KEAG Gallery hosts Laramie H.S. exhibit

The KEAG Gallery's Sarah Ramsey-Walters sends this:

KEAG Gallery, 414 Grand Ave. in Laramie, is excited to host Laramie High School's First Annual Arts Exhibition. Opening reception is Friday, May 8, 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will show through May 30.

In celebration of Fair Trade Day, Mother's Day, and KEAG Gallery's first anniversary, we will have a drawing for a beautiful market basket this Saturday afternoon, May 9.

See you at the opening.

KEAG regular hours are Thursday-Saturday, noon-5:30 p.m., and by appointment

FMI: 307.745.3308 and http://keaggallery.com

Write on Wyoming members read their work May 16 at Cody Library

Su Child in Cody sends this notice:

Please join us for an afternoon reading of poetry and prose by members of Write On Wyoming on Saturday, May 16, 1 p.m., in the Grizzly Hall at the Cody Library

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Readers include Carol Austin, Annette Chaudet, Barbara Graham, Daphne Grimes, Jo Lazane, Sally Mechels, Joyce Miller, Ester Johansson Murray, Nancy Ruskowsky, Marylin Schultz, Carla Solberg, Judith Spargur, and Pat Stuart.

Application for creative writing fellowships

Application: 2010 Creative Writing Fellowships in Poetry

Tip for printing: Cut and paste this document onto MS Word. Print. If you print this blog document, you will also print all the wyomingarts posts for the past seven days, plus all the sidebar links. That adds up to approximately 20 pages, which is a lot of paper!

Fill out and return with manuscript to the WAC. For details, see guidelines in previous post. Postmark deadline is June 29, 2009.

NAME: ____________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________

CITY ______________________________

STATE ___________ZIP_______________

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS:
House # ___________________
Senate #___________________

CONTACT INFO:
PHONE: ___________________
E-MAIL: ___________________
WEB SITE __________________

___Check here if you enclosed a self-addressed stamped postcard (optional) so we can acknowledge receipt of work.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT
In 100 words or less, on a separate shdeet, please provide us with a brief artistic/biographical statement. This information will not be available to the judge, nor will it affect your application in any way. The WAC will use it in an announcement if you’ve won an award, and in its files of Wyoming writers.

Enclosure checklist
___Manuscript (two copies)
___Signed entry form
___Artistic Statement
___Optional acknowledgement postcard
___Return postage (or provisions for pick-up) for manuscript

I certify that I have been a legal resident of Wyoming for two years, since July 1, 2007, and that I am not a full-time student pursuing high school, college or university art-related degrees. In order to receive this award, I understand I must remain a Wyoming resident until June 30, 2010, and live within the state's borders for at least ten months a year.

Signature______________________________
Date___________________

Guidelines for 2010 creative writing fellowships

Here are the guidelines for the 2010 creative writing fellowships. If you have any questions, contact Mike Shay at the WAC, 307-777-5234 or mshay@state.wy.us

Tip for printing: Cut and paste this document onto MS Word. Print. If you print this blog document, you will also print all the wyomingarts posts for the past seven days, plus all the sidebar links. That adds up to approximately 20 pages, which is a lot of paper!

ELIGIBILITY
· You must not be a full-time student pursuing high school, college, or university art-related degrees.
· You must be at least 18 years old at time of application.
· You must be a legal resident of Wyoming, living within state borders for at least ten months of the year since July 1, 2007.
· You must remain a Wyoming resident until June 30, 2010.
· You must not have received a WAC creative writing fellowship within the last four years, and may not receive a 2010 Blanchan or Doubleday writing award. You may enter this competition if you were a previous Blanchan or Doubleday winner. No one may receive more than two creative writing fellowships.

