We invite you to "Inspiration & Reflection"

The University of Wyoming Art Museum and the Wyoming Arts Council have joined forces to co-sponsor "Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection" April 2-4 at the UW Conference Center in Laramie.

Ten of the artists in "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational" will present sessions on their work. Nearly 30 additional presenters will discuss other public art programs in Wyoming, various aspects of planning and installing the sculpture exhibition in Laramie, how the exhibition has been used in the classroom, and offer creative responses to the sculpture.

The symposium also offers opportunities for Wyoming’s artists to gather for the announcement of the Wyoming Arts Council’s Visual Arts Fellowship Awards and to participate in roundtable discussions with Wyoming Arts Council staff to discuss WAC programs and artists’ needs.

Two sessions of the symposium on Thursday, April 2, are free and open to the public:

Art Slam features internationally renowned artists John Henry, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and Jesús Moroles in a discussion about their work. A special opportunity for any conference attendee to share their creative work or information about the arts in their communities will follow.
20:20 is an exciting and energetic format whereby presenters will be able to show 20 images for 20 seconds for each image in a PowerPoint presentation. Advance sign-up is required for artists and organizational representatives who wish to contribute to this kaleidoscopic view of the arts in Wyoming.

Presenters will include artists John Henry, Jesús Moroles, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Steven Siegel, Charmaine Locke, James Surls, Charles Parson, Carl Reed, Linda Fleming, and Stan Dolega; Wyoming Fellowship jurors Lawrence Argent and Greg Esser; Phil Harris, UW VP Administration; Howard Major, Dean, Art & Humanities, Laramie County Community College; Pam Wolfe, Chair, Green River Arts Council; Nita Kehoe, Professor of Art, Central Wyoming College, Riverton; Melanie Howlett, Art Teacher, Starrett Junior High School, Lander; Duane Evenson, Mayor, Gillette; Ben Hornok, Haselden Construction; Terry Cooper, ARK; UW Faculty Harvey Hix, Margaret Wilson, Rod Garnett, Ashley Hope Carlisle, David Jones, Allen Trent, and Peter Moran; UW students Travis Ivey and Jedadiah Cracco; Rachael Sisneros, Joe Sanchez, Albert Haskins and Pat Jones, UW Physical Plant; and more.

Registration for the symposium is now open. Forms may be downloaded from the UW Art Museum webpage at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum or may be requested by calling the Art Museum, 307-766-6622 or the Wyoming Arts Council, 307-777-7742. Early bird registration ends March 15, 2009. A special rate for students is also available.

The museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Dr in Laramie. The museum and Museum Store are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

FMI: 307-766-6622, uwartmuseum.blogspot.com/, wyomingarts.blogspot.com

PHOTO: Ursula von Rydingsvard's "Doolin Doolin" on the sculpture terrace of the UW Art Museum. Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum.

Buffalo Bill Band recreates "Wild West" music

Mike Masterson, chair of the Northwest College Visual and Performing Arts Division in Powell and former Wyoming Arts Council board member, performs with a group of musicians that recreates the repertoire featured in performances of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show more than 100 years ago.

Here are some excerpts of a story about the group from the Billings Gazette by Ruffin Prevost:

"It was the Wild West show and Buffalo Bill that brought that notion of what an American citizen was like to the rest of the world, and the music was a big part of that," said Masterson, a trombonist and music instructor who also teaches music history.

Masterson has spent more than 20 years researching the music from the Wild West show, visiting spots as diverse as Circus World Museum in Wisconsin and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

"I've tracked a lot of it down by reading through old newspapers and programs. There is a long list of music that was played," Masterson said. The show included a mix of popular tunes that were familiar to audiences and songs arranged specifically for featured action in the arena. A brass band of about two dozen musicians typically played throughout the two-hour show, as well as before and after the show.

Because the Wild West began before effective recording or electrified amplification, it relied on an engaging live band to help set the tone for performances, Masterson said.

"They tried to match up with the emotional content, like a soundtrack in a movie today," he said.

Masterson will lead the Buffalo Bill Band on March 20 in Denver, during a featured performance for the annual conference of the Society for American Music. Paul Fees, a historian and former curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum at the BBHC in Cody, will narrate the performance, offering historical context and a slide show of images from the Wild West show. The band also plays March 18 at Northwest College and March 19 at Casper College.

P.S.: William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's birthday is Feb. 26. He was born just west of the Mississippi River near LeClaire, Iowa in 1846.

Call for entries: "Reclaiming Our Voices"

Entries are due March 20 for "Reclaiming Our Voices," a juried art show focusing on the artistic representation of the effects of sexual and domestic violence on the community at large. The show will be exhibited April 6-17 in the Exit Gallery, SUB Room 212, on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman.

Two- and three-dimensional work accepted. Each artist can enter up to three images on CD. Entry fee is $5.

FMI: ASMSU Arts & Exhibits, ATTN: Stacey Ray, SUB 221, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

Japanese Film Fest in Cheyenne & Laramie

The Japan-America Society of Wyoming (JASWY) will hold its third Japanese Film Festival at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne on Feb.28 and at the University of Wyoming in Laramie on March 7. Free Admission.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, in CCI Building, Room 120, at LCCC: "Hula Girls" (see photo), 1:30 p.m. "Always: Sunset on 3rd Street," 7 p.m.

On Saturday, March 7, at UW, Classroom Building Room 133, Laramie, "Always: Sunset on 3rd Street 2" (the sequel), 1:30 p.m.; "Hula Girls," 7 p.m.

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

Call for entries: Wyoming Short Film Contest

From Colin Stricklin at the Wyoming Film Commission:

With a grand prize of $25,000 and a winner announced each May, the Wyoming Short Film Contest offers filmmakers an excellent reason to
shoot the Cowboy State. The only requirement for entrants is that the film take place in Wyoming, feature Wyoming, or present Wyoming as a major character in the storyline. For more information and to view past winners, visit our blog at www.filmwyoming.blogspot.com

Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2009.

FMI: Colin Stricklin, Film, Arts, & Entertainment Specialist, Wyoming Travel and Tourism, 307.777.2854 or colin.stricklin@visitwyo.gov

Children's art show accepting entries

Musser Fund offers grants for collaborations

From a press release:

The Laura Jane Musser Fund offers grants.

In recognition of Laura Jane Musser's life-long commitment to excellence in the arts, and with awareness that pivotal and life-changing experience can occur for individuals through introduction to and participation in the arts. The Laura Jane Musser Fund hopes to encourage and excite a wider population to appreciate, learn, and participate in the arts.

In pursuit of this goal, the Musser Fund hopes to assist nonprofit arts organizations to develop, implement or sustain exceptional artistic opportunities for adults and children in the areas of literary, visual, music and performing arts.

Grants are given to organizations in the following states: Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Wyoming and Michigan.

The Musser Fund is interested in funding arts collaborations.

Collaborations of an arts organization with other nonprofits or schools to educate, enrich, and provide participatory arts activities for their community. The Musser Directors are interested in supporting projects where these collaborations spark a new interest or dynamic quality in the art organization and in the community.
Priority will be given to projects that engage participants in the creation of art.
Priority will be given to collaborations that offer opportunities for more in-depth participation in the creation of art, and to those collaborations that unfold over longer periods of time.
Applicants may apply for up to $10,000.
Applications must come from arts organizations with operating budgets of $3 million or less.
Grants are for one year only and will not be eligible for additional Musser support for two years -the grant period.
Proposals must demonstrate that both partners are involved in planning and implementation of the collaboration.

Deadline is March 2, 2009.

FMI: 612-825-2024

"portraits [in]justice" exhibit opens March 7

Press release from the KEAG Gallery in Laramie:

The opening reception for "portraits [in]justice: facing social justice issues in post-war Liberia" is Saturday, March 7, 6-8 p.m. at Laramie's KEAG Gallery.

