"Dark humor and plot twists" at Stage III

Hannah Wiest has an article in today’s Casper Star-Tribune about Conrad Sutton Smith's "Chain of Circumstances," a thriller set to open at 7:30 tonight at Stage III Community Theatre in Casper. It plays through May 3.

"It's a very dark mystery, but it's not your typical murder mystery," said director David Little. Though not a formulaic "whodunit," the show has stabs of dark humor and enough plot twists to keep people guessing to the very end, Little said.

And that's about all he'd say. There will be no plot spoilers here. Mum's the word.

"It's full of human interest," Little said. Each character is complex, with subtle eccentricities Little has prodded his actors to portray. Ultimately, Little said, the play deals with the real meaning of success: "When you have a desire, when you want something so badly, how far are you willing to take it?"

Read the rest of the article at http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/04/18/features/weekender/

For ticket info: http://www.stageiiitheatre.org/

Theatre Guild presents "The God Committee"

"The God Committee," a play written by Mark St. Germain and directed by Gene Davis, will be performed April 18, 19, 20, 25 and 27 and May 1-4 in the Carriage House Theatre at Trail End State Historic Site, Sheridan. Show times at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are available at the Wyo Theater box office in downtown Sheridan or on-line at http://www.wyotheater.com/. This is a Civic Theatre Guild production.

Here's a description of the show:

In this drama, medicine, money and morality clash when the Heart Transplant Selection Committee of St. Patrick's Hospital has only minutes to decide which of three patients will receive a heart that has suddenly become available. Short and fast-moving with the twists and turns of a fine mystery novel, the play takes audiences into the inner workings of a transplant program, treats timely concerns with both humor and humanity, and will leave audiences laughing while it tests their critical thinking on death. The God Committee was written in 2006; this is the first time it has been performed in the Rocky Mountain region.

Cast: Anne Quick as Ann Ross, Bruce Andrews as Jack Klee, Stu Healy as Father Duncan, Julie Olson as Nella Larkin, Lisa McClintock as Kiera Banks, Scott Bateman as Alex Gorman and Matt Davis as Dominic Piero.

Deadline draws near for visual arts fellowships

Postmark deadline for applications to the Wyoming Arts Council’s visual arts fellowships is April 30. Forms are available on the WAC web site at wyoarts.state.wy.us or by mail by calling the WAC offices in Cheyenne at 307-777-7742.

The competition is open to Wyoming residents only. You must be 18 or older. Full-time students pursuing high school, college or university art-related degrees are ineligible.

Judging the submissions will be Colorado artists Lawrence Argent, Mary K. Connelly and Patty Ortiz. They will select up to three winners who will each receive a $3,000 stipend.

For more information, contact Michael Shay, individual artist program specialist, at 307-777-5234 or mshay@state.wy.us.

"Semana Primavera" events set for UW

Five days of events are scheduled during "Semana Primavera" (spring week) at the University of Wyoming.

The UW student organization MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Atzlan) sponsors activities beginning Sunday, April 20, with a reception honoring UW's Chicano faculty and staff members. Refreshments will be served from 4-6 p.m. in the Multicultural Resource Center, Room 103 of the Wyoming Union.

Other activities are:

• Monday, April 21: Primavera Poetry Slam, King Street Market, Washakie Dining Center, 7-9 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 22: Installation of new MEChA officers, Multicultural Resource Center, 5-6 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 23: "Secret Techniques: breakdancing workshop," behind Bagel Makers in the Wyoming Union, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 26: "Fiesta: Comida y Cultura (Food and Culture)", Wyoming Union Skylight Lounge, 2-5:30 p.m.

FMI: Cynthia Chavez Kelly, Office of Multicultural Affairs, at (307) 766-6193 or ckelly@uwyo.edu.

Piatigorsky sponsors violinist tour in April

Violinist Paul Rosenthal, sponsored by the Piatigorsky Concert Tour, will perform ten concerts in Wyoming during April. The public is invited to attend these free performances.

The Muriel and Dr. Seymour Thickman Family Charitable Foundation in Sheridan underwrites the tour. This is the fifth year that the Thickman Family Foundation has sponsored it. The Piatigorsky Foundation, a national arts services organization, whose mission is to bring live classical music to individuals who do not have the geographical access or financial means to attend concerts, presents Rosenthal.

This year’s tour was coordinated by the Wyoming Arts Alliance in conjunction with the Wyoming Arts Council.

Rosenthal, who resides in Alaska, began playing violin at the age of three. He studied at both The Julliard School and at the University of Southern California.

In 1972, Rosenthal founded the Sitka Summer Music Festival, which continues to attract musicians and audiences from throughout the world. This festival is recognized as one of the outstanding chamber music festivals in the United States.

Rosenthal has performed as soloist with orchestras from Alaska to New York, as well as in recitals and chamber music performances in Canada, Germany, Holland, Scotland and the Bahamas, in addition to the United States. In 1968, he record with Gregor Piatigorsky among others.

Rosenthal holds honorary degrees as Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Alaska and Doctor of Music from Alaska Pacific University.

The Rosenthal concert schedule is as follows:

April 18: 1 p.m., Laramie, Albany County Public Library, 310 S. 8th Street, master class for home school students, 307-721-2580
April 19: Noon, Laramie, Albany County Public Library, 310 S. 8th Street, 307-721-2580
April 20: Open Date
April 21: 7 p.m., Lander Valley High School. 350 Baldwin Creek Road, 307-332-3640
April 22: 7 p.m., Riverton, Central Wyoming College, 2660 Peck Ave., 307-855-2000
April 23: 7 p.m., Rock Springs, Western Wyoming Community College, College Room 1003, 2500 College Drive, 307-382-1600
April 24: 4-6 p.m., Evanston, Davis Middle School, 837 No Name Street, 307-789-8096, free master strings class
April 25: 7 p.m., Evanston, Davis Middle School, 837 No Name Street, 307-789-8096
April 26: Concert to be determined
April 27: 2 p.m., Lyman, Lyman High School, 1305 E. Clark St., 307-787-6195

FMI: Whitney Llewelyn at the Wyoming Arts Alliance, 307.277.3684

Adler hits the road with 25th novel

Novelist Warren Adler of Jackson and NYC sends this news:

Warren Adler will be speaking about his new novel at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble in New York City this Friday, April 18, 7.30 p.m. Funny Boys takes place in 1937, the heyday of Borscht Belt, and is about a budding comedian in the Catskills whose clientele consists of members of the notorious Murder Inc. gang. Adler will talk about his book and the impact of Jewish humor and its entry into modern mainstream comedy. Overlook Press recently published the book, which has received glowing reviews. It is Adler's 25th novel, among which are The War of the Roses and Random Hearts. Joining him in his talk is the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the second annual Warren Adler Short Story Contest, a young standup comedian from Ireland, Fiona Walsh, who has just completed a gig in a contemporary Catskill resort.

Useful Links:
Warren Adler Official Website: http://www.warrenadler.com
Funny Boys Preview: http://www.warrenadler.com/title-funnyboys.shtml
Fiona Walsh's Winning Short Story: http://www.warrenadler.com/contest07story6.shtml

UW Art Museum's year-long sculpture project

The University of Wyoming Art Museum’s “Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational” is a temporary exhibition from August 2008 through July 2009 “comprised of major works by artists of international, national, and regional reputation.”

Sculptures are arriving or being created on location around the campus and Laramie through July. The exhibition, according to UW Art Museum Director Susan Moldenhauer, “will evolve to completion over a period of time. There will be opportunities for students and volunteers to assist with some of these installations and educational opportunities will exist for students of all ages to learn about these artists, their creative process, and the behind-the-scenes view of just how these large-scale works are installed.”

