Warning to ruminants: Do not eat this silage!

"Silage" by Suzanne Morlock is made from 13 rolls of water barrier fabric used in construction that the artist got at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The artist warns that "you may see this material pop up in other work!" This public artwork is located very publicly at the old Puzzleface Ranch field on the road from Jackson to Wilson. Look for Suzanne's work in the 2010-2011 Wyoming Arts Council fellowship biennial show which opens Nov. 4 at the Arts Association Gallery at the Center for the Arts in Jackson.

NMWA hosts "Miniatures and More Show & Sale" Sept. 16

Art lovers from far and wide will assemble at the National Museum of Wildlife Art this Friday, September 16 for the 24^th annual Miniatures and More Show & Sale, a hot ticket to a gala evening of fun, refreshments, and high-stakes art bidding – including, this year, a conte crayon sketch, “Bear, Sitting by Tree” (shown above right), by the late, great wildlife art master Bob Kuhn.  

The signature event of the museum’s month-long Western Visions, the Miniatures and More Show & Sale allows connoisseurs a final opportunity to place bids on more than 1,000 artworks for sale.  This year’s guests also will have the opportunity to use a new, more efficient digital bidding system – and to get a peek at the ongoing construction work around the museum’s recent building upfits and much-anticipated new sculpture trail.

“We have plenty to celebrate this year,” says Ponteir Sackrey, Barnes Family Director of Development & Marketing for the museum.  “Our curator of art Adam Harris promises bidding will be exciting for the Kuhn sketch.  At the same time we’re grateful for new paving on our recently reconfigured parking lots and entrance road – and the chance to show off the sculpture trail, for which the final section of concrete was just poured.”

Additional events include special art demos with 2011 Western Visions featured artists:  Daniel Smith will lead a free “Miniature Masterpieces with the Artist” event Sept. 13 from 5 – 7 p.m., and Bart Walter is offering a hands-on program and luncheon on Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., for $60 (prior registration required).  The Sketch Show & Sale and Original Prints Show & Sale will be on view through Sept. 25.  The Jewelry and Artisan Luncheon takes place Sept. 14, with the rollicking meet-the-artists Wild West Artist Party the evening of Sept. 15.  And on Sept. 28, a coffee-in-the-gallery Art A’ Brewin’ event provides a final chance to browse and buy remaining works for sale. 

Bidding is ongoing leading up to the Friday Miniatures and More Show & Sale, which begins at 3:30 on Sept. 16.  Bids are accepted until 6:30 p.m. that evening, with winning bidders announced in a presentation that begins at 7 p.m.; tickets for the event are $75.  For reservations and a complete calendar of events for Western Visions, visit www.wildlifeart.org or contact Jennifer Lee at 307.732.5412.  Anonline catalog allows an opportunity participate in the bidding for those who can’t attend in person.

A member of the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe.  A complete schedule of museum exhibitions and events is available online at www.wildlifeart.org.  The museum is also active on Facebook at wildlifeartjh and on Twitter at @wildlifeartjh.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Ponteir Sackrey, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5444, psackrey@wildlifeart.org.

Focus group for Wyoming artists and arts professionals Sept. 22 at UW

From the UW Art Museum blog:

The Portland Art Museum's Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art, Bonnie Laing-Malcomson, will present a focus groups meeting for artists and arts professionals on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., at the UW Art Museum in Laramie.

The purpose of the meeting is to share information on opportunities for artists of the greater Northwest region (which includes Wyoming), a focus area for the Portland Museum of Art. Laing-Malcomson invites artists to bring CV's, exhibition catalogs, and CD of recent work for the museum's growing collection of contemporary NW artists.

Laing-Malcomson invites attending artists and arts professionals to join her in a no-host dinner following the meeting at Altitude's (320 S Second, Laramie). The event is free. Please RSVP by Sept 20 to Rachel Miller, UW Art Museum assistant curator, if you plan to attend. FMI: 307-766-1121.

WY PBS will screen two films about Prohibition era at UW Sept. 23

Two films about the Prohibition era will be screened Friday, Sept. 23, at the University of Wyoming.

Wyoming PBS and UW will host the screening and discussion of noted filmmaker Ken Burns' latest documentary "Prohibition," followed by a locally-produced film "Prohibition in Wyoming" produced by Debbie Hammons. Both will be shown from noon-1 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public. Food also will be served.

Following a short clip of both films, panelists will discuss with audience members issues raised in the video. Panelists are Phil Roberts and Isa Helfgott, associate professors in the UW Department of History, and Hammons, a former state legislator and UW trustee. ASUW President Megan Degenfelder is the panel's moderator.