The exhibit features the photography of Jeminie Shell who, during the summer of 2008, was immersed in the politics, culture, and chaos of post-war Liberia. She spent nine weeks in the capital city and traveled into the country's rural areas as an intern with DUCOR Waste Management, an organization that works to improve the poor environmental health conditions contributing to Liberia's horrible health and mortality statistics.

Jeminie's portraits reveal the beauty and resilience of the poorest populations of Liberia as they face day-to-day social and environmental injustices and work to slowly improve their lives in post-war Liberia.A portion of the proceeds from this exhibit will be donated to water and sanitation projects in Liberia.

The exhibit will be open through March 31. KEAG is open Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5:30 and by appointment.

FMI: Sarah Ramsey-Walters, KEAG Gallery, 414 Grand Avenue, Laramie; 307-745-3308; keaggallery.blogspot.com

Cheyenne hosts "Black History Celebration"

The Cheyenne Depot Museum and Love & Charity Club are co-hosting thier first Black History Celebration. There are three main events which are all free to the public. All of the events will be held in the lobby of the Cheyenne Depot Museum in downtown Cheyenne.

It begins Friday, February 20, with a "Fashionable Tale of Black History." Local youths will be modeling authentic and reproduction costumes from the 1700s to today. Each of the youths will be making a presentation about his or her costume and the era that the costume represents. The Fashionable Tale of Black History will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The second event – a Black History Presentation - will be held on Tuesday, February 24 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The Love & Charity Club will be displaying original art, a black doll collection, black inventions over time and providing a talk on Black History.

From February 20-27, the "Images of Black Wyoming" display from the American Heritage Center (University of Wyoming) will be available for viewing in the lobby of the Depot. This exhibit represents “a few of the noteworthy stories of African-Americans who have been influential in the State of Wyoming."

The Black History Celebration is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming State Legislature. This event is also sponsored by the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority and the Wyoming Humanities Council.

For more information on this event, please contact Pam Crochet, Events Coordinator for the Cheyenne Depot Museum, at 307-632-3905, or go to the web site at www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org.

Meet Lawrence Argent, fellowship juror

Schooled in classical sculpture, Lawrence Argent may best be known for his huge blue bear sculpture at the Denver Convention Center. This painter, public artist and arts professor spent January building an ice sculpture for Vail's Winterfest. Lawrence served as a juror for last year's visual arts fellowships and returns in that role -- and will speak at the UW Art Museum's Public Arts Symposium April 3-4.

Here's a short bio:

LAWRENCE ARGENT was born in England and educated in sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, and has a MFA from the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation; the Colo. Council on the Arts; the Core Fellowship at the Fine Arts Museum, Houston; and has been an artist in residence at the John Michael Kohler Foundation. He is Professor of Art at the University of Denver, and was awarded the Distinguished Scholar award in 2002. He has exhibited internationally and is working on public art projects around the U.S. His art encompasses a breadth of form and materials, enveloping each with a path of consciousness through which the physical promotes the non-physical and the sublime emerges as a vehicle laying a slippery foundation in the gap between stimulus and response. Web site: http://www.lawrenceargent.com/

Find a printable fellowship application form at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/.

Photo: Lawrence Argent's sculpture, "I See What You Mean," at the Denver Convention Center.

We dream of Bosler when we close our eyes

Doesn't everyone? That's for Jalan Crossland's fans in Bosler and all over the state.

The Ten Sleep musician and his band will be performing at the Rock Creek Wild! concert on Saturday, February 21, at the Parkway Plaza Hotel in Casper. Jalan joins the Chad Lore Band of Casper for this concert to benefit the the Wyoming Wilderness Association. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

The Parkway Plaza is giving concert goers a discounted room rate of only $60 per night. When booking a room, be sure to mention the Wyoming Wilderness Association to receive this discounted rate. This rate applies to both Friday and Saturday night.

The concert proceeds will benefit WWA's Rock Creek campaign.

Humanities Council seeks board nominations

Jenny Ingram sends us news from the Wyoming Hunmanities Council:

The Wyoming Humanities Council is currently seeking nominations for membership on its board of directors. The council’s board is composed of 20 volunteers with interest and expertise in the humanities. With primary funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the council sponsors grants and programs that explore and enrich the human experience.

Board members are elected from the general public. The council seeks a diverse board that represents balanced geographic, ethnic, age, gender and professional backgrounds. Availability of board member positions is variable from year to year depending on needs for balance, and routine attrition and renewal of board member terms.

The council accepts board member nominations all year long. Self-nominations are accepted. An application form is available at www.uwyo.edu/humanities/forms or
from the office of the Wyoming Humanities Council by calling 721-9243 or wych@uwyo.edu.

"Taking Chance" debuts in Dubois Feb. 18

Reporter Addie Goss reports this on Wyoming Public Radio:

A film about a Wyoming soldier killed in action in Iraq will be shown on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Dubois. The HBO film "Taking Chance" tells the story of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, who died in 2004 while defending the rest of his convoy during a firefight outside of Baghdad. His body was escorted home to Dubois by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl. Strobl says that journey was a remarkable one: "From the hearse drivers or the flight attendants or the cargo handlers, the ticketing agents, the pilots, they all were very moved by Chance and his sacrifice." The film chronicles that journey. It will be screened at Dubois High School on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle features reporter Karen Cotton interviewed actor Kevin Bacon (shown in HBO photo above), Lt. Col. Strobl and Chance's father, artist John Phelps, in a series of articles that you can read on her blog at wtecriticscorner.wordpress.com/.

"Secret Spy" journal class at AVA

"Artful Governor" clip from Len Edgerly

Wyomingarts was on hand to schmooze with friends and colleagues at the 27th annual Governor's Arts Awards at Little America on Friday. Some 400 people made it to the event through freezing fog and snow and icy roads. It was great to see Len Edgerly, formerly of Casper and now of Denver and Cambridge, Mass. Len is a poet and fervent arts supporter. He won a creative writing fellowship from the WAC in the 1990s and once was a WAC board member. Len also reports on the latest doings in Kindle World (Kindle, the e-book reader) and posts podcasts and videos on his lenchronicles blog. He had his handy palm-sized HD digicam with him Friday. Here's a short clip of his entitled "Wyoming's Artful Governor": http://lenchronicles.blogspot.com/2009/02/65.html

Music from Ghosts of Predators Past

Wyomingarts heard a great song by Laramie band Ghosts of Predators Past on WPR's Morning Music show earlier this week. Tune was called "Jeffrey City," named for the almost-ghost-town along Hwy. 287 in southeast Fremont County. Their 2008 album is called "Mr. Sunshine Strikes Again." You can check out some of the group's music at its MySpace page at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=109662555

Meet Gina Ruggeri, visual arts fellowship juror

Installation view of Gina Ruggeri's work at an exhibition at the Kevin Bruk Gallery in Miami, February-March 2008. The paintings shown (left to right) are Darktrunk, Treetrunk and Turfwave. All are acrylic on mylar cut-outs (various sizes).


GINA RUGGERI, Brooklyn, N.Y., is a painter and visiting professor in the Vassar College art department in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

She has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, Va., the Kevin Bruk Gallery in Miami, Red Dot in New York City and the Tenri Biennale in Tenri, Japan. Her work has been in a number of group shows, most recently in “Hyper-Nature,” SPACES Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio; “The Outer Space,” curated by Pedro Barbeito, Pluto Gallery, Brooklyn, N.Y.; “Primary,” William Paterson University, Wayne, N.J.; “Running Around the Pool,” Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, Fla.; “Paper Now,” I-Space, Chicago; “The Eclectic Eye,” Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans.

She’s received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Yaddo, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Jentel in Wyoming. Gina received her MFA at the Yale School of Art.