The first of these works has been installed in the UW Art Museum lobby. The sculpture, “Billings” (shown above), is by internationally renowned sculptor Deborah Butterfield of Bozeman, Mont. whose life-scaled work is composed of found and welded metal. This indoor work can be seen in the museum lobby, which will remain open as an information center while the museum's galleries are closed for renovation and upgrades.

Other participating artists include North Carolina sculptor Patrick Dougherty, who is known for his extraordinary large-scale work created from saplings. Whether free-standing or integrated with architectural structures reminiscent of hives, cocoons, huts, and haystacks, Dougherty interweaves his material into forms that appear both natural and man-made. He will be on location for three weeks in July to create a work for the university campus.

Texas artist Jesus Moroles is considering integrating granite into 30-foot-high totem created from abandoned tanks or pipeline. A proposal from Denver artist Charles Parson is to create a 40-foot-long glass and steel work suspended between two berms. New works from Colorado artists James Surls, Carl Reed, and Charmaine Locke will be on display. Locke’s work, “Open Book,” will be installed at the Albany County Public Library. And an Ursula von Rydingsvard sculpture constructed of four-by-four-inch cedar beams will be located on the Art Museum Terrace.

An opening reception for the exhibition is scheduled for Sept. 12. In April 2009, the Wyoming Arts Council and the UW Art Museum will team up for a symposium focusing on public art.
You can view more of the work featured in “Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational” at http://www.uwyo.edu/ArtMuseum/.

Photo at the top of the page shows Deborah Butterfield's "Billings" (1996), found steel, welded, 87 x 102 x 32 inches, lent by the artist; installed inside the Art Museum Lobby.

Poster contest for Donkey Creek Jazzfest

FMI: www.avacenter.org

"Festival of Cultures" at Sheridan College

Sheridan College will celebrate a "Festival of Cultures" on Monday, April 21, and Thursday, April 24. The festivities will begin on Monday with a lecture highlighting global education and then continue on Thursday with a Native American dance and Japanese Taiko drum performance.

On April 21, Everett McGlothin, executive director for the Association for the Advancement of International Education, will talk about the opportunities and impacts of global education. McGlothin has lived and worked abroad for twelve years and has traveled extensively. The lecture will take place from 7-8 p.m., in the CTEL Presentation Hall at Sheridan College. A Q&A session will follow his presentation.

On April 24, “Drumbeats: Celebrating Diversity,” kicks off with a Native American Dance/Drum performance at 7 p.m. in the college's Golden Dome. Native American performers from Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana will take the stage and showcase a variety dances, including the Pow Wow dance. At 8:15 p.m., One World Taiko from Seattle will put on a presentation of contemporary Japanese drumming. Each performance will feature special audience participation activities. Both events are free and open to the public.

"Earth Week" workshop at AVA Center

Bedford, Hansen, and Troxel in concert

Ronnie Bedford and Friends will perform for the 25th Anniversary Greater Yellowstone Coalition Benefit Concert in the Nelson Performing Arts Building at Northwest College in Powell at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19.

Ronnie Bedford, whose acclaimed musical career spans more than 50 years will be joined by Warren Chiasson on vibraphone, Jeff Troxel on guitar and Erik Applegate on bass. The evening begins with a VIP reception and an opening from Neil Hansen’s 18-piece Northwest College Jazz Band.

Tickets: $25 adults, $15 students with valid ID. VIP tickets: $50 includes preferred seating and special pre-show reception with musicians. Order tickets online now, or call 406-556-2834 to speak with GYC events coordinator Teresa Soule for details/reservations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Both Ronnie Bedford and Neil Hansen are Wyoming Arts Council Governor's Arts Award recipients. Neil was recently nominated by Gov. Freudenthal to serve on the WAC board. And Jeff Troxel is a WAC roster artist. To bring Jeff's music to your Wyoming community, go to wyoarts.state.wy.us and click on "artist roster."

Call for entries: Philip Levine Poetry Prize

The Philip Levine Prize in Poetry is an annual book contest sponsored by the M.F.A. Program at California State University, Fresno. It offers a $1,500 prize and publication and distribution by Anhinga Press, a Florida-based press that has been publishing poetry for more than 25 years and is directed by University of Wyoming grad Rick Campbell. The winning author also receives 25 free author copies of his/her book.

The contest is named for poet Philip Levine who served as contest judge in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Philip Levine taught at CSUF for many years and is one of the best known and most highly-honored American poets. He has published 16 books of poems, as well as several volumes of translations and two collections of essays. His list of honors includes two National Book Awards, two National Book Critics Circle Awards, the American Book Award, the Ruth Lily Poetry Prize for Distinguished Poetic Achievement, and the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

Judge for the 2008 competition is Oregon poet Dorianne Laux. Postmark deadline is Sept. 30, 2008. Manuscript should be original poetry, not previously published in book form, and should be 48-80 pages, no more than one poem per page. The entry fee is $25. Checks should be made out to "CSU Fresno Levine Prize." Mail to: Philip Levine Prize in Poetry, CSUF English Department, 5245 N. Backer Ave. MS PB98, Fresno, CA 93740-8001.

FMI: E-mail Connie Hales at connieh@csufresno.edu

Star Valley Arts Camp in Thayne June 16-19

The third annual Star Valley Arts Camp will be held June 16-19 at Holdaway Elementary School in Thayne. The camp will feature local and regional artists as instructors to 150 area youth in a four-day camp that "builds arts skills and creativity." Apply now, as acceptance is on a first-come first-served basis.

The camp will run from 1-4 p.m. each day. Participating students will host parents and community members at an end-of-the-wek art show and reception.

FMI: Check out the Star Valley Arts Council web site or e-mail greenroom@starvalleyarts.org.

See "A Woman to Match a Mountain" May 17

The Wyoming Arts Council helped fund a 30-minute video documentary about the life and creative legacy of Neal Forsling, an artist, master storyteller and creater of the Crimson Dawn Midsummer's Eve Celebration on Casper Mountain in Natrona County. The film, "The Woman to Match a Mountain," was produced, directed, and edited by Karen Snyder. Videographer was Jacek Bogucki and principal research consultant Rebecca Hunt, Ph.D. The piece will be featured at the Crimson Dawn Museum.

See a preview screening of the film at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, Casper College, Wold Physical Science Building, Wheeler auditorium.

FMI: Karen Snyder at 307-266-1464.

LCCC Ensembles perform Count Basie

"Basie-cally Jazz," a performance by the Laramie County Community College Vocal and Instrumental Jazz Ensembles, will be held on Thursday, April 17, 7:30 p.m., at the Cheyenne Civic Center in downtown Cheyenne. Free and open to the public.

The concert celebrates the 70th anniversary of the release of Count Basie's ground-breaking recording on the Decca label. This began the Count Basie Orchestra's rise to fame on the international stage.

FMI: http://www.lccc.cc.wy.us/.

Call for entries: Pilgrimage Magazine

PILGRIMAGE Magazine welcomes nonfiction and poetry for the following 2008 themes: "The 1960s" (deadline: July 1); and "Deep Democracy" (deadline: October 1). All published nonfiction eligible for the annual Pilgrimage Writing Award ($1,000). For more info, send SASE to Box 696, Crestone, CO 81131 OR see guidelines: www.pilgrimagepress.org.

Lots of fiddling around in Thermop April 26-27

Deadline for pre-registration for the 35th annual Wyoming Oldtime Fiddlers Association 2008 State Championship Contest is Friday, April 25. The competitions will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 26 , and continue through Sunday, April 27, at Hot Springs County High School Auditorium in Thermopolis. Awards ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

FMI: Contact Ed Capen, 307-921-8120 or ed_capen@yahoo.com. Get an official entry form at http://www.wyomingfiddle.org.

