Ranch near Dubois. Get registration information at http://www.ringlake.org/. Margaret's best-selling mysteries are set in Wyoming's Wind River Reservation. Her most recent novel, The Silent Spirit, will be published in September.

Schedule announced for Cheyenne UU Church "Spring into the Arts" Festival

Cheyenne artist Terry Kreuzer sent this info:

Spring into the Arts Festival Events Schedule
Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne

April 30, Fri., 4:30-6:30 pm, Art exhibits reception for artists Jon & Ginnie Madsen, Laramie painters in the lobby; Cindy Paul, Cheyenne quilter/fiber artist, Sanctuary. Free & open to the public.

May 1, Sat., 7 pm, Abe Minzer, pianist from Colorado, Spring Chopin Concert for 200th birthday. Donations at the door.

May 1, Sat., 9am – 4pm, through May 2, 10 am–1 pm, Social Hall/Gym, Arts & Craft Show & Sale of handmade arts & crafts. Free & open to the public.

May 7, Fri., Emma’s Revolution. We are privileged to host this amazing musical duo. Tickets: $12. Adults $12, $15 at the door.

May 8, Sat., 6 pm, Potluck & 7 pm Dances of Universal Peace & Potluck, Social Hall/gym. Join internationally renowned dance leader Grace Marie, accompanied by live music, in prayerful movement from faith traditions around the world. This is an interfaith celebration so bring your friends. Donation of $5–$8.

May 23, Sunday, 3 pm, Fireants Master workshop. Co-hosted with Cheyenne Guitar Society. Free & open to the public.

May 23, Sunday, 7 pm Concert with Fireants, Co-hosted with Cheyenne Guitar Society.
Performance by Wyoming Arts Council artists' roster group, playing music from dance traditions of the America including,Cajun, Creole, Louisiana waltz, conjunto polkas,
a bolero, huapango, cumbia from Mexico & Colombia, swing tunes, and calypso. Tickets: $12 adults, $8 for students & seniors.

June 1, Tues., Evening of Gratitude and Celebration of Life Music from around the world. Anton Mizerak-synthesizers, harmonica, tablas, vocals; Kim Lorene- vocals, guitar, percussion. Donations will be taken at the concert.

Peter Anderson talks about "personal maps & topographies" March 5 at WWCC

From a press release:

What makes a place important to you? Stories? Knowledge? Family? Adventure? A sense of home? If you were to map out the most important places in your life, what would you include?

When Colorado writer Peter Anderson asked these questions of himself, he was led to write about mountains. His essays and poems are invitations to consider our own personal maps and topographies and how they affect our lives.

Anderson will read from his work on Friday, March 5 at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs. The event will take place in Room 1302 at 7:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Peter Anderson is author of First Church of the Higher Elevations: Mountains, Prayer, and Presence. An editor, journalist, children’s book writer, and teacher at Adams State College, he lives with his wife and two daughters on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Range in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

The event is made possible by the support of the Arlene and Louise Wesswick Foundation. Following the reading, a reception will be held in honor of Louise Wesswick, a recipient of the 2009 Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award.

Anderson’s reading is the third in Western Wyoming Community College’s spring reading series, which will conclude on March 26 with fiction writer Vicki Lindner, formerly of Laramie and now from Denver.

These writers will also be offering workshops prior to their reading, in which they facilitate writing exercises, share writing experiences and tips, and answers student-generated questions.

Anderson’s workshop is scheduled from 2-5 p.m. on Friday, March 5 in Room 1408. For more information, contact WWCC Associate Professor of English Rick Kempa at rkempa@wwcc.wy.edu or 307-382-1731.

Lyn Dalebout has new web site & new book

Writer Lyn Dalebout of Moose has a new web site at http://www.earthwordskyword.com/.

She also has a new books coming out soon. It's "Earth is the Book" from Blue Bison Press. Here's an excerpt from the book's lead poem:

Here is the spine:
a fractal ridge, sturdy binding

Here is the page:
trumpeter swan, vellum feathers

Here is the print:
tracks each morning, visitors at night

Here is the text:
snowed in poems, released in spring

Crawford presents "Shop Class as Soulcraft"

Join motorcycle mechanic, author and philosopher Matthew Crawford as he talks about and reads from his book "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work" (The Penguin Press, 2009) on Thursday, Jan. 14, 7-8 p.m., at the Teton County Public Library in Jackson.