She grew up in Milwaukee and got to know Wyoming on summer trips with her father, who performed with the Grand Teton Music Festival. Web site: http://www.ginaruggeri.com/

Arts funding remains in stimulus bill

The following "Legislative Alert" comes to us from Thomas L. Birch, Legislative Counsel for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. The Wyoming Arts Council is a NASAA member.

The Senate and House of Representatives are set to vote on final passage of the economic stimulus legislation – H.R.1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – which includes $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.

The compromise version of the bill with tax breaks and spending totaling $789 billion stipulates that the arts funding goes for grants to activities and projects “which preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn”, with 40 percent of the amount going to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations (“in a manner similar to the agency’s current practice”) and the remainder going out in competitive grants from the NEA. Matching requirements are waived.

House and Senate negotiators on the bill dropped the language prohibiting stimulus funds from going to museums, theatres, and arts centers which was included in the version of the bill passed by the Senate. However, the legislation still excludes support from going to fund projects at zoos and aquariums along with casinos, golf courses and swimming pools.

Congratulations and appreciation to all of you who contacted your legislators in Washington urging their support for the arts funding in the stimulus package. The House allocated the money for the NEA from the beginning of the process, but the Senate did not include the arts funding in its draft of the stimulus bill. Your advocacy and the insistence of our champions in the House and Senate made the difference.

Meet Greg Esser, visual arts fellowship juror

The Wyoming Arts Council is bringing in three great jurors for the 2009 visual arts fellowships. The adjudication will take place on Thursday, April 2, at the UW Conference Center in Laramie. While the jurors are making their decisions, registration for the Public Art Symposium: Inspiration and Reflection, will be going on from 1-5 p.m. in the Conference Center. The symposium's kick-off reception starts at 5 p.m. To register for the symposium, call the WAC at 307-777-7742 and we'll mail you a form. They're also available through the UW Art Museum.

Over the next week, we'll introduce to you our three jurors. Greg Esser of Phoenix will serve as a juror and speak at the symposium. Here's some info on Greg:

GREG ESSER (shown in photo) is an artist, advocate, and writer living in Phoenix, Arizona. He directed the public art program for the City of Phoenix from 1996 to 2004. In addition to serving as chair of the Public Art Interest Area and a co-founder of the Public Art Network, he served for two years as the Public Art Manager for Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading arts advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. He has developed numerous artist studio and exhibition spaces in downtown Phoenix including eye lounge gallery, 515 Arts, Sixth Street Studios and MADE Art Boutique. He is a founding member and the current chairman of the Evans Churchill Community Association and president of the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. Greg speaks internationally on public art and the role of artists in community revitalization. His writing has appeared in publications such as Art Papers, Public Art Review, Java Magazine, and Downtown Phoenix. His artwork is represented in public and private collections. He received a BFA in art and social change at Oberlin College and a MFA in intermedia at Arizona State University. Web site: http://www.gregesser.com/

Salter coming to UW

The marvelous writer James Salter (r) will visit UW on Wednesday March 4th, for a reading and booksigning at 7:00 p.m. at Second Story Bookstore in Laramie. There will be more details about his visit at a later date.

Also, fiction writer Jennifer Davis and poet Jake York will read in Mathison Library on February 17th at 6 pm.

Tips on selling work to national parks

Wyoming authors, artists and crafters might find this conference helpful:

Attend the Annual GRO-Biz Procurement Conference to learn about the procurement process from experts such as Jeff Sneddon who currently serves as the Northern Rockies Major Acquisition Buying Office (MABO) Lead Contracting Officer, located in Yellowstone National Park. The Northern Rockies MABO consists of twelve National Park Service locations in Wyoming, Montana, and Northern Utah. Jeff has a procurement certification at the FAC-C Level III with a $20,000,000 level Certificate of Appointment (Warrant).

Jeff is the keynote speaker for lunch on Feb. 19. Don't miss a chance to speak with him about your small business.

The GRO-Biz Annual Conference will be held Feb. 18-19 at the Holiday Inn in Cody. Pre-conference workshops will be held on Feb. 17.

For more information or to register for this event, visit www.gro-biz.com

Listen to legislator debates

Here's the website for the state legislature listing all sorts of links. You can also listen to archived podcasts -- debates of bills.

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/

About Abraham Lincoln

From one of my fellow graduate students -- This website will take you to The Economist's 1860-1865 coverage of Abraham Lincoln's election, assasination, and a retrospective briefly after (from their archives).

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13094674&source=hptextfeature

Call for entries: Spraygraphic poster show

Spraygraphic.com is calling for designers and artists to submit original posters for your favorite local bands from around the world.

According to a Spraygraphic release:

This show wants to showcase both the artist and the musicians they love by asking designers and artists to create a poster for their favorite local band. We expect to end up with a gallery full of diverse, compelling, and fresh posters from all over the world. More importanly, each poster helps support and spread the word about the hardworking local bands out there trying to make ends meet with their love for music. The show will be at Hoodlums Records in Tempe, Ariz., on March 28, 2009.

The deadline for entry is March 25, 2009. THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE!!!

Submission guidelines: www.spraygraphic.com/postershow

Poet Evie Shockley at UW Feb. 23-26

Poet Evie Shockley will participate in the UW Creative Writing MFA Program’s Visiting Writers Series on Monday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m., at Second Story Books, 105 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a book-signing with the author after the reading.

Shockley is the author of a half-red sea (2006) and the chapbook The Gorgon Goddess (2001), both published by Carolina Wren Press, and a second chapbook, 31 words -- prose poems (2007), published by Belladonna Books. Her poetry has also appeared in numerous journals and anthologies.

The critic Nancy Kuhl has said of Shockley’s full-length collection, "united by a voice that is both sure and supple, the poems here consider individual and collective American histories through a complex of lenses; matters of sex, race, culture, nationalism, and power are turned in the poet’s hands, revealing smooth planes and sharp edges. The result of Shockley’s attentiveness to language and to a complicated cultural and emotional record is a moving and surprising book that is ‘prickly with bloodless truths.’"

Shockley is also a literary scholar and critic.

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Shockley now lives in Jersey City, N.J., and teaches African American literature and poetry at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

FMI: Contact Beth Loffreda at loffreda@uwyo.edu

Shockley will also participate in UW's "Teaching Creativity" conference Feb. 24-26.

"Naturally Nude" exhibit at Ciao Gallery

Ciao Gallery in Wilson invites you to the opening of its "Naturally Nude" show on Saturday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m. The gallery says that "Ciao is celebrating Valentine's Day with the 2nd annual Naturally Nude show. Join us on Saturday 2/14 from 6-9."

FMI: http://www.ciaogallery.com/

Kevin Holdsworth reads at Depot Museum

Kevin Holdsworth, winner of a 2009 creative writing fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council, will read from his work on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m., as part of the Cheyenne Depot Museum's Literary/Historical Series. The event is free and open to the public, and supported by a WAC grant.

Kevin is from Green River. His manuscript, “Silver Wings,” was selected for the fiction fellowship by novelist and short story writer Laura Pritchett of Colorado.

For more info about the Depot Museum series, contact Pam Crochet at 307-632-3905.

Call for entries: CHEST

CHEST, the Journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, invites submissions of up to 3 previously unpublished, quality poems, maximum 40 lines, on subjects of some medical relevance. CHEST, with a subscriber base of 22,000 readers, just launched this new poetry section in January. E-mail submissions to poetrychest@aol.com.

Call for entries: Carbon Co. (Mont.) Arts Guild

Carbon County Arts Guild in Red Lodge, Mont., announces a call to artists for the 2009 Rocky Mountain Regional Juried Exhibition.

This competition is open to all residents of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Idaho.