UW Arts Calendar for April 18-24

Friday, April 18, 10 a.m. -- UW Department of Music presents the UW Symphony Orchestra Concert for Children, Fine Arts Center concert hall. Free.
Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. -- UW Department of Music presents the UW Wind Ensemble and Alumni Band, Fine Arts Center concert hall. Free.
Monday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. -- UW Department of Music presents the Symphonic Band and Community Band, Fine Arts Center concert hall. Free.
Tuesday, April 22, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. -- Earth Day Celebration in Prexy's Pasture and the Wyoming Union, live music from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.
Tuesday, April 22, 2 p.m. -- Former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, will offer his perspectives on world events and today's politics during a dialogue with retired Sen. Alan K. Simpson, UW College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. Free.
Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. -- UW Department of Music presents the Summit Chamber Players, Fine Arts Center concert hall. Tickets cost $7 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens.
Thursday, April 24, 2 p.m. -- Gregory M. Franzwa, author of the new book, "The Mormon Trail Revisited," will discuss the route of the National Historic Trail, American Heritage Center Stockgrower's Room. Free.
Thursday, April 24, 5-8 p.m. -- Thursday Night Garden Party presents the music of Jason Green-Everyday Jones, Wyoming Union Gardens. Free.
Thursday, April 24-Wednesday, April 30, 7:30 p.m. -- UW Theatre and Dance presents "A Chorus Line," Fine ArtsCenter Main Stage Theatre. Sunday, April 27 show is at 2 p.m. only. Tickets cost $16 for general admission, $13 for senior citizens and $8 for students.

For updates on UW events and activities or go online at www.uwyo.edu/calendar. Visit www.uwyo.edu/finearts for Department of Theatre and Dance and Department of Music event information and tickets.

The hills (and theatre) are alive in Torrington

Goshen Community Theatre presents "The Sound of Music" at Eastern Wyoming College Fine Arts Auditorium, 3200 West C St., Torrington. Opening night is Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. with a community reception to follow the performance. Shows continue on Friday April 18 and Saturday April 19 at 7 p.m., a matinee on Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m., and April 24, 25, and 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 adults, $5 students over 12 and seniors over 60, $3 kids under 12, and Thursday performances are $1 for EWC students with ID.

FMI: Becky Cameron at (307) 532-7357

For more about Goshen Community Theatre, read the article in the February 2008 issue of the Wyoming Arts Council newsletter, Artscapes. Call the WAC at 307-777-7742 for a copy.

"Grapes of Wrath" tonight at Atlas Theatre

Harry Woods sends this reminder:

The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players' fourth (and final) 2008 Readers' Theatre production, "The Grapes of Wrath," plays tonight (Friday, April 11) at the downtown Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne at 7:30 p.m. It's directed by Keith Thomson. If you haven't secured your tickets, please do so. We received a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council to help fund the project. It has a large cast of 19 wonderful readers aged 10 to over 70. The story certainly has parallels to present-day events.

Bedford & Hansen play jazz in Gillette

Equality State Bookfest announces line-up

Yesterday, we received the list of authors confirmed for the second annual Equality State Book Festival Sept. 18-20 in Casper. It’s an impressive line-up, one that will lure book-lovers to Casper for a variety of panels and presentations and readings.

Here’s the news thus far:

Featured speaker is Wilson author Alexandra Fuller, who will speak about her books on Thursday, Sept. 18, in Durham Hall at Casper College. Her first book, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood (Random House, 2001), was a New York Times Notable Book for 2002, the 2002 Booksense Best Non-fiction book, a finalist for the Guardian’s First Book Award and the winner of the 2002 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. Her 2004 Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier (Penguin Press) won the Ulysses Prize for Art of Reportage. Her latest book is The Legend of Colton H Bryant (Penguin Press, May, 2008), about the life of a young man from southwestern Wyoming who was killed on the gas rigs. Kirkus Reviews calls it “a latter-day Silkwood [story], quiet and understated, beautifully written, speaking volumes about the priorities of the age. Fuller has also written for The New Yorker and National Geographic.

Keynote speaker for the bookfest banquet on Friday evening will be Gary Ferguson of Red Lodge, Mont. He’s author of The Great Divide: A Biography of the Rocky Mountains, Countryman Books, 2006; Hawks Rest: A Season in the Remote Heart of Yellowstone, National Geographic, 2003; Shouting at the Sky: Troubled Teens and the Promise of the Wild, Thomas Dunne Books, 1999; The Sylvan Path, a Journey through America’s Forests, St. Martin’s Press, 1997, and many more. Ferguson is also an excellent speaker and lectures frequently on wilderness and conservation issues.

Special children’s author will be Jack Gantos, formerly of New Mexico and now living in Boston. He’s the author of the Rotten Ralph series of picture books, the Joey Pizgah series of chapter books, the Jack Henry series of chapter books, many novels for young adults, and Hole in My Life, a memoir of his youth, 18 months in prison, and emergence as a writer. Gantos will spend two days in the Casper schools, give a workshop for teachers, and speak at the festival.

Featured poet is former Casperite Laurie Kutchins. She has published poetry in the New Yorker magazine and is on the English faculty at George Mason University in Virginia. She is author of Between Towns (Texas Tech University Press, 1993) The Night Path, and Slope of the Child Everlasting (Boa Editions, 1997 and 2007).

Laura Pritchett, of Fort Collins, Colo., has agreed to be the judge of the 2009 Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowships. She’s the author of the novel Sky Bridge (2007) and the 2001 collection of short stories, Hell’s Bottom, Colorado, both from Milkweed Editions. She will read from her work together with the fellowship winners Thursday afternoon, Sept. 18, at Casper College. She also will serve on Saturday’s fiction panel. We’ll have more details about Laura and the fellowships in upcoming posts.

Four members of the University of Wyoming MFA faculty in creative writing will teach two-day writing workshops at the festival. These include:

• Alyson Hagy, author of the novels Snow, Ashes, (Graywolf, 2007) and Keeneland (Simon and Schuster, 2000) and a book of short stories, Graveyard of the Atlantic (Graywolf, 2000)


• Harvey Hix, poet and critic, author of many collections of poetry including Surely as Birds Fly, (Truman State University, 2002), and Perfect Hell (Gibbs Smith, 1996),), several unusual critical works, including God Bless: A Political/Poetic Discourse (Etruscan Press, 2007) and Wild and Whirling Words, a Poetic Conversation, (Etruscan Press, 2004), and more traditional studies of other writers, including studies of William Gass and W.S. Merwin for the Understanding Contemporary American Literature series from the University of South Carolina Press. Hix currently directs the MFA program at UW


• Beth Loffreda, author of Losing Matt Shepard (University of Columbia Press, 2000), a study of how Laramie came to grips with itself in the wake of the brutal 1998 murder of gay UW student Matthew Shepard


• David Romtvedt, poet, fiction writer, essayist, accordion player, folklorist, and Wyoming poet laureate. His books include: Moon; Free and Compulsory for All; How Many Horses; Windmill: Essays from Four Mile Ranch; A Flower Whose Name I Do Not Know; Crossing Wyoming; and Some Church.
  

Here are the subjects of the bookfest’s panels: Local history, Wyoming history, Trout Fishing, Nature/Outdoor writing, fiction writing, and book publishing. Panelists (thus far) include: John D. McDermott, Rapid City, S.D.; Mike McClure, Lander; Mark Junge, Cheyenne; Charlotte Babcock, Casper, Susanne George Bloomfield, Kearney, Neb.; John Clayton, Red Lodge, Mont.; John Davis, Worland; Lawrence M. Woods, Worland; Tina Welling, Jackson; Robert Roripaugh, Laramie; Ted Leeson, Eugene, Ore.; Chad Hanson, Casper; Mallory Burton, Vancouver, B.C.; Nancy Curtis, Glendo; RoseMarie London, Laramie; Katie Dublinski, Minneapolis; Sarah Crichton, New York, N.Y.