Set in the era of bathtub gin, bootleggers and speakeasies, "Prohibition," a new three-part, six-hour documentary series by Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the true story of the rise, rule and fall of the U.S. Constitution's 18th Amendment. It was called the "Noble Experiment," but was in fact one of America's most notorious civic failures, a lesson in the challenge of legislating human behavior, according to the filmmakers.

Wyoming, the last state in the Rocky Mountain region to adopt Prohibition, struggled to stop the sale of illegal liquor. It created a new statewide law enforcement agency, but two of its directors were fired for graft and bootlegging.

Adding to the state's problems, many Wyoming county officials did not enforce Prohibition laws. Federal agents arrived to intervene, but were met with deep suspicion. "Prohibition in Wyoming" features local interviews and insightful historians, who share stories about this unique time in Wyoming history.

Both documentaries will be broadcast next month on Wyoming PBS.

Photo: Two documentaries about the Prohibition era will be screened from noon-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. One of the films is set in Wyoming (Wyoming PBS)

"Wyoming Heritage Online" conference Sept. 28 in Cheyenne

Venice Beske, Special Projects Librarian at the Wyoming State Library, sends this notice:

You are invited to attend a conference titled 'Wyoming's Heritage Online' that will take place on Wednesday, September 28 at Little America in Cheyenne. It is co-sponsored by the Wyoming Library Association and the State Historic Records Advisory Board. A schedule is attached. Please RSVP by completing the following: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HMVBY3M

Murray Building blessed with cherub mural

Today marked the "Signature Ceremony" for the cherub mural on The Murray Building in downtown Cheyenne. About 25 people turned out for the ceremony -- friends, family, supporters and "interns" (Trish, who said there was still some finishing touches that she'd be helping with), as well as the many drivers-by who gawked, honked and shouted their approval. The mural is an attention getter as motorists crest the hump of the Central Avenue overpass going from south to north Cheyenne.

Of course the artist was there to sign his work. Michael Cooper is from Franklin, Tennessee. His southern drawl comes gently over the first syllable of certain words, and then so slightly, if you're not listening you'll miss it. He is a muralist by trade, and couldn't say enough nice things about the people who stopped to talk, to buy him a soda, to discuss the weather and his painting. Ed Murray, sponsor of the project and owner of the building, said that Michael is also a pretty fine guitar player, his rendition of "Let It Be" was the best that he'd ever heard. Michael said, "You need to get out more." The two have become good friends over the project's duration.

The mural design is based on the cherubs of Donatello, an Italian Renaissance artist and sculptor who lived in Florence. At any rate, Cooper transferred the 8 1/2 x 11 inch design to the side of the building, but first had to strip the brick of it's rusted and peeling paint. Then there was brick and mortar patching to be done. Then the base coat had to be painted on, without which the special Keim mural paint (the Superman of mural paints, I'm told) would not adhere. The mural should last for decades, if not longer. Needless to say, this has been a long, probably at times -- like during the 90-degree plus summer days (Michael sports a deep shade of summer tan)  -- arduous task. But his dedication to the painstaking work has certainly paid off in a unique and "not western themed," I heard someone say, public art piece.

So, if you're in Cheyenne, be sure and drive over the overpass and take a look at the mural. You might just get that "Let It Be" feeling.

World-renowned Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company begins UW residency

The widely acclaimed Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (BTJ/AZ) and company founder Bill T. Jones are the University of Wyoming's Department of Theatre and Dance's 2011-2012 Eminent Artists-in-Residence.

The Eminent Artist-in-Residence endowed professorship, established by the Wyoming State Legislature and funded by the Excellence in Higher Education Endowment, rotates among the departments of Art, Music and Theatre and Dance annually.

"When we were thinking about who our next eminent artist should be, we sat down as a dance faculty and tossed out names. I said I would give anything to bring in Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company," says UW dance faculty member Margaret Wilson, who has been working to bring the company to Wyoming.

"We really thought it was a long shot when we asked, but within four hours of us contacting the company, Bob Bursey, the producing director, had responded to us and was excited to come to work in Wyoming," says Wilson.

Widely recognized as one of the nation's most influential dance artists, Jones is a ground-breaking, multi-talented artist, choreographer, dancer, theater director, writer and tireless arts advocate. Named "An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure" by the Dance Heritage Coalition in 2000, Jones has received major honors for his vast body of work, ranging from a 1994 Macarthur "Genius" Award to 2010 Kennedy Center Honors to Tony Awards for his choreography on Broadway.

