Artists' reception for Pinedale's public art initiative Feb. 8 at Sublette County LIbrary

Sue Sommers' mural "Our Glittering World" in downtown Pinedale

Pinedale’s public art initiative, IN|SITE EX|SITE, hosts an artists reception on Friday, February 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Sublette County Library. Artists contributing work to the community will be honored, including Bronwyn Minton, JB Bond, Kirsten and Palmer Klarén, and Sue Sommers.

In Memoriam: Rod McQueary

We end of the year on a sad note. Rod's poetry enlivened almost every Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. He served on the WAC artist roster for many years. Recluse, Wyoming, won't ever be the same. R.I.P., Rod.

Rod McQueary

July 16, 1951–December 29, 2012

Beloved husband of Sue Wallis; treasured father of Porter, Cecile, Ian, and Justine McQueary, stepfather of Isaac Wallis, Megan Kruse, and Rys Martin; Boppa of Ezra, Cora, and Maddox Kruse; son of Eloise, and brother of Lyle and Neil McQueary; who has touched the lives of so many, many family, friends, compadres, and like-minded souls who appreciated his articulate wit…has followed his father Howard over that Last Great Divide. He was the epitome of kind.

A memorial service will be held at the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada at 10 am on Wednesday, January 2^nd. Instead of flowers, please send generous contributions to the Western Folklife Center for the support of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the center of the art and the culture that Rod defined his life by, and the gathering place of his far flung friends. 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada, 89801.

If you can make it to Elko on Wednesday, please come ready to share stories, songs, poems, and especially jokes. After a short service in the G Bar Three, we will have a potluck dinner in the Pioneer Saloon, please bring something to share. Rod’s daughter Ceci is putting together pictures and videos…if you have images of Rod that we can include please send them to cecilem@cashmanpro.com.

Family and friends will gather again on the full moon of July in Ruby Valley, Nevada and Bitter Creek, Wyoming to scatter his ashes over the mountains and ranches that he rode for the majority of his life.

Please feel free to forward and post, call each other and hold each other close…he loved you all so much…

Cowboy Christmas Poetry Gathering Dec. 15 at Buffalo High School

Think "local arts" on Small Business Saturday

On Nov. 24 (or any day) in Wyoming, shop small, shop locally, shop creatively. Check out the links on our sidebar for artists, performers and writers in your community. Buy a homegrown painting, a CD, a book! Buy your loved one a ticket to a local play or concert. See more ideas on the Small Business Saturday Facebook page. You can get free downloadable signage at www.shopsmall.com. 

Cheyenne Family YMCA launches Holiday Craft Fair season Nov. 3

FMI: 307-634-9622

Jersey boys Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi head line-up for tonight's "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together" benefit concert

From the New York Daily News:

Forty years ago, Bruce Springsteen serenaded a loving girl named Sandy in “Fourth of July, Asbury Park."

Now he’s joining forces with other artists to raise money for the victims of a vicious storm with the same name. 

Christina Aguilera, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and Sting will join the Boss in a benefit concert Friday at 8 p.m. at the NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center. 

Jimmy Fallon and Brain Williams will emcee the event.

The show, titled “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together,” will be shown across the entire NBC Universal Network, viewable on NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA. 

Money raised will be donated to the American Red Cross to provide shelter, food, emotional support, and other assistance to the millions affected by the disaster. 

The personal connection among stars like Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Sting and Joel to the storm-ravaged areas couldn’t be more obvious. Both the Boss and Bon Jovi hail from New Jersey, which has endured some of the greatest hardships in the catastrophe.

And Springsteen has always chronicled disaster, from decline ("Atlantic City") to terror (the post-9/11 song, "My City of Ruins").

Joel grew up on Long Island, also hard hit by the storm, which is something of a coda to his song, "The Downeaster Alexa" about the hard life on Long Island's waterfront.

To donate, visit www.redcross.org or call 800-RED-CROSS.

Donations of $10 will also be added to your cellphone bill by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. 

