Plein Air for the Park" reception July 13 at GTNP Craig Thomas Center

Jennifer Hoffman, The Clouds Roll In, 12x12 inches

On Friday, July 13th, the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP) "Plein Air for the Park" Gala Opening Reception and Sale takes place at Grand Teton National Park’s (GTNP) Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitors Center (CTDVC) 7:00 - 9:00 pm, with presentations of artist awards at 7:45 pm. New works painted in the Park over the preceding two weeks will be exhibited; award-winning paintings will become part of GTNP's permanent collection. Forty percent of the proceeds from the sale of works at the show will benefit Grand Teton National park through the Grand Teton Association (GTA), the Park's supporter and provider of Park-related educational, interpretive and scientific materials and programs.

The show is open to the public during the CTDVC's regular business hours all day Saturday and until 4 PM on Sunday, and all works are for sale. GTA will have docents manning the gallery during those hours.

Plein Air for the Park" will hold a Quick Draw on Thursday, July 12th, at CTDVC, 4-6:00 pm--beneath a Tetons late afternoon summer sky. Free and open to the public, the Quick Draw will feature 32 of the event artists completing a painting, start-to-finish, in two hours. Paintings may be purchased at the Quick Draw, for fixed, full retail prices. Quick Draw works may also be included in the exhibition and sale taking place at CTDVC July 13th - 15th.

“We want to make sure that patrons attending the QD know that if they see a painting they like at the QD, they may purchase it,” says RMPAP President Steve Datz. “They can do this by flagging down a docent. The artist will advise them of the price and title, and will have a frame and wire ready for the finished painting. Patrons MUST be present to purchase QD works, and must take their new purchases with them at the conclusion of the QD. Since these will be wet paintings, we will not be able to store or ship them. The QD is a sale, as opposed to an auction.”

Datz notes that this entire show will be created during the 12 days prior to the opening.

“That’s about 130 paintings that didn’t exist on July 1,” he says. “That’s no small thing. In a way, you can look at that body of work as a "snapshot" of GTNP during that time. It's a cross section of all the various aspects of light, weather, landscape, and activity, whether wild or human, in the Park during that 10 day slice of time. I expect it will be quite a diverse and impressive exhibition, and I am hopeful that it will be as surprising as it is delightful.”

Jackson Hole artists Jennifer Hoffman, Erin O’Connor, Kathryn Mapes Turner, and Lee Riddell will all have works on display.

"My people, my tribe!" exclaims O'Connor. " This is a collection of the most talented artists I know, with both styles and humors running the gamut. Imagine the challenge: paint your own immersion in the Jackson Hole landscape, no matter the weather or circumstances, in a matter of days. Imagine the kind of people who can pull that off. They are dedicated, determined souls with astonishing skills and a willingness to let Mother Nature run them ragged. I've participated in the RMPAP national events for 10 years, and I've yet to decide which is best - the amazing artwork that is created in these wild places, or the wild laughter and camaraderie of the artists creating."

Hoffman notes that as long as there’s even been an idea for it, artists have been intimately involved in the creation and preservation of National Parks.

“I am honored to take part in this rich history and to be able to share my passion for art and nature in a way that will benefit a place that I love,” she says. “I think it will be a special experience for park visitors to see artists creating works on location from start to finish – it’s the kind of thing that becomes a lifetime memory.”

“In thinking back to the contributions of Thomas Moran, John Clymer and Conrad Schwiering, it is easy to see that here has been a long history of artists in this area,” says Turner. “Their art made a significant impact on our understanding of this place. Landscape artists have a special relationship with the land, so I see this event as a celebration of our magnificent valley.

Riddell views RMPAP's event as a celebration of the place she's called home for over 35 years. Always excited to see how artists interpret the Park and its surroundings, Riddell takes pleasure in understanding what moves artists and how their feelings are put into their paintings; she looks forward to meeting RMPAP's artists and taking part in her first Quick Draw.

