Equality State Book Festival presenter Zak Pullen illustrates cover of new album by The Wiyos

Cover illustration by Casper's Zak Pullen.

Casper artist and illustrator Zak Pullen will participate in a panel discussion about children's book publishing on Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m., during the Equality State Book Festival in the Casper College Gateway Building. Also on the panel are Cat Urbigkit, Karla Oceanak and Kendra Spanjer. Zak is the co-owner of the The Corridor Gallery in downtown Casper where the bookfest's author reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m. Zak is branching out to do cover designs for music CDs. His latest is a cover illustration for The Wiyos newly-released album, "Twist." Zak is releasing 100 CD/book combinations at $55 each. That includes a meet-and-greet jam and story session and two tickets to the Sept. 14 The Wiyos' concert at the Wolcott Galleria Theatre, 136 S. Wolcott in Casper. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Also playing will be Ten Sleep's Jalan Crossland and John Kirlin and the High Plains Drifters. A great line-up! We hate to tell you all this because we want you to attend the free bookfest events that continue that same evening at 7:30 p.m. with a reading by Wyoming Poet Laureate Pat Frolander followed by a poetry slam (with emcee George Vlastos) at 8:30. Both events are at the Metro Coffee Company downtown.

Wyoming Pete's "Wild Horse Mountain: Cowboy Poetry, Art and Stories" now available

Wyoming native Bob "Wyoming Pete" Peterson has been writing about and illustrating stories and poems about the cowboy life since 1988. A new book collects that material in one volume. Published by Multicultural Educational Publishing Company of Jerome, Arizona, copies of "Wild Horse Mountain" are available for $35 each from Wyoming Pete by calling 928-460-0039 (cell) or 307-322-3767 (home). You can write to him at 855 Water St., Wheatland, WY 82201. Contact him via e-mail at kathywittman2004 at yahoo.com.

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.

Sheridan Public Arts Committee raising funds for "Huckleberry Daze" sculpture

Social justice film series and cultural workshops highlight Lincoln Community Center activities

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund newsletter features happenings about the WCTF and its grant recipients. Here's news on events at the Lincoln Community Center in Laramie:

Keep your eyes open…there are some new events that will be occurring at the Lincoln Community Center in Laramie this year with a Cultural Program Series under development. The Wyoming Cultural Trust is pleased to help with the development of these new community programs which will be exploring language and culture through cooking and cultural workshops, a social justice film series and continued work with the informal citizen group of the West Side League of Neighbors to protect and preserve the Laramie West Side’s cultural history and personal narratives.

If you’re on the road, traveling through or near Laramie, plan on stopping by and seeing the wonderful work which has already occurred in the rehabilitation of the old Lincoln School on South Cedar Street! The mission of the Lincoln Community Center is to be a social, cultural, education, recreational and healthcare resource for the neighborhood, city and county. A large share of their efforts is aimed at providing programming, services and a conduit for services to people with low incomes or limited opportunities.

For more information about upcoming programs and events, contact Paul Weaver, Executive Director, 307-742-2556 or laramielcc@gmail.com. 

Don King Days features cowboy polo, bronc riding and a concert by Jalan Crossland

Don King Days will take place at the Big Horn Equestrian Center in Sheridan County Sept. 2-3. Ten Sleep's Jalan Crossland will perform at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Events feature classic equine events like polo, steer roping, bronc riding and wild cow milking, both days. The Big Horn Equestrian Center’s few fences and big fields put the crowd right in the middle of all the action. The Don King Days events began when local ranchers came up with this unique combination of equestrian events to be held in honor of King, owner of King’s Saddlery and renowned saddle maker world-wide. King was the recipient of a Governor's Arts Award from the Wyoming Arts Council and a National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA.

FMI: http://www.sheridanwyoming.org/activities/rodeos/don-king-days/

Vanda Edington and Terrie Lombardi team up for "Purely Pastel" opening at LCCC Sept. 12

Save the Date for Purely Pastel on Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., at the Easter and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery at Laramie County Community College. Cheyenne artist Vanda Edington will show her pastel work through Oct. 16. You won't want to miss Terrie Lombardi, a Denver artist who will do a pastel demo and show several of her pieces. There will be a display of pastel, papers, books and a slide show showing the production of pastel sticks at the Terry Ludwig Pastels factory during the reception.

Kids Rock Benefit Concert Sept. 7 at Broadway Theater in Rock Springs

"Terrible Beauty: Three Artists Discuss Content and Aesthetics" Aug. 30 in Jackson

Tina Willis presented her poem "Sagebrush and Cedars" at Pioneer Association meeting during Wyoming State Fair in Douglas

When Tina Willis read her poem “Sagebrush and Cedars” last Thursday at the state fair in Douglas, she was happy to be with her friends in the Wyoming Pioneer Association. In fact, she was happy to be anywhere.  In 2003, Willis slipped into a coma caused by West Nile Virus. When she awoke, she was paralyzed on one side. The doctors diagnosed her with meningitis, encephalitis and West Nile Virus-induced polio. It took the Wheatland rancher years before she could walk again and to write her poetry, which is her passion.

