Artist Bill Alther Exhibit at Carbon Co. Museum

An exhibit by Denver artist Bill Alther will be on display Sept. 1-Oct. 24 at the Carbon County Museum in Rawlins. His work includes many wonderful landscapes as well as pictures of many of the nation's wild animals.

At the Carbon County Museum, 904 W. Walnut, Rawlins.

FMI: 307-328-2740 or carbonc@wyoming.com

MPIBA offers literacy grants up to $1,000

This press release comes from the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association in Fort Collins, Colo.:

To support non-profit literacy programs in our region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association offers grants of up to $1,000.

Since 1990 MPIBA has awarded $85,000 to literacy programs.

Applications are available from the MPIBA website. Completed applications must be received in the MPIBA office by September 1. All applicants will receive information on the disposition of grant monies by October 9.

Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association is a non-profit trade association whose mission is to support independent booksellers in our region and to raise awareness of the value of independent businesses within our communities.

FMI: Lisa Knudsen, 1-800-752-0249.

NIC wins accreditation from American Association of Museums

The Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center became one of six museums in Wyoming to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.

The museum's executive director, Holly Turner, made the announcement at a press conference Friday morning to the applause of Nic staffers, volunteers and board members.

The museum, normally closed on Mondays, will be open Aug. 31 from noon until 7 p.m. for free to anyone wishing to partake in the accreditation celebration.

FMI: www.thenic.org

Artscapes, summer issue

It's almost in the mail, but if you just can't wait, go to our homepage at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/ and click on the Artscapes link to read the PDF version of the WAC's latest editon of the quarterly newsletter.

Board chair Bruce Richardson writes another satisfyingly saucy article about audience reaction to arts events. Love him, love his writing!

Manager Rita Basom brings it home with why we gather together around a common interest and why this is so important, striking a comparison between the "state" of gathering to the "state" of Wyoming. Nice one, Rita!

Look for articles on our featured individual artists George Vlastos, Robert Martinez and Fat City Mardi Gras Band; Native Emerging Artists Training; Wyoming's Art of the Hunt initiative; the town of Pinedale; deadline (Oct. 1) for Governor's Arts Awards nominations; the application period for the artist roster; National Assesment of Educational Progress for the Arts; Community Art Partners (CAP) grant; bronze casting class; October is Arts and Humanities month; Poetry Out Loud; a list of grants awarded in various categories; and the WAC calender on the back page.

For those of you already on the mailing list, you should be getting yours in the mail by the end of August. For those of you who'd like a hard copy, call us at 777-6393 and we'll get you on our mailing list.

UW Art Museum names new master teacher

From the UW Art Museum blog:

Heather Bender (shown in photo) is the new master teacher at the UW Art Museum.

She has extensive experience in museums and education, including classroom teaching, curriculum development, and teacher training that utilize museums as original resources for educational benchmark goals. During her five years at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, she developed and implemented the Museum Discovery Program, a partnership program with Cody High School. She taught social studies at Powell Middle School, Wyoming, and Maces Lande Middle School, Cambridge, Maryland. Most recently, she was the director of the LCSC Center for the Arts & History, Lewiston, Idaho.

As master teacher, Heather will work with faculty and teachers statewide to integrate coursework goals and school benchmarks using the museum as a primary resource for a variety of disciplines. She holds a BA in Art and History with an Education minor from Salisbury University, Maryland.

Call for entires: NPR "3-Minute Stories"

National Public Radio sends this:

Send Us Your Original Short Story

For the second round of our writing contest, we want you to send us original works of fiction that begin with this sentence: "The nurse left work at five o'clock."

One entry per person, and no more than 600 words please! Stories must be received by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

We'll post a favorite story every week until James Wood picks this round's winner and reads his or her story on the air. The winner will also receive a signed copy of Wood's book, "How Fiction Works."

Happy writing!

Pre-Summit workshop addresses arts-based development in the rural West

The Wyoming Arts Council is hosting three pre-Arts Summit workshops in Cheyenne on Sept. 23.

The WAC's Community Development and the Arts Program Specialist Randy Oestman is the planner for "Creating and Sustaining Arts-Based Development in Small Town Rural West." It will be facilitated by Dan Wecks on Wednesday Sept. 23, 1-5 p.m. Location TBA (and we'll have it on the blog when it is). This workshop is free to registrants of Wyoming Arts Summit 2009

Here's some background on the workshop:

More than ever communities across Wyoming are realizing the importance of Community Development and the Arts with may of the same questions being raised. Where do we start? How do we determine and communicate the importance of arts and creativity? What are possible projects? How do we attract participants? How do we fund this project and make it sustainable?

This will be an open discussion exploring successful and unsuccessful examples of Community Development and Arts projects from smaller communities with an opportunity to glean information from a very successful Community Development Leader. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for community leaders with similar visions to network and connect for assistance in making things happen throughout Wyoming.

Dan Wecks has a broad background of experience including government, non-profit, and private business. Before deciding to follow his heart to do what mattered to him, he was President of a large real estate and development company. He was elected to the Manitou City Council and later as its Mayor. During this time he became the Executive Director of the Business of Art Center, a business incubator for artists and arts organizations in Manitou Springs.. Dan’s twin loves are assisting arts/community organizations, schools and government in looking to creative solutions to community issues and helping build "Strength-Based" organizations through the development of their people.

FMI: Randy Oestman, WAC, 307-777-7109.

P.S.: The other two pre-Arts Summit workshops will be on arts education and writing WAC grants. More info later...

Atwood takes new approach to book tour

Dystopian novelist Margaret Atwood is putting on a show as part of her book tour for "The Year of the Flood," which is set in a post-pandemic future.

Here's a story about Atwood by Bruce DeMara in the Toronto Star:

Margaret Atwood is radically redesigning the concept of a standard book tour. The acclaimed Canadian author is using a live performance with original music, local actors and the author herself as narrator to promote her latest novel, The Year of the Flood, her publisher announced yesterday.

Her tour for the book will feature six Canadian stops, including St. James' Cathedral at 65 Church St. in Toronto on Sept. 24.

"It's a chance to break free from the traditional structure of a book tour," Atwood said in a statement. "I felt this particular novel deserved a more complex presentation. It's also a great chance to work with other creative minds and see their interpretation of the story come to light." Ellen Seligman, publisher of fiction at McClelland & Stewart and editor of Atwood's 13th novel, which will be released Sept. 22, called the project "unprecedented" in the annals of publishing.

The Year of the Flood, a follow-up to Atwood's novel Oryx & Crake, is set in a future where the world has undergone dramatic change as a result of decades of evironmental degradation. The final blow comes in the form of a pandemic that decimates virtually all of humanity, leaving a scattering of survivors.

But Seligman said, despite the book's dark nature and theme, "there is definitely a sense of hope (by the end) because it's people gathering in groups together." That's where the idea of live performance and bringing together people from local community meshes with the book, she said. "The idea of this performance and gathering the public – these are public performances and very inexpensive tickets – is a way of kind of joining everybody together in this global concern, which is our world and life as we know it."

The hour-long performance will feature 14 hymns – one for each chapter – which Atwood wrote, to the music of L.A.-based composer Orville Stoeber.