"I am honored to be one of the 'invited guest artists' this summer, and am looking forward to painting with Jen, Kath, Erin and Greg, as well as friends who are RMPAP members not living in Jackson," Riddell says. "And, it will be fun to meet members I do not know yet. I learn so much from other painters!"

At Grand Teton Association: Jan Lynch - 307-739-3406

For more information log onto http://www.rmpap.org/, or contact RMPAP's Steve Datz: steved@acsol.net Phone: 970-640-1879. Grand Teton Assoc.: 307.739.3406

Singer/songwriter Jeff Finlin subject of short film

Our Colorado musician friend Jeff Finlin, who plays quite frequently in Wyoming, and will be playing a house concert July 7 in Casper, is the subject of a short film by film maker and artist Sally Van Meter for her BFA.

Check out Jeff's website as well. He has a new CD available.

Creativity takes many forms!

Call for entries: Ruminate Magazine's 2012 Kalos Foundation Visual Art Prize

CALL FOR ENTRY: Ruminate Magazine's 2012 Kalos Foundation Visual Art Prize

DEADLINE: August 15, 2012

Ruminate Magazine: "Chewing on Life, Art and Faith" announces the 2012 Kalos Foundation Visual Art Prize. This year's competition will be juried by award-winning artist Bruce Herman. First place winner will receive a $2500 cash prize along with publication in Issue #26 of Ruminate Magazine (set to release in mid-December 2013). Runner-up recipient will also be published in Issue #26. The prize is open to all mediums and artists of all levels; no geographical restrictions. Entry Fee: $20 Entry fee also includes a complimentary copy of Issue #26.

TO SUBMIT: please visit our website to upload 3 images that represent a larger body of work, as well as an artist statement. Artists must have professional quality digital images of that larger group of works available upon request.

Call for artists: Only a few booth spaces remaining for 17th Street Arts Festival

Artists in all media are invited to apply to participate in the inaugural 17th Street Arts Festival Aug. 17-18 in downtown Cheyenne. Purchase awards are being committed and Friday night will be a gala event for art patrons and the public. The event will be held on the Dinneen North parking lot, located at 400 West Lincolnway and 17th St. between Thomes Avenue and Pioneer Avenue. Last chance to apply! Space is limited!

Show hours are Friday 5-9 p.m. (catered artists' party) and Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Booth fee is $100 (special inaugural year pricing) for a 10x10 space inside a large tent with electricity.

Contact Bev Bowman at the DDA office for information or an application 433-9730 or mailto:orbev@downtowncheyenne.com

FMI: http://artscheyenne.com/calendar-item/inaugural-17th-street-art-festival-in-downtown-cheyenne-call-for-art/2012-05-31

Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund board approves $758,858 in grants

As many as 41 Wyoming cultural and heritage projects and sponsoring organizations will benefit from $758,858 in grant awards from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund.

The grant awards, approved by the five-member Cultural Trust Fund board at a recent meeting in Casper, came from 50 total applications. Requests totaled more than $1.4 million, with requests capped at a maximum of $50,000. This year’s grant recipients anticipate generating $10 in matching local support for every $1 received from the Cultural Trust Fund.

See the entire list at http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/CTF/ViewNL.aspx?NLID=65

Bas Blue Theatre holds "Buffalo Gal" benefit for volunteer fire department

This isn’t a Wyoming event but recent wildfires have impacted all of us in the region. The Guernsey State Park fire in Platte County was one of the first in the recent spate of fires, and there have been several others in Wyoming since then. The largest (and nearest to Cheyenne and Laramie) has been the High Park fire above Fort Collins. So…

Bas Bleu Theatre Company, 401 Pine Street in Fort Collins, Colo., is holding a benefit for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department

Buffalo Gal performance on Thursday, June 28, 2012, 7:30 p.m.

Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department.

Cash, check or credit card only please.

