Mike Corso recreates the past

Nice article in Sunday's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle about Mike Corso, our colleague in the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. By day, Mike manages all of our web sites and is building the WAC's new Online Artists Image Registry. In his free time, he dons the guises of Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson or Wyoming Territorial Governor John A. Campbell. Mike will play the part of Gov. Campbell today from 1-4 p.m. at the Wyoming History celebration at the Historic Governor's Mansion in Cheyenne. Read the article: Becoming part of the past - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

WY Territorial Prison hopes to make Butch Cassidy Days a national tourist destination

Interesting article from the Associated Press about our sister agency in the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Butch Cassidy Days at Wyoming Territorial Prison just wrapped up on Sunday. The site's superintendent, Deborah Amend, is thinking big for next year's event:

“My vision for this site is to make this a national destination site, a regional intrigue site and an integral part of the community. I want it to become a very important part of Wyoming history and a part of the heritage of Laramie and this county.”

Read more here.

The Wyoming Arts Council provided a grant to Wyoming Territorial Prison Park to defray expenses for a June 2007 Butch Cassidy Days performance by Prickly Pair.

Wyoming State Archives announces completion of oral history about the Cokeville school bombing

From our pals over at the Wyoming State Archives blog:

On the 25th anniversary of the Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School bombing incident, the Wyoming State Archives announces the completion of a recent oral history project featuring the remembrances of many involved in the crisis of May 16, 1986.

In September of 2010, Sue Castaneda, program coordinator for Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, and Mark Junge, Wyoming oral historian, traveled to Cokeville to capture the remembrances of some of the people who were, in one way or another, part of a life-changing event that rocked the peace and security of this small Wyoming town.

It began as a man and his wife held hostage 154 children, teachers and visitors in the community’s elementary school. This story shocked the nation as a whole school was forced into a crowded classroom with a bomb as an armed man and his accomplice terrorized their captives for three hours. The bomb did detonate and fire; thick black smoke and toxic fumes filled the room. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person held captive was lost. Other miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.

Castaneda and Junge interviewed three former teachers, four former students, the bomb technician, the lead investigator, parents and the first responder to the scene.

“It is an important chapter in Wyoming history and we are grateful to the interviewees involved for allowing us to capture their memories of this event. Most people do not realize it was the first-ever school hostage situation,’ Castaneda said. “It is such an amazing and beautiful story. But you have to hear it to understand why!”

Each of the oral history interviews along with a written transcript is available online at www.wyospcr.org. A podcast compilation of the interviews is also available online titled “Survivor is My Name.” The project was funded by the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund.

Public invited to Wyoming Arts Council board meeting May 18-20 at Gillette Tech Center

The Wyoming Arts Council will hold its quarterly board meeting May 18-20 in Gillette.

The meeting will be held at the Gillette Tech Center Conference Room. Agenda items include the decisions on FY12 Grants to Organizations and Operating Support grants, review of WAC budgets, long-range planning, discussion of Art in Public Buildings projects, and event planning for 4Cs conference and the next Governor’s Arts Awards.

The board invites individuals and organizational representatives to attend any part of the meeting to observe the board process, and to address the board during the public comment session beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. Comments about the agency's policies, funding priorities, on-line granting system, and other arts-related topics are welcomed. For a detailed agenda, please contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742. 

At the conclusion of Thursday’s session, a public reception for members of the community will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the AVA Center, 509 W. Second St., Gillette.

The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.

FMI: Camellia El-Antably, WAC, 307-777-7742 or celant@state.wy.us.

April 25 celebration in Cheyenne includes recognition of Arbor Day poster contest winner

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING

Wyoming’s 123^rd State Arbor Day

Monday April 25, 2011   1:30 PM

State Supreme Court Building North Lawn

(24^th and Capitol)

30 Minute Ceremony to Include:

History of Wyoming Arbor Day

Official State Arbor Day Proclamation

Governor Matt Mead

Tree City USA Recognition

2011 State Arbor Day Award

·         Mike McNutt, Campbell County Parks and Recreation

Recognition of State Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner

·         5^th Grade Student Fiachra Rottinhaus, Lander, WY

Planting of special State Arbor Day Tree

·         White Fir

Distribution of seedling fir and maple trees

WY SPCR Commission meets April 25

Members of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission will meet via conference call at 9 a.m., April 25.