WHAT IF YOU WIN AN AWARD?
· You’ll receive $3,000 (70% immediately; 30% held until approval of your final report)
· You will receive a $500 honorarium to present your work at a fellowship reading Oct. 8-10, 2009, at the Casper College Literary Conference in Casper.
· You’ll sign a contract that verifies you’re eligible to receive this award.
· You must remain a resident through June 30, 2010.
· You’ll need to supply a resume and a photograph for publicity.
· The WAC will retain your manuscript to use in excerpts for promotional purposes and Arts Council publications (print and electronic).
· You will retain all rights to this work and the work you produce during the grant period.
· You must fill out a final report form, due May 31, 2010, which asks questions about how this award helped you and what you accomplished during the year you received it.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
· You may submit up to 10 printed pages of poetry typed single-spaced using a 12-point standard font.
· Submit two copies of your manuscript on standard white paper (photocopies O.K.). It may be double-sided to save on paper and postage.
· Do not staple manuscripts or use any manuscript cover or binder.
· Writing may have been previously published, but don’t submit reprints; published work must be retyped to conform to the rest of the manuscript.
· Pages must be numbered; include title of work and page number on each page.
· Your name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
· If you submit more than the allowable page limits, extra pages will be removed.
· Do not send supplementary materials (letters, resumes, etc.)
· You may enter the competition only once, by the postmark deadline of June 29, 2009. Mail to Michael Shay, Wyoming Arts Council, 2320 Capitol Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82002, ATTN: 2010 Creative Writing Fellowships.

AFTER YOUR SUBMISSION
· If you enclosed a self-addressed stamped postcard, the WAC will acknowledge the receipt of your manuscript.
· The manuscripts – identified by number only -- are mailed to the fellowship judge. Your name and bio information are not available to the judge.
· Winners will be notified after August 14, 2009.
Manuscripts will not be returned. Please be sure to retain copies of your work.

Greg Pape to judge WAC creative writing fellowships in poetry

Montana Poet Laureate (2007-2009) Greg Pape will serve as the judge for the 2010 Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowships.

He’s the author of nine books of poetry, including American Flamingo, winner of the Crab Orchard Open Competition Award; Sunflower Facing the Sun (University of Iowa Press), winner of the Edwin Ford Piper Prize; Storm Pattern, Black Branches, and Border Crossings (University of Pittsburg Press). Greg has received two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a Pushcart Prize, the Richard Hugo memorial award for poetry, the Vachel Lindsey poetry award, and others. His poems have appeared widely in magazines, anthologies, and text books, including The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, Poetry, The Viking Western Reader and Writing Poems. He has led poetry writing workshops at colleges and universities around the country and, since 1987, has been a member of the University of Montana Creative Writing faculty in Missoula. Read more about Greg at http://art.mt.gov/resources/resources_poetlaureate.asp

At the Casper College Literary Conference Oct. 8-10, 2009, Greg will read from his work together with the fellowship winners.

The fellowship application will be available on this blog by the end of the week, and also will be on the WAC web site at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us. I will e-mail info to the wyolitmail list this week and also mail applications via the USPS to everyone on the WAC lit mailing list.

Postmark deadline is June 29, 2009.

For more information, contact Michael Shay, 307-777-5234 or mshay@state.wy.us

Fledgling Laramie Community Theater to stage Alan Newton's "Whiteout" this summer

Did you know there was such a thing as Laramie Community Theater?

Neither did we, not until Theater Director Christopher Stratton called to ask about Wyoming Arts Council grants. The LCT was founded in 2008 by Christopher and fellow theater buff Amiee Ohnsted, who now serves as executive producer. It has produced one play, a series of monologues, which -- according to Christopher -- wasn't exactly a blockbuster. It recently held auditions for "Whiteout" by Alan Newton, who won the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award for this drama. Christopher says that the show will hit the stage in late June at the Laramie Plains Civic Center Theater.

Meanwhile, the organization is looking for funding locally and through the WAC. It has found an ally in the Centennial Community Theatre, which has produced a number of shows since 2003 and draws many of its actors from the Laramie area.

To apply for WAC grants, organizations need a 501(c)3 nonprofit designation from the IRS. The Laramie Community Theater doesn't have that -- not yet, anyway -- so it's searching forn a fiscal sponsor. Wyomingarts sent Christopher the WAC's helpful brochure on "Fiscal Sponsorship," which should provide some good info.

The fledgling theater is selling family memberships for $40 and individual memberships for $25. Free volunteer memberships also are available. Business sponsorships start at $50.

