Artsy fun for families at Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

Summer means time for reading

Time to get going on summer reading. The Laramie County Public Library launches its Summer reading celebration for all ages. Sign up at http://lclsonline.org/src/2011/

Also at the library is the "One World, Wyoming Stories" exhibition. Items from various ethnic traditions in Wyoming will be in display cases throughout the building. Presented in partnership with Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program and University of Wyoming’s American Studies Program. 

Raising Readers fund-raiser May 14 in Cheyenne

Raising Readers in Wyoming board members Sherri Geringer, former Wyoming First Lady, and Judy Catchpole, former Superintendent of Public Instruction, were on Channel 5's morning show to promote their upcoming fund-raiser. FMI: http://www.raisingreadersinwyoming.org

Japan-America Society of Wyoming sponsors Children's Day Celebration April 30 in Laramie

The Japan-America Society of Wyoming announces its fourth annual Children’s Day Celebration on Saturday, April 30, 2-3:30 p.m. at the Albany County Public Library, 310 S. Eighth St., Laramie. Free admission.

Featuring Japanese folk tales, Japanese songs, Origami (paper folding of a Kabuto (helmet), Shodo (Japanese calligraphy), and tasting Japanese foods (cookies and nori, etc).

For more information click here or call 307-721-2580.

Call for entries: Emerging Young Artist Contest for Laramie County

The Arts Alliance of Cheyenne and the A.S.K. After School for Kids Program is hosting the first annual:

Emerging Young Artist Art Contest for Laramie County

This first year’s art contest will have a science theme. Draw or depict a science idea, whether existing or something you imagine existing in the future! The sky is the limit. Be creative. Be innovative. Have fun!!

The contest is open to all students and children anywhere in the Laramie County School Districts, grades Pre-K through 12, and home-schoolers. Entries can be submitted in 2D (drawings and paintings) or 3D (sculptures). All entries must be inspired by some aspect of Science. Artists may submit one entry only to the contest. Postmark deadline is April 30, 2011.

Entries are grouped by age and judged against their peers.

Category         1st place   2nd place    3rd place
Grades Pre-K          $15        $10                  $ 5
Grades K to 2         $20        $15                  $15
Grades 3 to 4         $25         $20                 $15
Grades 5 to 6         $35         $25                  $20
Grades 7 to 8        $75          $50                  $25
Grades 9 to 10    $100         $75                  $50
Grades 11 to 12   $100         $75                  $50

For Contest Overview, Official Rules and Entry Form, CLICK HERE.

The Congo Tour film will be screened tonight at Casper College

Tonight at 7 p.m. Casper College will be showing The Congo Tour film from Invisible Children.

From the organizer, Casper College student Lorian Stegelman: We will be screening the new TONY bracelet documentary (eight years in the making and finally being screened for the first time). Also, a Ugandan adocate named Collines is coming with the Roadies. She is part of the 1% of Ugandan students who make it to University. Extra: IC will be bringing in more merchandise, including more MEND bags. The event is free, but the merchandise helps to fund IC campaigns.

The screening will take place in the Wheeler Auditorium Rm. 103 in the Wheeler Auditorium, Wold Physical Science Center. You are welcome to attend and visit with Lorian, Collines, the roadies, etc.

More information on the Congo Tour can be found here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/congo

Kennedy Center's ARTSEDGE offers arts education resources for educators and families

ARTSEDGE is the online arts education by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Since the Kennedy Center’s opening in 1971, schoolchildren, parents and educators have turned to us as the nation’s premiere cultural resource.  Embracing this responsibility, the Kennedy Center instituted ARTSEDGE in 1996 as its educational media arm, reaching out to schools, communities, individuals and families with printed materials, classroom support and Internet technologies.

The full impact of ARTSEDGE might be measured by considering that of the eleven million people who participate in Kennedy Center Education Department programming each year, four million do it through ARTSEDGE resources.

The site is visited each day by more than can be held if every theater in the Kennedy Center complex was filled to capacity.

In an education landscape that is evolving with new ideas of how, when and where we teach, learn and create, the ARTSEDGE team has revisited every part of what— and how—we offer resources.

We are expanding our content to serve a new definition of educators, encompassing classroom and out-of-school teachers, with the single-minded goal to support arts-based student learning, whether in the classroom or an informal learning environment, like the home.

We’re focused on ways to support innovative teaching with the arts, and meet changing trends in education and to accommodate the ever-evolving impact of technology in our lives. Our collection of free digital resources—including lesson plans, audio stories, video clips, and interactive online modules—has been streamlined for easier browsing and upgraded to leverage best practices in educational media and multimedia-supported instruction.

“The redesign is a wonderful extension of the original ARTSEDGE mission, set over 15 years ago,” says Darrell M. Ayers, Vice President for Education at the Kennedy Center, “to connect people to people, to provide arts-centered learning experiences, and to lead the way in digitally-supported arts learning for all citizens.”

AVA Center offers "Early Release Day" art classes

National Museum of Wildlife Art hosts "Snow Critters Contest for Kids" March 6

Above: A wintry exterior of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. Below: A polar bear sculpture made of styrofoam by local artist Ben Roth.

