Eat, shop and watch a cool movie tonight in downtown Rawlins

Rawlins DDA/Main Street has been working extremely hard the past few years on its downtown. Tonight, Rawwlins DDA/Main Street and the Carbon County School District #1 Rec Board present Downtown Moonlight Movies, a outdoor movie series showing four films June through September. Tonight’s show at Depot Park, 4^th and Front streets, is the animated feature “Despicable Me.”

This year's movie line-up is:
Despicable Me - June 24th
Back to the Future - July 8th
Jailhouse Rock - July 29th
Happy Gilmore - September 23rd

Movies will begin at dark, about 9:30 p.m. Come down early at 9 p.m. for the costume contest. Dress to the theme of the movie to win Main Street Money, gift certificates good at over 15 downtown businesses. 

Vendors selling food, drink, glow-in-the-dark items and popcorn will be present. 

July 8th's movie showing is in conjunction with SummerFest, Rawlins Jam and Outlaw Show N' Shine. For more information on this great weekend in Rawlins, visit www.rawlinsfest.com. 

September 23rd is in conjunction with state golf and will begin at 7 p.m.

Michigan researchers find that cuts in arts funding hamper economic recovery

This comes from a story posted yesterday on www.physorg.com

Michigan is hurting its chances at economic recovery by slashing funding for the arts, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers. 

 The study found that arts and crafts activities – such as painting, dancing and filmmaking – are closely related to success of the scientists, engineers and other innovators who create new companies and inventions that stimulate the economy.  

Yet during the past decade Michigan has cut funding for the arts by some 90 percent – from about $25 million in 2002 to $2.3 million this year. In Detroit, officials attempting to balance the budget have proposed large cuts to the city’s arts and cultural institutions. 

 "Politicians often strip funding for arts and cultural assets, assuming they are expendable ‘extras,’ but this may be a serious policy error based on false assumptions,” said Rex LaMore, lead researcher on the project and director of MSU’s Center of Community and Economic Development.

Call for artists: Jackson Hole pedestrian underpass public art project

Public Art Opportunity

Pedestrian Underpass Wing Walls Connecting the National Museum of Wildlife Art to Jackson Hole Community Pathways

Request for Qualifications Deadline: April 22

Project Budget: $25,000

Download the call and image Index at jhPublicArt.org

The Pedestrian Underpass connects the Jackson Hole Community Pathway’s System North Highway 89 Pathway to the National Museum of Wildlife Art. The Underpass acts as a gateway to the Walter Hood designed sculpture trail which is scheduled for construction this summer. This section of Pathway will connect the Town of Jackson to Grand Teton National Park and runs parallel to the National Elk Refuge. Opportunities exist for artists to enhance the four concrete retaining walls on framing the underpass after they have been built.

You can also access the the file and image appendix at: jhPublicArt.org

FMI: Carrie Geraci, Director of the Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative, 307-413-1474

UW Community Development team offers board governance training April 28 in Cody

This comes from Cole Ehmke at the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.

For everyone who works with boards, UW's Community Development team is bringing in a speaker for a training on board governance. The training is in Cody at the Cody Hotel on April 28. Cost is $150 (lunch included).

Our team is increasingly working with and developing materials for boards around the state, so we're looking forward to the training. Also, Cody is a great place to visit. Come a day early and go to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center museums. 

FMI: Cole Ehmke, Extension Specialist, UW Cooperative Extension Service, (307) 766-3782 or Kimberly Chapman, Uinta County Cooperative Extension Service, 307-783-0570, kchapma3@uwyo.edu

Cheyenne DDA approves matching grant for LightsOn! arts project at Hynds Building

From a press release:

The Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority (DDA) voted in June of 2010 to support the Hynds Building project and have a special meeting to review the DDA budget and to provide financial assistance to the Hynds Building project if at all possible. The special meeting to review the project was held today -- Tuesday, February 15. The DDA Board of Directors voted to provide the $49,500 in funding to the Cheyenne Arts Council to match the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund grant, received in June of 2010.

The DDA funding of $49,500 will primarily be used for the building rehabilitation including windows, with $5,500 for program development and project administration.

The Cheyenne Arts Council prepared the grant to the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund in the spring of 2010. The Cheyenne Arts Council will be acting as the fiscal agent on the project and will be dispensing the funds from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund and the DDA on project expenses. The project will be completed by the LightsOn! Corporation.

The LightsOn! is a Wyoming non-profit corporation currently affiliated with the Wyoming Community Foundation. LightsOn! will be developing a studio program for art students at all education levels. The program will be mentored by an Artist in Residence in the future. The arts and education program will be offered in the historic Hynds Building which has been vacant for twenty five years. Once the first level of the building is rehabilitated, Laramie County Community College will offer life enrichment courses as part of the education program.

Contact: Christie DePoorter, Executive Director, Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority, 307-433-9730

In Memoriam: Catherine E. Mealey of Laramie

Catherine E. Mealey was a person who cared deeply about her community of Laramie and the community of writers and books. Her Second Story Books hosted many literary readings, often accompanied by goodies from her kitchen.