“It was an amazing day,” she said, referring to the Aug. 16 event at the Pioneer Museum. “Amazing that I was able to write the poem and walk forward and read it.”

The Pioneer Association is a Friends-type organization for the Pioneer Museum, according to Division of State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson. It is the only historic site in the state that is a fully functioning museum. The association gathered at the museum Aug. 16 to mark the fair's 100th anniversary.

Willis is a past recipient of a Blanchan/Doubleday writing award from the Wyoming Arts Council. The WAC is pleased to reprint her poem here on the blog:

SAGEBRUSH AND CEDARS

Tina Willis ©April 26, 2012

The ancients were chief, natives born first in this west
Miners, trappers and cowboys stood tall to the test
The wagons and railroads joined the rush of progress
All knew the promise:  Wyoming… best of the best

Could these pioneers survive here and thrive here unafraid?
In the sagebrush and cedars?  Mountains of granite and jade?
Yes, they carved out their homesteads. ..Here they suffered and prayed
They seized her wild spirit…they were gritty and stayed

They laid claim to the landscape and made it their own
They fought drought, cold and lonesome with resolve turned to stone
They loved the red Russell sunsets and the spring grass cologne
They found faith while they pursued solace and courage …often alone 

They laid rail lines and dug gold mines in high aspen stands
They plowed and raised livestock with strong weathered hands
Snow melt filled their dikes where the Canada goose lands
And it was pioneer families who said the Tetons were grand

The pioneers learned to live on hopes, try and will
Working each day with Mother Nature until
They knew every song of the meadow lark’s trill
And rested by the streams in the quiet evening still

They spent days waiting for rain, worked for no pay or wage
Independence and courage were born here in the sage
They wrote history each night on an oil lamp-lit page
Their children’s children grew up strong on her range

The pioneers held the promise to become part of this west
And Wyoming kept her promise ….She’s still the best of best

Next Step Performance Company to hold informational meetings Aug. 26 & 27

Jeff Tish is a freelance theatre scenic designer from Cheyenne who is on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster. He sent this news about a new non-profit organization dedicated to the performing arts:

Next Step Performance Company, a newly formed non-profit organization, will be hosting two informational meetings and Q & A at the Laramie County Library August 26th (Willow Room) @ 2:00 PM and August 27th (Cottonwood Room) 7:30 PM. The public is encouraged to attend. We will discuss the plans for our first season as well as answer questions about public involvement, funding, performance opportunities and our plans for a Performing Arts Scholarship that will be funded by Next Step events.
• No need to RSVP.
• Seating is limited.
• Open to the Public

The NEXT STEP PERFORMANCE COMPANY will be a producing company that will support local and regional programs in Dance, Music and Theatre related performances. At the heart of the NEXT STEP PERFORMANCE COMPANY is our performing arts scholarship program. We will be raising money to give to performance arts students attending college and performing arts schools. We hope you will be as excited in this project as we are.

Please feel free to pass this information to anyone you think may be interested in this. If you have any questions please email me @ jtish52@gmail.com or call me at 307-630-7778.

Save the date for the Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

FMI: Darcee, at Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, 307−637−6458

Linda Lillegraven painting installed at Wyoming Military Joint Readiness Center

Crew installing Linda Lillegraven's artwork at the Wyoming Military Joint Readiness Center

"Wyoming from the Air"

Laramie artist, Linda Lillegraven's new commission for the Wyoming Military Joint Force Readiness Center in Cheyenne was installed today. The oil on linen painting, Wyoming from the Air, is a panoramic view looking down at the Medicine Bow River from 20,000 ft. on a summer day. The painting was created on a curved substrate of fused poplar and masonite to follow the curve of the wall at the Readiness Center. The work was commissioned for the facility through the 1% for Art in Public Buildings Program of the State of Wyoming. It is one of five new commissions created for the facility.

Wyoming Poet Laureate's book of poetry wins WILLA Literary Award

This good news comes from Nancy Curtis of High Plains Press in Glendo: Patricia Frolander's poetry book, MARRIED INTO IT, has won the WILLA Literary Award from Women Writing the West. The WILLA is named for Willa Cather, one of America's best writers. It will be presented in Albuquerque in October and Pat is going to be able to be there. High Plains Press is pleased to be the publisher.

New book features color photographs of life inside the Heart Mountain Relocation Center

From Sunday's Casper Star-Tribune: “Colors of Confinement: Rare Kodachrome Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II” was released in July by University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. It features 65 color images of Japanese Americans incarcerated at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Northwest Wyoming, captured by internee Bill Manbo. It is edited by Eric L. Muller, a board member of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and a Dan K. Moore Distinguished Professor in Jurisprudence and Ethics at the University of North Carolina. The book is available at national bookstores, at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center or at www.uncpress.unc.edu. Cover photo by Bill Manbo. Read the entire Casper Star-Tribune story by Kristy Gray at http://trib.com/news/local/state-and-regional/photo-book-sheds-new-light-on-life-in-wyoming-s/article_5a8deb68-1a35-5d61-b186-575232769c32.html

Flores De Colores dance troupe brings back awards from Las Vegas competition



This display ad from Cheyenne dance troupe Flores De Colores recently appeared in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. The group won a number of awards at a dance competition in Las Vegas. Flores De Colores is on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster.