Crawford presents a fascinating analysis of what we've lost by ceasing to work with our hands -- and how we can get it back. He muses on how to live a pragmatic, concrete life in today's ever more abstract world and issues a call for reviving trade and development classes in American schools. Cost: Free. Location: Ordway Auditorium.

Contact: Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@tclib.org.

Laughing Bird kicks off Arizona conference

Tupelo Kenyon, one-half of the husband-wife WAC roster artist duo Laughing Bird from Story, Wyo., sends word that he and Janey will be kick-off entertainment for the annual Summer Light Conference in Sedona, Arizona, on June 12-14. The Laughing Bird concert will be on Friday afternoon.

The main speakers for this event are authors Lee Carroll and Greg Braden, Dr. Todd Ovokaitys and Peggy Phoenix Dubro. "Inspiring instrumental music" will also be provided by Robert Coxon.

This is the second year that Laughing Bird has performed for the conference.

FMI: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=I6z8t&m=1f.moea0Iadf8i&b=Ro5VpnA1PD3Qq2IupReOOg

You can bring Laughing Bird to your Wyoming community through a WAC Arts Across Wyoming grant. For more info and applications, go to http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Grants/EApps.asp

Page Lambert's Grand Canyon writing retreat

"Using the Power of Landscape to Liberate Your Narrative Voice," a writing retreat by Page Lambert held on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, is set for Aug. 8-10. The fee is $500 for GCA members; $525 for non-members.

Here's a description from Page's web site:

Do places tell us who we are? How does an exploration of outer landscape help in the exploration of inner landscape? How do we learn the language of the land? Can we learn to write our stories by learning the stories of the land? These questions, and more, will be explored during this 3-day writing retreat at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, facilitated by author Page Lambert in partnership with the Grand Canyon Field Institute.

Secluded scenic overlooks will provide the backdrop for this unique event. Inspiration for writing facilitation will be drawn from various authors, including poets Mary Oliver and Pablo Neruda, and books such as Wisdom Sits in Places, The Spell of the Sensuous, Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Us, and Creating Fiction from Experience. Looking at excerpts from Major John Wesley Powell's journals of 1869, and the ancient place-names used by the Apache, we will explore the concepts of "time" and "event" as they relate to writing. For more information, contact Page Lambert.

Organist Joanne Clark performs in Casper

The Wyoming chapter of the American Guild of Organists welcomes Dr. Joanne Vollendorf Rickards Clark to Casper for performances and lectures March 5-7 at the First United Methodist Church, 332 E. Second St.

Clark will conduct free lectures at FUMC at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Thursday about the hidden meanings in African-American spirituals with regard to the Underground Railroad. She will perform an organ recital on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the FUMC. Free-will offerings will be accepted.

Clark is the minister of organ and director of the Bach Choir at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church and chair of the music department at Marygrove College in Detroit.

FMI: Carolyn Deuel, ARTCORE, 307-265-1564.

New art booklet from Sue Sommers

Leviticus: contemplating illness, fear and shame, is the title of a new art booklet by Pinedale's Sue Sommers.

Here's what Sue has to say about it:

The title may initially strike the reader as depressing or daunting. However, the people telling their stories in this book face disease and its emotional aftermath honestly. As a cancer survivor myself, I found this inspiring and wanted to share it with others.

When I make one-of-a-kind, handmade books, I use mostly archival materials and simple but standard hand-bookbinding techniques. These books are enjoyable to hold and peruse. Unfortunately, they are seen as precious objects by gallery staff, so they don't often get handled or carefully read. Plus they can only exist in one location at any given time. The art booklet Leviticus: contemplating illness, fear and shame, was created in an edition of 1,000 to be in the hands of lots of people. This artwork is not archival, but it is beautiful, accessible and affordable.

Find out more about Sue's work at her web site. E-mail her for a free copy of Leviticus.

"On Sacred Ground" in Lander

“On Sacred Ground: Faith and the Environment” an event that "inspires, educates and motivates participants of faith and conservation communities toward earth stewardship," will take place September 27-29 in Lander.

This is the first time in Wyoming that faith and conservation communities have been invited to participate in an event of this kind. The conference will provide an opportunity for participants to develop working partnerships and identify mutual goals between them to care for the natural world.

Featured speakers include Peter Illyn, author of "Restoring Eden," and Peter Sawtell of Eco-Justice Ministries.

FMI: http://www.wcvedfund.org/docs/sacredprogram.pdf