Artwork in the form of oils, watercolor, mixed media, graphite, and small 3-D scupture will be accepted. No photography, prints or crafts.

Awards valued at $850 will be distributed as follows: 1st - $500, 2nd - $200, 3rd - $100, 4th - $50, and 8 honorable mentions.The entry fee is is $30 for the first 3 entries and $5 for each additional entry.

Sue Simpson Gallagher of the Simpson Gallagher Gallery in Cody, Wyoming, will be the the juror.

All Arts Guild members will receive an application to this competition in the mail. If you are not a member and would like to enter this competition, please call 406-446-1370.

Romantic jazz at Coffee Friends in Gillette

Glass art on display through Feb. 15

Don't miss the final five days of the "Glass Art Celebration" at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.

Wyoming's largest glass art show will be exhibited through Sunday, Feb. 15. Hours on Monday through Friday are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

FMI: http://www.botanic.org/.

Alaska Museum looking for "anything fishy"

The Cordova, Alaska, Historical Museum hosts a juried national art show entitled "Fish Follies." Artists 18 years and older are invited to submit their work on "anything fishy -- oceans, water, fishing or seafood."

Postmark deadline is April 25. Exhibition dates are June 3-Aug. 27. Entry fee is $25, and you may submit up to two images.

Juror for the competition is Mike Webber, an Alaskan native or Alutiiq and Tlingit heritage.

FMI: 907-424-6665 or infoservices@cityofcordova.net

Western Spirit Show kicks off on March 7

The 2009 Western Spirit Art Show and Sale will be held March 7-April 19 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 7, 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for museum members, $30 for non-members. A "QuickDraw" will be beld from 7-8 p.m.

During the day on March 7, a series of artist workshops will be held at the museum.

FMI: Kristin Ruck, 307-778-7289.

Artists make bowls to benefit homeless

The third annual Empty Bowls event is set for Monday, April 27, at the Holiday Inn, 204 West Fox Farm Road, Cheyenne, to benefit the COMEA House homeless shelter.

Cheyenne school children and youth, and local and national professional artists will create and decorate bowls that will be filled with a hearty soup, for the tax-deducible price of admission of $10. The soup will be accompanied with bread and a beverage.

The event is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and includes a silent auction, entertainment, and a keynote address by Wyoming’s First Lady, Nancy Fruedenthal.

Empty Bowls was begun by junior high school teachers three years ago to help raise awareness of poverty in Cheyenne.

The COMEA House provides temporary emergency shelter to single men and women, and short-term shelter for families with the support of United Way of Laramie County, the City of Cheyenne, federal funding, and a variety of local agencies, businesses, churches and individuals. The COMEA House also operates a Transitional Living Program for clients needing housing support as they transition into self-sufficiency.

The tax-deductible support of the COMEA House through Empty Bowls will help the shelter to give a "hand up" to people who find themselves without a home.

For more information concerning Empty Bowls, visit http://www.emptybowlscheyenne.org/.

For more information about COMEA House or about a donation, contact Executive Director Teresa Garrido at (307) 632-3174 or www.comea@bresnan.net.

Wyo. Public Radio features C.J. Box

On Friday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m., tune into Wyoming Public Radio (91.9 FM in Cheyenne and Laramie) or go to http://www.wyomingpublicradio.net for an hour-long conversation (and some great tunes) between best-selling Wyoming mystery writer C.J. Box and WPR Music Director Grady Kirkpatrick.

C.J.'s new novel, "Three Weeks to Say Goodbye," was released in January. His 2008 novel, "Blue Heaven," has been nominated for an Edgar Award.

Knit-in planned for UW on Feb. 16

From a UW press release:

The University of Wyoming Center for Volunteer Service will host its first knit-in, an evening dedicated to making wearable crafts for children in need, Monday, Feb. 16, from 5-9 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Family Room in Laramie.

Participants will knit, crochet and hand-stitch hats, scarves and gloves to donate to the Linford School in West Laramie. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Snacks, coffee and tea will be provided.

This event is BYOY (Bring Your Own Yarn). Participants are also asked to bring donations of pre-fabricated children's winter wear.

Everyone, regardless of ability, is encouraged to attend. Instruction, sample patterns, limited practice yarn, needles and hooks will be provided for beginners.

"Not everyone will finish a project at this event and that's fine," says Katie Kleinhesselink, program coordinator for the UW Center for Volunteer Service. "A knit-in is just as much about creating community as it is creating products."

FMI: Kleinhesselink at (307) 766-6871 or e-mail her at kkleinhe@uwyo.edu.

Tom Rush launches tour for new CD

Legendary singer/songwriter Tom Rush (formerly of Jackson) kicks off a tour for “What I Know,” his first full-length studio album in more than 30 years with stops in neighboring states Colorado and Idaho. Here are the February dates:

Feb. 18 - Crested Butte, CO - Center for the Arts - 8 PM
Feb. 19 - Aspen, CO - Wheeler Opera House - 8 PM
Feb. 20 - Denver, CO - Swallow Hill/Daniels Hall - 8 PM
Feb. 21 - Blackfoot, ID - Blackfoot Performing Arts Center -7:30 PM

For a complete list of tour dates, click here: http://tomrush.com

The official CD release date from Appleseed Recordings is Feb. 24. Here’s part of a press release:

Rush offers up an inspired fifteen track CD of songs handpicked by the artist and producer Jim Rooney and recorded in Nashville. The album is built upon Rush's uncanny ability to deliver emotionally charged narratives and deft performances on a joyous album that features stunning collaborations with Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Bonnie Bramlett.

In addition to his contributions to the folk rock music scenes of Boston and New York in the 1960s and being credited with introducing the world to the songs of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne through his interpretations, Rush continues to be instrumental in championing newcomers to the singer-songwriter community via his Club 47 Music Series -- which has been host to Allison Krauss, Shawn Colvin and many notable others.

Governor's Capitol Art Exhibit deadline Friday

Our SPCR colleague, Sue Castaneda, reminds Wyoming artists that the application deadline (postmark) is Friday, Feb. 13, for the 9th Annual Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition.

All artists living and working in Wyoming are invited to enter this juried competition. Selected pieces will be on display in the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne from April 20 through June 6. Additionally, all work submitted must be for sale with a maximum price of $5,000. Gov. Dave Freudenthal will present more than $10,000 in anticipated purchase awards at a public reception on May 1. Juror’s Choice and People’s Choice awards will also be presented.

Persons wishing to apply for the exhibit and/or Artist Image Registry can download applications from the Wyoming State Museum or call Sue Castaneda at 307--777-5810. Neither application requires an entry fee.

Registration info on UW Art Symposium

The UW Art Museum blog has released details about "Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection," a symposium for artists, community leaders, students, and the public, at the UW Conference Center in Laramie April 2-4. The registration form will be posted to the UW Art Museum blog (and this one) by Friday, Feb. 13.

Advance Registration (postmark March 15, 2009) for the full conference (includes opening and closing receptions and two lunches) will be $100. A one-day ticket (includes opening OR closing reception and lunch) will be $60.

Regular Registration (postmark after March 15, 2009 and on-site) for the full conference (includes opening and closing receptions and two lunches) will be $125. One-day tickets (includes opening OR closing reception and lunch) will be $75.

Student Registration (copy of photo ID required) for the full conference (includes opening and closing receptions and two lunches) will be $50. One-day (includes opening OR closing reception and lunch) will be $30.

Hotels:
Hilton Garden Inn, 2229, Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82072; $99 plus tax/night; includes hot breakfast in the American Grill Restaurant, 307-745-5500; request Sculpture Symposium Room Block Reserve by March 3, 2009
AmericInn Lodge and Suites, 4712 E Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, $84 plus tax/night; includes hot breakfast, 307-745-0777; request Sculpture Symposium Room Block Reserve by March 3.
Baymont Inn, 1655 Centennial Drive, Laramie, WY 82070, $70 plus tax/night, Reserve by March 10; 307-742-6665; request Sculpture Symposium Room Block.