Buffalo Gal by A.R.Gurney, directed by Rebecca Hilliker, featuring Wendy Ishii as Amanda

BUY TICKETS

Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition purchase awards announced

Purchase award winner Michele Farrier of Alta, "Stateline Road," pastel, 18" x 20", $800.00. Michelle's work
 will be on display as part of the Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition
 this weekend at the Hynds Building in Cheyenne.  

This was announced Tuesday by the Wyoming State Museum:

Purchase Award recipients for the 2012 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition have been announced, and will be recognized during the show’s awards presentation ceremony Saturday, June 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne.

An exhibition of all 70 artistic pieces included in this year’s show will be on display at the Hynds Building June 30 and July 1, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We will be purchasing eight artworks from this year’s show,” said the show’s coordinator and curator, David L. Newell. “That is up from six from last year’s exhibit. This year’s show also includes 70 artworks, as opposed to 43 last year.”

This year’s eight winning artists include: Mack Brislawn, of Laramie, for his painting “Somewhere in the Powder River Basin;” Travis Ivey, of Laramie, for his painting “Spring Thaw on the Little Laramie;” Tony James, of Cheyenne, for his photograph “High Plains Thunder;” and Georgia Rowswell, of Cheyenne, for her mixed media composition “Paint Pot – Yellowstone.”

GCAE purchase award: Georgia Rowswell, Cheyenne, "Paint Point-Yellowstone,"
mixed media - compressed fiber, 21" x 21", $1,500.00

Also included are Shane Steiss, of Green River, for his mixed media composition “Aspen #14;” Michele Farrier, of Alta, for her pastel “Stateline Road;” Michael Flicek of Casper for his photograph “Prehistory Revealed;” and Joy Keown, of Laramie, for her painting “Rising From the Plains.”

“In a Hard Place,” a painting by Laramie’s Jerry Glass, received the Juror’s Choice Award.

“All of this year’s winning artworks have distinct Wyoming themes, in addition to being stunning works of art.” commented Newell.

The Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition is an annual juried group show. All the remaining artworks in the Hynds Building show are for sale, as are the works in the adjoining Artist Alley. All sales benefit the purchase fund for the permanent art collection at the Wyoming State Museum.

Established under an initiative by Governor Jim Geringer and organized under the auspices of the Wyoming Arts Council and the Wyoming State Museum, the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition forms a collection of original Wyoming regional art for display in state offices. Works receiving Purchase Awards join this growing collection of prestigious art. The state’s five elected officials and representatives from other state agencies participated in the program to select the Purchase Award winners.

Another GCAE 2012 purchase award goes to Shane Steiss of Green River
for "Aspen #14," mixed media collage, 48" x 24", $500.00

Poet and novelist Naomi Shihab Nye: "Hope in Our Pockets"

“Hope in Our Pockets: An Evening with Poet & Novelist Naomi Shihab Nye” on Thursday, June 28, 8 p.m., Center for the Arts Theatre, 240 S. Glenwood St., Jackson.

Poetry has never been far away, in any of our lives. It's as close as hems and collars, the pockets we place our treasures in, the tiny glittering stones we find on our walks in the world. What use, this gathering? What use, this life with language as one's closest friend? Naomi Shihab Nye describes herself as a “wandering poet.” She has spent 37 years traveling the country and the world to lead writing workshops and inspire students of all ages. Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas, and her experiences traveling in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity. Presented in collaboration with the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. Free. Adult Humanities Coordinator, Oona Doherty, 733-2164 ext. 135, odoherty@tclib.org.

Soft pastels workshop by Linda Lillegraven June 30 at The NIC

From a NIC news release:

The Nicolaysen Art Museum will host a basic soft pastels workshop with noted Wyoming artist Linda Lillegraven on Saturday, June 30, from 12:00-4:00pm. Attendees will learn the proper techniques for using chalk pastels, tips and tricks on how to blend pastels and will create their own artwork. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn the basics from a professional artist. Please pre-register by Thursday, June 28th by calling 235-5247 ext. 126.