75th anniversary bash planned for Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails

Happy 75th anniversary to our hard-working colleagues at the Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails:

A two-pronged program celebrating two major events within the Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails is scheduled at Curt Gowdy State Park, August 24, beginning at 4 p.m.

The dedication of the new Curt Gowdy State Park visitor center is scheduled for 4 p.m., near the park’s entrance. Funds for the building were provided through a generous donation by Bass Pro Shops and matching funds from the Wyoming State Legislature. Members of the Gowdy family, architect Randy Byers, Parks officials and State legislators will be on hand. A ceremonial ground breaking will be part of the festivities.

The public is invited to the dedication ceremony. Visitors will not have to pay an entry fee, and the public will be directed where to park.

The new facility, slated for completion June 2013, will feature interpretation of the state park and its founder, Curt Gowdy.

Gowdy, a native of Green River, served as the voice of the Boston Red Sox for 15 years, and became one of the nation’s premier sportscasters. He was the host of ABC’s popular series “American Sportsman,” for two decades.

He attended the University of Wyoming where he started on the basketball team and competed on the tennis team. An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, he spent a lifetime championing Wyoming’s natural beauty and world-class fishing and hunting.

Following the visitor center dedication, a Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites 75th Anniversary Gala will be held at the Hynds Lodge beginning at 5 p.m.

The celebration will be attended by several state dignitaries, including former State Parks directors, and will include a barbecue and entertainment by Wyoming Arts Council roster artist, singer/songwriter Bryan Ragsdale.

For more information, please call 777-6323.

Good Old War will perform at UW's annual welcome back barbecue Aug. 27

From a UW press release:

A barbecue with entertainment by the nationally known indie band Good Old War will launch the University of Wyoming's 2012-13 academic year.

President Tom Buchanan's annual welcome back barbecue is Monday, Aug. 27, at 5 p.m. on Fraternity Mall, and will feature remarks from the ASUW president and vice president. Free food will be provided to students.

During the past three years, indie-folk trio Good Old War has captivated countless audiences with its acoustic-driven, sing-along-inspiring live performances. With the release of its third full-length album, “Come Back as Rain,” the Philadelphia-based band “harnesses the high-spirited simplicity that makes their shows so unforgettable,” according to one reviewer.

For more information or individuals needing assistance to attend this event, call the Campus Activities Center, (307) 766-6340.

Photo: Popular Indie band Good Old War will perform during UW’s annual President’s Barbecue Monday, Aug. 27, on Fraternity Mall.

Dedication ceremony for new Wyoming state flag stamp set for Aug. 23

The Wyoming Postal Service honors Wyoming and the state flag with a dedication ceremony for the Wyoming stamp August 23 at 2 p.m., at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

A part of the new "First Class, Flags or our Nation" series, the public and press are invited to this free event.

“With the release of this impressive stamp we pay homage to the majesty of our state’s flag,” Wyoming Postal Operations Manager Gary Sims said.

Sims will join Governor Matt Mead, Wyoming History Professor Dr. Phillip J. Roberts, and Post Office Operations Manager Catherine Wright during the ceremony.

The stamp is included in the final set of “Flags of Our Nation” stamps, available for nationwide purchase. The stamps are only available on a roll which includes similar flag stamps from other states and territories. The flag stamps are sold as a series, in a coil of 50 stamps only, priced at $22.50. The “Wyoming Flag” Stamp is part of the series and is not sold separately. Stamps will be available in local Post Offices on Aug. 17.

            

The Wyoming State Museum is located at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. For more information about this or other State Museum programs, please call 777-7021.

WOW in Laramie hosting series of "take home" workshops in August

Works of Wyoming (WOW) in Laramie is hosting a few fun "take home" workshops at the end of August. Come learn new skills in a fun relaxing environment with some amazing creative individuals! In “Introduction to Silk Painting,” get hooked on this fascinating art form and create two projects. You'll be completing a silk scarf and pillow topper or wall hanging for yourself or a gift. Fee $34 Saturday, August 25th 2PM. Space is limited so please sign up for workshops as soon as possible! TO SIGN UP CALL GAYLE AT at 307-460-3304.

Nominate your favorite Wyoming arts town for NPR's "Destination Art" series

Downtown Lander, one of many Wyoming arts towns.

NPR has put out an open call for nominations, asking North Americans to describe their favorite arts town:

This summer, NPR’s Destination Art series is going off the beaten path to visit small to mid-sized North American cities that have cultivated lively arts scenes. And we want to hear from you! Where’s your favorite art hot spot? What makes it unique?

NPR’s form is simple and easy to fill out, and this is a great opportunity to get one of Wyoming’s great art towns on the national map!

For some background on the series, the first town to be featured was Marfa, Texas (population: 1,966), which rocketed onto the art world’s radar with the arrival of sculptor Donald Judd in the 1970s. Also featured: Columbus, Indiana and Stratford, Ontario. 