A three-person cast will perform along with a choir, all of whom will be local talent. Atwood has helped to design an interactive website for the book tour, including a blog and a Twitter feed. In her first entry, Atwood said she and husband Graeme Gibson are travelling to the U.K. by ship and said two Coronation Street cast members will perform with her in Manchester. Events will also be held in Ottawa, Kingston, Sudbury, Calgary and Vancouver, with proceeds going to Nature Canada.

Details of the Toronto cast have yet to be finalized. Ticket information is available at http://www.readings.org/.

Three summer concerts remain for Nicolaysen's "Wednesday Night Live" series

"Wednesday Night Live" continues at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper every Wednesday beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Schedule of remaining performances:
August 19 - Runnin Wild Band
August 26 - Bryan Ragsdale, WAC roster artist
September 2 - Hub Whitt, WAC roster artist (rescheduled from July 29)

NIC staff encourages you "to bring your lawn chairs or a blanket and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of one of Casper's great outdoor summer events!"

FMI: http://www.thenic.org/

UW Art Department and Art Museum team up to sponsor new series

From a UW press release:

The University of Wyoming Art Department and the Art Museum are pleased to announce the new Visual Arts Series, a joint effort to promote the arts on campus and in the Laramie community.

Both art entities are leaders in bringing contemporary artists on to campus and this new partnership allows for further promotional and educational opportunities.

The Visual Arts Series is a string of events including Art Talks, Gallery Walk Throughs, hands-on demonstrations by contemporary artists, and more at the Art Museum and at the Fine Arts Building. A complete list of events for the fall is on the Art Museum blog at http://uwartmuseum.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-visual-arts-series-announced.html#links.

Look for posters around campus and town, and in your mailbox in the coming weeks. Please join us this fall for one, some or all of these great art events!

For more information, call the UW Art Museum at 307.766.6622 or the UW Art Department at 307.766.3269.09.03

AVA holds kids' photography show

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center collects art and artifacts from former internees

From an article by Ruffin Prevost in the Billings Gazette (via the Casper Star-Tribune): A piece of scrap wood has been burned in fine detail to depict a scene of camp barracks and the Heart Mountain in the background. The artwork, created by a former internee, is one of many artifacts donated Saturday by volunteers working to expand the historical archives for a museum being built at the site of the former internment camp in Park County, Wyo. (Ruffin Prevost/The Billings Gazette). Read entire story in Sunday's Casper S-T at http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2009/08/17/news/wyoming/01209af2958932c98725761400007f95.txt

Patti Andre conducts Artists' Guild workshop

Patti Andre, an award winning Colorado artist, will conduct a two-day instructional workshop on tools and techniques for painting in oils and acrylics. It will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22-23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Cheyenne Artists Guild, 1701 Morrie Ave., in Cheyenne's Holliday Park. Participants are expected to bring their own supplies and a suggested materials list will be available at the Guild.

Cost is $80 for both days or $40 for one of the two days. Advance payment is required.

You can view Patti's work at www.pattiandre.com

FMI: 307-632-2263.

Wyoming Bookfest will feature "Authors' Fair"

From a Wyoming State Library press release:

The Wyoming State Library is looking for authors interested in participating in the Authors’ Fair for the 2009 Book Festival.

The 2009 Wyoming Book Festival will be held at Lions Park in Cheyenne from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept, 19. The festival will have eight featured authors in addition to an Author’s Fair.

“The Authors’ Fair is a great chance for authors to get the word out about their work and participate in the festival,” says Tina Lackey, Publications and Marketing Manager for the Wyoming State Library

Authors can sign up for a 15-minute slot to showcase their work. There is no fee for the Authors’ Fair. Authors may sell books and do book signings within this allotted time. Authors participating in the Authors’ Fair will not have their books sold by book festival vendors. However, for a fee, authors may sign up as a festival vendor.

Cheyenne East High School DECA Chapter is coordinating vendors for the festival. They are donating all money earned from vendors to Muscular Dystrophy.

For more information the Authors’ Fair, contact Lesley Lipska at (307) 777-7283 or llipsk@state.wy.us. To become a vendor contact Manuel Flores at East High School, (307) 771-2663, floresm@laramie1.k12.wy.us.

Sublette County likes WAC roster artists

The Pinedale Fine Arts Council has announced its fall 2009/winter 2010 schedule. On tap are two residencies by Wyoming Arts Council roster artists. Matt Daly (pictured at right) will travel from Jackson to conduct poetry and writing workshops at middle schools and high schools in Pinedale and Big Piney. Ceramist Steve Schrepferman will also conduct workshops in Pinedale and Big Piney. More details will be announced soon at http://www.pinedalefinearts.com/

But summer isn't over yet. Another WAC roster artist, musician Bryan Ragsdale of Green River, will be performing in concert on Thursday, August 27, 4 p.m. at American Legion Park in Pinedale. This is part of PFAC/Sublette Chamber of Commerce Mixer event. Free and open to the public.

Other upcoming PFAC events include a residency by Missoula Children's Theatre (Nov. 16-21), a theatre workshop with Jackson's Bob Berky (Feb. 22-26) and a workshop and performance by African-American storyteller Diane Ferlatte (March 1-5).

For more information on the PFAC, call 307-367-7322. For info about the artist's roster, go to WAC web page.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for a "Wyoming Arts Community" profile of Pinedale in the August issue of the WAC Artscapes print newsletter. If you're not on our mailing list, call 307-777-7742.

Details for 2009 Northwest Booking Conference

Here's information for Wyoming arts organizations and performers interested in the annual Arts Northwest conference:

The 29th Annual Northwest Booking Conference will be the largest gathering of artists, their management and presenters of the performing arts in the region. In 2009 hundreds of participants from the Northwest and well beyond will attend the conference in Boise, Idaho, October 12-15, 2009.

Attendees will enjoy activities including dynamic performance showcases, an expanded roster of late night showcases, keynote speakers, professional development seminars, workshops, block-booking sessions, networking opportunities, a packed exhibit hall, sales spotlights and social events, all adding up to four fun and highly productive and professional days. Presenters of the performing arts can discover untapped resources, ideas and inspiration. Performers / artist's management have a medium that allows them access to the presenting organizations and individuals throughout the northwest, and helps get them in front of the audience most capable of booking them into the western U.S. market!

Who Should Attend the Arts Northwest Booking Conference?

Performing Arts Presenters: The Annual Northwest Booking Conference allows you as a performing arts presenter, to see, hear and meet with hundreds of artists, their agents and management in a friendly yet professional setting. From the well seasoned and well known, to the cutting edge and the “about to be known”, you will find artists and ensembles to fit you every need and budget. Participate in the block booking activities to get a jump on your season or event.

Performing Artists, Managers, and Agents: Share your work with western based performing arts presenting organizations – theatres, festivals, community concert associations, college presenters and more. Spend time with the presenters, widening your network of connections, educating them as to your work, or that of the artists you represent. Broaden your skills and take advantage of the possibilities that will allow you to plan tours, performances and residency activities in the many communities they represent.