Now in its 29th year, BTJ/AZ was born out of 11-year collaboration between Jones and Zane (1948-1988). They redefined the duet form and foreshadowed issues of identity, form and social commentary that changed the face of American dance. The company emerged onto the international scene in 1983 with the world premiere of "Intuitive Momentum," which featured legendary drummer Max Roach, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Since then, the 10-member company has performed worldwide in more than 200 cities in 30 countries.

"This is really the most important dance company in the world right now, and Bill T. Jones is arguably the most important choreographer of our time," Wilson says. "His body of work ranges from historical reflection to political statement and exemplifies beautiful development of an artistic idea. His work is provocative and satisfying."

BTJ/AZ begins its program at UW in this month with a 12-week residency of two BTJ/AZ teaching artists, Catherine Cabeen and Nicole Smith. They will teach classes, lead workshops and help to set several BTJ/AZ repertory pieces for a concert later in the semester.

The BTJ/AZ Company will present the acclaimed dance work "Serenade/The Proposition" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct.5, in the UW Arts & Sciences auditorium.

"The work is a reflection on Abraham Lincoln's legacy and the nature of history that draws from the Civil War era to examine how we talk to each other and to ourselves about the past," Wilson says.

A special screening of the new PBS American Masters documentary, "A Good Man," will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on the UW Fine Arts main stage. "A Good Man" follows Jones and his company for two tumultuous years as they create their most ambitious work to date, "Fondly Do We Hope ... Fervently Do We Pray," an original dance-theater piece honoring Lincoln's bicentennial.

Jones will be in residency at UW Oct. 26-29, to work with students and to teach master classes. He will give the Eminent-Artist-in-Residence keynote speech at 4:10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, in the UW Fine Arts concert hall.

The company's residency will culminate Nov. 15-20 with "Continuous Momentum: The Works of Bill T. Jones." Performed by UW students, the concert will feature four pieces from the BTJ/AZ repertory: "D-man in the Waters," "Continuous Replay," "Duet," and "Power/ful." A tour of the repertory concert is scheduled for Dec. 9-13, with performances tentatively scheduled in Torrington, Gillette, Sheridan, Lander, Riverton, Powell and Rock Springs.

"To do something this intense and long-ranging with our students, was very intriguing to the company and is a tremendous opportunity for us. It really is a dream residency and everything we could have hoped for," says Wilson.

Photo:  Widely recognized as one of the nation's most influential dance artists, Bill T. Jones will be in residency this fall at the University of Wyoming. (Theatre and Dance)

Teresa Jordan & Hal Cannon perform in Buffalo Sept. 14

Cannon & Jordan in Buffalo Sept. 14!

Reception for "Sustainability and the Arts" exhibit Sept. 20 at Gallery 234

Opening reception Sept. 20, 6-7 p.m., UW Gallery 234, Laramie

Nomination deadline is Oct. 7 for 2011 Governor's Arts Awards

The Wyoming Arts Council is accepting nominations for the 2011 Governor’s Arts Awards, an annual honor presented to citizens, organizations, businesses or communities in The Equality State that make substantial contributions to the arts.

The awards are presented based on accomplishments that reflect substantial contributions made to the arts in Wyoming, and exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts. Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 7, 2011.

To request a nomination form, selection criteria and a list of previous Governor’s Arts Awards recipients, contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742, or via email at evangeline.bratton@wyo.gov. Forms may also be accessed on the Arts Council’s web site http://www.wyomingartscouncil.org

Previous Governor’s Arts Award recipients are not eligible; however, nomination of previously unselected nominees is encouraged.

Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize excellence in the arts or outstanding service to the arts in Wyoming. These awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a life-long patron of the arts.

Over the years, individuals and organizations from throughout Wyoming have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming. This year is the 30th anniversary of these prestigious awards. This year’s recipients will be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony in Cheyenne on February 24, 2012.

Through the Governor’s Arts Awards and its many other program, the Wyoming Arts Council fulfills its mission to enhance the quality of life for the people of Wyoming by providing resources to sustain, promote and cultivate the arts.

BBHC switches to fall schedule Sept. 16

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center moves to its fall schedule Friday, September 16, with open hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. seven days a week. This schedule remains in place through the end of October, when reduced winter hours take effect.

Fall also means it’s time for the Center’s annual Patrons Ball on September 24—a black tie benefit gala with gourmet dining, top-notch dancing, midnight breakfast, silent auction, and the raffle of a 1978 Smokey and the Bandit-themed Pontiac TransAm.