Bios for confirmed presenters are available at the bookfest web site at http://www.equalitystatebookfest.org.

CORRECTION (4/15/08): Just heard from Equality State Bookfest organizers that the Jack Gantos series is Joey "Pigza" not "Pizgah." Sorry about the error...

"Hamlet" in Pinedale July 20

The Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company in Lander has announced that the summer 2008 touring play will be "Hamlet." The company will perform at American Legion Park in Pinedale on Sunday, July 20. Wyoming's homegrown Shakespeare group has performed for Pinedale audiences for the last five summers. Click here for more.

Build A Train

The Cheyenne Depot Museum is celebrating International Museum Day, which is Sunday, May 18, 2008, with a "Build a Train" Project. Children are encouraged to create a train car using a shoebox. The train car may be any type of car, including an engine, coal car, passenger car, box car or caboose. The Cheyenne Depot Museum will display the "Build a Train" Project in the Cheyenne Depot lobby on May 18, 2008 through May 26, 2008.

In order to identify each child to each train car, the Cheyenne Depot Museum is requesting that the child's name, address, phone number and age on an index card, which should be attached to the bottom of the train car. Please deliver the train cars to the Cheyenne Depot by 5pm, Saturday, May 18, 2008.

The Cheyenne Depot Museum will also be waiving the admission fee of $5 for adults on Sunday, May 18, 2008 for International Museum Day as well. The Cheyenne Depot Museum will be open from 11am to 5pm. We invite the community to come and see the 2nd floor museum exhibit, which offers a "touchable" experience unlike any other museum exhibit in Cheyenne. For more information on the "Build a Train" Project, call the staff of the Cheyenne Depot Museum at (307) 632-3905.

Call for entries: 43rd annual CCAL art show

Application deadline is May 16 for the Cody Country Art League's 43rd annual art show June 13-July 13 in Cody. Works must be shipped postpaid or delivered by June 6 to the CCAL, 836 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, WY 82414. You can write for guidelines, or call 307-587-3597 or e-mail codyart@wavecom.net.

The CCAL will host an artists' reception on Friday, June 13, 6-8 p.m., for the judges, exhibiting artists and their families. Awards will be presented and the exhibit will officially open to the public.

National Poetry Out Loud competition this month

For the third year, students from across the country are convening in Washington, DC for the chance to win a $20,000 scholarship prize based on their superior ability - not to shoot hoops or hit home runs - but to recite poetry.

Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, is the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation. On April 28 and 29, 52 high school students from every state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will gather at George Washington University Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC, to match their skills. These students are among more than 150,000 students nationwide who took part in this year's contest at the classroom level, progressing through school and state contests en route to becoming their state's champion. Special guest judges at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals are attorney, author, and advocate Caroline Kennedy, radio personality and novelist Garrison Keillor, Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, Daily Poetry editor Don Selby, 2007 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Amanda Fernandez, and memoirist, activist, and poet Luis Rodriguez. Scott Simon of National Public Radio returns to serve as master of ceremonies.

Caila Booth, a Senior from Buffalo High School will represent Wyoming at this year's national competition. Mike Shay will travel to Washington to represent the Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources/Wyoming Arts Council at these events.

Poetry for April

From Ted Kooser, former U. S. Poet Laureate (2004-2006):

Putting bed pillows onto the grass to freshen, is a pretty humble subject for a poem, but look how Kentucky poet, Frank Steele, deftly uses a sun-warmed pillow to bring back the comfort and security of childhood.

Part of a Legacy

I take pillows outdoors to sun them
as my mother did. "Keeps bedding fresh,"
she said. It was April then, too--
buttercups fluffing their frail sails,
one striped bee humming grudges, a crinkle
of jonquils. Weeds reclaimed bare ground.
All of these leaked somehow
into the pillows, looking odd where they
simmered all day, the size of hams, out of place
on grass. And at night I could feel
some part of my mother still with me
in the warmth of my face as I dreamed
baseball and honeysuckle, sleeping
on sunlight.

More WyoPoMo Fun

Speaking of poetry at the Laramie County Public Library (see April 8 posts)... the Serendipity Poets of Cheyenne celebrate National (and Wyoming) Poetry Month with a public presentation from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 26, in the Willow Room of the Laramie County Library. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a poem (your own or one of your favorites) or just sit back and listen as the Serendipity Poets read and recite their favorites. For more information, please contact Ed Warsaw at 635-4725 (warsaw2muse@yahoo.com) or come by the Synergy Cafe (north Vandehei at the I-25 exit) every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m.

"Arts and Aging Toolkit" available

Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit, written by Johanna Misey Boyer of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), describes "strategies for enhancing health in older adults through participatory arts programs." The toolkit was published by the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA), the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). Copies are available for $35, and may be purchased through the National Guild office at 212-268-3337 ext. 16.

Daniel Kemmis at UW today

Dan Kemmis, the author of "Community and The Politics of Place" and "The Good City and the Good Life" will speak Tuesday, April 8, at 2:45 p.m. in Room 133 of the University of Wyoming Classroom Building. His talk, "Western Leadership, Directions and Relationships with the Nation," is part of Political Science Professor Pete Simpson's Wyoming Political Identify Crisis class. The public is invited to attend.

Kemmis' newest book is "This Sovereign Land: A New Vision for Governing the West." He has had articles published in national and regional magazines and journals on public policy in the West, democratic theory and practice, community and community building and regionalism, and he is frequently invited to speak on these and related topics at regional and national conferences.
A senior fellow at the Center for the Rocky Mountain West, Kemmis is a graduate of Harvard University and The University of Montana School of Law. He is the former mayor of Missoula, Mont., and a former speaker and minority leader of the Montana House of Representatives.

Teen poetry slam April 22 at Cheyenne library

For National Poetry Month, the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne is hosting a poetry slam for students in grades 7-12. The battle begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, in the new library’s Cottonwood Room.

And beware -- the Wyoming Arts Council's Mike Shay will serve as one of the judges.

Participants must pre-register for this judged event, which features teams of teen poets facing off against one another, and bring at least four original poems. To register, call 634-3561 or visit the second floor of the library.

The top high school and junior high teams will receive cash prizes (double the amount from last year), as well as awards for individual poets. This event is free and open to the public. Come on out and cheer for your faves.

For more details about this and other programs for teens, visit http://LCLSonline.org.

Berky's new play debuts April 24 in Jackson

Off Square Theatre Company in Jackson produces the world premiere of the newest play by Jackson Hole's Bob Berky, "The Fourth Nail," a scorching Dark Ages comedy about fear, fraud and faith. Performances will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays April 24 through May 10.

Here's a description of the play from the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts web site:

The year is 1099. The European Crusaders have overrun and sacked the holy city of Jerusalem and established the first Christian Kingdom in Palestine. Two battered Crusaders return to Prague laden with "holy relics" – the widow’s peak of John The Baptist, a grape from the Last Supper, bird seed from the pocket of St. Francis, and lots of thumbs – but their desire for wealth collides with their own fears of death and uncertainty.Period costumes and sets depict a medieval knight's shop, a king's bedroom and an alchemist's lab – complete with explosions!

Ten-show run opens with previews on Thursday, April 24 (all seats $10), and the gala opening on Friday, April 25 (all seats $55), and continues Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through May 10. Saturday, May 3, also offers a 2 p.m. matinee.