From her obituary:

Her love of find food and books led her to many places. She was influential in the redevelopment of the 100 block of Ivinson Avenue in the early 1970s and some of her many inspirations were the Tuesday Tearoom, The Scoop, Gallery 121, The Deli on the Tracks, The Rose Door, the First Story Café, The First Street Gallery and Cooking School, to name a few. Planning for retirement, she opened the Second Story Bookstore in 1988

Catherine E. Mealey obit in the Laramie Boomerang

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

Activist and author Greg Mortenson to speak in Cheyenne March 29

From a post on Facebook:

Two-time Nobel Prize nominee Greg Mortenson will share insightful commentary and stunning photography to educate and promote awareness of the importance of primary education, literacy and cross-cultural understanding about the remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He will speak at the Taco John’s Events Center in Cheyenne on Tuesday, March 29, 7-10 p.m. Limited amount of tickets go on sale on Friday, Jan. 7. Tickets: $5 Students (K-College)/$15 General Public. Contact the Taco Johns Events Center at (307) 433-0025 or on-line at www.cheyennecity.org

Greg Mortenson promotes peace through education. He is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute www.ikat.org, founder of Pennies For Peace www.penniesforpeace.org, and co-author of New York Times bestseller ‘Three Cups of Tea’ www.threecupsoftea.com which has sold over 4 million copies, been published in 47 countries, and a New York Times bestseller since its 2007 release, and Time Magazine Asia Book of The Year.Mortenson’s new book, Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books Not Bombs, In Afghanistan and Pakistan, was released by Viking on December 1st, 2009.

As of 2010, Mortenson has established over 145 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 64,000 children, including 52,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before.

Laramie County Partners are bringing Greg Mortenson to Cheyenne for a series of activities, including talking to school children and a public event in the evening on March 29, 2011. The partners include: Laramie County Community College Foundation, Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne Rotary, Laramie County Library, Laramie County Library Foundation and Laramie County School District No. 1.

http://www.facebook.com/LaramieCountyPartnersPresentGregMortenson

Wyoming Arts Council CAP grant helps fund new outdoor kiln at Gillette's AVA Center

From a story about the AVA Center's new kiln in today's Casper Star-Tribune:

The city of Gillette provided two grants so residents can, for the first time, have access to a large community kiln. The Wyoming Arts Council kicked in a $10,000 grant, and donations to the AVA Center also helped pay for the $28,000 kiln and its enclosure, which will protect it from Wyoming's harsh elements.

"In northeast Wyoming there isn't any place they have an outdoor kiln," said Sandi Aberle, executive director of AVA. "It's a whole new opportunity for potters and students and their imaginations can just explode."

After the kiln is in place alongside the building at the corner of 4J Road and Wyoming Highway 14-16, the AVA Center plans to offer pottery classes that will feature new techniques, clays and glazes. Aberle said the current plan is to fire the kiln about once a month starting in mid-December. The frequency will depend on the size and number of items to fire.

"With that big kiln we open so many opportunities for potters," Aberle said."If you were just putting cups in there, you'd literally be able to fire hundreds of them."

Read the entire CST story at http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_6c99f869-1ac9-5b79-8841-ff4bba26e8c7.html

The $10,000 Wyoming Arts Council grant for this project came from the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) category. Get more information about these grants at the WAC web site or by contacting Randy Oestman at 307-777-7109.

Wyoming Community Media seeks intern/volunteer

WCM needs an intern or volunteer to cultivate additional capital and human resources in the forms of in kind and in cash contributions and volunteers for two events The Shoot Out Cheyenne 24 hour film making festival October 15 - 17 and the Cheyenne International Film Festival in May 2011. There are on going tasks related to fund development - sponsorships, events and donations from individuals and volunteer cultivation.

FMI: http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/servewyoming/OpenAboutOrganizationAction.do?organizationId=276101

Help wanted: Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is looking for people to take tickets and check credentials and several other tasks at the event in nearby Park City, Utah, from Jan. 20-30. Get more info at http://webapp.sundance.org/jobs/index.asp. Film festival updates now on Facebook.  

Wyoming Arts Council announces new quarterly deadline schedule for CAP grants

Effective immediately, the Wyoming Arts Council will accept applications on a quarterly basis for Community Arts Partners (CAP) grants.


In an effort to better serve the needs of community partnerships and collaborations throughout the state, the CAP grant application can be completed online and submitted by the quarterly deadlines of July 15, October 15, January 15 and April 15.

The CAP Grant Program was established with funding from the 2006 Wyoming Legislature, and may award up to five (5) $10,000 grants annually to new community collaborations in the state that contribute to the economic development of that community.

The projects must include economic enhancement strategies using local arts and cultural assets.