HB0218 update--passes first reading

HB0218 was read in the House this afternoon (ended 5 minutes ago, in fact). Rep. Harvey gave a nice introduction, and Rep. Craft spoke passionately in favor of the bill. She particularly complimented the teacher groups for all coming and supporting each other.

Rep. Harshman brought an amendment, ultimately withdrawn, which would remove foreign languages (and the arts) from the Hathaway altogether, saying that doing so would return the Hathaway to how it was originally intended to be. He said twice that HB0218 is a "special interest" bill. This amendment was withdrawn, but Rep. Harshman said he would introduce it again on Second Reading.

The bill did pass first reading. Second reading is likely to be Monday or Tuesday.

Have a nice weekend!

Call for entries: Open Minds Quarterly

Diane Laprairie, editor of Open Minds Quarterly, sends this announcement:

It's that time again, when poets pick up their pencils and enter the BrainStorm Poetry Contest for individuals living with mental illness. You can join in, too, by entering your best poetry by March 20, 2009. The top three poems, judged by a panel of mental health consumers and family members with literary interests, will be awarded prizes and be published in Open Minds Quarterly, a literary journal dedicated to publishing the writing of individuals living with mental illness.

Rules and entry form are available at http://www.nisa.on.ca/ or by calling 1-705-675-9193, ext. 8286.

The BrainStorm Poetry Contest is organized by Northern Initiative for Social Action, a consumer-run mental health organization in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We offer a number
of occupational opportunities for people living with mental illness to focus on their own individual talents and gifts.

The BrainStorm Contest is intended as a fundraiser for NISA's psychosocial literary magazine
Open Minds Quarterly, as well as a way to support other consumer/survivors by awarding prizes to the top three winners. Prizes are $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $75 for third place.

Auditions Feb. 9-10 for "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"

The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players will hold auditions for "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 9 and 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne.

FMI: Rose Wagner, CLTP Marketing/Outreach Coordinator, 307-638-6543

Kenya's wildlife topic of NMWA presentation

Zeenie Scholz sends this info about an upcoming event at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson:

The National Museum of Wildlife Art presents "Into Africa: Kenya's Wildlife and the Impact of Human Conflict," with Willis Okech Oyugi, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for Art After Hours. The program takes place at 7 p.m. in the Museum's Cook Auditorium.

A pioneer member of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA), Willis Okech has already devoted most of his life to environmental and conservation subjects -- an interest fostered by his father who guided safaris for over 30 years. A naturalist with the renowned East African Ornithological Safaris (now renamed Origins Safaris), he is an avid birder, naturalist, and an accomplished, award-winning photographer. Oyugi specializes in leading ornithological, wildlife, nature photography, mountaineering, and, recently, gorilla trekking safaris. He serves on several wildlife committees in Kenya, including the East Africa Bird Committee and Bird Rarities Committee.

Oyugi is currently a doctoral student at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) with a focus on African Environmental History. He plans to contribute to the academic field and to help promote African environmental and conservation policy change, while continuing his career in guiding. Oyugi's unique perspective and sincere commitment to his homeland are sure to make for an inspiring evening at the Museum.

Art After Hours and Tapas Tuesdays are presented by the Dragicevich Foundation, co-sponsored by Valerie & Richard Beck.

Galleries are open from 5-9 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Rising Sage Café opens. Reservations recommended for Tapas. Call the Tapas Hotline at 307-732-5434.

Aliza Sherman conducts "Blogs, Microblogs and Social Networks" workshop March 30 in Lander

Writer and one-time Wyomingite Aliza Sherman returns to the state for a workshop entitled "Blogs, Microblogs, Social Networks, Oh My! Using social media tools to market in a whole new way." It will be held at the Central Wyoming College Center in Lander on Monday, March 30, 10 a.m.-noon and broadcast to Jackson and Thermopolis sites.

You've heard of Web 2.0 and social media, but how can these new Internet tools help you market your business, publicize your events and build your audience? How do blogs compare to microblogs? How can MySpace and Facebook really be used for marketing? And, what in the world is a Wiki or a Widget? Web pioneer, and author of seven books, Aliza Sherman returns to Wyoming to share the latest Internet marketing techniques and tactics to work with any budget. Fast Company recently named Aliza one of the "Most Influential Women in Technology."

For more info call Margie Rowell, 1-800-969-8639.

Dissertation Makes History at the University of Wyoming

Gatua wa Mbugwa wrote the first-ever doctoral dissertation in a Kenyan African language. (UW Photo)

From a UW press release:

The first-ever doctoral dissertation in a Kenyan African language has been submitted to the Department of Plant Sciences and the Graduate School of the University of Wyoming. Gatua wa Mbugwa, an instructor in UW's African American Studies Program, wrote the historic Ph.D. work in his native Gikuyu, one of the African languages of Kenya. He has translated an English copy which has been combined and submitted with the original Gikuyu version.

wa Mbugwa, who teaches the Global Impact of African Cultures and Agriculture Rooted in Diversity courses, says the dissertation is a body of extensive research focusing on a self-regenerating winter annual plant species called 'Laramie' medic. "This medic is an annual pasture legume that enriches agricultural soils and improves livestock nutrition and productivity," he says.

wa Mbugwa's Ph.D. supervisor was James M. Krall, professor of plant sciences and director of research at UW's James Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center. Krall introduced the "ley" farming system into Wyoming and the U.S. Central High Plains region. The introduced ley farming system uses the Laramie medic to enrich soils and improve agricultural productivity. Wa Mbugwa says he plans to introduce the system in Kenya.

Renowned author, Professor Ngugi wa Thiong'o, says wa Mbugwa's dissertation was written in excellent standard Gikuyu and that it is the first of its kind in Africa, and certainly in Kenya. He says wa Mbugwa has "almost single handedly invented scientific Gikuyu language, thus proving that scientific research can be reported in an African Language without loss of scientific content and value. It should prove an inspiring model for other African languages."

Ngugi wa Thiong'o is currently distinguished professor of English and comparative literature and director of the International Center for Writing and Translation at the University of California, Irvine.

A native of Mutunguru village in Gatundu, central Kenya, wa Mbugwa received dual B.A. degrees in environmental studies and politics at the University of California at Santa Cruz and earned masters degrees in professional studies in agriculture and in crop and soil sciences from Cornell University. He has completed his Ph.D. in agronomy at UW in four years.

wa Mbugwa's master's thesis, which he also wrote originally in his Gikuyu language, was about impacts of biointensive cropping with a focus on Kenyan collard greens. He says he plans to publish the first-ever Gikuyu language scientific text books. He has produced two Gikuyu language poetry CDs, and is a regular contributor in Mutiiri, a journal of culture written in Gikuyu language.

HB0218 update--Hathaway Success Curriculum

As of this morning, House Bill 0218 had moved up on the House's schedule from about 10th from the bottom to 13th from the top. This means there is a strong chance it will get heard today or tomorrow.

If it does get heard, and then passes, it must be scheduled for second reading by end of day Tuesday the 9th. If it passes second reading, it must be scheduled and pass third reading by end of day Wednesday the 10th.

From there it will go on to the Senate.

"Give Back to Dave Wade" in Cokeville

Intrepid blogger and community organizer Karla Toomer posted this info Wednesday on the Cokeville blog:

Through the years, artist Dave Wade has supported Cokeville fundraisers through the donations of his prints and paintings. He donated time when he lived here encouraging and working with youth of our area. He and his family are beloved former residents of Cokeville. He worked with many people on painting classes. His wife, Julie, was a valuable contributor to our community and supported Dave in his artistic contributions to Cokeville.