Click Here To Get Tickets

Grand opening for Douglas gallery April 7

WAC board member and artist Richard Olveda sends this news from Douglas:

RomArt Gallery, 203 Center St., in downtown Douglas, will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, April 7, 5-7 p.m., with works by nine local painters, photographers and potters.

Gallery owner and artist Rom Hinz said the city has been without an art gallery for eight years. "I hope this gallery of locally produced art will help awaken the arts impulse in Douglas and begin building our city’s culture beyond being a bedroom community for Wyoming’s extractive industries." he said.

The show features work ranging from realistic and functional to abstract and surreal. Featured artists include Sonia Sieg, Linda Butler, Diane Harrop, Jeanne Chamberlain, Max Cox, Ron Miles, Rick Kilmer, Dave Thompson and Rom Hinz.

Normal operating hours of the RomArt Gallery will be 4-7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-noon on Saturdays.

Art Spiegelman to lecture on "Comix 101"

Art Spiegelman, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus, will visit Laramie April 30-May 1 as a guest of the University of Wyoming MFA Visiting Writers Series and the Albany County Public Library.

This trailblazing comic artist will give a lecture, "Comix 101," at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 30 at the Cavalryman Supper Club, 4425 S. 3rd Street (U.S. 287). Following that, he will answer questions from the audience. The event is free and open to the public.

On Thursday, May 1, noon-1:30 p.m., Spiegelman will join a lunchtime conversation about his writing, also at the Cavalryman. Attendance is free, but seating is limited. To reserve tickets, please call 721-2580 ext. 5456 or email albypr@will.state.wy.us.

In 2005, Time Magazine named Art Spiegelman one of their "Top 100 Most Influential People." Spiegelman is universally credited for having single-handedly invented the form of the modern graphic novel. His comics are best known for their shifting styles, their formal complexity, and controversial content. A major figure in the underground comics movement, in 1980 he and his wife Francoise Mouly founded the avant-garde comics magazine RAW.

In 1992 Spiegelman won the Pulitzer Prize for his masterful Holocaust narrative Maus — which portrayed Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. Maus II continued the remarkable story of his parents’ survival of the Nazi regime and their lives later in America. The book also received an Eisner Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction.

In advance of Spiegelman’s visit, the Albany County Public Library will host a series of book discussions of Maus. In addition, the University of Wyoming Libraries will provide free copies of Maus for students in Laramie middle and high school classes.

Spiegelman’s visit to Laramie is funded by the Wyoming Arts Council. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Humanities Council, the Laramie Jewish Community Center, UW Libraries, UW Office of the President, UW Art Department and the Albany County Public Library Foundation.

FMI: http://www.uwyo.edu/creativewriting.

See artistic grizzlies on April 5 trolley tours

On Saturday, April 5, The Grizzly Gathering will sponsor three trolley tours to visit artists' studios to see the project's 13 sculptures in the act of creation. Tours will leave from the Shoshone Bank on Sheridan in Cody. Sign up at the Park County Library ($10 for adults and free for anyone under 18) or before boarding the trolley. Departures are at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.

The Grizzly Gathering is a fund-raiser for the youth and children's sections at Park County's three public libraries in Cody, Powell and Meeteetse.

FMI: http://grizgathering.blogspot.com/.

Pictured: "Ol' Faithful" by Sue Hammersmark

"Winter in Yellowstone" photos at NWC

The SinClair Gallery at Northwest College in Powell will exhibit "Winter in Yellowstone National Park via the East Entrance: 2008 the Last Opportunity?" from April 8-18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. An opening reception will be held in the gallery on Tuesday, April 8, 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.

The images of Yellowstone National Park featured in the show were taken by J.L. "Woody" Wooden's students on four snow coach trips into the park during the winter of 2008.

Contact: Denise Kelsay , NWC

Wright reads "The Work of Wolves"

Wright Branch Library is sponsoring the town's second “One Book, One Community” featuring Kent Meyers' book "The Work of Wolves."

One hundred copies of the book were distributed in March, with 75 of those circulated among Wright high school students and the other copies circulated at the Wright branch of the Campbell County Public Library.

“One Book, One Community” will culminate on May 5 with author Kent Meyers speaking at Wright Branch Library at 7 p.m. Kent will be signing copies of his book following his program.

Kent is the author of "The River Warren," "The Light in the Crossing," and "Witness of Combines." He lives across the border in Spearfish, South Dakota, where he's an English professor at Black Hills State University.

Wright’s “One Book, One Community” is supported by a Campbell County Community Public Recreation District grant and a partnership between Wright Junior Senior High and Wright Branch Library.

FMI: http://ccpls.org/

Readers Theater: "The Grapes of Wrath"

The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players will present "The Grapes of Wrath" in its fourth Readers Theater production of the 2007-2008 season. One performance only, on Thursday, April 11, 7:30 p.m., at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Tickets are $10.

Keith Thomson will direct this adaptation by Frank Galati of John Steinbeck's classic novel about "Okies" fleeing the Dust Bowl to California in the 1930s. Keith notes that readers theater is a bit different from traditional stage offerings. He said this in today's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle story by Karen Cotton:

"This is similar to radio drama theater.... Your voice is your acting tool as opposed to using your physicality.

"In this show, people will be playing multiple characters. But the main leads will be playing their own characters."

FMI: CLTP at 307-638-6543.

"The Grapes of Wrath" is funded by an American Masterpieces grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. The focus of these grants in 2008 is the 75th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" program during the Great Depression. For more info about these grants, contact the WAC at 307-777-7742.

Japanese Film Festival in Laramie April 19

The Japan-America Society of Wyoming (JASWY) will hold its second Japanese Film Festival in Classroom Building Room 133 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, from 1:30-3:50 p.m., and 7-9 p.m.. on Saturday, April 19. Doors will open 20 minutes before show time. Free admission.

The movie schedule is as follows:

Always: Sunset at 3-chome: April 19 (Sat.) 1:30 p.m. (2005), family movie, 133 minutes, drama. Set in Tokyo in 1958, this film depicts human dramas of downtown residents who lived at the time of the construction of the Tokyo Tower — a symbol of Japan’s economic growth in the mid-20th century.

Zatoichi: April 19 (Sat.), 7 p.m., 2003, rated R, 119 minutes (Samurai movie). A blind masseur and sword master helps two youngsters avenge their parents at a gang-infested local town of pre-modern Japan. (Caution: This movie contains some graphic scenes of violence.)

The Japanese Film Festival is co-sponsored by the Modern & Classical Languages Dept., English Dept., Honors Program, and Japan Culture Club at the University of Wyoming.

FMI: http://www.jaswy.org/

"Main Street and Beyond" May 14-16

"Preserve Wyoming 2008: Main Street and Beyond" is set for May 14-16 at the Historic Plains Hotel in Cheyenne. Individuals interested in historic preservation, representatives of local government, members of downtown organizations, local historical societies, arts and humanities organizations, and Main Street programs are encouraged to attend.

Dan Carmondy will deliver the keynote address on "Sustainable, Viable and Equitable: Building the Case for Greater Density on Main Street."

Register by May 2. $100 fee. Contact Evan Medley, Wyoming Main Street Program Manager (307) 777-2934; evan.medley@wybusiness.org.

Click here to register online

Mountain West arts conference set for May

Our Rocky Mountain region colleagues and neighbors at the Utah Arts Council have invited us to an arts conference:

Attention artists, arts councils, arts organizations, arts educators, museums, community leaders and volunteers, board members, arts-related businesses and all supporters of the arts...

Join Us!

The Mountain West Conference on the Arts is an opportunity for inspiration, networking, professional development, accessing essential resources and creating community connections.