For more information, visit www.bbhc.org or call 307.578.4008.

Committed to connecting people with the Spirit of the American West, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center weaves the varied threads of the western experience—history and myth, art and Native culture, firearms technology and the nature of Yellowstone—into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is now operating its summer schedule, open daily, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., but will change to its fall schedule (8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily) on September 16. For general information, visit www.bbhc.org, or call 307.587.4771.

Margo Grant Walsh talks about her exhibit tonight at the UW Art Museum in Laramie

Collector Margo Grant Walsh will present a public art talk tonight at 7 pm at the Art Museum. A selection from Grant Walsh's collection of silver is currently on view in the exhibition, Silver & Metalwork of the 20th Century. The exhibition presents over 200 items from her unique collection that emphasizes design and functionality.

The Art Talk tonight will give an overview of silver and Grant Walsh will also discuss how and why she collects. Tomorrow, she will give a more informal Gallery Walk Through at 4:30 pm and discuss the specific work on view.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information please call 307.766.6622.

Photo: Pampaloni, Pitcher, 1970s-1980s, sterling silver, Florence, Italy, 10 x 6 ¼ x 4 inches,N0027N0027, courtesy of Margo Grant Walsh

WY arts orgs encouraged to complete Cultural Health Survey before Convergence Conference in Cody Oct. 6-8

You are invited to participate in a cultural health survey, which will serve as the basis for a report on the health of Wyoming’s nonprofit cultural community during the upcoming Convergence conference in Cody on October 6-8. We encourage you to participate. The survey is completely anonymous. Click here to go to SurveyMonkey to complete the survey. The survey will be available until September 16. Once you've completed it, head over to the Convergence website to check out the conference and register! Plan to come and learn more about Wyoming's cultural heritage, and how to increase cooperative planning across communities and unite under common goals. A wide variety of Wyoming examples will be available to learn from through interactive sessions and cultural tours.

Buffalo's "Walkabout Gallery" offers public art in unexpected places

Artist Louise Anderson is shown working on her landscape painting of Elgin Park located at Buffalo's Holistic Health Center. Louise's painting is part of the Walkabout Gallery co-sponsored by the Buffalo Downtown Association and the Johnson County Arts & Humanities Council. Vikki Chenette, vice president of the JCAHC, says that the "Walkabout Gallery" is a bit different than most traditional public art projects. "We think that people will be surprised and delighted to find these little things" around town, she said.

David Romtvedt's poem "Falling Asleep" is affixed to the brick wall outside of his wife Margo Brown's pottery shop.  David, who recently stepped down from his position as Wyoming Poet Laureate, told the Buffalo Bulletin that "it is neat to see it where people wouldn't necessarily go hunting for poems." 

Becky Spencer's mosaic, "Majestic Wyoming Wildlife," hangs outside of the Sol DeVallarta restaurant in downtown Buffalo. It is the most recent addition to the "Walkabout Gallery" project.

Cheyennewood site for "Shoot Out" 24-hour filmmaking festival Sept. 23-25

The Shoot Out Cheyenne 24 hour film making festival is set for Sept. 23-25 in downtown Cheyenne. Last year, 21 teams took the challenge and competed for $1000 in top prize money.

You don’t have to be a filmmaker to enjoy the event. The top 10 films will be screened on Sunday afternoon Sept. 25 at the Atlas Theatre.

Production groups of 1 or more are challenged to complete a 7-minute movie in 24 hours starting Friday night, September at 6pm in the lobby of the Historic Plains Hotel.

Contestants deliver their finished movie on a tape or digital file by 6 p.m. on Saturday.

For details, check out the website at http://www.theshootoutchey​enne.com/

Murder at a deactivated Wyoming missile silo at center of Robert Greer's new novel

Wheatland’s Robert Greer has a new book coming out in March 2012:

ASTRIDE A PINK HORSE
North Atlantic Books
Hardcover: March 27, 2012, ISBN-13: 978-1583943694

The Cold War ended years ago, or did it? For Thurmond Giles, a decorated African American Air Force veteran found dead, naked, and dangling by his ankles inside an entry tube to a deactivated minuteman missile silo in desolate southeastern Wyoming, the answer is no. The labyrinthine investigation that follows, led by Air Force fighter pilot Major Bernadette Cameron and ex-college baseball phenom-turned-reporter Elgin "Cozy" Coseia, reveals how the atomic era's legacy has continued to destroy minds and lives.