Persons interested in attending the meeting are invited to come to the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

During the meeting, the Commission will discuss a Keyhole State Park marina concessionaire request and the Glendo State Park flood plan.

The Commission has advisory responsibility for both divisions of the department – State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails and Cultural Resources -- which involves the planning, acquisition, development and management of all state parks, state trails program, state recreation areas, state historic sites and archaeology sites. The Commission also advises the Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council, the official State Records Center and Archives, the Office of the State Archeologist, historical research activities, the State Historic Preservation Office and the management of the Cultural Trust Fund.

Members of the Commission are: President Ernie Over, Pavillion; Dan Barks, Gillette; William Vines, Wheatland; Mary Hawkins, Devils Tower; Dudley Gardner, Ph.D, Rock Springs; Chuck Engebretsen, Lost Springs; Carolyn Buff, Casper; Karen Haderlie, Thayne; and Barb Vietti, Thermopolis.

Wyoming Archaeology Month poster wins national award

The 2010 Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month (WAAM) poster, featuring the Tolar Petroglyph site, has been awarded first place in the Society for American Archaeology’s (SAA) annual nationwide poster contest.

The poster features a well preserved image of a Comanche warrior on horseback, elaborately carved into sandstone bedrock and strikingly contrasted with the dark natural varnish of the cliff face. The panel design is likely over two centuries old. The site is valued by several Indian nations as a sacred and honored place. The glyph used on this poster was chosen with the concurrence of the Comanche, Eastern Shoshone, Ute, and Northern Arapaho tribes, a cross-cultural collaboration that benefits all of Wyoming.

This is the thirteenth year the Wyoming poster has been recognized with an award from the SAA. The announcement was made at the SAA’s annual meeting held in Sacramento, Calif. Production of the poster was coordinated by Judy Wolf of the State Historic Preservation Office.

The Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month posters are available free of charge and may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office in Cheyenne, 3rd floor Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave. or in Laramie in the new Anthropology Department building, 2th and Lewis,Room 312.

If you would like a poster mailed to you, a $10 charge is necessary to cover mailing costs. Limit one poster per person. Send your request along with a check or money order payable to "Wyoming Archaeology Month" and your name and mailing address to: Judy Wolf, State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Archaeology Month, Dept. 3431, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie WY 82071.

WY Game & Fish hosts Conservation Stamp Art Competition, Sale and Show April 8

Invitation from Wyoming Game & Fish Department:

You are cordially invited to attend The Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s 28th Annual Wyoming Conservation Stamp Art Competition, Sale & Show.

This year's art show will feature the black bear, and the winning artwork will be used on the 2012 Conservation Stamp.

Location: Wyoming Game & Fish Department Headquarters, 5400 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne
When: Friday, April 8, 2011, 5:00 pm - Reception, main lobby (sponsored by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming)
6:00 pm - Awards ceremony & artwork sales

FREE admission and Hors d'oeuvres

FMI: Margaret James, 307-777-4538 or margaret.james@wgf.state.wy.us

Brush up on your historic broom-making skills at free Territorial Prison workshop March 18

From Wyoming State Parks:

The Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site in Laramie will hold a free workshop for the public and potential volunteers, 18 years and older, who are interested in the art of constructing 1890s brooms.

Featured Broom Historian, Mark Parsons, Berthoud, Colo., will conduct the “hands-on” workshop on March 18, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Participants will learn the basic methods of broom construction utilizing vintage and replica broom making equipment to create their own handmade broom for decorative or functional use. Discussion of the history of brooms and broom making will be included. All skill levels welcome.

“A broom is such an ordinary object and yet it can be very reminiscent of a simpler time.” Deborah Amend, superintendent of the Wyoming Territorial Prison said. “Brooms were a commonplace, functional item in every household. In 1892 the Prison, recognizing the potential revenue from the broom industry, began producing brooms commercially, using convict labor, and shipped them all over the United States, Hawaii and internationally as far away as Asia.”