For more info, go to the theater's web site at http://www.laramiecommunitytheater.org/.

Call for entries: New American Paintings mag

Found this on the Montana Arts Council blog:

Last Chance : Call for Artists

Juror: Terrie Sultan, Director, The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY

AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, MN, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY -- If you live in one of the western states, we have a great juror this year! Terrie Sultan, Director of the Parish Art Museum in New York and formerly the Director of the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston, will select forty artists to be in the 2009 western states edition of New American Paintings magazine!

If you have not yet sent in your entry, you still have a bit of time to do so! Submit your work and help us make this one of the best West editions to date.

All styles: painting, drawing, monoprints, mixed media; 2-D only. Entry fee is $45.

All entries need to be received by May 8, 2009

Send: four images (prints/printouts or slides of current work; no discs please), resume, entry fee SASE, stamped envelope for notification and material return to: Open Studios Press, 450 Harrison Ave #47, Boston, MA 02118

Questions: (617) 778-5265 or www.newamericanpaintings.com

May 8 early-bird deadline for Jackson Hole Writers Conference

May 8 is the last day to register for the Jackson Hole Writers Conference at the early bird special rate of $355.

Also keep in mind that the deadline for receiving quality feedback on your own writing is May 23. Manuscript critiques are an important part of the conference.

Find out more at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference web site or on the blog at http://jacksonholewriters.wordpress.com/

Georgia's new creative economies initiative

The State Arts Action Network newsletter distributed by Americans for the Arts carried this interesting story about innovative ways that the State of Georgia is using to promote its creative economies:

The Georgia Department of Economic Development and Georgia Tourism Foundation have combined forces in the creation of a new state creative economies initiative to help creative businesses grow and prosper in the "Peach State." Artists, craftsmen, and others can apply for the right to display the initiative's logo on their products and in their galleries or stores.

The main tool being used in the effort is a new website called Georgia's Creative Economies: Georgia Made, Georgia Grown Products. The site features searchable databases for artists, places to visit, and products offered around the state. In addition, a map breaks down the state into its nine travel regions, so visitors can find information about the creative economy in the specific area they live in or are planning to visit.

The site also contains a link to a creative economy brochure that has been produced, as well as a You Tube video promoting the cause.

Tina Welling hits the road with second novel

This news comes from Jackson novelist Tina Welling:

Tina Welling's new novel Fairy Tale Blues, published by NAL/Penguin, is available now at all Barnes & Noble book stores and many independents. The novel is about a marriage. On the night of her twenty-sixth wedding anniversary, AnnieLaurie does the unthinkable. She walks out on ther celebration dinner. Time for a sabbatical and some soul-searching in Florida. While her husband Jess hikes and skis, resisting all changes, in Wyoming, Annie comes up with Five Marriage Rules to help her out.

This is Tina's second novel. Her first, Crybaby Ranch, is also available.

She will be offering writing workshops this summer in Casper with the Wyoming Writers Conference June 5-7, and in Jackson at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference June 25-28, and Sheridan at the Sheridan Library July 17.

Join Tina Welling and Jackson Hole Llamas on a llama trek into the unforgettable world of Yellowstone National Park. Awaken your senses and discover a greater intimacy with the wilderness through simple writing exercises guided by Tina. Explore vast meadows and abundant waterfalls of the Bechler region. Let the liveliness of the natural world pull words and stories out of you. Scheduled for September 15-18. For further information: www.jhllamas.com and www.tinawelling.com

Nancy Weidel signs new book May 5-6

Nancy Weidel, the author of the most recent book on the early history of Cheyenne, will be at the Wyoming State Museum for two book signings, May 5 and 6.

Weidel will be on hand from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on May 5 and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., May 6 to sign her Images of America book, Cheyenne 1867-1917. Through the use of photographs, the book explores Cheyennes early history.

Weidel, a senior historic preservation specialist for the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, shows the reader how the Magic City of the Plains, quickly evolved from a tent town to one of the most sophisticated cities west of the Mississippi River.