Arts Associates and vendors to the performing arts: (any individual, business or organization supportive of the performing arts or active therein).

All Attendees will enjoy extensive professional development opportunities, along with opportunities for networking and conversation with peers and colleagues. Enjoy keynotes, social activities and the opportunity to renew, refresh, and remember why it is you do what you do with commitment and passion.

Click here for a PDF of the 2009 Conference Registration Brochure.
Click here for the Schedule at a Glance.

Ian Tyson performs at UW August 28

From a UW press release:

Legendary singer-songwriter Ian Tyson brings his distinctive sound to the University of Wyoming for a concert Friday, Aug. 28.

Tyson's concert, sponsored by the UW College of Education, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center concert hall. Tickets, $35 for adults and $25 for students and senior citizens, are available by calling (307) 766-6666 or by visiting the Fine Arts Center ticket office.

Tyson celebrates five decades of performing during his 2009 tour. With shows planned from coast to coast in both Canada and the United States, he performs his songs that range from his classics -- "Four Strong Winds," "Someday Soon" and "Navajo Rug" -- to his newest works.

In addition to his long solo career, Tyson also is known as a member of the popular singing duo, Ian and Sylvia.

Tyson has long been one of Canada's most respected singer-songwriters. A pioneer who began his career in the early days of the first folk boom in the 1960s, he was one of the first Canadians to break into the American popular music market. In the years that followed he hosted his own television show, recorded some of the top folk albums, quit the music business and became a rodeo rider and successful rancher.

At age 75, Tyson maintains a busy touring performance schedule which he combines with the work on his Alberta ranch, which is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains south of Calgary.

No alibis for missing Alibi Americana Festival

The Alibi Americana Festival will feature four bands and will take place at the Alibi Pub, 404 S. 4th St., Laramie, from 2-10 p.m., on Sunday, Aug. 16. Tickets are $12.

The festival features these fine Americana bands, three of them from Wyoming:

• J Shogren & Friends, Centennial and Sweden, featured Friday on KUWR's "Morning Music," www.myspace.com/jshogren
  
• The 'Zarks, Laramie, www.myspace.com/thezarkses


• Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams, Ft. Collins, Colo., www.myspace.com/hibeams


• The Jalan Crossland Band, Ten Sleep, www.myspace.com/jalancrossland

More info at 307-745-9738.

Jonny Lang, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi headline Snowy Range Music Festival

"Breath & Language" artists' talk Aug. 15

The Wyoming Arts Council's Camellia El-Antably and Colorado artist (and one-time Wyomingite) Jennie Kiessling Michler will be discussing their work in connection with the "Breath and Language" exhibit on Saturday, August 15, 2 p.m., at Valhall Arts, 201 S. College Avenue, Plaza Level 2, Fort Collins, Colo. This is located in the basement of the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art (old post office), right off the Oak Street Plaza. Free and open to the public.

FMI: laura@valhallarts.com or 303-589-7372

Plein Air events Aug. 15 in Cheyenne

Mike Beeman of Cheyenne and Patrice Walker of Santa Fe, N.M., are just two of the artists featured in Wyoming Plein Air events on Saturday, Aug. 15, in Cheyenne.

The day kicks off with a "Quick Draw" from 8-10 a.m. at the Historic Cheyenne Depot, followed at 11 a.m. by a "Quick Draw Auction." The show opens officially at 1 p.m. and awards presentation will be at 4 p.m. at Deselms Fine Art downtown location next to the Plains Hotel.

FMI: www.deselmsfineart.com and www.link-gallery.com

"An Evening with Don DeLillo" in Jackson 9/29

The University of Wyoming, Teton County Library Foundation and Jackson Hole Writers Conference present a rare evening with Don DeLillo, the author of 14 critically-acclaimed novels, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

DeLillo is the winner of the 1985 National Book Award for "White Noise," and his novel "Underworld" was runner-up on the New York Times survey of best American fiction of the past 25 years.

This is a free event at the Center for the Arts, Center Theatre. Contact: Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135 or odoherty@tclib.org.

Last weekend for "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

The newly-formed Shake in ChyWy presents William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14-15, in Cheyenne's Lions Park. The performances are free and open to the public.

Shake in ChyWy is also looking for locals interested in auditioning for its production of "MacBeth," set to open in February 2010. As director (and Carey Junior High theatre teacher) Angel Katen says: "We are looking for people over the age of 18 willing to attend rehearsals in the evening and on the weekends, excited to help build the inside of a castle in one week's time, overjoyed to create a head that looks like the lead actor, to research Shakespeare and Scotland, and to have a good, healthy, sober time of it all."

If that sounds like your cup of tea, call 307-214-3405 and leave a message.

Cirkoo presents "danger but no singing" Aug. 22

On Saturday, Aug. 22, 5 p.m., the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens presents "Cirkoo! A Circus of Sophisticated Silliness," featuring Jim Jackson and Birgitta DePree. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic.

The duo's motto: “Balance! Juggling! Danger! But - no singing!”

World-class clowns, Jim Jackson and Birgitta DePree don their red noses, pack their suitcases and tromp into a fantastic circus ring where hilarious misadventure, comic mayhem and slapstick silliness abound. “Cirkoo” is first rate entertainment for the whole family.

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

USAI application deadline Sept. 8

USArtists International includes support for American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at significant international festivals anywhere in the world outside the United States and its territories. The application deadline for the first grant round of the 2010 program will be Tuesday, September 8, 2009 for projects taking place between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010. For a copy of program guidelines and application click here. Questions about USArtists International should be directed to Nicole Russ, at nicole@midatlanticarts.org or via telephone at 410.539.6656 x120.

Trompe l'oeil techniques class at AVA

Wyoming Arts Council board meets Aug. 20-21 at the Afton Civic Center

The Wyoming Arts Council will hold its next quarterly board meeting on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 20-21, at the Afton Civic Center in Afton.

The board invites individuals and organizational representatives to attend any part of the meeting to observe the board process, and to address the board during the public comment session at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20. Comments about the agency's policies, funding priorities, on-line granting system, and other arts-related topics are welcomed.

Friday’s session will be devoted to drafting the WAC’s next long-range plan for 2010-2015.

For a detailed meeting agenda, please contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s session, a free public reception for members of the community will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Afton Civic Center. Host for this event is the Star Valley Arts Council.

FMI: Camellia El-Antably, WAC, celant@state.wy.us, 307-777-7742, 307-256-0500 (cell).

Wyoming Film Festival Aug. 20-22 in Saratoga

The Wyoming Film Festival will be held next week in Saratoga. The event is partially funded by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. The Aug. 12 Casper Star-Tribune featured an article about the festival. Read "Film festival gives forum for Western themes" at http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2009/08/13/news/wyoming/dfb5f281921a699187257611000040ea.txt

Here's some info about the event from its web site:

The Wyoming Film Festival is a unique venue for the community to come together as filmmakers, film lovers, volunteers, corporations, and other organizations from across the state and beyond to celebrate the valuable contribution that film makes to our cultural and economic lives. Our plan is to present film and video productions that interpret the past, present, and future of the American West in way that embrace the festival themes of environment, equality, and family.

