AVA, Jalan Crossland and Lynn Munns are 2012 Governor's Arts Awards honorees

Announcing the 2012 Wyoming Governor's Arts Awards recipients: Advocacy for Visual Arts (AVA) Center of Gillette, musician Jalan Crossland of Ten Sleep and artist and educator Lynn Munns of Casper. Congratulations! See you all at the awards gala Feb. 8 in Cheyenne. More details soon !

Mary Burgess exhibit begins December 1 at Sagebrush Gallery, Sheridan

Mary Burgess's retrospective exhibit, "Looking Back," opens December 1st in Sheridan's Sagebrush Gallery, located in the Historic Train Depot at 201 E. 5th Street.

At 90 years old, Mary's exhibit will display a wide array of artistic styles and mediums. Among them: a watercolor Mary painted as a young girl of "Sniffles," her pet rat, and a homestead overlooking Sheridan, with an enormous moon behind it.  "This is what she was painting when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon," said Mary's daughter, Heather Plank  Heather continues: "Mother paints what's going on in the world and in her life.  Her paintings are a reflection of important events…it's a means of communication."

Mary expresses herself through a breadth and depth of mediums and artistic genres.  When asked about her wide-ranging styles, Mary said, "I was free to paint as I wished because I didn't have to worry about selling art for my supper.  That's why I could delve into so many styles.  Bernard Thomas once told me, ‘Mary, you have to settle into one style.’ ‘No, I don't,’” she smiled conspiratorially.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mary traveled the world with her family as a girl, her ports of call as diverse as the paintings in this retrospective.  Discouraged from studying art or music in college, Mary majored in history at the University of Michigan, during which time she met Henry Burgess.  After WWII, they married and started their family, moving to his hometown of Sheridan when Henry finished law school.  Mary drew landscapes and scenes of ranch life in rare moments of free time.

 When painter Rupert Conrad gave a Saturday workshop, Mary and their young son, Sheridan, attended.  "Sheridan was intrigued, but decided “painting's just for a rainy day,” and he galloped off on his horse."  Mary was more than intrigued; she attended many workshops by Quang Ho and Chen Chi, among others, as well as "every class Dick Martinsen taught at Sheridan College." 

She began painting with local artists, including: Bunny Connell, Margie Newman (who taught the brushstrokes of Sume-i), Alice Fuller, Neltje, and Liz Howell. Mary became a member of the Sheridan Artist's Guild (now SAGE), the Wyoming Artists Association (where she served as president), the National Sume-i Society, which honored Mary with a national award, and the National Pastel Society.  Her work garnered national acclaim when in the sixties, one of Mary's paintings hung in Congressional Office of Agriculture in Washington D.C. 

Paintings in this exhibition correspond to phases in Mary's remarkable life. Mary has also written her autobiography, Both Sides of the Canvas, which will be available at Sheridan Stationary.  Today Mary still paints with local artists, and serves as a role model for young artists, telling them, “Be true to yourself and paint in the way that best communicates and expresses what you feel.”

Approximately 90 of Mary Burgess' works will grace the front and member galleries, lobby and hall of the Sagebrush Community Art Center through the month of December.  The Opening Reception will take place December 1st, from 4-7 pm at the Historic Train Depot. 

WAC announces plans to go to online application process for artist roster

WAC roster artist Bob Berky, a theatrical clown, actor, director and educator from Jackson

Attention all new applicants to the 2013-2014 Wyoming Arts Council Artist Roster!

Attention all new applicants to the 2013-2014 Wyoming Arts Council Artist Roster!

We are excited to announce that the WAC has decided to move from a paper application to an online application process for the 2013-2014 Artist Roster. The online application will completed via CAFÉ (Call for Entry), a program provided by WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) in Denver. CAFE also provides information about other opportunities for artists.

The online application process will be available soon!

Because of this change to CAFE, we are extending the deadline date for new applications from December 1 to December 14, 2012.

In the meantime, we would encourage all interested roster applicants to explore the CAFE site at http://www.callforentry.org. You can register for free, read CAFE's guidelines and start preparing your supporting material (audio/visual clips, art images, resumes, etc) NOW, so you will be ready to complete the new roster application as soon as it is available. The new online application will be similar to the  2012-2013 Artist Roster application at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Roster/HowToApply.aspx. Take a look at it to see what information you should be compiling.

Look for more information soon on the WAC web site and the blog!

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.

25th Annual "Western Visions" in Jackson

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Western Visions Show and Sale. Presented by the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Western Visions is a part of the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival and offers events to suite art lovers of all stripes. Even better, funds raised go to support the Museum’s educational programming.