This is Weidel's second book, her first, the widely popular Sheepwagon: Home on the Range, explores the history and mystique of the sheepwagon.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

For more information about this and other State Museum programs, please call 777-7022.

Fund to Find Craig Arnold has hired independent search-and-rescue team

Here's the latest update from the FIND CRAIG ARNOLD Facebook page:

5/5 9:18 a.m. EST: Thanks to the money raised through The Fund to Find Craig Arnold, we have been able to engage the help of an independent search and rescue team (1SRG) who arrived at Kuchino-erabu yesterday afternoon. The local authorities brought the team up to speed, and they immediately began searching; they believe they have picked up Craig's trail. They will be on the island until the 9th, looking, though obviously we all hope Craig will be found before then. However, the official search for Craig has been called off by the Japanese authorities. We need everyone's help contacting their local congressional delegation and asking their assistance in encouraging the Fukuoka consulate to engage local US military/DOD assets on the ground in Japan. They have been thinking about it and we need them to move forward with that as quickly as possible.

Contribute to the search fund at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5149253

Call for entries: Poets of the American West

This was sent by Utah lit guy, Guy Lebeda:

Many Voices Press is now soliciting submissions for Poets of the American West, an anthology of poets from western states. Poems by Christopher Howell, Marilyn Krysl, Sandra McPherson, Robert McDowell, David Romtvedt, Joy Harjo, Greg Pape, Melissa Kwasny, Robert Pack, David Wagoner, Katharine Coles, Kim Addonizio, Dana Gioia, Robert Wrigley, Alberto Rios, Marvin Bell, David Lee, Dixie Partridge, Kim Stafford, Lawson Inada, William Pitt Root, Reg Saner, Maurya Simon, Garrett Hongo, Henry Carlile, Maxine Chernoff, Mark Halperin, Gary Gildner, Lisa Steinman, Jane Miller, Ilya Kaminski, Ellen Bass, and many other have already been selected. We would be honored to review a submission from you.

• No fee. (A $12 fee is OPTIONAL for those who wish to enter the competition. Visit manyvoicespress.fvcc.edu for competition guidelines.)
• Please send 6-12 poems and a short bio to the address below. Or you may email your poems, bio, and data sheet as Word (.doc) attachments.
• If any of the poems have been previously published, please indicate where. Poems previously published must include name of magazine, issue, and date. If the poem was previously published in a book, include title of book, publisher, and date. Important: Authors must obtain reprint rights. MVP can not pay reprint fees. (On the other hand, we've had 100% cooperation obtaining reprint rights for no charge from a wide variety of publishers. We are a non-profit service organization, dedicated to expanding the audience for poetry and bringing to light new talent. Donations are tax deductible.)
• After publication of Poets of the American West, all publication rights revert to the author.
• All poets from WA, CA, OR, ID, UT, MT, WY, CO, NM, AZ, and NV are eligible.

Many Voices Press aims to publish the best poems available. Recently we published Poems Across the Big Sky, a richly diverse anthology of Montana poets. We are especially interested in new or established voices of the American West. In addition to poems in English, we are seeking poems in Native American languages or in Spanish.

What Are We Looking For? We are most interested in poems that offer original insights into contemporary life in the American West. We are open to all poems of merit, regardless of style, though narrative poems accessible to a broad readership are most likely to catch our
attention.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information. We hope to see your poems soon! PLEASE SHARE THIS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS WITH YOUR FELLOW POETS.

FMI: Lowell Jaeger, Editor, Many Voices Press, 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, Montana 59901; 406-756-3907; manyvoicespress@fvcc.edu

SPCR Commission meets in Sheridan

In conjunction with the "Living Upstairs in Wyoming" conference May 11-13 in Sheridan, members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet May 12-13 in the Solitude Room of the Sheridan Holiday Inn from 1:15-5 p.m. May 12, and 8 a.m.-noon, May 13.

During the meeting, the commission will receive divisional updates and discuss a variety of State Parks and Cultural Resources issues, including Land and Water Conservation Fund grant applications, departmental budget cuts and the recent move of the State Museum's artifact storage to the Unicover Building in Cheyenne.Also while in Sheridan, the commission will visit Trail End State Historic Site.