WOW announces Nov. 10 deadline for Affordable Art Show

This Works of Wyoming (WOW) exhibition will showcase Wyoming artists working in varied media. Works are to be retail priced under $100. We'll be promoting this event as an alternative to the big box store's Black Friday. This was our most successful event last year for sales, and we're expecting even more this year! Back up inventory should be anticipated. Submit up to 5 pieces for consideration in the following categories: original 2-D paintings, drawings, mixed media, printmaking, digital media, & photography. 3-D work: sculpture, metal, ceramics, glass, jewelry and mixed media. All work must be new to the gallery at Works of Wyoming (not previously shown), not mass produced, and copyright adherent. All work must be suitably framed, mounted, and wired for installation. Non-glare glass is preferred for photography purposes. Jurors reserve the right to disqualify any work not suitably presented, or any work not corresponding to the entry image or community standards. Size restriction for 2-D work: Outside frame dimensions no larger than 100 total inches.

How to Submit: submit up to 5 images of work via email to:wow@uwyo.edu as an attachment in jpeg format. Please include title, media or technique, & size of the work in the body of your email. Application will be sent upon acceptance.     Schedule:  Nov 10:  Deadline for email submissions  Nov 13: Email notification  Nov 17: Work delivery deadline to begin set up. Nov 23-24: Opening of the show is Black Friday & Saturday, 10- 6pm. Join Us for cookies and a warm mug of hot chocolate. Help sell your and other's work! Jan 5: Show closes at 6 pm  Jan 8-9: Artist pick up their work     *When shipping work, pre-calculate the return shipping and enclose a check for that amount (made payable to WOW) with work. Application forms will be emailed to accepted artists and must accompany work, along with artist statement. $15 entry fee for accepted artists- NO CHARGE for members of WOW. Receipt of the completed application form constitutes your agreement to all conditions established in this prospectus. WOW will provide insurance for all work while onsite; artists are responsible for insuring work in transit. Consent to use photos of work for promotional purposes is assumed unless otherwise stated by artist. Sales: Wow promotes the show via website, email marketing, social marketing, posters, and press releases. Artists will set their own selling price. Wow will retain a 30% commission on all sales in the gallery and commissioned pieces as a result of the show. Questions? We are here to help! WOW Gallery/Gift Shop (307-460-3304), email: wow@uwyo.edu

Timely topic for cultural institutions: "Disaster Preparedness and Response Training"

Press release from the Wyoming Museum Training Network:

Are you part of a local historical museum? Or a local library? Or archive? Do you have responsibilities with collections, whether as a volunteer, staff member or board member? Is your organization prepared for a disaster? Remember... those things called storms, tornadoes, forest or grass fires, or water main breaks? What about a “household” chemical spill in your curation facility? The Wyoming Museum Training Network, with support from the Cultural Trust, will be holding a series of workshops around the state on “Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning”. These one-day training sessions on “Writing a Plan” are open to all historical and cultural institutions including museums, libraries, archives and other institutions with collections. The sessions are for staff, board members, volunteers, or docents.

• The first session is Saturday, November 24, hosted by the Laramie Plains Museum in Laramie. Additional sessions are:
• Tuesday, November 27 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, Cheyenne;
• Friday, November 30 at the Crook County Museum & Art Gallery in Sundance;
• Tuesday, December 4 at the Converse County Public Library in Douglas; and
• Thursday, December 6 at the Goshen County Public Library in Torrington.

To sign up for any of these one-day sessions, contact Judy Knight at 307-760-7427 or via e-mail.

There will be a two-day follow-up training in March, 2013, when the Disaster Preparedness/Response Planning documents will be reviewed and drills will be conducted with local first responders and emergency coordinators invited to attend along with county cultural collection managers.

Silk painting, pastels and snowflake-making on the schedule for next Art Design & Dine

Art Design & Dine, Cheyenne's monthly in town art tour is happening on Thursday, November 8, from 5-8 p.m . This month features a silk painting demonstration at The Ancient Sage, The Art Abandonment project at Artful Hand Studio and Gallery, a pastel show at the Nagle Warren Mansion and much more. Go to www.ArtDesignDine.org for all the details.

What is the Art Abandonment project?