Western Visions offers four distinct shows and sales:

· The Paintings and Sculpture Show and Sale

· The Jewelry & Artisan Show and Sale

· The Original Prints Show and Sale

· The Sketch Show and Sale

Some shows open for viewing in August and events start in September, but don’t miss a thing by checking out the calendar and registering early (by September 5th)!

Not in Jackson? You can still view work and bid online!

Casper and Cheyenne Artists’ Guilds: Workshops for Adults and Kids

There are still some workshops coming up this season at the Casper Artists’ Guild:

August 4^th Photographer Clint Saunders will lead the workshop “Using Light in Photography” from 9 am to 4 pm. Saunders holds an M.F.A from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University and has been working as a professional photographer for the last fourteen years. The workshop is only $25 for guild members and $35 for non-members, payments must be at the Artists’ Guild by tomorrow, July 21^st.

September 13^th- 15^th Carl Purcell will offer a Watercolor Workshop from 9 am to 4 pm. The workshop will examine “the hidden order of patterns in nature”. The cost is $220 for members and $280 for non-members, entry is due by August 19^th, though there is currently a waiting list.

Weekly group meetings continue: 

Monday Painters 10 am to 3 pm “Bring your own projects to work on. Bring food to share for lunch. For more information call Maria Campo 436-2495”

Life Drawing Group Monday’s at 7 pm, “model fee $5. Call Bob Odell 235-5408 for more information.”

Portrait Group Wednesdays from 9 am to 12 pm, “model fee $5 call Marj Haass 234-4775 for more information”

Interested children can still attend the Cheyenne Artists’ Guild’s sixth week of summer art classes, July 30-August 3. Each session is led by local artist and educator, Jenny Paulk, with the morning session examining mixed media and the afternoon examining nature. Classes are popular and registration is required at least 3 business days before each weekly session begins. Visit the CAG website for more information.     

Call for Artists: Art in the Parks

This summer Wyoming artists have an exciting opportunity to engage with the state’s many great parks and historic sites!

Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources is offering any Wyoming visual artist, of any age, working in any medium, the chance to submit an original piece of art for consideration in one of four categories: Professional Adult Artists, Amateur Adult Artists, Student Artists Grades K-8 and Student Artists Grades 9-12. Three awards will be given in each category, and the twelve winning works will be featured in a commemorative calendar and in an exhibition at the Wyoming State Museum.

Those interested should submit a notification of intent form (included in the brochure) to:

Christie Christensen

Arts extreme- Art in the Parks

Barrett Building

2301 Central Avenue

Cheyenne, WY 82002

Participants will then receive a free park pass valid for three visits, and should then visit one or more state parks or historic sites for inspiration and subject matter.

• Notification of Intent forms should be submitted before the end of August
• Official Entry Forms and Image CDs are due by September 20, 2012

Some limitations apply:

• Two-dimensional works should not exceed 36” x 36”, including the frame. Two-dimensional works should not exceed 30 lbs. and be ready to hang with screw eyes or D-rings. Three-dimensional works should not exceed 24” x 24” x 24”. Due to the display venue, restrictions apply to organic, toxic or hazardous materials.
• Works should be completed within the period of this competition; however, works up to three years old will be considered.
• Venue restraints and calendar concept preclude inclusion of installation or video works.

For complete details on how to enter, prizes and more, consult the Art in the Parks brochure

Artful Hand offers family-friendly paper-making during Art Design & Dine July 12

From Cheyenne artist Georgia Rowswell: What could be better fun than making paper on the porch in the good olde summertime! Come to the Artful Hand Studio & Gallery in Cheyenne and try your hand at pulling a sheet of handmade paper. Georgia Rowswell will teach you the basics and then let you go for it! Its free and family-friendly. So head on over to Artful Hand during Art Design & Dine July 12 from 5-8 pm. See you on the porch!

Summer Exhibitions and Events at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper

 

This weekend marks your last chance to see El Caballo: The Horse in Mexican Folk Art at the Nicolaysen. The exhibition considers the storied tradition of the horse in Mexican visual culture, spanning geography and discipline. Until July 8

You can also catch two solo exhibitions, Tracy Linder: The Obligation to Endure and Abbie Miller: Zipped

Tracy Linder’s work (pictured) has been exhibited across the country and is held in a variety of museum collections. She employs agricultural materials to construct sculptures and installations that investigate the connections between land, food sources and life. Until August 5

Abbie Miller utilizes textiles and the fashion world to create sculptural forms that consider the interplay between body, materiality and form, while engaging the concepts of craft and labor. Until September 9

Also on offer is the Nic’s 8-week Wensday Night Live Concert Series, starting July 11 with “folk” duo, The Cantrells. All concerts are free, from 5:30 to 7:30, with food and drinks available for purchase.