The commission advises 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.

Dan Hayward photo wins "People's Choice Award" at Governor's Capitol Art Exhibit

From a press release by Gary Schoene of the SPCR Public Information Office:

Five Wyoming artists received purchase awards totaling $8,300 during the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition reception recently held at the Wyoming State Museum.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal presented purchase awards at the event to Dan Hayward, photo, "Mammoth Hot Springs (show above, 58"X33.5")," and Travis Ivey, oil painting, "STOP/Jeffrey City," both of Laramie; Helen Hoff, photo, "New Growth," of Casper; Joan Sowada, textile, "Goldfish Dialogue," Gillette; and Todd Kosharek, acrylic, "Western Cathedral," Jackson.

Additionally, Hayward received the People’s Choice Award, a selection made through voting of those in attendance at the reception. Sue Sommers of Pinedale, received the Bobby Hathaway Juror’s Choice Award from Juror Ivar Zeile, owner and director of the Plus Gallery in Denver. Sommers produced an intaglio watercolor booklet titled, "Nine Views in Wyoming’s Wind River Range."

The pieces receiving purchase awards will be included in the Capitol Art Collection and are now eligible for display in the offices of the state’s five elected officials. The governor, first lady, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, state superintendent of public instruction and representatives from the Division of Travel and Tourism selected the purchase award recipients. This year’s show features 30 pieces by 26 artists selected by Zeile from 111 applicants.

The Capitol Art Exhibition is on display at the Wyoming State Museum, located at 2301 Central Ave. in Cheyenne now through June 6. Remaining pieces are available for purchase. The entire collection can be seen online at artsparkshistory.com. Call 307-777-7022 for more information.

P.S.: Dan Hayward is on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster. Bring him to your community through an Arts Across Wyoming grant. To apply, go to http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/Grants/EApps.asp

Card-making workshop with Carol Richards

Gallery reception and "Footloose" at Cam-Plex

Next Thursday, May 14, will be a busy one at the Cam-Plex Heritage Center in Gillette.

From 4-6 p.m., the Cam-Plex gallery hosts a reception for Karen Jensen and her exhibit "Trophy Taking." The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be up through May 29.

At 6:15 p.m., Cam-Plex kicks off its celebration of the "Footlose" 10th anniversary tour with a costume contest, followed by the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for youth, seniors and military. For ticket info, contacvt 1-877-CAMPLEX or visit www.cam-plex.com

Virginia student wins Poetry Out Loud honors

Danielle Then, a student at Guernsey-Sunrise High School, traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to compete in the Poetry Out Loud national finals. Last fall, Danielle was chosen the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud champion at a competition in Cheyenne. While Danielle didn't finish among the twelve finalists, the Wyoming Arts Council applauds her efforts as she became one of only 53 students in a competitions that involves 1,500 high schools and 300,000 students.

Learn more about Wyoming Poetry Out Loud by contacting Linda Coatney at the WAC at 307-777-7742 or lcoatn@state.wy.us.

Here are the national results from a National Endowment for the Arts press release:

William Farley of Arlington, Virginia, won the title of 2009 Poetry Out Loud National Champion in Washington, D.C., April 28.

Farley receives a $20,000 award and his high school, Washington-Lee High School, will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals were held last night at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. Farley was among 12 finalists and 53 state champions from around the country who participated in the fourth national poetry recitation contest, sponsored by the National Arts Endowment and the Poetry Foundation.

William Farley's final recitation for the evening was "Danse Russe" by William Carlos Williams, a wry look at a middle aged man's fancies and foibles. When asked if it was hard to inhabit the voice of an older man, he said "not at all. The hardest thing to do was not laugh while I read it."

As part of the recognition, Farley also will have the opportunity to recite a poem at the rededication of the Lincoln Memorial in May 2009, an event sponsored by the National Park Service in Washington, DC.