The Wyoming Film Festival is held in the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga, Wyoming. For an inside look at this venue, go to http://www.pvcenter.org/ or click on the PVCC entrance photo below.

Highlights of the 2009 Wyoming Film Festival include:

• “Sky High” – a silent western film with accompanying live musical performance by the Starting and Stalling Orchestra from the University of Wyoming
• The Wyoming premier of “In Pursuit of a Dream” – a documentary that recreates the crossing of the Oregon Trail, produced by writer Candy Moulton of Encampment
• Selected short films including “The Deer and the Antelope” and “A Return Home”
• Featured speaker: Two-time Emmy-winning screenwriter Kirk Ellis
  

Read the complete program schedule.

FMI: Mark at 307-326-7822, ext. 236 or Tera at 307-328-9274

Curator of Collections hired by UW Art Museum

Nicole Crawford (shown above) has been named the new curator of collections at the University of Wyoming Art Museum in Laramie.

She is the former gallery director at the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe. During her eight years with the gallery, she supervised staff, conducted research and worked with numerous collectors. In her role as curator of collections for the Art Museum, she will oversee the development of the museum’s collection, curate exhibitions from the collection for the museum’s exhibition programs, enable internship opportunities in collections research and scholarship, and chair the museum’s Collections Advisory Committee.

Crawford has an MA in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Nebraska. Her scholarship focus is American Modernism, but she has conducted research and written extensively on many other art genres, including Western American Art.

"Parents' Night" at AVA Aug. 14

Deadline Oct. 1: Millay Colony for the Arts

The Millay Colony, located on the former property of Edna St. Vincent Millay in Austerlitz, N.Y., offers one-month residencies between April and November, 2010, to six visual artists, composers, and writers in all genres. Residents are provided with room, board, and studio space, as well as access to the sprawling estate. To apply, send an artist statement, a brief biographical statement, work samples, and a $35 processing fee made out to the Millay Colony for the Arts. Deadline is Oct. 1.

Advice for fiction writers: naming characters

Cheyenne fiction writer Joanne Kennedy wrote a recent blog post about the methods she uses to choose names for her characters, especially the villains:

I’ve been struggling with the antagonist in my new book. So has my protagonist, of course, but she seems to be winning. Up until today, I wasn’t doing so well.

It’s hard to write a villain without resorting to stereotypes. You set out to create a believable character, and before you know it, you’ve got a moustache-twirling, hard-eyed Bond villain, or a woman with all the depth and subtlety of Natasha in Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Serendipitously, Donald Maass addressed this problem in a workshop at the RWA conference. One of his suggestions was to find the character’s defining quality, and then think of its opposite and find places where she can demonstrate this quality as well.

Read the entire post at http://kennedysmyth.com/

Full disclosure: Joanne is a member of the Cheyenne Area Writers Group (CAWG), which also includes your humble blog editor, Mike Shay (me).

Burt Bradley writes review of Craig Arnold's "Made Flesh"

Burt Bradley, poet and English prof at Northwest College in Powell, wrote a review of Craig Arnold’s final book for Sunday’s Billings Gazette. Here’s the opening section:

One can't help reading Craig Arnold's second book of poetry, "Made Flesh," without thinking that this is his last book of poetry.

On April 26, Arnold disappeared while hiking to a volcano on a remote Japanese island. Despite government and professional searches, he was never found and is now presumed deceased.

"Made Flesh" is comprised solely of poems about past and present relationships, and it is a terrible irony that this award winning poet, whom former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky described as "one of the most gifted and accomplished poets of his generation," would have his life end alone far from loved ones.

The relationships in "Made Flesh" are portrayed through a remarkable mix of contemporary rhetoric and mythic imagery, which express, in Pinsky's words, "a tremendous emotional underworld, distinctive and memorable."

For entire review, go to http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/features/magazine/article_82affae6-8478-11de-915a-001cc4c002e0.html

National Museum of Wildlife Art hosts variety of events for Western Visions fundraiser

From a press release:

The National Museum of Wildlife Art offers fine art for sale by more than 150 leading artists, ranging from photography to jewelry to painted miniatures and more as part of its 22nd annual Western Visions fundraiser. Arts-related events include a series of shows and sales, artist demonstrations and galas, with the majority of activities taking place September 16-18, during the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. New to this year's festivities are a "Mini Safari" in Grand Teton National Park in the company of featured artists Lindsay Scott and Leo E. Osborne, and the raffle of a MINI Cooper at the Miniatures and More Show & Sale.

The 2009 Western Visions schedule of events includes:

• Fifth Annual Photography Show & Sale and Third Annual Sketch Show & Sale: A mix of black-and-white and unusual color photographs in the museum's King Gallery include landscapes and portraits; sketches and studies by Western Visions artists in the Wapiti Gallery range from pencil to oil; August 29 – September 27; included with museum admission.
• 11th Annual Jewelry & Artisan Luncheon: A sneak peek and first chance to buy one-of-a-kind jewelry and textiles; September 16, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Teton Pines Resort and Country Club; $100, register online or call 307.732.5412 to attend.
• Jewelry & Artisan Show & Sale: Held in Johnston Hall and Wapiti Gallery, featuring fine handmade jewelry and accessories; September 17 – 18; included with museum admission.
• Mini Safari: Capture Grand Teton National Park's glorious wildlife and landscapes with a morning camera safari in the company of Western Visions featured artists Lindsay Scott and Leo E. Osborne and guided by Wildlife Expeditions, a division of non-profit Teton Science Schools; September 17, 6:30 – 11:00 a.m.; $125 for members; $150 non-members. Call 307.732.5412 to register.
• Featured Painter Demonstration, Lindsay Scott: Scott demonstrates painting techniques in Johnston Hall; September 17, 1 – 4 p.m.; free for members or with museum admission. Art produced during the demonstration will be available for purchase. Registration not required.
• Featured Sculptor Demonstration, Leo E. Osborne: Osborne demonstrates sculpting techniques in Johnston Hall; September 18, 1 – 4 p.m.; free for members or with museum admission. Art produced during the demonstration will be available for purchase. Registration not required.
• 22nd Annual Wild West Artist Party: meet and mingle with artists, with food by Rising Sage Café; place your bids on the artwork, purchase photography and jewelry, and enjoy live music; September 17, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.; $200, register online or call 307.732.5412.
• Featured Artists Panel Discussion: Lindsay Scott and Leo E. Osborne talk about artistic processes in lively panel discussion in Cook Auditorium; free for members or with museum admission. Registration not required.
• 22nd Annual Miniatures and More Show & Sale: final opportunity to place bids in silent auction for works by over 150 of the country's leading artists; don’t miss the live auction of two pieces by the Featured Artists. Drinks and fun accompany announcements of winning art bidders, and someone may drive home in raffled 2009 MINI Cooper; September 18, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.; $100, register online or call 307.732.5412.

Some Western Visions events require prior registration as noted; register at the special $500 Benefactor level to gain admission to multiple and exclusive events. Registration tends to fill up quickly and closes September 10; for online event registration, visit http://www.wildlifeart.org/WesternVisions/Registration. Patrons who wish to bid on art but can't be present may take advantage of the new Bid by Proxy option. For more information on events, registration or bidding by proxy, contact Jennifer Lee at 307.732.5412.