This workshop is also offered to educate and train any new volunteers who would like to refine their broom making skills and do living history presentations during the site’s summer season by volunteering to work in the Prison Industry Building. Selected volunteers will receive appropriate uniforms, training and historical information related to convict industries at the prison.

For additional information or to register for the workshop call 307-745-6161. The Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site, located at 975 Snowy Range Road in Laramie, opens for the season on April 30 and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until October 31.

FMI: Deborah Amend or 307-777-7878

Wyoming State Museum welcomes new arts curator

From the Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources newsletter:

David L. Newell joins the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne as Curator of Art.

Newell has worked in the museum profession for over twenty years and holds graduate degrees in Theatrical Design and Museum Studies. He worked previously with the Museum of Texas Tech University; the Texas Fashion Collection, University of North Texas; the Dallas Historical Society; the Colorado Historical Society; and the Gilcrease Museum. He has recently organized exhibitions on Ansel Adams, Maynard Dixon, Edward Sheriff Curtis, John James Audubon, and Nashville cowboy couture designer, Manuel Cuevas.

Newell is responsible for the management and interpretation of the museum’s permanent art collection. He will also organize the annual Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition and manage the Governor’s Capitol Art Collection. He will advise and manage projects for the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities and the Capitol Complex Advisory Committee, in addition to participating in the state’s Art in Public Buildings program through the Wyoming Arts Council.

Wyomingarts says: The Wyoming Arts Council staff welcomes David and we all look forward to working with him.

Rocky Mountain Land Library praises a classic book -- "Sheepwagon: Home on the Range"

The Rocky Mountain Land Library blog waxed eloquently about two Wyomingites in an 11/28 post: 

In 2001, a wonderful Wyoming publisher, High Plains Press, published one of the Land Library’s favorite books, Sheepwagon: Home on the Range. Author Nancy Weidel offered one crisp, concise reason for our admiration: “The sheepwagon is a marvel of practicality and efficiency.”

But there’s more reasons to love this book, with its stories, photographs, and sensitive appreciation for hard lives lived in a starkly beautiful land. This book makes clear that the sheepwagon provided both a bit of warmth, and a touch of home. Weidel: “Designed to provide shelter and heat, mobility, and storage, the sheepwagon was the ideal home for the herder….It could easily be moved by two horses, a most important feature.”

Yes, as you can see, every inch counted, but space also needed to be found for the unexpected. Some sheepwagons had side boxes that “came in handy during lambing, when a weak newborn might be placed there overnight to be revived by the heat of the wagon stove.”

Nancy Weidel is wyomingarts' colleague within the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. She is senior historic preservation specialist at SHPO. Nancy Curtis runs High Plains Press out of her ranch near Glendo. Nancy is a long-time supporter of the state's writers and the statewide writers organization, Wyoming Writers, Inc.

Wyoming Humanities Council offers civility program as an antidote to these "uncivil" times

Milward Simpson, director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, wrote a guest op-ed for the Oct. 24 Casper Star-Tribune. His essay focused on the new Wyoming Humanities Council program on a timely topic -- civility. This is a slightly longer version of the CST op-ed:

October is National Arts and Humanities Month. In honor of the occasion I’m writing to announce that the Wyoming Humanities Council (WHC) will be conducting a new series of programs and activities beginning in fall 2010 bringing Wyoming citizens together to focus on an important and timely topic: civility.

Much has been made of these “uncivil” times. As Americans, we are all familiar with the words and images that have characterized our political landscape in recent months and years: politicians resorting to ugly personal attacks and extreme public statements, the advent of the inchoate tea party movement and the inchoate, mocking response to it, all this amorphous anger, the mob chaos of political town meetings, entire TV “news” programs devoted to one-sided polemic, and here, closer to home, the uproar over Bill Ayers and extremists threatening to burn religious texts on the capitol steps. Even in Wyoming where we know that we daren’t offend our neighbor for risk of offending the entire community that sustains us, we are not immune.

