Murie Center hosts nature photography workshop June 15-18 with Henry H. Holdsworth

Teton Spring Awakening Nature Photography Workshop with Henry H. Holdsworth

Dates: June 15-18, 2011
Location: The Murie Ranch – A National Historic Landmark in Grand Teton National Park
Description: Join the Murie Center and nationally renowned local photographer Henry H. Holdsworth for a long weekend learning how to capture the essence of beauty in the valley.
Price: $1,345 includes lodging for 3 nights in a Murie Ranch cabin, all meals and tuition; $995 includes all meals and tuition only.

The Murie Center is pleased to welcome back Henry H. Holdsworth for a spring workshop that will focus on wildflowers and wildlife, with baby animals being one of the primary focal points. Enjoy a long weekend stay at the Murie Ranch while learning to photograph the wildness and wildlife of the surrounding valley under the direction of such an accomplished photographer. Register Online »

Summer's coming (eventually) to northwest Wyoming

From "Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam" exhibit at the BBHC

Despite the continuing snow, Wyomingites in know that summer is drawing near when the roads open in Yellowstone National Park and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody expands its hours. Here's info about the latter::

On Sunday, May 1, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center shifts into its summer season schedule -- open daily 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. The summer schedule remains in effect through September 15.

The busy season brings four special exhibitions to the Center. On tap for this year are:
• Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam, a photography exhibition, April 15-Aug.7.
• Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation, April 29-October 2.
• Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: Arts and Crafts from the Heart Mountain Internment Camp, June 1-Sept. 6.
• Dressed Just Right: An Evolution of Western Style from Function to Flamboyance, June 3-Oct. 2.

Other activities this summer include:
• Plains Indian Museum Powwow, June 18 – 19.
• National Day of the American Cowboy celebration, July 23.
• Buffalo Bill Invitational Shootout, August 11 – 13.

Committed to connecting people with the Spirit of the American West, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center weaves the varied threads of the western experience—history and myth, art and Native culture, firearms technology and natural history—into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, operating its spring schedule of 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through April 30, moves to summer hours of 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. May 1. For general information, call 307.587.4771 or visit www.bbhc.org.

"Artists in the Environment" Plein Air Summer Series announced by Grand Teton Assn.

The Grand Teton Association presents the 2011 “Artists in the Environment” Plein Air Summer Series schedule:

Greg McHuron

Date: June 11, 2011

Location: Chapel of Transfiguration

Time: 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Plein air painter Greg McHuron (shown in photo) co-founded “Artists in the Environment” with landscape artist Conrad Schwiering, and has been painting in the Western United States for over 35 years.  Represented in galleries and museums throughout the West, he is a signature member of the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painter Association and Artists for Conservation.

Greta Gretzinger

Date:  July 9, 2011

Location:  Mormon Row

Time:  2:00-5:00 pm

Greta Gretzinger is known for her large scale murals depicting wilderness landscapes and wildlife.  Based in Idaho and the Jackson Hole area, Gretzinger’s lively and illustrative portraits of Western life appear in public spaces and local parks throughout the region.  

Scott Christensen

Date: August 13, 2011

Location: Cathedral Group

Time: 2:00-5:00 pm

One of the country’s most distinguished plein air artists, Scott Christensen's work is part of Grand Teton National Park’s Craig Thomas Visitors’ Center prestigious permanent collection. Christensen’s paintings are included in significant national venues, such as the National Academy of Western Art, Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum  in Oklahoma City, OK,  the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY, Denver Art Museum, Kimbal Museum, Salmagundi Club in New York, Autry Museum, and the Salon d' Arts at the  Colorado History Museum.

Erin C. O’Connor

Date:  September 10, 2011

Location:  String Lake

Time:  2:00-5:00 pm

Artist Erin C. O'Connor finds her greatest inspiration by painting directly within the environment. Noted for her participation in many prestigious Plein Air events, she is represented in collections and exhibits throughout the country. O’Connor was awarded the 2009 Joshua Tree National Park “Artist-in-Residency” post. 

Information: Tammy Christel. Email:  tammy@jacksonholearttours.com   Phone:  307.690.1983

Andrea Two Bulls will demonstrate beadwork and painting at Colter Bay Center

Colter Bay Visitor Center & Indian Art Museum on Jackson Lake

From Monday, September 27, through Sunday, October 4, Ogalala Sioux member Andrea Two Bulls will demonstrate beadwork and painting as part of the visiting American Indian artists program. Begins at 9 a.m.,  Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum, Moose. Info: 739-3393, http://gtnpnews.blogspot.com/2010/05/american-indian-guest-artists-program.html. Free, but national park admission required. This will wrap up the 2010 series of programs.

Open house at Fossil Butte National Monument

National Parks Service photo of Finney Specimen

Tour the six new exhibits at Fossil Butte National Monument featuring more than 200 new fossils such as mammals, birds, turtles, insects, flowers, seeds and leaves and trace fossils of swimming fish. See fossil preparation demonstrations, too. Other exhibits will also be on display and include geology and prehistoric road trip timeline. Refreshments will be served. Fossil Butte is one of the richest fossil sites in the world.
 