Click here for conference Information and Registration

Prairie Arts Mgt. Institute June 3-6 in S.D.

From our colleagues and neighbors at South Dakotans for the Arts:

Hip-hop group at Riverton Library April 19 & 21

For National Poetry Month, the Fremont County Public Library in Riverton will host the hip-hop group Lyrical Tacticians on Saturday, April 19. The group will be representing in the library at 8 p.m. A freestyle battle will follow on Monday, April 21, at 4 p.m.

Guernsey Museum celebration on May 3

The State of Wyoming is hosting a celebration at the museum at Guernsey State Park from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. The State Historic Preservation Office photo exhibit of New Deal-era buildings and projects will be on display. Refreshments will be served. Entrance to the park that day will be free and tours will be provided at 3 p.m.

Master of ceremonies will be State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson. A flag ceremony will begin the event at 1 p.m. There will be a number of speakers, including the mayor of Guernsey, and a representative from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which built the historic building in the 1930s. Prickly Pair (pictured above), a musical group on the Wyoming Arts Council artists' roster, will provide entertainment throughout the afternoon.

Invited guests for the Guernsey event include the Governor and First Lady, elected and county officials; legislators; Air and Army National Guard officers and officials; Guernsey, Douglas, Lingle, and Torrington elected civic officials; the State Parks & Cultural Resources Commission; the Historical Society; local American Legion members; national and local Civilian Conservation Corps alumni; local ROTC, Platte County and Converse County School District schools; and officials from Camp Guernsey.

Call the WAC for details at 307-777-7742.

Shoshone Caverns topic of Roberts' program

Many Wyomingites probably haven't heard of the Shoshone Caverns near Cody, probably because they're hidden behind locked gates. But UW professor and historian Phil Roberts will unlock the strange history of this former national monument during a slide show and talk, "Shoshone Caverns: The History of a Wyoming Cave," on Thursday, April 10, 6-7 p.m., in the Teton County Library's Ordway Auditorium in Jackson. The program is free and open to the public. The program is presented in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution's traveling exhibition, "Caves: A Fragile Wilderness."

Here's more about the event from a library press release:

Located near Cody, Wyoming, Shoshone Caverns was once designated a national monument and visited by "Buffalo Bill" Cody. But National Park Service officials, who managed the monument, advocated stripping its status as the agency found itself stretched too thin to manage such small sites, according to Roberts. In 1951, Shoshone Caverns was transferred to the city of Cody at the same time the federal government was dealing with adding the Jackson Hole National Monument to Grand Teton National Park, a factor that played into the politics surrounding the caverns. Roberts toured Shoshone Caverns as a high school student living in Cody, Wyoming. With the site under private management, Roberts had no idea that it had once been a national monument. I was really surprised that something that spectacular was in Wyoming," said Roberts. Eventually the site was returned to the federal government, which now manages it under the BLM. Today, the caverns have limited public access with locked gates at both the road to the cave and the cave entrance.

Running in tandem with the talk, the Smithsonian Institution's traveling exhibition, "Caves: A Fragile Wilderness," reveals the unique and mysterious environment of caves from Alaska to Malaysia. On view through April 28 in the library's Exhibit Gallery, the exhibition features color photos taken by 23 National Speleological Society members.

For information on this exhibit and related programs, contact the library's Adult Humanities Program Coordinator, 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@will.state.wy.us.

Artist & educator Reba Teran will teach Eastern Shoshone language class at UW

Eastern Shoshone is joining French and Japanese and Northern Arapaho on the long list of languages taught at the University of Wyoming.

Reba Teran, Shoshone language coordinator at the Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center in Fort Washakie on the Wind River Indian Reservation, will teach the class. It will meet during the first half of the fall 2008 semester on Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Teran, an enrolled Eastern Shoshone tribal member, has worked closely with three tribal elders since 2002 to compile a dictionary of the Eastern Shoshone language in both written and digital formats. The dictionary has more than 14,000 words. An audiobook is also available for the class.

"My work with the Eastern Shoshone language has made me fluent again," Teran says. "I dream in Shoshone now. It's a lively and vibrant language and I'm excited to have the opportunity to teach it at UW."

Shoshone was Teran's first language. At the age of six, she began elementary school and learned English. Teran left the Wind River Indian Reservation at age 14 to attend Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota and then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Utah State University

Teran has participated twice in the Wyoming Art Council's Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Project, as both master and apprentice for traditional Shoshone arts. She specializes in beadwork and in saddle making.

For more information about language classes in Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho, call the American Indian Studies Program at (307) 766-6521.

"Critter Junction" new children's book

Marilyn Miller is very active in the Cheyenne Artists Guild and has exhibited her art all over the area. Most recently we saw her work on display at the Cheyenne Family YMCA's members' art gallery.

Marilyn dropped by the Wyoming Arts Council last week with copies of a new book. "Critter Junction" is a children's picture book written and illustrated by her adult son, David Cronk. David grew up in Laramie and Cheyenne and now lives in Denver. You can buy copies of the book through Mountainheart Publications, P.O. Box 630376, Littleton, CO 80163. A web site will be up soon at http://www.mountainheartpublications.com.

Marilyn says that Cheyenne residents can buy the book from her at $7 apiece and she'll deliver it for free. Call her at 307-632-0257.

Poetry Out Loud National Finals

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 is the date for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals at 7:00 p.m. at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052. Admissions is free and open to the public.

Caila Booth, Buffalo High School, will represent Wyoming. Her compelling recitations of Sylvia Plath's "Fever 103," "America" by Claude McKay and "Insomnia" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti won her 1st place in the state competition.

The Wyoming Arts Council's Mike Shay will also be attending the event.

America

By Claude McKay

Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,
And sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.
Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate,
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state,
I stand within her walls with not a shred
Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.
Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,
And see her might and granite wonders there,
Beneath the touch of Time's unerring hand,
Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.

Doug Harvey at CSU

The public lecture: What Isn't Art? takes place in Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts, Wednesday, April 9, at 5:00 p.m. An open forum will take place at the Hatton Gallery on Tuesday, April 8, at noon.

FMI, call (970) 491-7634, or go to www.colostate.edu/depts/art/hg

Doug Harvey is an artist, curator, and critic. Since 1997 he has been the chief art critic for LA Weekly, where he has authored over 300 biweekly articles. He previously served as a contributing editor at Modern Painters and Art issues. Harvey has also been a prolific contributor to museums and galleries and has authored essays for a number of important museum publications. His essay Encyclopedia Hawkinsonia, appeared in the 2005 catalogue for the Tim Hawkinson exhibition at Whitney Museum of Art. Harvey conceived of and co-curated the CD The New Now Sounds of Today: Songpoems by 21 Contemporary Artists, has curated numerous gallery exhibitions, and is the Keeper of the Permanent collection emeritus at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. In 2003, Harvey authored the essay, Reverend Ethan Acres: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime, for the Department of Art's Critic and Artist Residency series at CSU. Harvey's lecture, "What Isn't Art" is based on his book in progress, exploring the history of the boundaries between life, art, and popular culture. the lecture is made possible by the FUNd at CSU.

LCCC hosting summer workshop

The Laramie County Community College Foundation is sponsoring the Clay Summer Watercolor workshop. This year, Judi Betts is the instructor. There is limited space so call now for a reservation. The workshop will be June 16-20. Call 307-432-1603.

“Judi Betts has fairly won her place as a painter by the sound and proven way in art, by study, creating a body of accomplished work and having the energy to teach. All this has combined to give her the wide reputation she has achieved.”
— Milford ZornesNA

Judi is a respected painter, author, instructor, and juror who has attained an international reputation. Her memberships include the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Federation of Canadian Artists, Societe Canadienne de 'lAquarelle, the National Arts Club, and Watercolor USA-Honor Society.