The fuel we seem to keep pouring onto the fire is distilled from a variety of sources: the proliferation of electronic communication leading to an increasingly polarized media (what journalists Halperin and Harris refer to as “the freak show”), the increasing geopolitical phenomenon in which people choose to live where their political views will be reinforced (what author Bill Bishop refers to as “The Clustering of Like-Minded America;” and a frustrated electorate facing the seeming impossibility of getting anything done in the almost complete absence of compromise – we have all been burned by the volatility of these forces.

Of course, our democratic experiment has often been characterized by periods of national upheaval where incivility reigned. The publication “America’s Civil War” in its most recent issue stated “…if you think politics are polarizing now, try to imagine the angst in this country after Abraham Lincoln was elected president 150 years ago…” Cabinet members resigned, seven states voted to secede from the Union and Federal property in South Carolina was confiscated and/or destroyed leaving Ft. Sumter as the only federal property remaining. Yet, though far perhaps from the depth of the divisions which resulted in our great Civil War, the word “secession” has wormed its way back into the national dialogue. Our current cultural environment does call into question the cohesion of our nation and our collective ability to confront the enormous issues facing us - economic, environmental and social.

It is not that we should disagree less. Indeed, part of our American dynamism comes from the fact that we are born and bred to argue. Our democracy draws its strength from it. The esteemed journalist Howard Fineman in his book “The Thirteen American Arguments,” argues that, if anything, we don’t argue enough “…about the fundamentals. The … arguments bitterly divide us, but they also define, inspire, and ultimately unite us by bestowing legitimacy on hard fought deals…”

The difference today seems to be civility – what National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach refers to as the willingness and ability to “walk in another’s shoes.” I had the honor of meeting Mr. Leach during his visit to Wyoming last month as part of his 50-state “American Civility Tour.” Leach, a 30-year Iowa Congressman known for his effectiveness in working across the aisle, launched his tour to “call attention to the need for civility in public discourse.” I have seldom met a more erudite gentleman, yet, he puts this all very simply: “Civilization requires civility. Words matter. Polarizing attitudes can jeopardize social cohesion.”

While pondering this piece, I thought of civility in light of my own family’s history of public service. Many of us are known to be “scrappers” who don’t back down from a fight and are prone, for better or worse, to speak our minds. My grandfather Milward, during his term as Governor in the late 1950’s, once wrote a quite uncivil letter responding to a constituent who seems to have taken issue with his conduct in office. Granddad dashed off his vitriolic missive and told his Chief of Staff Bob McManus to “mail the thing to that #@$&% SOB.” Bob did as he was told. Later that day, Governor Simpson came to him and asked, “…you didn’t mail that letter, did you!?” Bob said that he had. Granddad exclaimed something like “Oh God, we’ve got to go get it!” and they walked (I’m sure with less than sure legal footing) to the postmaster who agreed to retrieve the letter before it left the post office. From then on, when granddad had occasion (as he apparently continued to do) to direct his Chief of Staff to “mail the thing to that dirty rotten…!” or something of the like, Bob would wisely pocket the letter so when he was asked the inevitable “you didn’t mail that thing did you!?,” he simply retrieved it from his vest pocket – a sort of “pocket veto” of an uncivil instinct, for which the family is eternally grateful.

How do we confront this issue here in our beloved, wonderful and still wild Wyoming? The Wyoming Humanities Council’s Civility Matters! initiative was inspired by Chairman Leach’s call to action. The WCH describes these statewide programs as being “…presented in a variety of formats and will explore historically contentious events, as well as contemporary state, national, and international issues. Wide-ranging topics may include "cyber-civility" and public discourse in the digital age; sports and civility; cyber and school bullying; academic freedom; generational differences; national topics, such as second amendment rights, labor relations, and energy and water issues; regional topics, such as the Rock Springs Massacre, the Johnson County Wars, and the World War II Heart Mountain Relocation Center; and international topics, such as Islamic contributions to world cultures and the Iraq/Afghanistan wars.” The variable format for these discussions is intended to encourage interaction and will include visiting scholar presentations, online film and book discussions, summer watermelon/ice cream socials, publications, and community potluck dialogues.

The Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources is proud to provide support for these programs and feels they will benefit Wyoming as we explore the issue as a state and rededicate ourselves to our proud “live and let live” credo, to arguing and disagreeing while retaining our civility and our mutual respect. Back to Fineman, our civil discourse, our arguments, “…produced a civil war, the still-smoldering embers of racial tribalism, and pitiless economic competition; but they also produce the freest of societies, an ongoing (if imperfect) accommodation between capital and community, and a Constitution that stands as a beacon to the world even if we sometimes honor it in the breach. Arguing keeps us moving fitfully forward – toward being worthy of the gifts God gave us.”

As we celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month, I invite you to participate in these activities and be a part of this important discourse. After all, it’s the American thing to do!

Encampment author Candy Moulton to speak at Wyoming State Archives workshop Oct. 27

Registration is underway for an “Archives All-Day Workshop,” held jointly by the Wyoming State Archives, Wyoming Chapter of ARMA International and the Wyoming State Historic Records Advisory Board, October 27, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community House in Cheyenne.

The workshop features speakers Candy Moulton, historian and author, who will speak on Westward Expansion and John Fremont in Wyoming; Gayla Mead, Big Horn River Adjudication general case administrator, history and records of the Big Horn River Adjudication Processes; and Donald Skupsky, JD, CRM, FAI, MIT, electronic records and retention schedules for hard and electronic records.

The workshop will also afford those in attendance and opportunity to learn and network about Wyoming’s past and current topics that have influenced and shaped the state’s history and archives. Issues concerning today’s legal compliance and records and information management will also be discussed.

The workshop is held in observance of National Archives Month and celebrates Wyoming Archives Day.

All attendees must be pre-registered by October 22. Registration is $10 and includes the workshop, handouts, breaks, beverages and a Texas Road House catered lunch.

For forms and information, please contact Pat Newbern at 307-777-8907, email pnewbe1@state.wy.us; or Rich Wilson, 307-777-5586, email rwilso2@state.wy.us.

Gov. Freudenthal signs Archaeology Awareness Month proclamation

From a SPCR press release:

Governor Dave Freudenthal, citing “Wyoming’s enduring bond between past and present in the fabric of human society, recently proclaimed September Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month during a brief ceremony in his office.

Gov. Freudenthal was joined during the proclamation signing by members of the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

During the ceremony, Gov. Freudenthal was presented with a framed copy of this year’s poster which features the Tolar Petroglyph Site in Southwestern Wyoming.

The site contains the well preserved image of a Comanche warrior on horseback, elaborately carved into sandstone bedrock and strikingly contrasted with the dark natural varnish of the cliff face. The panel design is likely more than two centuries old.

The site is valued by several Indian nations as a sacred and honored place. The glyph used on this year’s Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month poster was chosen with the concurrence of the Comanche, Eastern Shoshone, Ute, and Northern Arapaho tribes, a cross-cultural collaboration that benefits all of Wyoming.

“This is a wonderful site and a great opportunity for visitors to see an example of Wyoming culture and history,” Lance Porter of the BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office said. The Tolar Site is located just off I-80 on BLM land.

The WAAM celebration includes the 12th Annual George C. Frison Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology sponsored lecture by Ted Goebel, from the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M University. The lecture will be held at the University of Wyoming on September 23.

The 2010 WAAM poster is available free of charge, and may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office, Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne, or in Laramie in the Anthropology Building located at 12th and Lewis, Room 312. The posters are also available via mail with a $10 charge to cover mailing costs. Limit one poster per person. Send your request along with a check or money order payable to “Wyoming Archaeology Month” and your name and mailing address to: Judy Wolf, State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Archaeology Month, Dept. 3431, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071.

The 2010 WAAM t-shirts and caps are available at the State Museum Store in Cheyenne, or via http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/pdf/orderform.pdf  Short-sleeve shirts are available at a cost of $16. Shirts in sizes 2XL are available for an additional $1.50. Long-sleeved shirts are available for $23. Add $1.50 for size 2XL. Caps are available for $15 and chef’s aprons for $20. Proceeds benefit WAAM activities.