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/01/156306412/whats-your-favorite-arts-town

Neltje's "Don't Tell Me No" exhibit opens Sept. 15 at Tanner-Hill Gallery in Chattanooga

New work by Sheridan County, Wyoming, artist Neltje will be featured in an upcoming show at the Tanner-Hill Gallery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The opening reception for the "Don't Tell Me No" exhibit is on Saturday, Sept. 15. The show runs through Oct. 26. The Gallery’s  web site is http://www.tannerhillgallery.com. It's located at 3069 Broad St., Suite 3, in Chattanooga. FMI: (423) 280-7182. Pictured is "Textures of the Heart," acrylic on canvas, 57x78 inches, 2011.

Jackson Community Book Discussion features Tracy Kidder's "Mountains Beyond Mountains"

Cheyenne NAACP dinner features dramatic presentation of "Manservant York" of the Lewis & Clark expedition

17th Street Arts Festival centerpiece of lively weekend in downtown Cheyenne

Cheyenne artist Georgia Rowswell is one of the 30 artists exhibiting at the first-ever 17th Street  Arts Festival . The title of this piece by Georgia is "Rock Fragment Landscape #1." It is 10" x 20" and is made of compressed strips of cast-off clothing and is contained in an old oak desk drawer. 

The inaugural 17th Street Art Festival is this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18, in the Downtown Dineen Building's 17th Street parking area.

Friday kicks off with an artists' reception from 5-9 p.m. It is open to the public and will be catered by the Plains Hotel. There will be live music throughout the evening and a chance to talk with and purchase original art from over 30 regional artists. 

Saturday's show opens at 10 a.m. and goes till 8 p.m. All day music, arts activities and more are planned for Cheyenne's first 17th Street Art Festival.  

Music, food and coffee drinks at Paramount Cafe's Sept. 1 benefit for county firefighters

Catch the Metal Art Show reception Aug. 24 at the AVA Center in Gillette

Reception for Metal Art Show is Friday, Aug. 24, 6-8 p.m., in AVA's main gallery. Also stop by the "Gone Fishing" show in the front gallery -- free fly-fishing lessons!

Burning House Music Festival Aug. 18 is fund-raiser for John Quarterman Performing Arts Scholarship

Welcome to the fall line-up of literary events around the state

Temps are still in the 90s and it may still seem like summer but fall is just around the corner. As we get ready to swing into fall, it's time to give our readers a head's up about some new and continuing Wyoming events that feature writers and books.

Michael Lanza

Central Wyoming College will wrap up the summer with its first-ever Wind River Outdoor Writers Conference Aug. 24-25 at Sink's Canyon Center. Presenters include blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, who has climbed the summit of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. He will be the keynote speaker for the conference with a free public presentation at Lander Valley High School Auditorium on August 25 at 7 p.m. Other presenters are outdoor writers Michael Lanza and Shelli Johnson and editor Max Phelps.

Wyoming has two big fall literary events. The first has a long title: the Casper College/ARTCORE Equality State Book Festival and Literary Conference. The book festival takes place during even years, such as this one, offering readings, book signings, craft talks, panels, school visits by writers and a poetry slam. In odd years, Casper College and ARTCORE continue a decades-long partnership by putting on the literary conference, a series of workshops and craft talks by notable authors.

Pat Frolander

Among the Sept. 14-15 bookfest participants are state and regional favorites: Pat Frolander, current Poet Laureate for Wyoming; Zak Pullen, Cat Urbigkit, Kendra Spanjer and Karla Oceanak who will be making school visits; Alyson Hagy and David Romtvedt, faculty from University of Wyoming’s MFA program, who will give readings and lead craft talks; and essayist and poet Linda Hasselstrom. From further regions, we are also joined by Rebecca O’Connor and Renee d’Aoust. The Wyoming Arts Council presents the Creative Writing Fellowship awards, which were judged by soldier-poet Brian Turner, and celebrates poetry this year. The 2013 fellowship recipients, Matt Daly, Claudia Mauro and W. Dale Nelson, will read from their award-winning work with Turner on Friday, Sept. 14, 1-3 p.m., in the Goodstein Foundation Library. Our friends at the Natrona County Library are sponsoring a visit from Iraq War veteran and author Luis Carlos Montalvan. Turner will join Montalvan at a panel about soldier-writers on Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.

Speaking of soldier-writers.... One of America's best writers, Tim O'Brien, will be a featured presenter at the annual Literary Connection at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne Oct. 5-6. O'Brien is a Vietnam veteran best known for his novel, “The Things They Carried.” He will conduct a free writing workshop on Friday, Oct. 5, entitled “The Things We Carry.” John Calderazzo, a nature writer and essayist from Fort Collins, Colo., and fiction writer Cat Valente, will conduct other free workshops.

Every county library sponsors a series of events throughout the year. Connect with your local library through the Wyoming Library Asssociation. 