Her work is included in the collections of the Springfield (MO) Art Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Permanent Collections of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana. Her award winning book, WATERCOLOR...Let's Think About It!, is in its 4th printing. Her paintings are featured in numerous art books and periodicals.

Do a Judi Betts search for more info about this artist and to take a look at her artwork.

"Click!" reception for Marsha Barritt

AVA Community Arts Center in Gillette will host an artist's reception for photographer Marsha Barritt on Friday, April 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The artist will be conducting a presentation and refreshments will be served. It's free and open to the public.

FMI: 307-682-9133

Free master class with Doug Kershaw

From a press release:

The University of Northern Colorado is proud to offer Wyoming musicians a FREE master class with Cajun fiddler DOUG KERSHAW on Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. The workshop will take place in the LCSD1 Administration Building Auditorium, 2810 House Ave., Cheyenne.

Known to his fans worldwide as "The Ragin’ Cajun," Kershaw is considered to be the king of fiddlers. Many of his peers have said he is the best musician, performer and singer/songwriter to come out of southwest Louisiana.

Kershaw is holding this masterclass in support of "A Classical Cajun Gumbo," his April 5 performance in Greeley, Colo., with the UNC Symphony Orchestra. Kershaw will be joined at the workshop by UNC violin professor, Dr. Richard Fuchs.

All regional music students and teachers, community players and working professional musicians are invited. String players from all music fields are welcome: Cajun, Western, folk fiddling, bluegrass, Celtic and classical music, etc. Fiddlers, violinists, guita rists, banjo and mandolin players are especially encouraged to attend. Individuals, small ensembles and bands will be invited to perform as time allows. The session is "unplugged and acoustic;" no amplification will be allowed. The goal of the class is to improve individual performing skills.

Musicians should bring their own instruments and come ready to perform before their peers. Kershaw will work with both classical and non-classical musicians on technique and musicianship. Fuchs will work with classically trained players. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

String players interested in performing during the workshop are asked to contact Elisabet de Vallee, project coordinator, at deva2277@blue.unco.edu. E-mails should include name and contact information as well as details such as musical area(s) of interest, instruments and selection to be performed. Every effort will be made to schedule those who express an interest in performing, but no guarantees will be made. Musicians are encouraged to express their interest early.

The masterclass is a working session, not a public performance. The public is encouraged to attend Kershaw’s concert 8 p.m., Saturday, April 5 at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., in Greeley, Colo. The performance will be an historic occasion for the veteran performer: it is his "orchestral debut" – the first time he has ever performed a full concert of his original music with a symphony orchestra.

For details about "A Classical Cajun Gumbo," Doug Kershaw or Cajun music, log on to www.arts.unco.edu/news/gumbo. A fundraiser for the 25th Annual Western States Honors Orchestra Festival, a 3-day workshop for high school string players to be held at the University of Northern Colorado in November, tickets for "A Classical Cajun Gumbo " are $32, $30 and $25. Student tickets are $15 each. For tickets, call 970-351-2200 or 800-315-ARTS. Concert tickets may be purchased online at www.ucstars.com.

Doug Kershaw’s masterclass in Cheyenne for Wyoming-based musicians is FREE and open to all musicians in the state, regardless of age or skill level. Tickets are not required to attend. For more information, call 771-2105 or write ambroses@laramie1.k12.wy.us.

REMINDER: Artist Roster deadline March 31

Wyoming Arts Council Grants Manager Karen Merklin posts a reminder that the postmark deadline for applications for the 2008-2009 WAC Artists Roster in Monday, March 31. So, if you're planning on applying, you have four days remaining on the calendar.

She also reminds all roster artists who wish to remain on the 2008-2009 WAC Artist Roster to mail their signed renewal form no later than Monday, March 31. Artists wishing to make changes and/or updates to their bios or photos need to e-mail those changes to Karen by the 3/31/08 deadline.

We will assume that artists who do not return the renewal form are no longer interested in being on next year's roster.

Mail applications and renewals/updates to:
Karen Merklin, Grants Manager
Wyoming Arts Council
2320 Capitol Avenue,
Cheyenne, WY 82002

FMI: 307-777-7743 (voice), 777-5499 (fax) or e-mail kmerkl1@state.wy.us

Music & art mark "Rock Creek Wild" event

The Wyoming Wilderness Association and Sheridan Artists Guild Et Al (SAGE) invite you to participate in the Rock Creek Wild Concert & Art Auction.

Earth Day is in April and as a part of our celebration we are inviting you, your friends and/or class to participate in the Miniature Rock Creek Wild Art Show and Silent Auction. Finished and framed miniature art pieces should be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, at the center for Vital Community, 171 North St. Sheridan. They will be displayed at a pre-showing the week of April 12-19. On Saturday, April 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m., they will be auctioned off as a part of the Rock Creek Wild Concert and Art Auction. Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit the Wyoming Wilderness Association’s campaign for protecting public wild lands.

The concert at the Elks Lodge will feature Jalan Crossland along with Doug Andrews, Kyle Williams and other local musicians and artists with a passion for the mountains and wild nature.
As a participant in the Miniature Art Show, artists are requested to create artwork in miniature of your own materials and to donate the piece to the Silent Art Auction. The artwork may be 2D or 3D, but we ask you keep it within the dimensions 5" x 7" x 7", and should be ready to hang or display.

Because this is an Earth Day event, artwork should focus on what wilderness or nature mean to you. Some fun suggestions are using recycled materials or materials directly from the earth. Otherwise, artistic freedom is yours. Fun earth-friendly prizes will be awarded to the top three favorite artists, decided by a panel of judges.

If you have any more questions please call Liz Howell at 307-672-2751 Wyoming Wilderness Association or email her at liz@wildwyo.org.

Neil Hansen appointed to WAC board

We're pleased to announce that Neil Hansen of Powell has been appointed to the Wyoming Arts Council board by Governor Dave Freudenthal. Hansen replaces Sally Rogers of Jackson, who resigned earlier this year.

Hansen is a dedicated arts educator, mentoring music students at Northwest College in Powell since 1982. He teaches hundreds of Big Horn Basin secondary school students each June at the Yellowstone Summer Music Camp in Powell and at the Yellowstone Jazz Camp each July in the mountains above Cody.

Hansen founded the annual Northwest Jazz Festival, celebrating its 25th year, which has featured jazz legends such as Maynard Ferguson and Benny Carter. He later launched the Yellowstone Jazz Festival with a full slate of concerts every summer in Powell and Cody.

He has received numerous awards, including a 2007 Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award, Music Educator of the Year in 2000 and 2004 from the North Big Horn Basin Music Educators, and "jazz educator" honors at Iowa’s Jim Coffin Jazz Festival. He was keynote speaker for the 2005 Texas Association of Music Schools Conference.

When Hansen isn’t teaching, he plays the trumpet with local and regional bands and orchestras.

As noted in Hansen’s Governor’s Arts Award proclamation in February: "His passion for music education and performance has had a valuable impact on the Big Horn Basin, the State of Wyoming and the region."

Brush up on your Impressionists at AVA

UW creative writing prof publishes, receives fellowship

Craig Arnold, University of Wyoming creative writing professor, performs two passages from "Asunder," a poem that he says "makes the sound of a heart being dropped and broken." The poem appears in his second book, Made Flesh, which will be published by Ausable Press in Fall 2008. Arnold, who was recently awarded a Fulbright fellowship to Colombia, is currently working on "a book about volcanoes and the end of the world as we know it." Read more.