For more information visit: http://www.thenic.org/

City of Missoula sends out call for proposals for public art project

The City of Missoula (Mont.) Public Art Committee invites artists in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington and Oregon to submit a design proposal for a public art piece at Missoula's new Park Place Parking Structure. The project goal is to initiate the visual landmark linking -- if not drawing -- individuals from the downtown community to Missoula's vibrant riverfront system. The commission challenges artists to reflect on the diversity of the Missoula community, and integrate and enhance the site and public space. Deadline for proposals is May 30. Get the details at http://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/18921

Powell student wins "Best of Show" in Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Fifteen-year-old Sierra Morrow of Powell, Wyo., is “Best of Show” winner of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest for Wyoming. For the eighteenth consecutive year, the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole serves as Wyoming host for the contest, a national art competition for K-12 students. Sierra’s winning drawing, titled “A Dip in the Evening,” will be on display as one of the top 36 ribbon winners for the state – out of a total of 691 Wyoming entries – for the museum’s annual Federal Junior Duck Stamp Exhibition, May 3 through August 5, 2012.

Sierra’s drawing will represent Wyoming at the Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest scheduled for April 20, at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md. The winner of the national competition receives $5,000, a trip to our nation’s capital with a parent and the art teacher. The artwork is also used to make the 2012-2013 Junior Duck Stamp. Proceeds from the sale of the $5 stamps support conservation education.

Sydney Nate, an eight-year-old from Cokeville, Wyo., was this year’s Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award-winner for the best art in the youngest age group. The Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award was established 12 years ago to recognize the artistic accomplishment of K-3 students and to honor the late Betty Nelson, a generous supporter of the Junior Duck Stamp program.

The Jr. Duck Stamp exhibit will travel to the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne after it closes at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and winners will be honored at a September awards ceremony at the Wyoming State Museum. The 1st- through 3rd-place Wyoming winners of the contest can be viewed on the museum’s website beginning in early May at http://www.wildlifeart.org/,  and information for next year’s contest will be posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck. For a complete list of the 2012 Wyoming ribbon placers, visit http://www.wildlifeart.org/Learn/FedJrDuckStamp.

A complete schedule of exhibitions and events at the National Museum of Wildlife Art is available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org/. The museum is also active on Facebook at wildlifeartjh and on Twitter at @wildlifeartjh.

Roster Artist Deborah Britt part of show and sale

Here is a link to the flyer for the grand opening of Sweetwater Studio in Lander. A show and sale will take place May 4-5. Sweetwater Studio and Potters of the Wind Rivers (POWR) Spring Sale and Celebration 

POWR (Potters of the Wind River) is made up of many regional clay artists from Lander, Riverton, Rock Springs, Dubois and surrounding areas. We support one another and work toward promoting the arts in our community and beyond.

Sweetwater Studio was created by Jenny Reeves-Johnson to provide a physical space for clay art, artists gatherings, collaboration, and inspiration.  The studio houses 4 working artists, Jenny Reeves-Johnson, Shawna Pickinpaugh, Stephanie Peterson and Nancy Ebert.  It has become our home away from home as we inspire each other to grow as ceramic artists.

WY Game and Fish names winners in 29th annual Conservation Stamp competition

This  just gives a real life image
of what a Greater Short-horned
Lizard looks like, and does not
represent any visual art images
that were entered in the contest.

A reception, awards ceremony, sales and art show was held at the Cheyenne Wyoming Game and Fish headquarters on April 13, 2012 to name the winners in the 2013 Wyoming Conservation Stamp Art Compeition, featuring the Greater Short-Horned Lizard.

Linda Johnson of Riverton, a Wyoming Arts Council roster artist, received 3rd place for her water color entry. She quotes, "I felt very honored, as there were a lot of really great entries."

                                                  

Cheyenne's 1st of the season Art Design and Dine tomorrow, April 12

Brave the rain, maybe even snow and hit the pavement tomorrow evening for Cheyenne's first of the season Art Design and Dine on April 12. Check out the website here for participating galleries, art venues, and businesses.

New artists join the 2012-2013 WAC Artist Roster

Summit Chamber Players

Twenty-one Wyoming artists were approved by the Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) Board to be included in the Council’s Artist Roster, which serves as a resource for communities seeking artists for festivals, performances and other types of art programs. Seventy-nine artists complete the 2012-2013 roster.