A complete schedule of exhibitions and events are available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org/.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Zeenie Scholz, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5437, zscholz@wildlifeart.org

Pat & John Patton perform at Casper College

Pat and John Patton will perform on Saturday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. in Durham Hall at Aley Fine Arts Center, Casper College.

Patrick Patton is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Casper College. He is past chair of the department of Music and served as artistic director of the Choral Arts Ensemble of Casper. Currently, he serves as Chorusmaster for the Helena Symphony Chorale, a 100-voice civic choir that prepares significant choral literature for performance with the Helena Symphony. Dr. Patton holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and the Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Education degree at the University of Wyoming.

He has made over 400 appearances on four continents as guest conductor, adjudicator, and workshop clinician. The Casper College Collegiate Chorale has joined forces on numerous occasions for the presentation of major choral/orchestral works including the “Requiems” of Brahms, Verdi, and Rutter, the Dvorak “Te Deum”, the Vaughan-Williams “Serenade to Music”, and Orff’s “Carmina Burana”. The choir has joined with the Helena Symphony and Chorale in a presentation of the Poulenc “Gloria” “Carmina Burana”, Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” as well as many other major choral/orchestral works. In addition to the regularly scheduled concert series, Dr. Patton directs the annual Casper College Madrigal Feast and serves as co-director of the Casper College Jazz Festival. He has also been featured as guest tenor soloist with Casper and Helena Symphonies and Chorales.

John is the son of Pat and his wife, Marcia. He is a former member of the Casper Children’s Chorale, who has returned from Denver frequently to play percussion for the group’s concerts. Pat and Marcia toured with Up With People and the USO during their college years, and Pat was lead guitarist.

FMI: http://www.artcorewy.com/

Hammocking as an art form

Go Hammocking! from Bland Hoke on Vimeo.

FMI: http://centerofwonder.blogspot.com

Troy Stende speaks about "College Success Secrets" Aug. 21 at UW

On Friday, Aug. 21, 9-10 a.m., Troy Stende will deliver the keynote address for "move-in week" in the Arts & Sciences Auditorium at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Troy Stende is the premier Student Leader Trainer on the college circuit and is a three-time recipient of the prestigious “Best Campus Speaker” award from Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities. With his wife, he co-authored College Success Secrets: What They Don’t Teach You in the Classroom. Troy has also appeared on National Public Radio. His program will, according to a UW press release, "help you get better grades, accomplish life-long goals, feel a sense of peace/happiness, increase confidence, and create more meaningful relationships with family/friends."

FMI: http://uwyo.edu

Call for blogging entries: CNF Mag

From Creative Nonfiction magazine:

Creative Nonfiction is seeking narrative blog posts to reprint in an upcoming issue of CNF.

We’re looking for: Vibrant new voices with interesting, true stories to tell. Narrative, narrative, narrative. Posts that can stand alone, 2000 words max, from 2009. Something from your own blog, from a friend’s blog, from a stranger’s blog.

The small print: We will contact individual bloggers before publication and pay a flat fee for one-time reprint rights. Deadline for nominations: August 31.

Submit: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/blog_nomination_open.html

Wyo. State Museum Volunteers hold 32nd annual Arts & Crafts Show and Sale Aug. 15

Wyoming State Museum Volunteers will hold their 32nd annual Arts and Crafts Show and Sale on Saturday, Aug. 15, beginning at 9 a.m.

This year's sale looks to be bigger and better than ever before with more than 35 registered vendors and possibly more. Events for the whole family; face painting, balloons, storytelling and food. There will be a variety of crafts for sale including woodwork, jewelry, crocheting, knitting, tatting, pottery, wooden toys, baskets, dolls and embroidery work.

Free admission for shoppers.

Venue: Grounds of the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave., Cheyenne.

FMI: Carolyn at 307-632-8244.

"Step by Step Writing Seminar" with Page Lambert

From Page Lambert, long-time member of Wyoming Writers, Inc., and two-tkime WAC creative writing fellowship recipient, sent this info abiout an upcoming writing seminar in Colorado:

Give Your Story a Fresh Perspective. The Writer Magazine and Page Lambert present a "Step by Step" Writing Seminar on Saturday, September 19, at Mt. Vernon Country Club, Golden, Colorado.

This one-day, hands-on writing retreat spirals around Page Lambert's feature piece in the September issue of The Writer Magazine. Limited to 15 participants, this workshop will give you the chance to play around with point-of-view and perspective. Appropriate for fiction writers and memoirists, the goal of this mountain retreat is to help you:
1. Identify the underlying emotion fueling your desire to write your particular
story
2. Identify the desire, or motion, that propels each character forward (including
you!)
3. Determine which character has the most at stake in each scene; determine
how each scene affects each character (remember, even memoirs have characters)
4. Experiment by writing the same scene from different points of view; and
5. Learn how to direct the Point of View

WHEN:Saturday, September 19, 9:00-4:00 (8:30-9:00 visit/coffee/tea)
WHERE:Mt. Vernon Country Club (20 minutes from downtown Denver)
WHAT:All-day writing seminar taught by Page Lambert
INCLUDES: copy of The Writer Magazine, beverages, and catered luncheon overlooking
beautiful Clear Creek Canyon in the foothills just west of Denver
COST:$95 (register by August 15 and receive $10 discount)
OPTIONAL: Guided hike from 4:00-5:00 pm on Mt. Vernon's private hiking trails (non-strenuous hiking appropriate for moderate fitness levels, but fun for all!)
BRING: 5 pages of a work-in-progress (fiction or memoir) and/or 3 pages from a favorite
author's work that depicts a scene with at least two characters
REGISTER:email page@pagelambert.com
　
Author, book doctor, and writing coach Page Lambert, winner of the 2009 Orlando Nonfiction Award, has taught over 150 workshops in the U.S. and B.C. Oprah's O magazine called her River Writing Journeys for women "One of the top 6 great all-girl getaways of the year."

Mt. Vernon, the mountain paradise where Page was raised and once again calls home, is only 20 minutes from downtown Denver, yet as soon as you turn off the highway, you'll be surrounded by thousands of acres of protected Rocky Mountain wild woodlands rich with abundant wildlife. Optional guided hike after workshop.


Read my latest blogpost at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102664533540&s=485&e=001P44zHG2_mx93NdENj2n7cdIZC7iOZJZeVSqZMz-ghMwOBkvM4r7ljyiTzR5qjtEABk7WwJKQnVZtevOzF27Z8pKzgVzeELh0yU22JfyyKkzOc0VFS3OWAb-eGAfoDp7j

Call for entries: HeART of Sublette County

A call goes out for art submissions for the HeART of Sublette County 2009.

The criteria are similar to the ones last year, with artists responding to their sense of place in this region of Wyoming. Please contact Callie or Sara Domek ("The Two Sisters from Cora") at heartofsublettecounty@gmail.com or call 307.749.6956 to notify them of your art submission. DEADLINE IS AUG. 12. They can pick up your piece or you can drop it off in person at the Cora Post Office. The sisters anticipate an artist opening reception on August 29 at the Pinedale Branch of the Sublette County Library.