Mark Nowak

UW's creative writing program has a full slate of visiting writers, including Maggie Nelson, Mark Nowak, CA Conrad and Brian Leung. The program's fall schedule culminates on Nov. 9 with “Listening to Nature: an Evening of Readings and Visual Art by Scientists and Artists” features great writing and art focused on nature and the environment. Readers will include Chris Madsen, Emilene Ostlind, and Kristen Gunther. 

Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs sponsors its “Friday Night Live” literary series sponsored by the Louise Wesswick Foundation. English Professor and writer Rick Kempa does a great job coordinating these events. In February, WWCC hosted Utah author Katharine Coles who will also serve as judge for the 2013 Blanchan/Doubleday writing awards sponsored by the WAC (more info coming soon).

We have two statewide writing groups – WyoPoets and Wyoming Writers, Inc. – and they each sponsor annual conferences. WyoPoets conducts a writing workshop each spring and the WWInc conference launches the summer season the first weekend in June. The 2013 conference will be in Laramie.

The Jackson Hole WritersConference is held in late June and has become one of the foremost conferences in the country.

These are but the highlights of the Wyoming literary year. We’ll keep you posted as new events arise, and as conferences and events solidify their plans for 2013. If you have a literary event to publicize, let us know here at the WAC. We'll spread the word via this blog, Facebook, Twitter and our print newsletter. 

The WAC premieres a new facebook page and exciting new content

If you've connected with the Wyoming Arts Council on facebook recently, you might have noticed that we have a new look. Over the past month, the WAC has been moving from a personal profile (the kind an individual maintains) to a fan page. This new format has opened up new possibilities for us, as fans of the arts and Wyoming can now 'like' our page and receive updates from us, while we engage in a network of regional and national arts organizations made possible by social media.

Thus far we have posted some updates on the Wyoming arts scene (like summer music festivals and art exhibitions) and shared stories that inspired us (like a Q&A with Denver's new Public Art Program Manager or the Jackson-connected Burning Man installation "Flutter Tunnel"). But today, as the end of our old page fast approaches (August 13th), we launched a new, original feature Five Questions Friday. In Five Questions we catch up with a Wyoming artist/writer/performer to read their answers to (you guessed it) five questions! For the inaugural post we featured Laramie poet Kristen Gunther, who gave thoughtful and inspiring answers, which should not be missed. Here's a preview to pique your interest: "Compasses, ecology, lots of elk." 

We hope to see (and hear from) you there!

www.facebook.com/wyomingartscouncil

Casper College grad Emily Brantz adapts Orwell's "1984" for the stage

FMI: http://www.caspercollege.edu/sandbox/12.html

Interested in participating in a 2013 Wyoming arts conference? Take our survey

The Wyoming Arts Council is planning a conference focused on building strong arts organizations, boards and administrators to take place in the fall of 2013. We need your input! Tell us what would be helpful to you. This conference will be geared primarily towards arts organization staff and board members. Take the survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WACconf

Job opportunity: AVA Center Executive Director

Energetic Administrator needed for Executive Director position at AVA, Gillette’s growing Community Art Center. Skills needed include ability to multi-task and a working knowledge of Quickbooks and MS Office Suite; must be an effective communicator, dependable and self-motivated. Email resume to cathrinecoulter@gmail.com or mail to same at PO Box 3108, Gillette, WY 82717.

Orange you glad you're going to the NIC's Orange Dinner and Auction Gala?

‘Post 9/11’ film, talk set Aug. 10 in Cody

‘Post 9/11’ film, talk set Friday in Cody - Cody Enterprise:

The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is hosting a film showing and panel discussion at Wynona Thompson Auditorium on Friday.

The event is part of the two-day Pilgrimage Event for the center. The film begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public “Ken Watanabe’s America: Japanese Americans and Post 9/11 America” will be followed by a panel discussion with former congressman and Transporation Secretary Norman Mineta, retired senator Al Simpson, former head of the Japanese American Citizens League Floyd Mori, board chair of Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Shirley Ann Higuchi, and vice-chair Doug Nelson. Board member Eric Muller will moderate the panel discussion.

--clip--

“People will have an opportunity to ask questions and interact with the panel because we’re not here to lecture people – we’re here to have a discussion and learn from one another,” he said.

Mineta was secretary of transportation under George W. Bush during the Sept. 11 attacks. Leger said Mineta’s experience as an internee at the Heart Mountain camp influenced his decisions during the difficult days after the attacks.

“He has many interesting things to say about that time and the pressures,” Leger said.

Abbie Miller in TERRA: TEXTILE Show Aug. 17 at Center for the Arts in Jackson

Tickets on sale now at Shades Cafe, Teton Valley Bookstore, Teton Art Lab and the Center for the Arts Box Office

Tim O'Brien leads a writing workshop on "The Things We Carry" Oct. 5 at LCCC in Cheyenne

Want to take a free writing workshop with one of America's best writers?