Pricing (includes all materials):

$45.00 for NIC members
$30.00 for students with valid ID
$55.00 for non-members

Linda Lillegraven (Laramie, WY) loves the austere, open landscape of the West’s high plains and paints them both in oils and pastels. Her widely acclaimed paintings are in the permanent collections of the Wyoming State Museum, the Nicolaysen Art Museum, the University of Wyoming Art Museum, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and the Old West Museum among others. She has been in the Arts for the Parks Top 100 for four of the past seven years and in the Top 200 for six of those years.

For more information please call 307-235-5247.

Call for entries: ArtSpot!

The Center of Wonder announces a bigger stipend and longer installation time. Artists will be awarded $2000 for creating an ArtSpot that will be displayed from September 1, 2012 through March 15th, 2013.

Submit your concepts by June 27, 2012.

Artists will be notified by July 8th, 2012.

Submit to: artspot2012@gmail.com

Download Guidelines here.

Artwork will be installed by September 1, 2012 and hang through March 15,th 2013.

For Information please contact: Carrie Geraci/Director, Jackson Hole Public Art: 307-413-1474 or Jen Simon/ Project Coordinator, Center of Wonder: 307-413-0672

Mechanical Specifications: The ArtSpot structure is 22 feet tall, and the sign itself is shaped like an upper case "P". The interior of the rectangle potion is 10' H x 6' W x 1' D. There are bolt holes and strong points throughout the structure to connect to.

Located on Hwy 89, the ArtSpot is seen by an average of 30,000 people per day. The ArtSpot is a kinetic sign structure that was designed and built by the Center of Wonder's Public Art Ambassador Bland Hoke. It was created from a repurposed chairlift tower donated by the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

In addition to the Center of Wonder the ArtSpot has received support and funding from: First Interstate Bank, First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, The Wyoming Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, Cultural Council, and Farmers Market, the Karns Family, the Art Association of Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, JH Whitewater, Custom Iron Design, Evans Construction, G&S Engineering, The Teton Group & amazing volunteers.

Western & Jahiel team up for Wyofile profile of custom bridle and bit craftsman Tom Balding

Tom Balding in his shop. Photo by Adam Jahiel.

Two Wyoming Arts Council fellowship winners teamed up to profile custom bridle and bit craftsman Tom Balding in the latest issue of WyoFile.

The story was written by Sheridan’s Sam Western, a 2012 creative writing fellowship recipient in fiction and author of Pushed off the Mountain and Sold Down the River: Wyoming’s Search for its Soul. The excellent photos were shot by Adam Jahiel of Story. Adam has received two WAC visual arts fellowships and his “Cowboys on the Range” exhibit was seen in 2008 at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.

Sam explores Tom Balding’s intriguing life and delves into the details of his craft:

His passion for the last 28 years… has been horses and what riders use to influence their behavior: bits and spurs. Some of the world’s top riders use his custom-crafted products.

Balding’s snaffle bits, many made with gleaming bits of stainless steel, have a stark, sleek look. They feature mouthpieces of copper inlaid sweet iron, a cold-rolled carbon steel preferred by horses because the rusting tastes sweet.

His shanks, western-style bits connected together by a metal bar, range from bare-bones pieces of modern art to the more ornate, decorated with silver plate or initialed in bronze. They go by the name of Switchback, Steamboat, and Diamond Cross.

That's just a sample. Read the entire story at http://wyofile.com/2012/06/tom-balding-custom-bridle-bit-craftsman-was-inspired-when-bucked-off-a-horse/

New work by Wyoming glass artist Laurie Thal

From Jackson glass artist Laurie Thal: "I just installed these 14 pieces of glass in a private residence in Madison, WI. The two story atrium has wonderful light that changes throughout the day. Their office upstairs looks out onto the glass, giving a different view than the entrance below. The blown spheres are approx 14" diameter, and the fused & slumped ribbons vary from 20" to 36"."

Laurie's collaborative pieces with artist Lia Kass were featured in the 2009 Wyoming Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition.