UW Vertical Dance returns to Vedauwoo

From a UW press release:

The University of Wyoming's 2009 Snowy Range Summer Theatre and Dance Festival concludes Aug. 22-23 with three vertical dance performances at Vedauwoo.

In addition to watching dancers twist and turn from ropes dangling from Vedauwoo's rock formations, the audience will listen to a musical story of the history of the rocks, animals and plants in the area, narrated by Australian storyteller Paul Taylor.

Performances begin at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. Tickets cost $6, and may be purchased at the Fine Arts ticket office or the Union ticket office. For more information, call the Fine Arts ticket office at (307)766-6666.

"Each year, we try to bring a new story or idea to the vertical dance performance at Vedauwoo," says Margaret Wilson, University of Wyoming dance professor who choreographs the event. "We are delighted to have Paul working with us this year. The story will add a narrative component that will augment the choreography."

The performance area is 14 miles east of Laramie on Interstate 80 off the Vedauwoo exit. Shuttle buses will take patrons from the outer, free parking area outside Vedauwoo to the trailhead leading to the performance setting. Patrons should plan to leave Laramie at least one hour before the start of the performance.

Vertical dance is a unique blend of modern dance using ropes and the natural contours of rock to allow free-flowing aerial movement. Since 1998, the presentations in the natural rock formations at Vedauwoo have offered audiences a breathtaking set to view dance, says Wilson. She is assisted by Neil Humphrey, UW geology and geophysics professor, who coordinates the rigging and choreography.

Photo: Kathryn Rochelle dances in the air during a previous University of Wyoming vertical dance performance at Vedauwoo. (Skip Harper Photo)

World premiere of Stephen Paulus concerto Aug. 14-15 at Grand Teton Music Festival

From a Grand Teton Music Festival press release:

Grand Teton Music Festival steps onto the world’s musical stage this week with the unveiling of a brand-new musical work commissioned by -- and written for -- the Festival by Minnesota-based American composer Stephen Paulus.

This world premiere features longtime Festival friend and cellist Lynn Harrell alongside the Festival Orchestra with Music Director Donald Runnicles conducting in the Festival’s acoustic home, Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village. These Festival Orchestra concerts take place at 8 p.m. Friday, August 14, and Saturday, August 15. Tickets: $25-50 Adults, $10 Students. 307-733-1128 or www.gtmf.org.

Accessible, engaging, and fresh, Mr. Paulus will be in residence the final week of the Festival for events that explore the connection between the modern-day composer and our society, find out what it means to create new classical music, and introduce us to his music, written especially for the Grand Teton Music Festival. What can audiences expect from the commission?

“Stephen has a gloriously lyrical and colorful style which speaks to orchestra and audience immediately. After being enormously impressed by his Violin Concerto that we featured at the Festival a couple of seasons ago I was eager to bring Stephen together with Lynn Harrell in order to create a new Cello Concerto,” explains Music Director Donald Runnicles.

Mr. Harrell also expressed great enthusiasm for Paulus’s new music, exclaiming, “Playing this new concerto is like a revitalization of my musical existence!”

The world premiere of this new work is not only an exciting way for the Grand Teton Music Festival to close its 2009 summer season, but it also makes a bold statement about the Festival’s vision for the future.

Music Director Donald Runnicles eloquently put this achievement into context: “It is important and exciting for the Grand Teton Music Festival to not only bring to life the masterworks of our tradition, but also to play a role in the creation of new music for future audiences.”

For tickets and information, call 307-733-1128 or visit http://www.gtmf.org/

Photo class holds opening reception tonight

The students in the Youth Alternatives/Special Friends photography class will be featured in an art show opening reception on Monday, Aug. 10, 6:30 p.m., in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum's youth room. The museum is located in Cheyenne's Frontier Park.

The event includes light refreshments, an awards presentation and a special presentation.

FMI: Karen Cotton, Youth Alternatives/Special Friends photography class instructor/volunteer, cotton.karen@gmail.com.

Summer tunes during "NIC at Noon"

Once and For All performs during today's "NIC at Noon" concert at the Nicolaysen Arts Museum & Discovery Center in Casper. For more photos, and details about other events, follow the NIC on Facebook.

Buckcherry in concert Aug. 8 in Cheyenne w/update

Order tickets at https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?m=65fff3975783bb391da665483370152a&t=tix

UPDATE: This press release arrived via e-mail on Saturday morning while we weren't in the office: Saturday August 8th 2009 9:35am.: Due to artist illness the Buckcherry Concert scheduled at the Taco John's Events Center has been postponed to an as yet undetermined date in September 2009. Updates will follow as soon as information is available. Please call Mandy Liley at the Taco John's Events Center on 307-433-0024 with questions.

U.S. Senate confirms new NEA Chairman

From a National Endowment for the Arts press release:

Rocco Landesman, nominated by President Barack Obama as the tenth chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, was confirmed today by the U.S. Senate. Upon his confirmation Mr. Landesman said:

"I am honored to receive the Senate's vote of confirmation. I look forward to serving the nation as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. I believe this is an auspicious time for the NEA and the country. Art is essential to the civic, economic, and cultural vitality of our nation. It reflects who we are and what we stand for -- freedom of expression, imagination, and vision. I am eager to work with our many partners to bring quality arts programs to neighborhoods and communities across the country."

Mr. Landesman follows Dana Gioia who left the chairmanship in January 2009. Patrice Walker Powell, the NEA's deputy chairman for state, regions, and local arts agencies has served as acting chairman in the interim.

Please see Mr. Landesman's biography.

Michael Haynes conducts BBHC sessions

Buffalo Bill Historical Center Artist-in-Residence Michael Haynes will conduct demonstrations near the current exhibition of his work in the Special Exhibitions Gallery Aug. 11-14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The exhibit is "To the Western Ocean: Paintings Depicting Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition -- The Artwork of Michael Haynes." It will be on display through Aug. 30. Shown in photo is Haynes' "Sacagawea -- Spring 1805."

Here's some background info on Haynes from the BBHC web site:

For two long years (1804-1806) members of the Corps of Discovery, also known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, travelled from St. Louis to Pacific Ocean – and back – in search of an all water route to the Pacific, and to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. Now audiences are invited to view the most significant members of the Corps through the eyes of artist Michael Haynes. With fourteen portraits, including those of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea, York, as well as other less famous but equally integral members who were part of the journey - from boatman, hunter, blacksmith, and cook.

Haynes, an historical interpreter for 15 years, provides an interesting perspective on the subject by depicting the particular dress of each member of the Corps, and how they changed with time along the route; giving a sense of the length and difficulty of trip. Journals document details of the historic journey to the Pacific, but there are few entries describing the explorers. Haynes put “faces” to these people by painting the individuals and capturing each personality. It took extensive research and a good deal of imagination, and the result is a series of fourteen paintings that portray the brave people who ventured to the “Western Ocean.”