Tim O'Brien, author of "The Things They Carried" and "Going After Cacciato," will be at the Literary Connection at Laramie County Community College on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5-6. On Friday, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., he will join two other award-winning writers -- John Calderazzo and Cat Valente -- who will each conduct a free workshop. Tim is a Vietnam veteran whose work continues to explore the legacy of that conflict on the American psyche. Here are the workshop details:

Tim O'Brien: The Things We Carry

"In this workshop I'll be discussing my approach to writing fiction and will touch on such topics as the use of autobiographical materials in fiction, the principle of simultaneity, animating a story, thematic gravitas, etc."

Tim O’Brien received the National Book Award in Fiction in 1979 for his novel Going After Cacciato. In 2005 The Things They Carried was named by the New York Times as one of the twenty best books of the last quarter century.

E.W. Gollings statue almost ready for the Sheridan County Historical Museum

This photo from Billings, Montana's, Meadowlark Gallery home page shows the new statue of "E. W. Gollings" by Marylee M. Moreland which soon will be installed at the Sheridan County Historical Museum in Sheridan.

Blues and brews this weekend in Rock Springs

Help wanted: Lander Art Center seeks program coordinator

The Lander Art Center is seeking a Program Coordinator. Main duties include managing arts programming, financial data entry, and public relations. If you are interested in working at the premier visual art center of central Wyoming, please send a letter of interest and resume to Lisa Hueneke at 224 Main St. in Lander by August 17th. Salary dependent upon experience.

"Upstairs, Downtown" in Laramie Aug. 17

On Friday, Aug. 17, 3-7 p.m., Laramie will hold a "home tour" of downtown's second floor remodeled lofts and apartments. Tickets are $10 per person in advance, $15 the day of and can be purchased at the Laramie Main Street office at 207 Grand Ave. M-F 11 to 3 p.m. or by calling 307-760-3355.

The Upstairs/Downtown tour is sponsored by Mountain Valley Properties, Pence and MacMillian, Advantage Real Estate, The Mortgage Source and Wolf Creek Broadcasting: Hits 106.

FMI: http://www.facebook.com/wyomingartscouncil#!/events/431933180170260/

Drink lemonade -- support dance in Wyoming

Nothing says summer like ice cold lemonade! Stop by and wet your whistle at Dancer's Workshop lemonade stand Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 17-19) during Art Fair in Jackson. DW staff and volunteers will be over at Miller Park all weekend!

More info on the Wyoming Arts Council poetry fellowships

On Monday, the Wyoming Arts Council announced the recipients of this year’s creative writing fellowships in poetry. Here is some additional information on the three winners and two honorable mentions.

The three winning poets are Matt Daly and Claudia Mauro of Jackson and W. Dale Nelson of Laramie. They each will receive a $3,000 award plus a $500 stipend to travel to Casper to read their work at the annual fellowship reading on Sept. 14 at the Equality State Book Festival. They will be joined at the reading by fellowship judge Brian Turner, a soldier-poet who is the author of two poetry collections, Here, Bullet and Phantom Noise.

The fellowship judge also selected two writers for honorable mentions. They are Michael McIrvin of Cheyenne and Kristen Gunther of Laramie.

Matt Daly is the author of Wild Nature and the Human Spirit: A Field Guide to Journal Writing in Nature. His poetry, short fiction and essays have been published in To Everything on Earth, Stories of the Wild and Ahead of Their Time: Wyoming Voices for Wilderness. He grew up in Jackson Hole, teaches creative writing workshops for tweens, teens, and adults, and is a member of the Wyoming Arts Council's artist roster.

Claudia Mauro is founder and director of Whit Press, which publishes work by writers from ethnic, economic and social minorities, young writers and first-time authors. Before moving to Wyoming, she worked for nearly 20 years as a marine science tech and a backcountry pilot in support of private and public environmental projects in Alaska. She's published two poetry collections: Stealing Fire and Reading the River.

W. Dale Nelson’s poetry has been published in The New Yorker, The Nation and other magazines in the U.S., Australia and Canada. Finishing Line Press in Kentucky is publishing his chapbook, Range of Motion. He won a WAC poetry fellowship in 2004 and was the recipient of a 2010 Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award for Nature Writers.

Michael McIrvin is the author of five poetry collections, including Optimism Blues: Poems Selected and New from Cedar Hill Publications, an essay collection and two novels. He's a free-lance editor. Kristen Gunther was born in Maryland and has called southeast Wyoming her home since 2009. She's a recent graduate of the University of Wyoming’s MFA program in creative writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Cutbank and High Country News and has aired on Wyoming Public Radio.

This is the 27th year for the creative writing fellowships sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council. Next year’s category will be creative nonfiction. Applications will be available in spring 2013.

For more information, contact Michael Shay at 307-777-5234 or mike.shay@wyo.gov

Arts in the Parks: Kane's River at Hot Springs State Park Aug. 23

Our colleagues at Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites share this news:

Nationally recognized bluegrass band Kane's River will make a rare Wyoming appearance on Thursday, August 23, in Thermopolis. The free performance will be held in Hot Springs State Park Pavilion at 7 p.m.