Where: Fossil Butte National Monument visitors' center, nine miles west of Kemmerer on U.S. Highway 30.
 
When: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 9
 
FMI: 307-877-4455, http://www.nps.gov/fobu/index.htm

NHTIC celebrates anniversity with "A Day at the Rock"

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper is celebrating its tenth anniversary with some special summer activities:

July 11, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Guided Hike: A Day at the Rock

Independence Rock was the beacon in the desert for adventurers, explorers, fur traders and emigrants. This granite monolith is one of the most famous landmarks along the historic pioneer trails.

BLM interpreter Jason Vlcan will present a program that includes the sharing of pioneer diary and journal entries. He will discuss the experiences of the pioneers when they passed this landmark over 150 years ago. Vlcan will also lead a guided hike as the group searches for names of emigrants who carved their names and dates into rock.

This family-friendly hike is part of the BLM’s “Take it Outside” initiative, which encourages families and youth to explore the great outdoors.

Participants will leave the Trails Center in their own personal vehicles at 9 a.m. and return back to Casper by 2 p.m. The program is free, but space is limited. To make reservations, contact Vlcan at 307-261-7783 or 307-261-7780.

July 11, 3 p.m., NHTIC program: Taking the Path Less Traveled: A Modern Day Pioneer on our Historic Trails

April Whitten can relate to the experiences of emigrants on our historic trails like few others. In 1999, she joined a wagon train and traveled from Nebraska to California, walking most of the way.

Her responsibilities included gathering terrain, location, weather and environmental data, and documenting her journey through journals and photographs. Her journey was funded by the National Park Service.

During her travels, she maintained detailed journals and took thousands of photographs. Whitten will present a one-hour program about her journey. She will also discuss the importance of protecting and preserving the remaining traces of our historic trails. Following a break, participants will be encouraged to ask a modern-day pioneer questions about her adventure.

Whitten, of Applegate, Ore., is a geoarcheologist, and her research focuses on migratory routes and historic trails. She is author of, “Are We There? And Lessons Learned Along the Way."

FMI: Lesley A. Collins, 307-261-7603

"Humans, Bison and Elk: The Archaeology of Jackson Hole" presentation July 8 in Grand Teton N.P.

From a University of Wyoming press release:

Jackson Hole's rich archaeology history is the topic for the summer seminar series Thursday, July 8, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Ken Cannon, Utah State University Archeological Services director, will discuss "Humans, Bison and Elk: The Archaeology of Jackson Hole" at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, north of Leeks Marina. A barbecue will be held at 5:30 p.m. with a $5 per person fee; reservations are not required. For more information, call the UW-NPS Center at (307) 543-2463.

Past research work along the Wilson-Fall Creek Road on the National Elk Refuge, and in southern Teton County, have revealed insights about the valley's original occupants. Cannon will discuss some of the key sites that have contributed to the current state of understanding about the inhabitants and how they made a living in one of the most beautiful valleys in the world.

Work by visiting Native-American artists on display at Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum

Check this out on your travels through GTNP:

Grand Teton National Park sponsors a program for visiting American Indian artists at the Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian Arts Museum. Artists participating in the program represent tribes from across the U.S. Guest artists exhibit daily. Monday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. in the lower level of the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum. Artists also offer their finished work for purchase.

Through May 30 -- Willie and Debbie LaMere, Shoshone, knapping, beadwork and flint

Admission to GTNP will be free on the weekend of June 5-6.

FMI: 3070-739-3393 and http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm

Join Sept. 17 camera safari to the Tetons

From a press release:

Wildlife artists Lindsay Scott and Leo E. Osborne will accompany a unique ‘Mini Safari’ into Grand Teton National Park on Thursday, September 17. The early morning camera safari – led by Wildlife Expeditions, a division of non-profit Teton Science Schools – is part of the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Western Visions fundraiser, for which Scott and Osborne are 2009 Featured Artists. Guests will enjoy firsthand advice and commentary from the artists as they travel by customized safari-style vehicles through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, experiencing a variety of native birds and animals during prime early morning viewing hours.

The Mini Safari takes place from 6:30-11 a.m. on September 17, departing from the museum, 2.5 miles north of Jackson. Tickets for the event are $125 for museum members, $150 for non-members; call 307.732.5412 to register. A discounted lunch will be available in the Rising Sage Café at the museum following the trip. Western Visions is the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s largest annual fundraiser. Signature Western Visions events including the 22nd Annual Wild West Artist Party, also on September 17, and the 22nd Annual Miniatures and More Show & Sale, September 18, coincide with the popular Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.

In addition to their Mini Safari participation, New Zealand-based painter and conservationist Lindsay Scott and U.S. sculptor Leo E. Osborne will present live demonstrations, participate in a Featured Artists Panel Discussion, and have specially created pieces sold at live auction during the Miniatures and More Show & Sale, September 18. For a full schedule of Western Visions events, visit http://www.westernvisions.org/WesternVisions/CalendarEvents/.

A member of Museums West and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe and has been featured in media including the L.A. Times and New York Times. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events are available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org/.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Zeenie Scholz, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5437, zscholz@wildlifeart.org