Gene Gagliano: "V is for Venus Flytrap"

Author and gardener Gene Gagliano (shown above) writes from Buffalo to tell us about his new non-fiction children's book ("really for all ages"), "V is for Venus Flytrap, a Plant Alphabet." The book was just released by Sleeping Bear Press (ISBN 13:978-1-58536-350-6).

Here Gene is shown is his flourishing garden. Says Gene: "The gardens did well this season with all the moisture, unfortunately the grasshopper infestation here is now taking its toll."

FMI: www.gargene.com

Here's a thought: apply to the WAC for an Arts Across Wyoming grant to bring Gene to your community to speak about writing, books, and the wonders of nature (including grasshoppers and Venus Flytraps). Go to www.wyoarts.org.

WHC: Su Teatro and "The Cancer Monologues"

Jenny Ingram wrote the following Aug. 6 post for the Wyoming Humanities Council blog. It talks about a program co-sponsored by the WHC and the WAC. Both orgs have grants for this type of program -- and a variety of others.

Here's the post:

Both the Wyoming Humanities Council and the Wyoming Arts Council sponsored a March presentation of The Cancer Monologues by Denver’s El Centro Su Teatro. The play, hosted in Laramie by La Radio Montañesa KOCA 93.5 FM, explores the social and cultural issues of cancer within the Latino community. Su Teatro originally created The Cancer Monologues in partnership with the Latino Research and Policy Center at the University of Colorado, Denver, and it’s now on their roster of touring shows. (Other offerings include a seatbelt safety awareness play starring two Mexican masked wrestlers, and a play about the United Farm Workers march from Delano to Sacramento in 1966.)

I went with limited expectations. How interesting can a public service cancer play be? Let me tell you: I’m now a season ticket holder to El Centro Su Teatro! They are fresh, they are funny, and in the best tradition of theater, they are political. (They’re also a bargain.)

Before the performance of The Cancer Monologues began, Cecelia Aragon, a UW faculty member in theater and in Chicano studies, presented a short history of Chicano theater. She explained how the tradition (and Su Teatro) started in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the aim of highlighting social and political issues in the Hispanic community. I love this era for its activism, and I’m always excited to encounter people and organizations from this time period who have retained their liveliness. Thank you, Su Teatro, for keeping it real!

It's a marvelous night for a moon walk, hopefully

Experience Fort Bridger State Historic Site during the dark of night with a Moonlite Tour of the facility, Saturday beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Visitors will see Fort Bridger from a different perspective while entertained with historically based skits performed by local volunteers. See the fort in a different light – moon light.

Cost of the tours is $5 for adults (18 and up), students $3 and children five and younger free.

Please call 307-786-2915 for reservations.

"Michael Jackson Tribute" at dance recital

From writer/musician/dancer Karen Cotton in Cheyenne:

You're invited to the ACT II Dance Studios recital with a "Michael Jackson Tribute" on Saturday, Aug. 8, 6:30 p.m., at the Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St., Cheyenne.

Suggestion donation: $10 for adults, children and seniors $5 for children and seniors. Proceeds benefit Needs, Inc.

FMI: 307-637-5112 or http://blogs.wyomingnews.com/blogs/backstagepass/

Teton County: "These are the people in your neighborhood"

CALLING ALL ARTISTS: Would you like to participate in a group show during Jackson's Fall Arts Festival?

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! is a show curated by Christian Burch in collaboration with Bland Hoke and the Center of Wonder in Wilson. It's an art event that celebrates being local, by showcasing art created by local talent with sales to benefit local non-profits during Old Bills Fun Run and the Fall Arts Festival.

The show culminates in a cocktail party and silent auction during Palates and Palettes on Friday, Sept. 11. Painted figures will mingle with residents and tourists, encouraging dialog and interaction amongst everyone. Partygoers are encouraged to reveal a little something about themselves through their attire, and perhaps one might share a little-known fact on the revealing wall.

The figures will be silently auctioned. Participating artists agree to donate 50-100% of proceeds from the silent auction of their figure to a local non-profit of your choice. A fun way to participate in Old Bills and a great way to put your talent on display during the Fall Arts Festival.

FIGURES ARE STILL AVAILABLE: If you would like to participate, you will be provided a life-size plywood cutout, and the twist is to portray two sides of your subject: One we are all familiar with and on the flip-side- the hilarious, extravagantly dressed personality we don't know! (while keeping it family-friendly). Select a "local" character from the list provided, or you can suggest your own.

Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

INSTRUCTIONS:

There is a sign-out sheet -- please confirm the figure you take in 2 ways.
Please put your name next to the person you are going to paint.
E-mail us your selection -- especially if you are suggesting someone not on the list -- we want to avoid duplicates.

A few of the "figures" are labeled because they have been checked out already. If you need special arrangements for picking up, please let us know.

Figures are due by August 28. Please deliver to the Lyndsay McCandless Gallery in Jackson.

FMI: 307-734-0570.

Kindergarten art classes at AVA Center

Sustaining today's artists

Alliance of Artists Communities 19th annual conference, "Sustaining Today's Artists," will be held November 11-14 in New Orleans.

Join arts leaders, artists, funders, policy-makers, and others, from around the country and across the globe, in shaping the way today's artists are supported and exploring how we -- as artist-centered organizations -- can sustain our organizations and our communities.

FMI: http://www.artistcommunities.org/conference

Meet the artists at Douglas Invitational

Accomplished artists from three states will be featured during the 18th Annual Douglas Invitational Art Show and Sale at the Wyoming Pioneer Museum, August 7-9.

The show begins Aug. 7 with a "Meet the Artists " opening night reception 7 to 11 p.m. The evening features a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Tickets for the opening reception are $25 each.

The show continues on Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The popular Quick Draw event begins at 9 a.m., followed by a wine and cheese reception. During the Quick Draw, artists are given an hour to produce a piece of art. These artistic pieces are then auctioned beginning at 3 p.m. The show continues on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Artists’ mediums include watercolor, acrylics, oils, bronze, woodcarving and pottery.

For more information about the art show, or to make reservations for the opening reception, please call 307-358-9288. Promotional support for the art show is provided by the Converse County Tourism Board.

International exhibit call for entries

TransCultural Exchange is now accepting proposals for its Spring 2011 exhibition series:
Here, There and Everywhere: The Art of Collaboration

Alert to the internet's dissolving of borders and the explosion of innovation through collaboration, TransCultural Exchange invites visual artists working in all disciplines to reach out to individuals around the world to create works for a second series of collaborative exhibitions.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TransCulturalExchang/75526c3dd5/2a7d5b0d69/e5c377ccc3 FMI.

Expanding upon TransCultural Exchange's last exhibition of collaborative works, artists are invited to submit proposals for works and exhibitions to be shown anywhere in the world.
Exhibitions of the resultant collaborative projects also will be included in TransCultural Exchange's catalog for the project on TransCultural Exchange's website and at TransCultural Exchange's 2011 Conference on International Opportunities in the Arts
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TransCulturalExchang/75526c3dd5/2a7d5b0d69/1e3659054c, which will take place in Boston April 8-10, 2011.