Robert Berky

New Roster Artists include performing artists: Summit Chamber Players and Verismo Trio, both classical chamber music groups from Laramie; Amy Gorbey, Cheyenne, a director and producer of youth theater camps and after school programs; Robert Berky, Jackson, an actor, theatrical clown and playwright; Fat City Mardi Gras Band, Riverton, New Orleans style and early jazz music; Flores De Colores, Cheyenne, a Mexican folkloric dance group; Scott Bragonier, Cody, Jared Rogerson, Pinedale, and Dave Munsick, Dayton, cowboy singer/songwriters.

Dan Hayward

Visual artists include, from Laramie: Larry W. Hazlett, a theater and technical design consultant; Daniel Hayward, photographer; and Mary Maynard, tatter and needle artist. Dave Buckles, Cody, wildlife woodcarver; Curt Theobald, Pine Bluffs, segmented woodturner; Joshua Ray Smith, Rawlins, sculptural and public art installations; Aaron Wallis, Jackson, works in printmaking, silkscreening and letterpress; Terry Kreuzer, Cheyenne, ceramist and sculptor; and David Osmundsen, Buffalo, an artist blacksmith.

Dave Buckles

Literary artists include Pat Frolander, Wyoming’s Poet Laureate; Eugene Gagliano, Buffalo, poet and children’s author; and Barbara Smith, Rock Springs, poet and creative non-fiction writer.

WAC Roster Artists are selected through a rigorous panel process that rates artists on art professionalism, presentation, expression and subject matter. Artists represent a wide range of art forms, cultural and ethnic programs and presentation styles. Organizations can apply to the WAC’s Artists Across Wyoming grant category to bring a Wyoming roster artist into their communities and schools for performances, readings, workshops, presentations and more.

For more information on the Artist Roster, go to the WAC’s web site at www.wyomingartscouncil.org or call the Council office at 307-777-7742.

2011 "Oklahoma Painters" Paris art show features Native American artists

Heap of Birds, with his painting, "Smile for Racism"

From Indian Country Today Media Network, LLC, an internationally-recognized multimedia platform, solely-owned by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, comprised of a full-service website, and This Week from Indian Country Today, a weekly magazine, comes this article about the 2011 art show in Paris that included eleven Native American artists from Oklahoma.

Call for entries for our artist friends across the border in northern Colorado

Gallery Bleu at Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins invites northern Colorado artists to submit proposals for the upcoming 2012-2013 season.  Exhibit dates coincide with theatre dates and can, but do not need to complement stage productions as inspiration for their work.

Gallery Bleu, housed in the historic Giddings Building and home to the Bas Bleu Theatre Company, hosts six visual art exhibits a year, featuring local and regional artists. Each art show features an opening reception and runs for two months concurrent with the Theatre Company's main stage productions.  Art is for sale during the Fort Collins Gallery Walk, regular box office hours and during performances. Bas Bleu Theatre Company retains 25% commission of all gallery sales.

2012-2013 Main Stage Productions:
The Love of the Nightingale by Timberlake Wertenbaker
September 15 - October 14, 2012

Almost, Maine by John Cariani
November 24 - December 30, 2012

Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarius
February 2 - March 3, 2013

Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
April 6 - May 5, 2013

Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott
June 1 - June 30, 2013

To submit your two-dimensional work for consideration, please write to us at gallerybleu@basbleu.org.  Include your artist resume, statement and 3 to 5 high quality images transmitted as website links, .jpg or .pdf files.  The images that you enter as well as the text you provide may be used for print and digital publicity.

Entry Deadline April 16, 2012

Announcement of accepted artists via e-mail by April 30, 2012.  Delivery and insurance to and from the gallery are the responsibility of the artist.  Shipping or delivery instructions will be sent to accepted artists at time of notification of acceptance.

Western Spirit Art Show & Sale opening reception March 3 at CFD Old West Museum

Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition call for entries will be in the mail this week

The Wyoming State Museum's Curator of Art, David L. Newell, reports that the Call for Entries for the 2012 Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition and Sale are mailing this week.

"The show is slightly later this year and we are also experimenting the a new venue and format. The exhibition will be held at the Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne rather than at the State Museum. It will also be a two-day installation -- although I can't call it a pop-up show because people know about it. The new space allows us to grow the show and accept larger pieces."

The show will be June 30 and July 1. The postmark deadline for entries is March 30. Artists must be registered with the Wyoming Arts Council's Artist Image Registry (AIR) to participate in the show. There are no entry fees.

FMI: 307-777-7677