Now, it is time for Cokeville to give back to Dave Wade.

The Cokeville Miracle Foundation is sponsoring a "Give Back to Dave Wade" fundraiser. They have commissioned an original painting of a panther. Mr. Harris, high school principal, has agreed that it can be hung at the high school and he is looking for a suitable location.

The goal is to raise $8,000 by spring of 2009. 100 percent of donations will go directly to Dave Wade. This comes to $16 from 500 people. Please watch for more information.

And Dave is still giving to Cokeville. His paintings can sell for much more than we will be raising from community members. The foundation commissioned the painting to give Cokeville past and present members the opportunity to give back to Dave and his family, as well as the added bonus of contributing to a public art collection for Cokeville.

Bryan Ragsdale performs in Cheyenne

Wyoming Arts Council roster artist Bryan Ragsdale will be performing in Cheyenne next week.

The Green River singer/songwriter will conduct a short performance for the Wyoming State Legislature at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. That evening, he'll be on stage at the Governor's Arts Awards gala from 6-7 p.m. in the Little America ballroom. We still have a few tickets left for the event, which includes dinner, an awards ceremony and plenty of entertainment. Call 307-777-7742.

Bryan will be performing in a concert for Attention Homes on Saturday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m., at the Laramie County Community College Center for Conferences and Institutes. This event is free and open to the public.

Earlier that day, he will conduct a private signing/songwriting workshop for Attention Homes youth.

Bryan tells wyomingarts that he will bring copies of his new CD, "Where Cowpokes Grow," to sell. You can get more info about him and listen to some of his songs at http://www.myspace.com/bryanragsdal

WAC board meeting Feb. 12-13 in Cheyenne

The Wyoming Arts Council will hold its quarterly board meeting on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 12-13, in the Wyoming Arts Council Gallery, 2320 Capitol Ave., in Cheyenne.

On Thursday, Feb. 12, you are invited to attend the board’s “public comment session” at 3:30 p.m. in the WAC Gallery.

The WAC board’s winter meeting is always conducted in conjunction with the annual Governor’s Arts Awards gala, which will be held Friday beginning at 6 p.m. in the Little America ballroom.

Board members also will take part in Lincoln Bicentennial events on Thursday morning and, that afternoon, will attend the reception for the exhibit by artist Mary Alice Huemoeller. Both events will be held at the State Museum in the Barrett Building.

FMI: Contact the Arts Council at 307-777-7742.

SPCR Commission meets Feb. 12-13

Lots of meetings going on next week in Cheyenne in conjunction with the Governor's Arts Awards gala Feb. 13. Here's one:

Members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet Feb.12-13 at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

The commission will meet from 12:30-3:30 p.m., Feb. 12 and 9:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.

During the meeting, the commission will receive divisional updates and discuss a variety of State Parks and Cultural Resources issues.

Also while in Cheyenne, the commission will tour the Division of Cultural Resources new offices in the former Unicover Building, and attend the Governor’s Arts Awards reception and banquet.

The commission has advisory responsibility for both divisions of the department – State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails and Cultural Resources -- which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, state trails program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the management of the Cultural Trust Fund.

Members of the Commission are: President Ernie Over, Pavillion; Dan Barks, Gillette; William Vines, Wheatland; Bill G. Lucas, Lusk; Dudley Gardner, Ph.D, Rock Springs; Linda Fabian, Wheatland; Carolyn Buff, Casper; Karen Haderlie, Thayne; and Barb Vietti, Thermopolis.

FMI: Gary Schoene, 307-777-7014.

Wyoming Big Horn Basin Nature & Discovery Center

Sue Blakey from the Dancing Bear Folk Art Center in Wyoming sent this update on the Wyoming Big Horn Basin Nature and Discovery Center:

House Bill 239 asked for $15 million to help build the first phase of the facility in Hot Springs State Park. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Lorraine Quarberg (Thermopolis), Rep. Debbie Hammons (Worland); Senators Hank Coe, Gerald Geis & Ray Peterson.

On Jan. 30, Thermopolis and Worland residents appeared before the House Committee on Minerals, Business & Economic Development. Speaking in behalf of the bill was Milward Simpson, director, Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources; Diane Shober, director, Wyoming Travel & Tourism; Sara Needles, director, cultural resources, Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources. Also speaking were Frank Manning, Hot Springs County Commissioner; Toni Casciato, Thermopolis Town Council; and Sue Blakey, Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation.

The Committee passed the bill 8 to 1 in favor and left the funding intact. On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the bill was read in the House Appropriations Committee. It passed 7 to 1 but the funding was cut to $100,000. Unfortunately in re-wording it, the bill ended up stating that $1 million must be raised before the state provides $100,000. This did not seem to be the intent of the committee, however; and Rep. Quarberg has assured us that she will ask for amendment.

From here, the bill goes to the House floor, and if approved, moves on to the Senate, where it goes through the same process.

Our thanks to all those who have made the drive to Cheyenne to attend. From Thermopolis: Kevin Skates, Hot Springs State Park superintendent; Dr. Guy & Beth Drake; Jacque Michel, CPA; Kyle Gillette, Schutz-Foss Architects (Gillette); Jackie Manning; Bev & Dave Koerwitz. From Worland: Eric Decker, Big Horn Basin Resource Conservation & Development Council; Mark and April Whitlock, also representing the Council.

You can follow the bill’s progress on http://legisweb.state.wy.us/

"The Life Atomic" comes to Uinta County Museum in Evanston in June

No place like home: 1950s fallout shelter

A traveling exhibit, "The Life Atomic: Growing Up in the Shadow of the A-Bomb,” opens in June 2009 at the Uinta County Museum (http://wy-uinta2.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=28) in Evanston.

The museum web site notes that

the bomb influenced virtually every aspect of American popular culture. Movies, books, home fashions, and even toys reflected a society that came to terms with life in the atomic age. "The Life Atomic" illustrates the impact of the atomic bomb on everyday life through photographs and objects, in ways both serious and light-hearted. From civil defense warnings to B-movie posters and "atomic" toys, "The Life Atomic" shows the many ways the bomb influenced life in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Exhibit panels focus on the development of the bomb, early atomic testing in the American Southwest, civil defense preparations, fallout shelters (see photo), the influence of the bomb on movies and television, “atomic” toys and games, and the impact of the bomb on home décor.

“The Life Atomic” was developed and is traveled by the Rogers Historical Museum, Rogers, Arkansas. This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Humanities Forum seeks new programs

The Wyoming Humanities Council sends this press release:

The Wyoming Humanities Council seeks programs for the Humanities Forum. The forum is a roster of presenters who travel throughout Wyoming, speaking on humanities-centered topics. Programs must be balanced and cannot advocate policies or positions. See the current roster here.

The format of presentations varies, but they should be 30 to 45 minutes long, followed by focused audience discussions. The Wyoming Humanities Council pays a $150 honorarium for each presentation, as well as mileage, lodging, and per diem expenses. Speakers respond directly to booking requests from program sponsors and may schedule programs to accommodate work and other commitments.

Applications must be submitted by March 1 for inclusion in the roster starting Nov. 1. The council will notify applicants of the results of their applications by mid-August. Get the application form here.

Please complete a separate application for each program proposal you are submitting. You may propose up to four program ideas, and speakers are limited to having no more than three presentations listed on the Humanities Forum at one time.

You are encouraged to discuss your topics with council staff before submitting a final application.

Contact Sheila Bricher-Wade at sbricher@uwyo.edu or (307) 721-9246 for more information.

Artists' charitable deduction legislation update

Thomas L. Birch, legislative counsel for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, sends this news:

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) intend to reintroduce the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, which would allow artists to take a charitable deduction for the fair-market value of their own works donated to museums, libraries, archives and other nonprofit collecting and exhibiting institutions. It would encourage gifts of visual art such as paintings and sculptures, as well as original manuscripts and supporting material created by composers, authors, and choreographers.