The second-place winner was Barbara Gooding of Western Hills High school in Frankfort, Kentucky, who received a $10,000 award. The Illinois State Champion, Kareem Sayegh of University Laboratory High School in Champaign, Illinois, received the third place prize and a $5,000 award. In addition, each of the top 12 finalists received a $1,000 award. The twelve finalists' schools received $500 each for the purchase of poetry books.

The other 12 finalists include Erik Hollis of Arizona; Kaleena Rose Kovach of Colorado; Madeline E. Roger of Kansas, Will Whitham of Maine; Peter Winfrey of Missouri; Mido Aly of Ohio; Wiyaka His Horse Is Thunder of South Dakota; Stanley Andrew Jackson III of Texas; and Audrey Kiely of Vermont.

Guest judges presided over the competition, including Garrison Keillor, host of the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion," award-winning actress Tyne Daly, journalist Jeffrey Brown, founder of Quest: arts for everyone Tim McCarty, and poets Suji Kwock-Kim, Patricia Smith, and Luis Rodriguez. Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant gave a special performance of poetry-inspired songs. Scott Simon of National Public Radio served as master of ceremonies.

On April 27, 53 high school students – Poetry Out Loud champions from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands – competed in three semifinal rounds based on geographic region. Twelve students advanced to compete in the National Finals on April 28. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including physical presence, articulation, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, and accuracy. Students performed poems from the Poetry Out Loud print and online anthologies (www.poetryoutloud.org). The event was the culmination
of a pyramid-structure competition that began last September among schools across the country.

Season begins for 2010 WAC fellowships

At this time each year, my thoughts turn to the Wyoming Arts Council fellowship programs.

As most of you know, the WAC offers fellowships in four categories: creative writing, Blanchan/Doubleday, performing arts and visual arts. We just wrapped up the last category on the list at the visual arts symposium April 2-4 in Laramie. Names of all of the 2009 fellowship winners and honorable mentions will be in the spring issue of Artscapes newsletter, due out the week of May 18.

Meanwhile, I've been working on recruiting a judge for the 2010 creative writing fellowships in poetry. This seems like an easy task, as there are more published poets in the U.S. than there are cabbies with Ph.Ds (and some of them are poets too).

I usually make a top ten list and work my way down it until I find a fine candidate who can judge the fellowships and can also come to the Casper College Literary Conference where we annually hold the fellowship reading. The first poet I asked has a fellowship that takes him overseas for a year. The second one is buying a house and moving this summer so didn't want to lose all the Wyoming manuscripts in transit. The third one didn't like the sound of my voice. The fourth...

You get the picture. I'm awaiting word now from a very fine poet from a state bordering Wyoming. I will get an answer this week and then have the applications a few days after that. I've already moved the deadline back from June 19 to June 29, which still gives us plenty of time to promote the competition and for Wyoming poets to enter.

One other complication. Casper College was shifting around the dates for its literary conference. The fall is a tricky time to plan an event, even one that's been going on for more than 20 years. There are always conflicts, so you just do your best to land on a weekend with the fewest number of conflicting arts-oriented events. Also, if you're planning an event in Laramie, make sure you don't butt up against Homecoming or home games against CSU or BYU.

The Casper College Literary Conference will be held Oct. 8-10 in Casper. We're planning a great line-up of poets and prose writers, and hoping for decent weather.

Updates will appear on these pages. Until then, you can check out applications from last year's fellowships at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/IndArtist/index.asp

Get more info from me, Mike Shay, by e-mailing mshay@state.wy.us or calling 307-777-5234.

"Going Green Party" May 7 in Laramie

You are invited to a "Going Green Party" to celebrate the release of the new book, "Going Green: True Tales from Gleaners, Scavengers and Dumpster Divers," on Thursday, May 7, 6-9 p.m., at Coal Creek Coffee in downtown Laramie. Books will be provided by Laramie's Night Heron.

Three of the Laramie authors featured in the book -- Jeffe Kennedy, Julianne Couch and Chavawn Kelley -- will read from their work.

Editor of "Going Green" is Laura Pritchett of Fort Collins, Colo., who served as the Wyoming Arts Council's creative writing fellowship judge last year.

FMI: jeffe@jeffekennedy.com