The Montana-based band is a five-piece acoustic group known for its high-quality harmonies and hard-driving music that appeals to bluegrass, folk and popular music aficionados. It includes founding members John Lowell, guitar, and David Thompson, bass, both from the Bozeman area; Julie Elkins, banjo, former Montana native, now living in Raleigh, North Carolina; Ben Winship, mandolin, Victor, Idaho; and Jason Thomas, fiddle, Orlando, Florida. Sound will be provided by John Brooks.

The performance is a Wildcat Production and is part of the Arts in the Park series. It is sponsored by Hot Springs State Park, Pinnacle Bank, Centennial Energy, Morning Star Oil Company, Jim Boles/BNSF Railway and Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation. Additional in-kind support comes from Paintbrush Inn, Las Fuentes, Nature's Corner, Black Bear Cafe, Michael & Jacky Wright, KTHE Radio and the Independent-Record.

The group has performed around the United States and Canada at such top festivals as the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Artist Showcase & Fan Fest, Rockygrass, Wintergrass and Winfield.

Songs from the group's two albums reached the top ten on the country’s National Bluegrass Charts. and past performance highlights include the IBMA Artist Showcase & Fan Fest, Rockygrass, Wintergrass, Winfield, and other top festivals and venues around the U.S. and Canada.

FMI: Jacky Wright, Broadway Bygones, 307-864-4070.

WAC announces winners of creative writing fellowships in poetry w/update

The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s creative writing fellowships in poetry.

They are Matt Daly and Claudia Mauro of Jackson and W. Dale Nelson of Laramie. They each will receive a $3,000 award plus a $500 stipend to travel to Casper to read their work at the annual fellowship reading Sept. 14 at the Equality State Book Festival. They will be joined at the reading by fellowship judge Brian Turner, a soldier-poet who is the author of two poetry collections, “Here, Bullet” and “Phantom Noise.”

Honorable mentions in this category go to Michael McIrvin of Cheyenne and Kristen Gunther of Laramie.

This is the 27th year for the creative writing fellowships sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council. Next year’s category will be creative nonfiction. Applications will be available in spring 2013.

For more information, contact Michael Shay at 307-777-5234 or mike.shay@wyo.gov.

UPDATED 8/8/2012: http://wyomingarts.blogspot.com/2012/08/more-info-on-wyoming-arts-council.html

New YouTube video from Bill Boycott sings Daisy's praises

Lander's Bill Boycott, a WAC roster artist, and Dr. Jo sing about Daisy -- "The Best Dang Dog in the USA"

New York Times reviews "new" Buffalo Bill Museum at the BBHC

Edward Rothstein, museum critic for the New York Times, spent some time in Cody recently and wrote a thorough review of the "reconceived" Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, with side trips to the Dug Up Gun Museum, the Cody Nite Rodeo and the Irma Hotel. Read the entire review here. (Thanks to Gregory Hinton, a BBHC resident fellow in 2011, for alerting me to the article.)

Governor Matt Mead announces appointments to Wyoming Arts Council board

Governor Matt Mead has appointed two new board members and two returning members to the Wyoming Arts Council Board.

New board members are Erin Taylor of Cheyenne, Executive Director of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, and Casper’s Holly Turner, Executive Director of the Trails Center Foundation and past Executive Director of both the Nicolaysen Arts Museum and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra.

Reappointed board members are Janelle Fletcher-Kilmer of Laramie and Neil Hansen of Powell. Fletcher-Kilmer is Director of Fine Arts Outreach at the University of Wyoming. Hansen is Chairman of the Music Department at Northwest College.

Stepping down from the board are artist and retired arts educator Ila Miller of Aladdin and David Neary, Lander, Technical Director of the Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company.

“I thank Ila and David for their service and dedication to the arts in Wyoming,” Governor Mead said. “The arts enrich the lives of everyone and this Board has an important role in fostering both the arts and artists in Wyoming. I am pleased to have Erin and Holly join the board and that Janelle and Neil are willing to stay on. They are all contributing time, talent and energy to promote arts in Wyoming.”

The Wyoming Arts Council Board is made up of 10 members who are appointed by the Governor for three-year terms. The board serves in an advisory capacity to the Wyoming Arts Council, and makes determinations on grants awards.

Other board members are:  Karen Stewart, Board Chair from Jackson; Duane Evenson, Gillette; Bruce Richardson, Casper; Chessney Sevier, Buffalo; Leslie Shinaver, Afton; and Tara Taylor, Mountain View. 

The mission of the Wyoming Arts Council is to provide leadership and invest resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.

For  more information on the Wyoming Arts Council, the board members, the schedule of quarterly board meetings and other items, call the Cheyenne office at 307-777-7742 or go to the web site at http://www.wyomingartscouncil.org

Donations to Carbon County Library book sale will be matched by Wyoming State Legislature

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Casper unveils newest public art project Aug. 16

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Public invited to attend Wyoming Arts Council Board events August 9-10 in Kemmerer

The Wyoming Arts Council Board will meet Aug. 9-10 in the Helio Batis Room of the South Lincoln Training and Event Center (SLTEC) in Kemmerer. The meeting will be held Thursday from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. until business is concluded. 