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who sponsored the identical bill in the House of Representatives in the last Congress, also plans to reintroduce the measure this year.

During his election campaign, President Obama said that he would sign such legislation once it passed Congress.

HB0218--Hathaway Success Curriculum Update

We had a very exciting day at the Legislature yesterday! The House Education committee was unanimous in their acceptance of the proposal to change HB0218 to reflect Fine and Performing Arts, and unanimous in their acceptance of the bill. Four teachers presented in support of the bill:
Cindy Schmid, Cheyenne
Amy Simpson, Cheyenne
Sheila McHattie, Casper
Kelly Bembry-Hennings, Cheyenne

Many other teachers, and some administrators, also attended to show their support.

The House Education committee made a number of supportive comments about this bill, and several representatives commented that they had received a lot of email on the topic. The committee was joined by the chair of the Senate Education committee (Senator Coe), and also Senator Dockstader. Senator Dockstader, who is married to an art teacher in Star Valley, was kind enough to give the presenting teachers advice on the process, and help us all by talking to a number of legislators. Superintendent McBride was also there and provided some comments on the bill.

This bill still has a number of hurdles to overcome before it is law, but it is well on its way. What’s next?

The bill is waiting in line on the docket to be presented to the Committee of the Whole (the House). The Majority Floor Leader sets that schedule. The House Floor Majority Leader is Edward Buchanan (Torrington). The bill must be read by the end of the day on Monday, February 9 in order to continue through the process.

If it does get read by end of day Monday, February 9, it will then be voted upon by the Committee of the Whole (House). If it passes, it goes to second reading. It must be read and voted on by the end of the day on Tuesday February 10 to continue to its third reading.

It must have its third reading and voted on by the end of the day on Wednesday, February 11. If it passes, it moves on to the Senate Education Committee. If it doesn’t pass, it is dead.

All House Bills must have achieved third reading by Wednesday, February 11, or they are dead.
These are the stages that must occur between now and the time the HB0218 is presented to the Senate side.

So, still a ways to go before it becomes law.

Ozymandian's next comedy show Feb. 7

Ozymandian Theater, Wyoming's all-original sketch and improv comedy troupe, will perform on Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 and 9 p.m., at the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players' Historic Atlas Theater, 211 W. 16th St., Cheyenne.

Tickets are $5 for students and $8 adults. They are available at the door before each show.

Proceeds will benefit the Cheyenne Respite Program.

FMI: Mark at 307-421-4800.

Ted Kooser headliner for Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference June 5-7 in Casper

Wyoming Writers, Inc., has announced the line-up for its 35th annual conference June 5-7, 2009, in Casper:

Featured presenter is Nebraska's Ted Kooser, U. S. Poet Laureate 2004-2006, who will present two workshops, "Revision with the reader in mind" and "Fine-tuning metaphors." Read more about Kooser at American Life In Poetry.

Other presenters include Tina Welling, fiction writers from Jackson and author of "Fairy Tale Blues" and "Crybaby Ranch." Tina is a Wyoming Arts Council roster artist. Visit her web site

Steve Huff is a nonfiction writer, true-crime blogger and dogged Internet researcher. Visit True Crime Report blog.

Chuck Sambuchino is an editor for Writer's Digest books ("Guide to Literary Agents") and a writer. See Meet The Editor

Meredith Kaffel is a literary agent with the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency. See Meredith's Facebook page.

For conference registration information, go to WWI's slick new web site at http://www.wyowriters.org/.

AVA Center gets a "Clue" in February

Buffalo artist's hub cap has "Horse Power"

Artist Kelsey McDonnell in Buffalo has submitted work to Landfillart, “an international effort encompassing 1,041 artists to claim a piece of rusted metal garbage and create fine art.” Her submission, "Horse Power," is shown above.

Missi Allen describes the project on the Landfillart web site:

The 1,041 pieces of rusted metal are actually old automobile hub caps from the 1930s through the 1970s. Each hub cap, after being cleaned and primed, is affectionately called a “metal canvas.” Although most “metal canvases” have been transformed by the artist using oil or acrylic paint, some have been weaved on, glued or screwed or welded to, or made into fine sculpture.

Although the project is in its infancy (I hope to have it completed by 2012,) it will evolve from a simple idea of taking forty-one old rusted hub caps and creating forty-one pieces of great art. The second phase has already started with the acquisition of one thousand additional (1000) rusted hub caps which will be turned into cleaned and primed “metal canvases. The project will continue with finding one thousand (1000) talented artists who believe in this project.

The third phase will involve publishing a book on the project showcasing all one thousand forty one (1,041) completed “metal canvases.”

The fourth and final phase will involve choosing 200 metal canvases that adequately represent the project and create a traveling show. The book and traveling show will publically portray the global art community's effort to positively impact the environment through repurposing previous metal waste into great landfillart.

Submissions:

If you are a professional artist, who would like to apply for consideration to become part of the landfillart project, please send a short biography, work samples, a description of what you'd like to create, and why you'd like to participate (please limit your descriptions to under two-hundred words) .

Send to artistsubmissions@landfillart.org. You can also mail your information (CD format is preferred) to Landfill Art, 122 South Main Street. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18701. Call 570-823-0519.

Korean pianist Sun Kyung Lee in concert

Korean pianist Sun Kyung Lee will present a recital Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the University of Wyoming Fine Arts Center concert hall. Tickets cost $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for others.

The second half of the program will be a joint performance with UW Professor Theresa Bogard, coordinator of keyboard studies at UW, in piano duets and duo piano works. The Wyoming Arts Council recently announced that Bogard was winner of a 2009 performing arts fellowship award in music performance.

The UW Department of Music is establishing an official exchange program with Kookmin University in Seoul, Korea, and Lee will sign the documents during her visit, says Bogard.

Lee has received critical acclaim for her solo appearances with several orchestras such as the Seoul Philharmonic, Pohang Philharmonic, New Seoul Philharmonic and Plovdiv Opera & Philharmonic Orchestra.

Storyteller returns to Teton County Library

From a Teton County Library press release:

Award-winning, international storyteller Diane Ferlatte returns to Teton County Public Library in Jackson on Friday, February 13 for the performance "Have I Got a Story to Tell" from 7-8 p.m. in the library's Ordway Auditorium. The free performance is designed for ages 6 and up and sponsored by Teton County Library Foundation.

"Diane brought so much talent, energy and enjoyment to her performance here last year that we responded to audience requests by bringing her back for a 2009 visit," says Debbie Schlinger, Youth Services Program Coordinator. Also an actress and Grammy-nominated recording artist, Ferlatte performs traditional African American songs and stories, classical tales such as "Aesop, Alive & Well," contemporary and personal stories for all ages. Her performances are filled with energy, movement, percussion and music. Get a taste for one of her performances at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKcNrgaGakM.

Ferlatte's memorable stories and stage presence have garnered her more than 30 awards and honors. In 2008 alone, she received a Grammy nomination for her album "Wickety Whack - Brer Rabbit Is Back," a Storytelling World Winner Award for the same title, and a Children's Music Web Award for another "Knick Knack Paddy Whack 2." Samples of her music, a full list of awards and personal memories of storytelling are available on Ferlatte's site
http://www.dianeferlatte.com/.

FMI: Youth Services at 733-2164 ext. 103.

"Picturing Faith" exhibit at UW

From a press release:

A series of photographs showing the place of religion in American society will be on display through March 23 in the University of Wyoming Classroom Building west entrance lounge in Laramie.

The UW Department of Religious Studies, along with others, sponsors "Picturing Faith: Religious America in Government Photography, 1935-1943." The exhibit is curated by Colleen McDannell, University of Utah Sterling M. McMurrin Professor of Religious Studies.

