Follow Cat Urbigkit's blogs from American Library Association conference

Pinedale writer and rancher Cat Urbigkit will be micro-blogging for the Association for Library Service to Children at the American Library Association annual conference June 23-28 in New Orleans. 

She is a trustee for the Sublette County Public Library System, a first time ALA Conference attendee and an award-winning writer & photographer. She will be doing a book signing at the Boyds Mills Press booth on Saturday afternoon (June 25). Check out her page, Welcome to Cat Urbigkit’s Paradise Sheep.

Cat will have a new book out in the fall. 

Combining the artistry of food and music at Casper College

From a Casper College press release:

Mardi Gras-inspired dishes will be served at the next Casper College Ethnic Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 27, in the Roberts Commons Cafeteria from 5-6:30 p.m.

The Mardi Gras celebration will feature chicken and andouille jambalaya, crawfish court bouillon, okra etouffee, gazebo garden gumbo, confetti chopped salad, red beans and rice, ratatouille, and bananas foster for dessert.

The dinner will feature live music to promote the upcoming Kinser Jazz Festival Feb. 8 and 9 at Casper College.

Advance tickets for the Mardi Gras ethnic dinner will be sold through Friday, Jan. 21 at a cost of $8.50 each. Tickets will also be available at the door for $11 for adults, $7 for ages 6 through 12, and free for children five and under. Tax will be added to all ticket purchases. Because dinners often sell out, advanced ticket purchases are highly recommended.

Tickets may be purchased at the Accounting and Financial Management Office, located in the Leisinger Administration Building, Room 103; the Roberts Commons Cafeteria; and the coffee bars in the Leisinger Administration Building and the Wold Physical Science Center. Cash is accepted at all locations and credit cards are accepted at the cafeteria and coffee bars.

The final two dinners in this year's series will be traditional Jewish dishes featured in conjunction with the Casper College Humanities Festival on February 24, and Hungarian with a special presentation by the Casper College Forensics team on April 14.

The ethnic dinner series is sponsored by the Casper College Diversity Committee, and is presented by Sodexo Campus Dining under Justin Dreslinski with the menu composed by Chef Josh Kronberg.

Reception tonight at Gallery 234 for Rebecca Skinner's photo exhibit "Ghosts of Katrina"

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Rebecca Skinner's exhibition "Ghosts of Katrina: Five Years Revisited" can be seen through Thursday, Nov. 11, in Gallery 234, Room 004 of the University of Wyoming Union in Laramie.

A reception for the artist is scheduled in the gallery Thursday, Oct. 21, from 6-7 p.m. Skinner will share her experiences photographing New Orleans and the ways in which the culture has been effected by the Katrina disaster Friday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Albany County Public Library (310 S. 8th St.). Both events are free and open to the public.

A UW social work student, Skinner says her photography has led her to "many incredible places in the world and has made it possible to work with some of the best companies in the outdoor industry, such as The North Face and Isis."

Combining her love for people and photography, she says she hopes to be a professional photographer with a focus on social justice issues.

Photo: "The Light Switch" is among the photos in "Ghosts of Katrina: Five Years Revisited" on display through Nov. 11 in Gallery 234 of the University of Wyoming Union. (Rebecca Skinner Photo)

Spencer Bohren returns to Casper 10/24

Casper native Spencer Bohren will perform on Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m., at Kelly Walsh High School Auditorium in Casper.

Here's more info from the ARTCORE web site:

Born in wind-swept Casper, in 1950, Spencer's gospel-singing parents provided the foundation for a musical style and career that remain healthy after more than four decades. In the 1950s, with Hank Williams and Elvis Presley on the airwaves, Spencer’s family spent hours gathered around a piano. Spencer says, "My mother didn't have boys and girls. To her we were sopranos, altos and tenors.” Four decades as a "road scholar," concert performer and general fan of humanity have given Spencer Bohren much to share. No one was more surprised than Spencer when Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tune called to invite Spencer to teach at the Fur Peace Ranch, his guitar camp in Pomeroy, Ohio. He offers a veritable treasure trove of guitar technique, lapsteel tricks, and musical knowledge to enthusiastic students around the world.

Contemporary with his recent welcome into the academic world, Spencer has developed a performance/lecture, Down the Dirt Road Blues, which follows a single song's journey from 16th Century Africa through America's culture and history up through the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, utilizing appropriate vintage instruments.

Still actively touring in Europe, Spencer has recorded and released four CD projects with Germany's Valve Records. The second one, Southern Cross, displays a small gallery of Spencer's artwork. In recent years, he has performed in France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Italy, as well as Germany, and is gathering an enthusiastic following in England and Ireland as well.

While the horrific events resulting from Hurricane Katrina's devastating visit to New Orleans in 2005 have dramatically affected Spencer and his family, he, like so many others, has rebuilt his home and life. Spencer's inspired post-Katrina song, Long Black Line, became a post-traumatic touchstone for all of New Orleans, a guiding step in the recovery process.

Get tickets here