For more information about WAAM, please visit http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/AAmonth/Index.aspx.

BBHC hosts disaster preparedness workshop for museums, libraries and archives

From the BBHC in Cody:

“So you have a disaster plan, but will it work in a real emergency situation?”

That’s the question Randy Silverman raises with area museums, libraries, archives, and similar institutions. Silverman, the Preservation Librarian with the University of Utah Marriott Library, is bringing a workshop about emergency procedures to protect valuable documents, artwork, and other artifacts to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center on Monday, September 13, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. There is no charge for the workshop, which is sponsored by Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS), but registration is required.

According to Silverman, “This workshop will help you assess your vulnerabilities, test your plan using a scenario table top exercise, explore how collaborations can help you respond to a disaster, and build a shared vision for disaster preparedness. It’s better we should find answers now than after a disaster has occurred.”

Those encouraged to attend the workshop include staff member(s) responsible for emergency preparedness, administrators and/or managers responsible for the building and collection, and key members of the emergency/disaster team responsible for decision-making. Requirements for attendance are: a written disaster plan that includes collections response/recovery, a letter of institutional commitment to explore collaboration to optimize preparedness, and a completed three-page vulnerability assessment which is distributed in advance of the workshop.

The workshop also takes place in Montana on Wednesday, September 15 at the Bozeman Public Library and on Friday at the Lewis & Clark Library in Helena. Funding for the project is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and co-sponsored by the Montana and Wyoming State Libraries and State Archives.

Even though the meeting is free, pre-registration is required and can now be completed online at http://tiny.cc/ZePOL. The site also provides a schedule of WESTPAS workshops. For more information, contact Buffalo Bill Historical Center Conservator Beverly Perkins at beverlyp@bbhc.org or 307.578.4029. Silverman can be reached at randy.silverman@utah.edu.  

Stay current with Historical Center news and activities at http://www.bbhc.org/. 

New portraits of seven Wyoming governors to be unveiled at evening reception in Cheyenne

One of three painters of recently-completed Wyoming Governor portraits: Russian-born artist Galina Perova of Salt Lake City

A public reception for the newly unveiled official portraits of seven Wyoming governors will be held Friday, August 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Historic Governors* Mansion, 300 East 21st Street, Cheyenne.

This year's Governor's Portrait Project features artistic renditions of Governors John E. Osborn (1893-1895), DeForest Richards (1899-1903), Bryant B. Brooks (1905-1911), Leslie A. Miller (1933-1939), Nels H. Smith (1939-1943), Lester Hunt (1943-1949) and Milward Simpson (1955-1959).

Artists for this year's portraits are Robert Kuester, Galina Perova and Michele Rushworth.

The portrait exhibition will be held in conjunction with the mansion's newest exhibit, "Road to the Capitol," which explores the process one takes to become elected Governor of Wyoming.

Additionally, the exhibit examines the first state election between F.E. Warren and George Baxter.

Visitors can also learn about this year's gubernatorial candidates, and kids 17 and younger can cast their vote for the next Governor of Wyoming in a mock election.

The Governors' Portrait Program was created by the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities in 2005. The Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources is also a partner.

The Select Committee on Legislative Facilities has been a champion of this program to ensure that the State of Wyoming honors former governors with an official portrait.

The program unveiled five original portraits: J.J. "Joe" Hickey, Stanley K. Hathaway, Clifford P. Hansen, Michael J. Sullivan and James E. Geringer, in 2007.

The completion of the seven new portraits brings the number of portraits in the state collection to 25, which includes nearly all elected governors after statehood, who have served at least one full term.

For more information about the Historic Governors' Mansion and/or exhibitions, please call 777-7878. For more information about the Governors Portrait Project, please contact Renee Bovee at 307-777-6312.

Lander's David Neary named new board chair for Wyoming Arts Council

Bruce Richardson (left) of Casper, outgoing WAC board chair, conducts the ceremonial handing over of the gavel to David Neary of Lander.

The Wyoming Arts Council announces the election of new board chair David Neary. He accepted the gavel from outgoing board chair Bruce Richardson.