She will present a free public lecture Thursday, Feb. 12, at 5:10 p.m. in Room 133 of the Classroom Building. Refreshments will follow the lecture.

The Historical Division of the Farm Security Administration in 1935 began making a photographic survey of economic struggle and social dislocation in Depression-era America. The resulting "sociologists with cameras" entered the homes and churches of the poor and also the middle class.

They photographed people in prayer, domestic shrines, dinner graces, parishioners going into their churches, revival meetings, and even the gospel trucks of itinerant preachers. Picturing faith in the exhibit's series of photographs shows the place of religion in American society through the lens of some of America's most well-known photographers such as Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks.

"Picturing Faith" also presents the works of equally talented but lesser-known photographers such as John Collier Jr., Marion Post Wolcott, Russell Lee, Jack Delano and Marjory Collins.

Also sponsoring the exhibit are the Wyoming Humanities Council, UW Foundation, the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the American Heritage Center, the Department of History, the African American Studies Program, the Master of Fine Arts Program, the American Studies Program, the Department of Art, the Chicano Studies Program, the Women's Studies Program and the Art Museum.

For more information, contact Quincy Newell, UW Department: Religious Studies assistant professor, at (307) 766-2144 or e-mail qdnewell@uwyo.edu.

Photo: Religion in America -- Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" is among images in a series of photographs depicting religion in American currently on display in the University of Wyoming Classroom Building west entrance lounge. (Photo Courtesy of Library of Congress)

"Canine Companions" new WHC offering

Jenny Ingram sends this from the Wyoming Humanities Council:

Vote online for your favorite classic dog book and be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" as part of "Canine Companions," a new book discussion series from the Wyoming Humanities Council. Access the voting from WHC's homepage at
www.uwyo.edu/humanities

Cast vote now for Adler People's Choice Award

The Warren Adler Short Story Contest seeks your vote for the People's Choice Award. Voting is now open!

Vote for one of these five finalists:
The Leaper by Frank Marrone
Playing Doctor by Gregory Williams
The Best Part by N. Keonaona Russell
Mock Turtle Island by Brian Mullally
The Longbranch by Aimee Hansen

Votes must be cast by Feb. 15. Cast your vote!

Warren Adler is a fiction writer who splits his time between Jackson, Wyo., and New York City.

Folklorists! Take this survey!

Betsy Peterson, Fund for Folk Culture (bpeterson@folkculture.org) and Amy Kitchener, Alliance for California Traditional Arts (akitch@actaonline.org) send this info those of us who work in the folk arts:

If you work or with the Folk and Traditional Arts, please take 5 minutes to complete this online survey by February 5, 2009. Please forward this survey to your colleagues.

These are challenging times for many of us working in folk & traditional arts. It is vital that we gather this basic information about the effects of the recession on our field to improve our advocacy efforts by having data that is comparable to other sectors. With programs, jobs, and funding being cutback or eliminated it is imperative that we collect good information. To paraphrase President Obama, it's time to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off & get on with the business of addressing these challenges and rethinking and remaking our field. We hope this survey is a step in that direction. But, it will ONLY work if you take the time to fill it out and to forward it to others working in our field.

Click here for survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CZNbwiBVmVEy6eVkGDuYeA_3d_3d

The summary results will be shared immediately with the Obama Transition Team for the Arts which is retooling a new national arts and culture policy for the first time in America's history. It is CRITICAL that the Team understand our field's needs. The Team has requested all of the discipline-based national service organizations (such as Dance/USA, American Symphony Orchestra League, American Association of Museums, etc.) to compile parallel data. In order to be part of the stimulus planning with these other disciplines we must have data to share. The summary of findings will be posted on multiple websites inluding http://www.folkculture.org/ and http://www.actaonline.org/ for use by our field. We will inform you when they are posted.

Call for entries: Split This Rock Poetry Contest

From the Split This Rock web site:

Split This Rock is pleased to announce our second annual poetry contest, to be judged by poet and National Book Award finalist Patricia Smith. First place $500; 2nd and 3rd place, $250 each. Winning poems will be published on www.SplitThisRock.org, and the 1st-place winner will be invited to read winning poem at Split This Rock Poetry Festival, 2010.

Deadline is March 9, 2009 (postmark)

Reading Fee: $25, which supports Split This Rock Poetry Festival

Submissions should be in the spirit of Split This Rock: socially engaged poems, poems that reach beyond the self to connect with the larger community or world; poems of provocation and witness. This theme can be interpreted broadly and may include but is not limited to work addressing politics, government, war, leadership; issues of identity (gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, disability, body image, immigration, cultural heritage, etc.); community, civic engagement, education, activism; and poems about history, Americana, cultural icons. Read the winning poems from 2008 here.

Send up to 3 unpublished poems, no more than 6 pages total, in any style, in the spirit of Split This Rock (see above). Enclose a check or money order for $25 (made out to "Split This Rock") to Split This Rock Poetry Contest, c/o Institute for Policy Studies, 1112 16th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.

Simultaneous submissions OK, but please notify us immediately if the poem is accepted elsewhere.

Judge Patricia Smith is the author of five books of poetry. She is a National Book Award Finalist, Pushcart Prize winner, Cave Canem faculty member, and four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam, the most successful poet in the competition's history.

FMI: info@splitthisrock.org.

Mack Brislawn at Laramie's KEAG Gallery

KEAG Gallery is excited to exhibit the work of painter, Mack Brislawn (http://www.geocities.com/fran2543/) through the month of February. Opening Reception is February 6th from 6 to 8pm. The exhibit will include more than a dozen contemporary western landscapes. A Wyoming native, Mack grew up on a pioneer homestead west of Devil's Tower,
and learned to love the arid beauty of the West. Mack uses oils and watercolors to express the mood, beauty, and color of the commonplace landscape, in hopes to lift it to the realm of the ideal and universal.

KEAG Gallery is open Thursday - Saturday, noon to 5:30 and by appointment.
414 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 745 3308
http://keaggallery.com/

Allison Sage performs at LCCC Feb. 5

Allison Sage, a member of the Northern Arapaho Drum Society, shares history about his culture and demonstrates a variety of traditional singings on Thursday, Feb. 5, 3 p.m. at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. The event will be held in the Training Center, Rooms 120-121, on the campus at 1400 E. College Dr. It’s free and open to the public.

Allison is on the Wyoming Arts Council’s artist roster. Get more info at wyoarts.state.wy.us

Clay makes life worth living

Call for entries: Prism Contest

Laramie writer Jeffe Kennedy sends news that "if you published anything even vaguely paranormal in 2008, you should enter the Prism Contest" sponsored by the Fantasy, Futuristic, Fantasy & Paranormal (FF&P) Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. According to Jeffe: "I'm the president, and I support this ad!"

Info here: http://www.romance-ffp.com/contests.htm.

Author William Robinson visits WWCC

From a press release:

Former Western Wyoming Community College student and author, William Robinson will speak at WWCC in Rock Springs on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 3:30 p.m. in Room A202. The event is free and open to the public.

Robinson’s book, “The Search for Excalibur” just hit bookstore shelves Jan. 10. The book explores the adventures of Quincy O’Rourke, an adventurer who is hired to validate the legend of Excalibur.

“I went to Western some time ago,” Robinson explained, “and use to attend the Friday Night Live readings with Barb Smith. I loved those events so much and would like to contribute to the college like that again — this time as a published author.”

Robinson will be speaking to the WWCC Epic and Fantasy Heroes Literature class taught by Assistant Professor of English Chris Propst.

“It’s great to get a published writer like William Robinson to come in and share his thoughts about his own writing, heroes, and mythology,” Propst said. “He should have a good working knowledge of the mythological subjects of Excalibur and the Arthurian legend.”

For more information, contact Propst at WWCC.