Artful Hand Gallery located at 302 East 1st Avenue will be holding its annual snowflake-making party during the next Art Design & Dine. This year come and make one for yourself and one to abandon! Also Win Ratz will be showing participants how to make an origami envelope to put the snowflake and Art Abandonment tag in. This event is free and family friendly! For full details go here.

Zak Pullen inks new album cover for John Kirlin & The High Plains Drifters

Latest album cover by the energetic Zak Pullen of Casper. CDs are for sale at Zak's Corridor Art Gallery and Derby Boutique in downtown Casper. The band will be selling them when it plays at the Wonder Bar on Oct. 12 and at Galloways on Oct. 13.

"Bilingual Music & Stories: De Colores" Oct. 8 in Jackson with Jose Luis Orozco

"Bilingual Music & Stories: De Colores" with Jose Luis Orozco
Monday, Oct. 8, 6-7 p.m.
Jackson Elementary School Commons, 155 N. Jean St.
Free!

José-Luis Orozco, bilingual educator, children's author and recording artist, will give parents important demonstrations of how to use music, rhythm, games and songs to develop and nurture language and literacy skills, as well as promote cultural diversity and positive self-esteem. This highly interactive workshop brings the rich heritage of the Spanish-speaking world to children and parents. This program will feature stories and songs in Spanish and English.

Born in Mexico City, Orozco grew fond of music at a young age, learning many songs from his paternal grandmother. At age 8, he became a member of the Mexico City Boy's Choir, and traveled the world visiting 32 countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America. During his tour around the world, he gained the cultural knowledge he now shares with children through his books and recordings.

See more of Orozco and his music and stories at www.joseluisorozco.com or at www.facebook.com/MiJoseLuisOrozco. To learn more about Spanish and bilingual programs at the library, contact the library’s Latino Programs Coordinator, Pati Rocha, 733-2164 ext. 237, procha@tclib.org.

"Developing Multicultural Literacy" Oct. 3 at UW

Investigate "Instigate" with artist Suzanne Morlock Sept. 27 in Jackson

Hands on Pottery in Gillette offers Wine Social & Painting Class Sept. 22

Watch artist and UW grad Dan Toro paint latest downtown Laramie mural through Aug. 31

"Growth" by Dan Toro

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Laramie artist and University of Wyoming graduate Dan Toro has begun work on a mural on the Source Gas building located at Third and Custer streets in downtown Laramie.

Titled “Growth,” it is the second mural of the Laramie Mural Project 2012. It will incorporate images of large trees with deep roots as a representation of community accomplishments. Smaller trees without deep roots appear as wind-blown, broken twigs.

“The image of trees with deep roots is symbolic of the community and, when working together, how much can be accomplished,” Toro says. “When one moves away from the community, little gets done.”

Toro is painting the mural on location through Aug. 31. The public is welcome to stop by to watch him work and view the mural’s progression.

The Laramie Mural Project is a partnership among local businesses and artists, the Laramie Main Street Alliance and the UW Art Museum. It has been funded by the Guthrie Family Foundation, city of Laramie, and the Wyoming Arts Council.

“Growth” is the second of as many as four murals planned for the downtown area this year. “Escape” by Meghan Meier, the first new mural this year, can be viewed at Garfield and Second streets. They join three murals that were completed last summer: “Hollyhock Haven” by Travis Ivey, at Custer between First and Second streets; Meier’s ”Grainery Grove” at the alleyway on Ivinson between First and Second streets at the former Whole Earth Grainery; and Talal Cockar’s “Tierra y Libertad,” First Street between University and Ivinson on the Big Hollow Food Co-op building.

“Imagine learning from the masters” is a guiding principle of the UW Art Museum’s programs. Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Drive in Laramie, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call the Art Museum at (307) 766-6622 or visit www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum  and blog at www.uwyoartmuseum.org. Follow the museum on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/uwyoartmuseum.  

