BBHC offers field trip for Fern-filled Fauna of the Bighorn Basin

Fossilized vegetation of the Bighorn Basin

From the Buffalo Bill Historical Center:

Dr. Scott Wing describes his job like this, “As a research scientist and curator at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History the three major parts of my job are research, collections, and outreach.”

All three come together on July 9, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with a plant fossil field trip to the Big Cedar Ridge in the southeastern Bighorn Basin. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center co-sponsors the outing—dubbed Fern-filled Fauna of the Bighorn Basin—with the Wyoming Native Plant Society, Washakie Museum, and the University of Wyoming Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. There is no charge for the trip; however, pre-registration is required by contacting Emily Buckles at emilyb@bbhc.org or 307.578.4110.

Washakie Museum in Worland receives $10,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts

Washakie Museum and Cultural Center. Photo by David Huber

The Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland is the recipient of a $10,000 Access to Artistic Excellence grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

According to a May 17 NEA press release, the grant will “support a series of visual and performing arts presentations. Project activities will include traveling exhibitions of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers; American Legacy: Our National Parks, On Location with the Plein-Air Painters of America; Montana Repertory Theatre's performance of Doubt; and a music performance by mezzo-soprano Lindsay Craft with the Museum Singers Choir.”

FMI: www.washakiemuseum.org

Claire Lynch Band headlines BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival in Worland Aug. 19-20

The Grammy Award-winning Claire Lynch Band (pictured above) headlines the seventh annual Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival August 19-20, 2011, in Worland.

Other performers include Spring Creek, Left Over Biscuits, and the Mountain Holler Bluegrass Band. Also a jam session.

The festival gets under way on Friday, Aug. 19th at 5:30 p.m. For Friday, the festivities end at 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, August 20th, the event is from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The event includes the Wyoming State BBQ Championship sanctioned by KCBS. Each year 30-plus BBQ cookers come to compete for this year's prizes totaling over $7,275 (plus trophies and ribbons).

FMI: http://wyo-bbq-bluegrass.com/

Chris Navarro's Columbian Mammoth, big version

This photo was featured in a smaller size in the January issue of the Wyoming Arts Council's Artscapes newsletter. To get the full effect, click on the photo for a larger size

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The Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) board met for their quarterly board meeting on November 11-12 in Worland. Board and staff are pictured in front of Columbian Mammoth, a new bronze sculpture by Chris Navarro installed at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center and dedicated on September 16, 2010. It is 20 feet high by 25 feet long.

Pictured (l to r): WAC Board member Susan Stubson; WAC Arts in Education Specialist Camellia El-Antably; WAC Board members Leslie Shinaver, Ila Miller, Jo Crandall; WAC Manager Rita Basom; Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Director Milward Simpson; WAC board members Duane Evenson, Janelle Fletcher-Kilmer, Neil Hansen, Bruce Richardson; WAC Board President David Neary; WAC Folk and Traditional Arts Specialist Anne Hatch; Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Administrator Sara Needles.

Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund boards meets June 11-12 at new Washakie Museum

From a SPCR press release:

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund board will meet in Worland at the new Washakie Museum, 2200 Big Horn Avenue, on Friday, June 11 and 12 to review the newest grant applications.

This year the WCTF received 53 applications requesting more than $1.3 million in grant support. The WCTF will be able to award approximately $525,000.

A board agenda is located at http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/CTF/index.aspx

Requests have come in from 21 communities in 16 counties. The applications cover the spectrum of culture in Wyoming, including requests to support the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings and sites, museum equipment and exhibition development, filmmaker and writer series, ethnic celebrations and festivals, and documentation of Wyoming's citizens with oral history projects.

WCTF Board members are David Reetz, Powell; Sara Needles, Laramie; Barbara Smith, Rock Springs; Mike Shonsey, Cheyenne; and Nancy Schiffer, Kaycee.

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund supports innovative projects for the enjoyment, appreciation, promotion, preservation and protection of the state's arts, cultural and historic resources.

For more information, you may contact Renee Bovee, administrator, at 307-777-6312 or via e-mail at rbovee@state.wy.us.

Grand opening set for Washakie Museum

WASHAKIE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER GRAND OPENING

2200 Big Horn Avenue, Worland, Wyoming

Opening Gala will be held on Friday, May 14, 7 p.m.-midnight. Tickets are now on sale.

Grand Opening Event will be held on Saturday, May 15, 1-5 p.m. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. No Admission Cost.

The Friday evening Opening Gala will be a celebration of the newest addition to the Big Horn Basin. Plan to attend this elegant event and celebrate the culmination of Newell B. Sargent’s dream. Events will include the dedication of bronze plaques for Legacy and Pioneer Society members, a performance of American Masterpieces by the Museum Singers, David Shaul--harpist, and dancing to the String Jumpers. Champagne and hors d' oeuvres and no-host bar. Semi-formal attire. $50 per person.