Wednesday Night Live debuts July 11 at The Nic

Every Wednesday evening beginning at 5:30 p.m. (starting July 11): This year, the Nicolaysen Art Museum kicks off Wednesday Night Live – its live, 8-week summer concert series – on July 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Live concerts are free and listeners are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets so they can relax while enjoying a variety of music. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase from local vendors. Performers for the summer series will be posted soon! Go to http://www.thenic.org/

Buffalo Community Theatre holds organizational meeting tonight

From a press release:

Buffalo Community Theatre Meeting: If you, or your children, are interested in participating in a theatrical performance, please join us for our second community theatre meeting on Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 5:30pm. Everyone is welcome, performers, stage crew, costumers, musicians and more. The first show is tentatively set for the week of August 6th through the 11th, 2012. For more information please call 307.620.2244.

Photo essay: "Play Ball" sculpture dedication at Torrington Correctional Facility

Artists Tom and Jean Latka of Pueble, Colo., created "Play Ball," the Art in Public Buildings sculpture dedicated June 21 at the Wyoming Medium Correction Institution in Torrington. Photo by Annie Hatch.



"Play Ball" sculpture in the entrance cupola of the Correctional Facility. Materials in the sphere are fused dichroic glass and stainless steel. According to artist Jean Latka, each of the glass disks is engraved with a positive message such as "tolerance," "compassion," and "forgiveness." "I though of it as a prayer," she said. Because the glass changes colors with the changing light, "you always encounter it in a different way," said SPCR Director Milward Simpson at the dedication ceremony. Photo by Annie Hatch.



Close-up of dichroic fused glass disks. Photo by Sue Castaneda.

Presentation of dedication plaque at June 21 ceremony. Pictured  (from left to right): Artists Tom and Jean Latka; Warden Steve Hargett; Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert; State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson; Wyoming Arts Council Manager Rita Basom. Photo by Annie Hatch.

Film Festival schedule in Lander Thursday & Friday

Giant crawfish invade Jackson!

Young performers from five states get scholarships to Snowy Range Dance Festival

News from UW:

The University of Wyoming's Department of Theatre and Dance has awarded scholarships to young performers to attend the university's annual Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival July 11-22.

Students participate in 11 days of intensive study with distinguished faculty from around the country. Festival activities include seminars, student performances, lectures and two evenings of discussion with teaching faculty.

Scholarships were awarded after an audition process and provided by long-time dance festival supporters at UW, in the Laramie community and by additional donors in the state of Wyoming and beyond.

The festival concludes with public performances. The free student showcase is 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, in the College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

The gala concert is 4 p.m. Saturday, July 21, in the College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Scholarships were awarded to the following students:

Aurora, Colo. -- Elly Shin, Cherry Creek Dance.

Casper -- McKenna Silva, Rocky Mountain School of Dance.

Centennial, Colo. -- Ariana Hartanov, Cherry Creek Dance.

Cheyenne -- Elizabeth Daly, En Avant Dance Studio.

Denver, Colo. -- Olivia Arthur, Emma Knor, Seamus Paert and Charlotte Thayer, all with Cherry Creek Dance.

Grand Junction, Colo. -- Sydnee Kimmel, Absolute Dance.

Jackson -- Quinn and Riley Liljestrom, Dancers Workshop.

Jay, Fla. -- Cydney Covert, P.A.C.E. Studio.

Pace, Fla. -- Alyssa Quigley, P.A.C.E. Studio.

Rapid City, S.D. -- Katie Beck and Mariah Brewer, Prima School of Dance; and Heidi Carlson, Chandraya Foos and Avery Lux, Academy of Dance Arts.

Scottsbluff, Neb. -- Mackinzie Gregory, The Dance Company.

Torrington -- Davin Gerrard, 28th Avenue Dance Studio.

Windsor, Colo. -- Taylor Cox, Canyon Concert Dance.

Photo: Choreographer Rosy Goodman is among the instructors at the University of Wyoming Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival.

Patti Fiasco at Evanston's Beer, Brats and Bluegrass Festival June 23