Robert Greer

Set in contemporary times, Astride a Pink Horse follows Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy's eccentric boss Freddie Dames as they match wits with a gallery of unforgettable murder suspects: a powerful, politically connected cattle rancher, long bitter over government seizure of his land for defense purposes and the expulsion of his son from the U.S. Air Force Academy; a declining 76-year-old WWII-era Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor nephew; an idealistic lifelong nuclear arms protestor; and a civilian Air Force contractor with a 20-year-old grudge against the murder victim. Do three amateur detectives stand a chance against these characters and the conspiracy that may be behind it all?

Robert Greer's trademark mix of vivid eccentrics, surprising plot twists, and political edge makes this one of his most memorable thrillers.

Register now for Convergence Wyoming Oct. 6-8 in Cody

Convergence Wyoming is Oct. 6-8 in Cody.

Travel stipends available for arts & cultural groups as well as individual artists. Call the WAC at 307-777-7742 for more info.

To register for Convergence, go to www.convergencewyoming.com

"Murder Rides Again... in Jackson Hole" runs through Sept. 9

From the Jackson Hole Community Theater:

Howdy pardners!

This is your last chance to catch Jackson Community Theater's wacky wild west murder mystery dessert theater production, "Murder Rides Again...in Jackson Hole.”

In celebration of the Fall Arts Festival, we will present our final shows this Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, Sept. 7, 8 & 9,  7:30 pm at the Elk's Lodge, 270 W. Broadway.

Come help Marshal Duke and Fester figure out who committed the dastardly deed and enjoy some of Miss Liddy's peach cobbler a la mode.

Tickets are available at Valley Books or at the door. Call 690-8573 for reservations and information.

"Dueling Pianos" highlight UW's Family Weekend

Dueling Pianos will combine music and comedy at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10, in the University of Wyoming Union Ballroom. Students and parents attending UW's Family Weekend will enjoy the free public program, sponsored by Friday Night Fever.

Performing on two grand pianos, Michael Scherr and Caz Bzdek play requests for all ages.

"Dueling Pianos is more than just music. It's crowd interaction all by request, comedy and fun all in one - for a hand clappin', knee slappin' foot stompin' sing-a-long time," Scherr says. "Because the crowd determines what we play, no two shows are ever the same."

For more information, call Friday Night Fever at (307) 766-6340 or emailfnf@uwyo.edu .

Photo: Caz Bzdek entertains the audience at a Dueling Pianos performance.

UW Eminent Writer in Residence Ed Roberson reads from his work Sept. 19 at UW Art Museum

Poet Ed Roberson is the second 2011-2012 Eminent Writer in Residence in the University of Wyoming MFA Program in Creative Writing. He comes to campus Sept. 10.

A reception for Roberson, the Distinguished Artist in Residence at Northwestern University, is at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, in the UW Art Museum. He will read from his works at 5:30 p.m. and sign books afterward. The event is free and open to the public. Roberson also will give a reading in Jackson, sponsored by the Teton County Public Library, Friday, Sept. 16.

During his two-week UW residency, Roberson will visit university classes, consult on manuscripts with graduate creative writing students and discuss writing careers with a wide range of campus members. Roberson's residency will be followed in February by nonfiction writer John D'Agata. Previous Eminent Writers in Residence include Edward P. Jones, Claudia Rankine, Joy Williams and others.

Roberson received the Lila Wallace Writers' Award and the 2008 Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. He also is the acclaimed author of eight books of poetry, including "Voices Cast Out to Talk Us In" (1995), winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize, and "To See the Earth Before the End of the World," Roberson's most recent collection that was published last fall. His poetry also has been anthologized in "The Best American Poetry 2004" and "Primary Trouble: an Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry" (1996).

Roberson has worked throughout the world, including Alaska, Afognak Island, Bermuda, the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes, Mexico, Nigeria, West Africa, the Caribbean and the Amazon jungle. Such travels inspire poems that, according to Reginald Gibbons, encompass "startling and just metaphors" and "acrobatic leaps and counter-leaps of thought."

"Ed Roberson is in a school of precisely one. His work is utterly unique, challenging, deeply serious and richly musical," says UW Associate Professor Kate Northrop. "As is the case when one encounters excellent work, I find myself unsure how to respond, how to go about my daily life, after reading his poems. I'm stunned by them."

For more information about the Eminent Writer in Residence program, visit the MFA website atwww.uwyo.edu/creativewriting or email Gwynn Lemler at cw@uwyo.edu .