The Grand Opening Event on Saturday will be an open house for all to view the Permanent Exhibit Galleries and Tempory Exhibit. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, performance of American Masterpieces by the Museum Singers, and harpist David Shaul will perform.

"Dont Taze Me Bro" sings the Jalan Crossland Band in Casper Feb. 12

Jalan Crossland Band
February 12, 2010 • 7:30 p.m.
John F. Welsh Auditorium, Natrona County High School, Casper

Co-Sponsors: GAPWEST Broadcasting and the Parkway Plaza.

Partial funding is from the Wyoming Arts Council through the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Schneider Fund in the Wyoming Community Foundation, the McMurry Foundation, Natrona County School District No. 1, and the City of Casper.

"There ain't much to see in a small town, but what you hear sure makes up for it" is the old adage. In Ten Sleep WY, population 307, what you'll hear - more often than not - is a clanky old banjo ricocheting off the storefronts and buttes, like a renegade .22 rifle shell. This clamor is Jalan Crossland, local trailer park troubadour, spinning yarns and painting portraits of the lives and people of the rural Rocky Mountain West. "Gossip is even better when you sing it" says Jalan.

Crossland's primary tool of musical expression has always been the guitar. In 1997, Jalan placed 2nd at the Winfield, KS. National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition, and 1st in the state flatpicking contest of his Wyoming home. These added to dozens of regional championship awards, attest that his playing is"...so dexterous that when he stops at the end of a song, you realize you forgot to breathe"--The Weekly News, Rapid City SD.

Crossland's songs are vivid, first-hand accounts of life in the small towns and backcountry of 21st century America. Like the people they portray, the songs are tough and honest. They also reflect the tremendous heart and soul of their colorful characters. The sound glides along on the wheels of a country music clearly not to be mistaken for mainstream. Old-time and bluegrass are present, but treated to the creative freedom of rock-n-roll.

"More than just a great picker, Crossland's performances feature graceful delivery and genuine character"--Planet Jackson Hole, Jackson WY.

Crossland and his band have recorded 3 CDs; 'Poorboy Shanty', 'Moonshiner', and 'Trailer Park Fire & Other Tragedies'. They perform full-time, throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. Jalan has opened on several tours with alt-country legend, Robert Earl Keen, and shared stages with many of the biggest musical acts in the nation.

Noted author/researcher Dr. Randall Eaton to speak at outdoor education symposium

Dr. Randall Eaton, author of "From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage," will be the keynote speaker at the Big Horn Basin Outdoor Education Symposium on Saturday, Jan. 16. He will speak at the morning session at the Days Inn in Thermopolis at 10:05 a.m. His topic will be "Finding New Pathways in the Old." At 7:05 p.m. at the Worland Community Center, he will talk about "Hunting as a Rite of Passage."

Dr. Eaton has written and edited 14 books. They include "Cheetah: Biology, Behavior and Conservation of an Endangered Species (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974), which was recognized by the American Library Association as “one of the outstanding scientific-technical books of 1974.” "The Cheetah: Fastest Race on Earth, (Dutton, 1981)" was recognized as “An outstanding science book for young readers,” by the National Science Teachers Association-Childrens Book Council Joint Committee.

Two other recent books are:
"The Orca Project: A Meeting of Nations," an anthology of story, essay and poetry, published in fall 1998.
"The Sacred Hunt: Hunting as a Sacred Path," a 1998 anthology of story, essay and poetry.

For more information of the symposium, contact Eric Decker, Worland, 307-347-3946 or eric.decker@wy.usda.gov

Washakie Museum grand opening events set for May 14-15, 2010

The staff at the Washakie Museum in Worland alerts the Wyoming Arts Council about its grand opening gala set for May 14, 2010, at the museum, 2200 Big Horn Avenue.

Tickets will be on sale in April.

Events will include the dedication of bronze plaques for Legacy and Pioneer Society members and the debut performance of the Washakie Museum Women’s Choir Group.

There also will be a grand opening public event on May 15.

FMI: http://www.washakiemuseum.org/

Worland artist influenced by Norman Rockwell magazine covers and life in the Big Horn Basin

"Young American Girl & Her Old Habits," oil and enamel on panel, 24"x48"

The Wyoming Arts Council's biennial fellowship exhibit will be on display Nov. 5-Jan. 9 at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne. Opening reception will be on Thursday, Nov. 5, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the museum. The event is free and open to the public.

The opening is just a week away. Wyomingarts will feature artist statements and a sample of each artist's work. Today we look at Worland artist David Henderson.