The University of Wyoming’s Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts program is an intensive 40-hour studio degree in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Special features include opportunities for interdisciplinary study, supported by a wide range of university departments, and a required professional internship on campus, in the community, or farther afield, ensuring the acquisition or polishing of “real-life” writing skills. The UW MFA program is “where art and practicality meet.”

Serendipity recites The Bard April 26

Ed Warsaw send word that Serendipity Poets will celebrate William Shakespeare's birthday by holding its annual "National Poetry Month" celebration in the Willow Room at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne on Saturday, April 26, 3 p.m.

Ed describes it this way: There will be words and music of original and favorite poems and poetry and quotes from The Bard himself. Along with special readings, we will have coffee, punch, and cake, and an open microphone as well. Tim Stark, president of Serendipity Poets, will be our master of ceremonies with support from our attending members."

"Shakespeare fans and poetry lovers and the general public are all invited to attend and participate in this annual event."

Summer 2008: GTMF celebrates Bernstein

Brochures, fliers and postcards for Wyoming's many summer events are pouring into the WAC office. We plan to feature a summer sampler in the spring issue of the print newsletter, which will be out in mid-May. Meanwhile, we'll try to post as many events on this blog and we can manage.

The Grand Teton Music Festival in Wilson opens it summer season with a tribute, "Bernstein at 90," on Thursday, July 3, and Saturday, July 5. Traditionally, the GTMF opens its season on a Friday but this year the Fourth of July holiday claims that day instead.

Donald Runnicles will conduct and Norman Krieger will be on the piano to celebrate what would have been Leonard Bernstein's 90th birthday. This GTMF concert replicates his final public performance 20 years ago at Tanglewood. Other GTMF summer 2008 programs will invoke "the adventurous spirit of this imaginative composer, conductor, pianist, teacher, humanitarian, thinker, and entertainer."

On the stage at Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village for July 3 and 5:

"Four Sea Interludes," Britten; "Symphony No. 2," Bernstein; and "Symphony No. 7," Beethoven.
FMI: 307-733-1128 or http://www.gtmf.org/.

Poetry & hip-hop highlight women's issues

From a UW press release:

An evening of hip-hop, poetry and audience interaction, "Two Voices: Gender and Social Justice Through the Prism of Poetry," will be held Saturday, March 29, at 7 p.m. in the University of Wyoming College of Education auditorium as part of Women's History Month.

The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Women's Action Network (WAN). Donations will be accepted to benefit Laramie Reproductive Health.

The evening, which celebrates the connection between art and social justice movements, will feature artists Adrian Molina and Day Acoli. It will also include spoken word poetry that reflects on issues of gender, race and social justice.

New brochures have tips, list programs

The arts council has just received two of our newly redesigned brochures: the Arts Advocacy Tips brochure, a do's and don'ts guide for advocating, and the Wyoming Arts Council overview brochure that lists all of our grant categories, agency programs and opportunities for organizations, schools, and individual artists. If you would like a copy of either of these, contact us as (307) 777-7742 and we'll get one in the mail for you.

Flutist opens Native American Business Expo

Flutist Andrew Vasquez will perform at the opening reception for the eighth annual Native American Business Expo on Wednesday, April 23, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Pronghorn Lodge, 150 E. Main St. in Lander. Tickets for the Expo – which includes the reception – are $75 before April 9 and $90 after. The Expo events will be held on Thursday, April 24, at Wyoming Indian High School in Ethete.

Andrew is a member of Oklahoma's Apache Tribe but also considers Wyoming and the Dakotas as home. He’s married to Myra Weed, a member of the Shoshone tribe of Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation. Andrew was known primarily as a singer and dancer when he toured with the New York-based American Indian Dance Theatre. While on tour in the mid-1980s, he was introduced to the flute and began to fill in as a flutist for rehearsals. He began to develop his own style and, eventually, his own compositions.

For more on Andrew, go to http://www.geocities.com/redearthrecords/andrew_vasquez.htm

For registration info on the expo, go to http://www.wrdf.org/expo.php

Reminder: WyoPoets Workshop coming in April

A one-day poetry workshop honoring National Poetry Month featuring poet & artist Dawn Senior-Trask will be presented by WyoPoets, on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at the Hampton Inn,
Casper, Wyoming. Registration is $30 before March 31st and includes a critique of one poem byDawn Trask. After 3/31, the fee will be $35 and does NOT include a critique. All registration fees include refreshments, breaks and lunch.

The workshop will be held at the Hampton Inn, 400 West F St., Casper, WY, 82601, in the conference room. Ph. (307) 235-6668. From I-25 take the Poplar Street Exit. On the north side of the interstate between the Holiday Inn and El Jarro Restaurant, you’ll see the Hampton Inn.

The Hampton Inn is saving a block of rooms for those coming from out of town, at $84/night and this includes breakfast.
Download the BROCHURE (.PDF format)
or send registration: Nancy Gerlock, workshop chair, 736 East 16th Street, Casper WY 82601. Make check payable to WyoPoets.

Wyoming author John Nesbitt chosen as finalist

In an e-mail from John:

I was informed a few days ago that my novel Raven Springs was picked as a Western Writers of America Spur Awards Finalist in the Best Original Mass-Market Paperback category. The novel is the third in a mini-series of crossover western-mysteries I have written about a character named Jimmy Clevis. A library reviewer online called it “an engaging hybrid of the traditional western and a mystery,” while a reviewer in WWA’s Roundup wrote, “As much a mystery novel as a Western, Raven Springs is a delightful read, filled with interesting characters, unique plot twists, red herrings, and a likeable hero.” The Spur awards judges pick one winner and two finalists in each category, so to place on a national level such as this is very good news for me.

In January, I met John for the first time in Torrington. He was one of the talented people I interviewed while I was there to write about the state of the arts in Torrington for the community profile feature in the Winter 2008 issue of the Wyoming Arts Council newsletter, Artscapes. John teaches English classes at Eastern Wyoming College and received a 2008 literary fellowship from the WAC.

Congratulations, John!

Grant funds "Contemporary Dance Concert"

A "Contemporary Dance Concert," funded by a Wyoming Arts Council American Masterpices/New Deal grant, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on March 28 and 29 and April 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the Scifers Dance Performance Theatre at Casper College in Casper.

The work was choreographed by Jodi Youmans-Jones.

FMI: http://www.caspercollege.edu/.

Visiting prof explores politics of blues music

From a UW press release:

Ulrich Adelt, the University of Wyoming's 2007-08 visiting assistant professor in African American Studies, will lecture Tuesday, April 1, on the politics of blues music.

Adelt's presentation, titled "Just Play the Blues: African-Americans, Afro-Germans, white Germans and the Politics of Primitivism," begins at 6 p.m. in Room 142 of the UW Classroom Building. A reception follows. The event is free and open to the public.

"Professor Adelt's lecture includes components of his research and teaching that focus on the politics of blues music," says Gracie Lawson-Borders, director of African American Studies at UW. "The lecture should afford us an opportunity to hear the social and political discourse surrounding blues music during the folk festival in 1962 and the continuing research on the music's aesthetic and political relevance in the U.S. and abroad."

Adelt's lecture is built around the story of Horst Lippmann, a Jew persecuted by the Nazis, and Fritz Rau, a former member of the Hitler Youth, a pair of white German concert promoters who organized the American Folk Blues Festival in East and West Germany and other European countries in the early 1960s.

Adelt received his M.A. in American studies from the University of Hamburg in Germany in 2000 and his Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Iowa in 2007. He has published articles in the Journal of Popular Music Studies, Popular Music and Society and the Journal of Popular Culture, and is working on a book project tentatively titled "Black, White and Blue: Racial Politics of Blues Music in the 1960s."

For more information, call Carol Robillard at (307) 766-2481 or e-mail crobilla@uwyo.edu.