Agenda items include: WAC’s Long Range Plan, the new communications strategy, the Community Arts Partner grant application, a proposal for new Folk & Traditional Arts fellowships, WAC’s grant programs, upcoming WAC-sponsored events, and appointment of WAC Board committees for FY2012/2013. The board invites individuals and organizational representatives to attend the meeting, and a public comment session will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday. For a detailed agenda, contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742. 

Please join us for a public reception sponsored by the Frontier Arts Council on Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the South Lincoln Training and Event Center. 

The mission of the Wyoming Arts Council is to provide leadership and invest resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts. 

Board members are:  Karen Stewart, Board Chair from Jackson; Duane Evenson, Gilltette;  Janelle Fletcher-Kilmer, Laramie;  Neil Hansen, Powell;  Bruce Richardson, Casper;  Chessney Sevier, Buffalo;  Leslie Shinaver, Afton;  Erin Taylor, Cheyenne;  Tara Taylor, Mountain View; and Holly Turner, Casper. 

For more information, contact Rita Basom, WAC, 307-777-7473 or rita.basom@wyo.gov.

Create your own sidewalk art masterpiece Saturday at the library in Cheyenne

From the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne:

Are you an artist? Do you aspire to be? We’ll provide the colorful chalk and you provide the art! Reserve your sidewalk square(s) at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne for Saturday, August 4, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and win prizes! Create your masterpiece by yourself, with your friends or with your family.

Sign up now for your “patch” of sidewalk. Email communityrelations@lclsonline.org or call 307.634.3561.

For more information call the library at 634.3561 or visit the 1^st floor Ask Here Desk, Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne.

Todd Dereemer and Friends perform this Sunday at Botanic Gardens Ice Cream Social & Rally

Todd Dereeemer and Friends will perform at an Ice Cream Social & "Save the Gardens" Rally this Sunday. Great music and free ice cream! Compliments of the Save the Gardens committee.

Where: At the Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Botanic Gardens, Lions Park, Cheyenne.

When: Sunday, August 5, 2-​​4 p.m.

Filmmaker plans second premiere on Sept. 8 for "The Coach: An American Crossroads"

This article was in the latest issue of the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund newsletter: What happens when you have a film premiere event that sells out quickly and you have a waiting list of a 100+ folks…well, if you are Jennifer Tennican and the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, you hold a Second Premiere! Okay, technically it is called a second screening. This locally produced film will be shown at 8 p.m. on September 8 at the Walk Festival Hall in Jackson, as part of the Jackson Hole Arts Festival. “The Coach: An American Crossroads” is a documentary film on the renowned Stagecoach Bar which serves as a prism projecting 70 years of Jackson Hole’s cultural evolution. The film introduces a multifarious cast, including the beloved Stagecoach Band, which has been serving up musical entertainment every Sunday for more than 40 years. Meet the Stagecoach Bar’s first owner Walt Callahan and attend his rowdy rodeos beginning in the 1940s. Then roll through the decades with ranchers, hippies, second homeowners, skiers, downhill bikers, Sunday night toe-tappers, Stagecoach Band members and Disco Night dancers, who all mix it up at this unpretentious and cherished community watering hole. The high-definition film features rarely seen and new discovered historic footage and photos along with interviews from everyone from old timers to newcomers to Western scholars. The WCTF is proud to have helped support this film with a grant to the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum. Additional funders include the Wyoming Arts Council, the Wyoming Humanities Council, the Wyoming State Historical Society and the Wyoming State Historical Records Advisory Board. Tennican donated her $25,000 prize money from the 2011 Wyoming Short Story Film Contest sponsored by the Wyoming Film Office and the Wyoming Office of Tourism for this project. In addition to grants and prize winnings, over 200 individuals, foundations and businesses have supported the project through tax deductible donations. 

Nina McConigley reads from "Cowboys and East Indians" on Aug. 2 at Wind City Books in Casper

Nina McConigley on Medicine Bow Peak, August 2010 (from Nina's Facebook photo album)

Wyoming author Nina McConigley will be reading from her short-story collection COWBOYS AND EAST INDIANS, at Wind City Books, 152 S. Center St., Casper, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2. She was the 2010 recipient of the Wyoming Arts Council’s Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Writing Award. She read from her work – and served as emcee – for the Wyoming Arts Council’s annual fellowship reading at the 2010 Equality State Book Festival at Casper College. Nina was born in Singapore and grew up in Wyoming. She holds an MFA from the University of Houston. She has received scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She also received a full fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and for The Best New American Voices 2009. Her work has appeared in The Virginia Quarterly Review, American Short Fiction, Slice, Asian American Literary Review, Puerto del Sol, and others.

Rabbi Joe Black in concert Aug. 5 in Cheyenne

Rabbi Joe Black will perform in concert on Sunday, Aug. 5, 1:30 p.m. at the Mt. Sinai Synagogue in Cheyenne. He is a nationally known musician, poet, composer, humorist, and recording artist.  He only does a few performances each year. Tickets are $20. For more information and ticket info, please check out the web site, http://mtsinaicheyenne.org/special_events.asp. Ice cream social to follow.