Artist Statement: David Henderson

My work is the exploration of humankind’s inherent self-destructive tendencies and the manner in which we sublimate our violent nature. I am also interested in the laws of attraction and the symbiotic relationships between people and their possessions and their environments, from the absurd and mundane to the absolute and imperfect. It is with these interests that I’ve approached the historic theme of pursuing the American Dream in a continuing series of paintings.

Inspired by the nostalgic and iconic imagery of Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations depicting American life, I spent the summer of 2008 painting interpretations of the American Dreams of my Worland coworkers, friends, relatives and their children. Two of those paintings are “Self Portrait in Pursuit of the American Dream” and “Young American Girl & Her Old Habits.”

The process led me to this conclusion: For many Americans contending with the callous reality of such issues as economic recession, globalization, terrorism, foreign war, and wild technological advancements, the American Dream is an ethereal tool for survival.

I would like to continue this examination.

Washakie Museum & Cultural Center Events

Enter Laughing: A Comedy in Two Acts
Classic Comedy Dinner Theater
November 13 and 14, 2009, 7 p.m.
At the Washakie Museum, 1115 Obie Sue Avenue, Worland

Enter Laughing is a play by Joseph Stein and will be directed by Lew MarkleySet in the early days of the Depression, the story recounts the zany adventures of David Kolowitz, a delivery boy in a sewing machine factory, who decides his future is on the stage, despite his family's insistence that he become a druggist. David pursues his dream to an acting school run by a seedy old actor and his femme fatale daughter. The company makes him pay to act.
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Carl Reiner, it centers on the journey of young aspiring actor David Kolowitz as he tries to extricate himself from overly protective parents (who want him to be a married pharmacist) and too many girlfriends, while struggling to meet the challenge of a lack of talent in 1930s New York City.
After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Gene Saks, opened on March 13, 1963 at Henry Miller's Theatre, where it ran for 419 performances. The cast included Alan Arkin, Vivian Blaine, Sylvia Sidney, Michael J. Pollard, and Alan Mowbray.
Arkin won both the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play and the Theatre World Award for his performance. Reiner wrote the screenplay for and directed a 1967 film version starring Reni Santoni, José Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Elaine May, Jack Gilford, Janet Margolin, Don Rickles, David Opatoshu, and Michael J. Pollard. Santoni appeared in Kolowitz role, but it did not prove to be as much of a career springboard.
Enter Laughing was revived as a musical in 2008 as an off-Broadway production for a limited run. The New York Times praised the revival as "hilarious."

Théâtre Sans Fil - The Hobbit
Saturday, November 21, 2009
3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
At Worland's Middle School Auditorium

Who hasn’t heard of the superb trilogy of “The Lord of the Rings”? And now, THÉÂTRE SANS FIL has brought to life the story where it all began – “The Hobbit” – the wonderful journey of Bilbo Baggins to a new level of wisdom. This award-winning Tolkien fantasy will have a new, larger-than-life look with THÉÂTRE SANS FIL’s highly successful adaptation that has received standing ovations throughout the world.

Tickets: All Children & Students(K-12) $8.00 Adults &12.00
Tickets are available at the Washakie Museum, Hedge Music, Rocky Mountain Framing, Blue Wire Alltel, Kennedy Ace Hardware, and Worland True Value. Or by phone 347-4102

www.washakiemuseum.org

"Wyoming Working Girls" by Marette Nagel at Washakie Museum

Lecture/Book Signing
Thursday, October 22, 2009
7 p.m. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

At the Washakie Museum, 1115 Obie Sue Avenue, Worland
Introducing "Wyoming Working Girls: A Tribute to the Extraordinary Women of Wyoming”

"Wyoming Working Girls" is a 160-page black and white pictorial book. These women are hardworking, independent, courageous, full of true grit, and dedicated to what it takes to live and work in the harsh elements of Wyoming.

This book will give the reader a true and honest look to the faces and voices of women in their true everyday fashion, manure on their boots along with straw in their hair. These photographs and brief descriptions are as real as the lifestyle itself.

Photography by Marette Nagel

Proceeds from the sale of Wyoming Working Girls will be donated to: Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Washakie Museum & Cultural Center Lecture Series

1115 Obie Sue Avenue, Worland, WY 82401

Paul Hedren, Author/ Historian
Lecture/Book Signing
Thursday, September 10, 2009
7:00 p.m. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Auditions for Enter Laughing
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
7:00 p.m. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Up, Up the Mountain by Joyce Goodrich
Lecture/Book Signing
Thursday, September 17, 2009
6:30 p.m. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Dr. Danny N. Walker, Wyoming’s Assistant State Archaeologist
Lecture/Book Signing
Thursday, October 8, 2009
7:00 p.m. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Wyoming Working Girls by Marette Nagel
Lecture/Book Signing
Thursday, October 22, 2009
7:00p.m. FREE TO THE PUBLIC

http://www.washakiemuseum.org/events1.html