From a press release:

Blocks of snow will be waiting for young carvers to try their hands at the frosty art of snow sculpture at the National Museum of Wildlife Art on Sunday, March 6. The “Snow Critters Contest for Kids” will take place on the future site of the museum’s new sculpture trail as part of the museum’s popular First Sundays series. Also on hand to celebrate outdoor sculpture, Jackson artist Ben Roth will create one huge snow sculpture as well as offering snow carving pointers for the kids. Free refreshments will accompany live music from “ski bum rock band” Waist Deep to round out the perfect winter afternoon.

March 6 First Sundays snow sculpture day schedule is as follows:

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Museum open and free

1 – 2 p.m.: Kids snow sculpting

1 – 3 p.m.: Artist Ben Roth on site as Waist Deep rocks the museum. Free refreshments.

First Sundays featured artist Ben Roth’s work ranges from two-dimensional pieces on plaster and steel to large-scale sculptures incorporating natural materials like 50-foot standing dead lodgepole pines. Roth’s public art works include pieces for the MurieCenter and FordPark in Vail. The March 6 snow sculpture event including Ben Roth’s appearance is sponsored by Wells Fargo with additional support from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jackson band Waist Deep, known for its powerful riffs, top-notch musicianship and meaningful lyrics describing the ski bum experience, features Peter Chandler on vocals and harmonica, Jeff Eidemiller on guitar, Andy Calder on bass and Andy Peterson on drums. Part of the Community Performance Series, Waist Deep’s First Sundays concert is sponsored by Jan and Larry Finch.

First Sundays, which occurs the first Sunday of the month throughout the year, offers free museum visitation to area locals. (“Area locals” include Jackson as well as the neighboring communities of Teton Village, Wilson, Moran, Kelly, Moose, Hoback, Star Valley, Bondurant, Teton Valley, Pinedale and Swan Valley). First Sundays are sponsored by Wells Fargo.Check for details on activities, entertainment, and hands-on fun for kids on the museum website at www.wildlifeart.org, or call 307.733.5771.

A member of the Museums West consortium 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. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook at wildlifeartjh and on Twitter at @wildlifeartjh.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Ponteir Sackrey, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5444, psackrey@wildlifeart.org.

Opening reception for Boys & Girls Clubs Regional Art Exhibit is Feb. 25 in Rawlins

Wyoming Tribune Eagle: "Mead appreciates art"

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle reporter Karen Cotton attended Friday night's Governor's Arts Awards bash in Cheyenne and wrote about Gov. Matt Mead's first "State of the Arts" speech. Go to

Mead appreciates art - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

"Kenyan Expressions" reception Feb. 26 at Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs

A reception for Wyoming photographer Mike Conaway's "Kenyan Expressions" exhibit will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m., at the Community Fine Arts Center, 400 C Street in Rock Springs. The event is free and open to the public.

The reception includes a presentation about the school being built in Kenya with the help of Wyoming educators.

FMI: 307-362-6212

Explore Dreamtime and Aboriginal art with Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney

Yidumduma Bill Harney

At the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson:

First Sundays Celebration: Explore Dreamtime, Aboriginal Designs, with Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney
Sunday, February 6
11:00AM – 5:00PM Free for area locals!
1:00 – 2:00PM Art Project: Australian Aboriginal Designs
Chrystie and Esperti classrooms
This month, children are invited to color lizards, birds, and snakes in the style of Australian aboriginal art. The aboriginal people of Australia have expressed themselves through a form of geometric painting for thousands of years. These paintings tell the stories of dreamtime, myths of spirituality, community, and survival. Contact Jane Lavino or call (307) 732-5417 for details.

Paul Taylor and student

Community Performance Series: Paul Taylor and Yidumduma Bill Harney
Sunday, February 6
2:00 – 3:00PM
Cook Auditorium
Free for area locals!
Yidumduma Bill Harney is one of the last living Elders to grow up in the full ceremonial tradition of his people in Northern Australia. Harney teams up with Australian storyteller, musician, and honorary tribal member Paul “Walking Stick" Taylor, a member of the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster, for a performance of storytelling, native percussion, songs, and haunting didgeridoo music. They will share the essence of their homeland as they explore seasonal change and rhythms in honor of our Change of Seasons exhibition. Contact Jane Lavino or call (307) 732-5417 for details.

Bluegrass camps for kids July 6-8 in Buffalo

http://www.bighornmountainfestival.com

Call for entries: "All Kids Can CREATE!"

From a press release:

On behalf of VSA, The International Organization on Arts and Disability, I would like to invite students, teachers, and parents in Wyoming to take part in an exciting art program – All Kids Can CREATE!

All Kids Can CREATE is an opportunity for students, ages 5 to 15, to submit their artwork as part of a national art search that promotes equal arts opportunities for students of all abilities. Teachers or parents may submit their students’ artwork online, and all artwork submissions will become part of an online exhibition. Two artworks from each state, one artwork by a student with a disability and one artwork by a student without a disability, will be chosen to be part of a national touring exhibition that will open in Washington, D.C. in June, 2011. This call for art is also an opportunity for teachers to receive $1,500 for their classroom!