For more information, please visit
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TransCulturalExchang/75526c3dd5/2a7d5b0d69/a64149ea29

Applications for inclusion in the project are due November 15, 2009. Accepted artists and venues will be notified by December 15, 2009.

Stay tuned: TransCultural Exchange's 20th anniversary bash at the The French Library Alliance Française of Boston, October 24.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2011 Conference on International Opportunities in the Arts
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TransCulturalExchang/75526c3dd5/2a7d5b0d69/b3e9f21415
April 8-10, 2011, Boston.
　
TransCultural Exchange
516 East Second Street, #30
Boston, Massachusetts 02127

Last chance for Thomas Moran

Photo Caption: Thomas Moran (English/American, 1837-1926), Castle Geyser, 1874, chromolithograph, 11-9/16 x 16-3/16 inches, gift of Fritiof Fryxell in memory of John D. Fryxell, University of Wyoming Art Museum Collection, 2009.3.18

The University of Wyoming Art Museum is featuring the artist Thomas Moran with two exhibitions of his work this summer, Thomas Moran in Wyoming and Thomas Moran: Pastoral Views and Seashores. Both exhibitions are scheduled to close on August 15.

Thomas Moran spent much time in the Wyoming Territory during the 1870s. He traveled frequently to the Green River Area and completed many sketches and watercolors of the topography of the region. Moran joined the government-sponsored Hayden Expedition to the Yellowstone Region in 1871. He made numerous sketches of Yellowstone’s geological features. These images, and photographs of expedition photographer William Henry Jackson, inspired Congress to establish Yellowstone National Park, the nation’s first park, in 1872. Thomas Moran in Wyoming presents watercolor sketches, drawings, and prints made from his many trips to Wyoming that convey the various forms of producing images for publication at the time. Also included are drawings of the Laramie Plains, the Red Buttes area south of Laramie and the Platte River.

Thomas Moran: Pastoral Views and Seashores explores the etchings Moran made of the seashore and the sea. The effects of water and light were an inspiration for Moran and he traveled to many locations to study the work of such artists as J.M.W. Turner, who was also inspired by sunlight and water and an inspiration to Moran. He was the first artist to build a studio in the East Hamptons, a residence and studio where he and his wife Mary Nimmo Moran summered and worked after 1884.

For additional information on the exhibitions, call the UW Art Museum at (307) 766-6622 or visit www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum. "Imagine learning from the masters" is a guiding principle of the UW Art Museum’s programs. The museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Dr. in Laramie. The museum and The Museum Store are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Make some tiles

The Lander Art Center will have an Outdoor Tile Project Class on the weekend of August 14-16. This class will provide students with the basic techniques for creating a weather-resistant garden bench. The Class will create a bench cooperatively and each participant will leave with several tiles and (hopefully) the information to come back in September to create a bench of their own.

Where: Lander Art Center
When: Friday, August 14, 7-9 p.m., Saturday, August 15, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.,
Sunday, August 16, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructors: Deborah Britt and Pam Hockett, local ceramics artists
Learn a new technique and make a fabulous garden bench with concrete substrate
Fee: $55

FMI: Ph. (307)332-5772 or landerartcenter@bresnan.net

Wyoming Film Festival is back

The Wyoming Film Festival is a unique venue for the community to come together as filmmakers, film lovers, volunteers, corporations, and other organizations from across the state and beyond to celebrate the valuable contribution that film makes to our cultural and economic lives. Our plan is to present film and video productions that interpret the past, present, and future of the American West in way that embrace the festival themes of environment, equality, and family.

The Wyoming Film Festival is held in the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga, Wyoming. For an inside look at this venue, go to www.pvcenter.org or click on the PVCC entrance photo below.

Some highlights for this year’s festival…

Thursday, August 20
7:00 pm - Sky High

Friday, August 21
6:00 pm - VIP Reception
7:00 pm - Cowboy
8:15 pm - The Deer and the Antelope
9:00 pm - A Return Home

Saturday, August 22
1:00 pm - Featured Speaker: Kirk Ellis
3:00 pm - Panel Discussion: History on Film
7:00pm - In Pursuit of a Dream
8:15 pm - The Big Country

Tickets can be purchased at Carbon County Higher Education Center, 705 Rodeo Street in Rawlins, the Carbon County Museum, 904 W. Walnut in Rawlins or at the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, 210 W. Elm in Saratoga. For more information about the Wyoming Film Festival, visit www.wyomingfilmfestival.org or call 307-321-7690.

Tera Larson
Marketing Communications Manager
Carbon County Higher Education Center
Western Wyoming Community College Outreach
307-328-9274
tmueske@cchec.org
www.cchec.org

R.W. Hampton headliner at 2009 Roundup

From the Pinedale Cowboy Roundup web site:

The entertainment has been set for the fourth annual Pinedale Cowboy Roundup (PCR) and you will want to make plans early to attend this year.

In keeping with the tradition of bringing in only the worlds best cowboy performers, the PCR is proud to announce the return of crowd favorites Jerry Hall and Trick Shot and world class cowboy poet Chris Isaacs, along side seasoned cowboy poets and Sublette County Wyoming residents Jesse Smith and Andy Nelson, Wyoming Arts Council roster artist. New to the gathering this year as a headline performer is award winning cowboy singer/songwriter R.W. Hampton (shown in photo).

Event Date and Time: Saturday October 3, 2009, 7 p.m.

Locations: Pinedale High School Auditorium, 101 East Hennick, Pinedale. Turn north on Sublette Street and go to the end.

Tickets are available at the door or by calling (307) 367-6710

All proceeds are donated every year to the Small Miracles Foundation and Kickin' Cancer in Sublette County.

The greening of Wheatland Aug. 20-22

From a press release:

Wheatland is gearing up for its first-ever Green Festival to be held Aug. 20-22. The Green Festival will feature guest speakers from various businesses who will discuss wind energy, clean coal and much more. In addition to the speakers, the festival will feature hands-on exhibits designed to educate all ages about the value of taking care of the environment.

Participating vendors will include local growers, artisans, crafters, nursery and greenhouse operators and more. In addition, there will be a quilt show, bake sales, a farmers’ market, garden walks, pet parades and a square dance.

According to organizer Dan Brecht, director of the Platte County Economic Development Corp., there is still plenty of room for anyone who wants to set up a booth or exhibit their wares.

All events will be held in downtown Wheatland, at Lewis City Park and the Wheatland High School Auditiorium. Anyone interested in participating may contact Brecht at 307-322-4232.

The event is free to both vendors and the public, and Brecht is hoping that visitors will come from throughout the region to enjoy the day.

For the latest news from Wheatland, go to www.wheaterville.com

The High Strung in concert Aug. 27

On Thursday, August 27, 7:30-9:30 p.m., the Teton County Public Library in Jackson will present its "End of Summer Concert" with the Detroit garage band The High Strung, which was an opening band at the Jackson Hole Music Experience "Rock ‘n Roll Camp." All ages show. Cost: Free. Location: Library’s Backyard (or in bad weather, Ordway Auditorium). Contact: Youth Services Desk, 733-2164 ext. 103 or youngadults@tclib.org.