Neary is producing and technical director for the Wyoming Shakespeare Company, based in Lander. From 1990-2004, Neary was director of land conservation, associate state director, and state director for The Nature Conservancy; he also was director of (1984-1989) and an instructor (1972-1989) for the National Outdoor Leadership School, Rocky Mountain division.

Bruce Richardson, who has served on the Wyoming Arts Council Board for the past five years, was reappointed as a board member for another three-year term by Governor Freudenthal. Richardson, from Casper, is a Professor of English for U.W. at Casper College, and has served on the boards of several Casper arts organizations. Currently, Richardson represents the State of Wyoming as an officer on the board of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

FMI: Wyoming Arts Council at 307-777-7742.

Take a photo of your library on Wyoming Snapshot Day Oct. 19

From the Wyoming State Library:

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, we want to collect your stories, photos, videos and patron numbers for Wyoming Libraries Snapshot Day to show the tremendous impact that the state's libraries have on Wyoming residents every single day. Snapshot Day events have been held in several other states with good success.

Snapshot Day will provide tools to use for advocacy with Legislators, Commissioners, local elected officials, donors and the public. To get the best "snapshot" of the entire state, we need participation from as many libraries as possible, and from all types of libraries -- public, academic, school and special.

For now -- please save the date! More specific information will be posted soon and announced through the Outrider and by the State Library and Wyoming Library Association e-mail lists. We will try to make it as simple as possible to participate and will provide forms and materials that you can use to make Snapshot Day a success in your library. We welcome any suggestions you may have. Questions?

Please direct questions to:

Susan Mark, 307-777-5915.
Lesley Rowbal, 307-777-7283

You may also call the Wyoming State Library's toll-free line at 1-800-264-1281 to reach either Susan or Lesley.

Wyoming Library Snapshot Day is a project of the Wyoming State Library and the Wyoming Library Association.

"Absaroka" wins Wyoming Short Film Contest

The Wyoming Film Office just announced this:

“Absaroka,” a short film produced by Patrick Mignano and filmed near Cody, Wyoming is the winner of this year’s Wyoming Short Film Contest. Now in its third year, the Wyoming Short Film Contest awarded $25,000 to Mignano who will now have the opportunity to produce another film in Wyoming with the proceeds.

The short film is a period Western set in the Wyoming Territory in 1881. The story is a classic morality play that Mignano sums up in the tag line from the film, "The Right Thing is The Only Thing To Do".

As a thank you to all the good people of Cody that helped contribute in some way to the project, Patrick and his Co-Producer, Linda Swearingen-Tremelling arranged a free screening of the film at the Big Horn Cinemas in Cody on Thursday, May 20th.

The Cheyenne International Film Festival will also be screening, “Absaroka” during the New West program section of the festival on Saturday afternoon. Of course, if you can't make the showings, you can always watch it here:

First runner-up awarded from the judges went to filmmaker Greg Omelchuck for his project, Voices of the Platte. This film centered on the people of the Platte Valley and their stories of fishing throughout their lives. The people are long time residents and the stories speak to not only to people living in Wyoming but to all people.

Second runner up came in the form of a music video "There is Beauty." A visual representation of Wyoming songwriter Anne Sibley's "There is a Beauty," the film boasts some truly spectacular shots of Wyoming.

To view the films, go to http://filmwyoming.blogspot.com/2010/05/and-winner-is.html

WY Travel & Tourism holds meetings this week about new visitor center

Wyoming Travel & Tourism will be hosting a series of Community Meetings to gather input for the new Southeast Visitor Information Center. Meeting times and locations are listed below. Please pass this information on to any interested parties in your surrounding areas.

Monday, May 10th: Cheyenne, Kiwanis Community House. 6:00 pm
Tuesday, May 11th: Torrington, Brand Room- Goshen County Fairgrounds. 6:00 pm
Wednesday, May 12th: Laramie, Laramie Fire Station #2. 6:00 pm.

For more information on these upcoming meetings, please contact Leslie Kedelty, Industry Services Manager at 307-777-2839 or leslie.kedelty@visitwyo.gov