To learn more about this call for art, please visit www.artsonia.com/allkidscancreate. Here, teachers and parents may submit student’s artwork, read about this year’s theme, as well as learn more about VSA and CVS Caremark All Kids Can. A PDF or printed version of the program information is also available upon request. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 4, 2011.

I hope you and others in the state of Wyoming will consider this amazing chance to exhibit your students’ work! Feel free to pass on this email and information to other colleagues that may be interested in participating. We want to have a great turn out with great art!

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Kelsey Acers
Kennedy Center Intern
VSA - The International Organization on Arts and Disability
818 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
TEL: 202.628.2800
FAX: 202.429.0868
TTY: 202.737.0645
www.vsarts.org
facebook.com/VSAInternational
VSA is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Art classes for homeschoolers Fridays at AVA Center in Gillette

HOMESCHOOL ART CLASS

Fridays at AVA Center, Gillette

January 21, 28 February 4, 18, 25 • 3-4pm

Friday afternoon sessions that teach homeschool children drawing and painting techniques. 

Pre-registration is required. 

Class Fee: $12.50 per class or register for a whole month for $40

Learn More

"Wild West Month" at Children's Museum of Denver

In conjunction with the National Western Stock Show, January is “Wild West Month” at the Children's Museum of Denver

Here’s some info:

Saddle up and ride on down to the Museum to join in on Wild West activities and events all month long. The Children's Museum of Denver is stepping back in time to the ol' Wild West where they'll explore what life was like way back when! Yeehaw!

Check out the 2011 Boys & Girls Club art exhibit at the Laramie County Library

From Mike Shay, one of your trusty wyomingarts editors:

I was pleased to serve as one of the judges yesterday for the annual Boys & Girls Club National Fine Art Exhibition at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne.

I've been a judge the past three years. Interest in this competition grows every year. This year, there was a big increase in 3-D entries in the pottery and sculpture category. Art Coordinator Michael Raper gets some of the credit for this. In December, he was a recipient of the Golden Apple Teacher's Award from Cheyenne's CBS Channel 5. Michael is assisted by Shanda Tryon.

Youth that attend programs at the Cheyenne Boys & Girls Club participate in four age categories. First-place and Best-In-Show recipients will go to the regional competition. You can find out more at www.bgcchey.org.

The library exhibit will be on display through Feb. 11. Look for the paintings and drawings on the second floor children's section and pottery and sculpture on the second floor and in the display cabinets in the library's entryway.

The Cheyenne Boys & Girls Club has received grants and other assistance from the Wyoming Arts Council.

On Dec. 29, outgoing Gov. Dave Freudenthal made this announcement about funding for Wyoming Boys & Girls Clubs:

CHEYENNE -- Gov. Dave Freudenthal has committed up to $1.3 million in federal funds for Boys and Girls Clubs around Wyoming for major maintenance and repairs on club facilities as well as the purchase of equipment.

"Boys and Girls Clubs have difficulty raising funding for their important infrastructure needs," Freudenthal said today in a media release. "It's important that we dedicate these remaining federal stimulus funds to help meet those needs."

The $1.3 million for Boys and Girls Clubs is the available balance from State Fiscal Stabilization Fund monies which had earlier been dedicated to the construction of juvenile detention facilities in the state.

"The clubs have significant infrastructure needs but they just can't raise the money to address them," Freudenthal said, "so we're dedicating federal funds to these community projects."

Jack Tarter, president of the Wyoming Alliance of Boys and Girls Club, said, "I'm very excited about the money as it not only will enlarge the scope of opportunity within the clubs but also allow for a greater number of teens to become involved in the clubs."

Boys and Girls Clubs are located in Buffalo, Casper, Cheyenne, Cody, Douglas, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Gillette, Glenrock, Kaycee, Powell, Rawlins and Rock Springs. The funding will allow clubs to apply to the State Land and Investment Board to use the funds for major maintenance of the facilities and expenditures such as computers, software and educational materials to support activities within the centers.

"Boys and Girls Clubs give children a safe and affordable place to go after school and our programs help lower dropout rates," Tarter said.

Club programs that assist children with school homework or prepare them for future development could benefit from the funding.

The State will determine which projects are eligible for the federal funds, which may involve site visits in addition to the standard application process. The money comes from the State Fiscal Stabilization funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Missoula Children's Theatre makes stops in Park County

The Missoula Children's Theatre comes to Cody and Powell in January and February with residencies at local schools and the following performances:


Pinocchio: Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 3:00 & 5:30 p.m., Wynona Thompson Auditorium at Cody High School

Treasure Island: Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 3:00 & 5:30 p.m., Powell High School Auditorium

FMI: Park County Arts Council

"I have a dream" plays set for December performances at LCCC

"I have a dream" is the theme of short plays written by students from elementary schools in Cheyenne. These plays will be staged, directed and acted in by theatre students at Laramie County Community College. Performances will be held Dec. 2-4 and 10-11, 7:30 p.m., at the LCCC Playhouse, 1400 E. College, Cheyenne.

This project is a cooperative effort of the YMCA After School programs and Laramie County Community Partnership.

FMI: 307-778-1158.