Photo: Dan Toro’s “Growth” will appear on the Source Gas building located at Third and Custer streets in downtown Laramie. (Dan Toro)

At Sod Farm Festival: 16 acts at 20 minutes each to build a school in Nicaragua

From sheridanmedia.com:

This Saturday night, music lovers in Sheridan County will be able to get their fill with 16 acts set to take the stage at this year's Sod Farm Festival to benefit Project Schoolhouse, which builds schools and water systems in Central America. This year's goal is to raise $35,000 for an entire school in Nicaragua. 

Event Organizer Tab Barker says that in order to get through 16 acts in the allotted time, he's taken a page from Vaudeville. Listen to his unique method. 

The Sod Farm Festival will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. at the Green Carpet Sod Farm West of Sheridan. To get there take Big Goose Road until you hit Owl Creek Road, then take a right and follow the road until it ends.

You'll also be able to get a sneak peak of some of the music Friday night, as the band Seu Jacinto from Austin, Texas, which Barker is a member of, will be doing a pub crawl in downtown Sheridan starting at P.O. News at 5:30, and ending up at the Black Tooth Brewery for a set at approximately 8 p.m. Tickets for the Sod Farm Festival are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the WYO Theater, or at the gate Saturday evening.

CLTP looking for volunteers

The Cheyenne Little Theatre Players is looking for a few good volunteers. See the long list of needs at http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org/volunteer.asp?utm_source=Beat+the+Summer+Heat+with+CLTP&utm_campaign=Summer+Heat&utm_medium=email

"Paul Gregg: Caught in Cartoons!" at CFD Old West Museum

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum presents the "Paul Gregg: Caught in Cartoons" exhibit. We are delighted to pay tribute to a notable artist who captured the humor and energy of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Paul Gregg was born in Baxter Springs, Kansas in 1876. At the age of seventeen he left his home to go to St. Louis, Missouri where he attended the St. Louis Art Museum’s School of Fine Arts, an affiliate of Washington University. After he graduated he was hired by the St. Louis Republic newspaper and later with the St. Louis Post–Dispatch. During this time, newspaper photography was in its infancy and he, like other artists, was hired to illustrate news stories, draw political cartoons and to create decorative scenes for the press. Gregg had to rely on his memory, details from reports or even visiting the scene of an event to capture the moment. When he wasn’t working for the newspaper, he was constantly striking out for the West where he made several pack-trips through his favorite countryside.

In 1902, Paul Gregg visited Denver and met with Harry H. Tammen and Frederick G. Bonifils of the Denver Post. He was hired to work for their paper and continued to do so until 1949. His talent in capturing the scenery and people of the West proved to be a great asset for the paper which asked him to paint a new cover for the Sunday Denver Post’s magazine The Rocky Mountain Empire every week. Throughout his long 40 year career with the Post, Gregg painted over 2,000 paintings. One of his favorite subjects was the Indians. He related that he was adopted into the Quapaw Indian tribe along with his parents and sister making him “an Osage Indian once removed.”

For many years, Gregg painted scenes celebrating Cheyenne Frontier Days for the Denver Post, which had a special relationship with the rodeo from its beginning. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum is proud to offer this unique look at the humor, attention to detail and care Paul Gregg used in bringing the excitement of the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo to the people of the Rocky Mountain Front Range.

The Paul Gregg Exhibit can be seen through July 8, 2012. Select pieces will be on display through Frontier Days in the Museum rotunda.

For more information call (307) 778-7290 or visit us online at http://www.oldwestmuseum.org/.

The "Paul Gregg: Caught in Cartoons" Exhibit is sponsored by the Denver Post.

Indie Music Awards winner to perform at Donkey Creek Festival in Gillette

This announcement comes from the good people at the Donkey Creek Festival in Gillette: Tell everyone you know: Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three won (in a tie) for best Americana album at the 11th annual Independent Music Awards! They're playing Saturday, June 23rd at the Donkey Creek Festival!

Lander RiverFest Art & Music in the Park set for July 21

This comes from the Lander Art Center:

Lander RiverFest Art and Music in the Park is scheduled for July 21. Artist booth entries are due June 2.

Hope to see you there!

Click on this link for more info: http://www.pitchengine.com/landerartcenter/lander-riverfest-art-and-music-in-the-park-july-21