CAP projects funded in 2010 included an Outdoor Community Kiln for Gillette, Restoration of the Historic Rock Theater in Rock Springs, Artist Training and Professional Development in Casper, the creation of the permanent Minerva Teichert Gallery in Cokeville and the upcoming creative economy conversation with noted author and speaker Daniel Pink in Cheyenne.

Applicant communities may only receive one CAP grant in any fiscal year. Interested potential applicants should contact Community Development and the Arts Specialist Randy Oestman at 307-777-7109 for grant requirements and evaluation criteria.

For online application information, please visit http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/

Casper weekend

Was in Casper this weekend and went to a "Lincoln Street BackYard Concert." I missed last summer's, so made a point of getting there this time. Jeff Finlin played last year, and it was so successful that Gary and Sue brought him back this year. Everyone who comes is asked to bring a potluck dish (what a spread!), and a donation. All money received goes to the band. The concerts have now turned into a series!

The neighbors and other friends have come up with a plan to continue the "house concert" concept throughout the summer with an event planned for July, August and September. Terrific idea. The "house" guarantees the performer a certain amount. The take is hoped to cover the cost of the artist, but in case it doesn't, the "house" makes up the difference. Talk about promoting the arts and musicians!

There were approximately 85 people that turned out. The outdoor atmosphere is relaxed and intimate. People know each other. There was a tree climbing dog in the next yard who really wanted to get in on the action, but the owner, who was at the concert, wasn't swayed to bring him over. Pretty soon, all the kids ended up in the yard next door and began climbing the tree themselves. At one point, there were about six kids sitting on the stout branches, the dog somewhere in the middle. The dance floor was the alley.

Jeff and Amy Gieske (on bass and back-up vocals), played until 9 pm. Cory McDaniel, formerly and still of the The Tremors, sat in on a few songs, billed by Jeff as "aka Eric Clapton." Cory put out some great blues riffs. Jeff's songwriting is gorgeous (he had one of his songs, Sugar Blue, chosen for the movie Elizabethtown, but Perfect Mark of Cain astounded). The group sounded really great.

I think this grass roots effort (could it even be thought of as community development?) is to be applauded in these especially troubling economic times, when the arts have taken very troubling financial hits.

Upcoming BackYard Concerts: (they even printed up a small postcard-size schedule)

Host TBA:

July 23-- Liz Barnez and Friends -- soulful, New Orleansy folk rock. Playing with Liz is vocalist/drummer Bryon Holley and keyboardist Eric Moon.

Hosted by Glenda and Dave Pullen:
August 21--Andy Hackbarth--singer/songwriter and classical guitarist who plays pop/folk/flamenco and is co-founder of the Nashville/based non-profit Songs for the Cure.

Hosted by Margaret and Merrit Benson:
September 2--The Fireants--popular Wyoming group who plays Cajun/South American/ Zydeco from Buffalo.

The Corridor

I had not yet been into co-owner Zac Pullen's new gallery, The Corridor, and so went down on Saturday afternoon. Ten artists are represented, who each pay a yearly fee for that service. The gallery space used to be Wiggins Shoe Store and I remember going in there to drop off shoes to be repaired. Now the space looks every bit of metropolitan chic. I ran into Cory Taylor, who is helping out at the gallery, and who'd been living in L.A. for awhile trying to get his screen play noticed. He and my son were pals in high school.

An interesting upcoming event at the gallery will take place on Wednesday, July 9, when the life and work of a Wyoming legend, William Brewer (d. 2006), will be introduced and on display. He was a world rodeo champion, rancher and self-taught artist, and prolific during his lifetime--his children inherited hundreds of paintings. An actor will characterize Brewer from a script that Cory wrote especially for this event. There will also be musical entertainment by the Dang Ol' Boys, food and a cash bar. The performance starts out on the street and then moves inside, where a recreation of Brewer's studio will also be set up. Performance times for the skit will be 6, 7:30 and 9 pm. Tickets are $15 each and available at The Corridor Gallery, Wind City Books, Sonic Rainbow, Lou Tauberts Ranch Wear & Fields Creek 104.

Linda

Call for proposals -- public art project for Jackson's Home Ranch Building

The Town of Jackson announces a call to artists for the Home Ranch Building. Artists living in Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado and Idaho are eligible to apply.

The public art project budget for the Home Ranch Building is $27,000. The deadline to submit application materials is July 23.

For details in the call to artists, with access to the file, image appendix, and associated information, contact Carrie Geraci, Public Art Coordinator, 307-413-1474, http://www.jhpublicart.org/

Arts project announced for long-vacant Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne

"New arts complex slated for old Hynds" is the headline in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle article about an arts project for the long-empty Hynds Building in downtown Cheyenne.

Here's an excerpt:

Lights On! project aims to fill long-vacant space with studios, artist-in-residence program

By Becky Orr
borr@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE -- The historic Hynds Building at the corner of West Lincolnway and Capitol Avenue has sat empty for nearly 25 years.

Now several people have joined forces in an effort to turn the building into a vibrant part of downtown.

The LightsOn! project would use arts and education to change an empty building. The space would attract people to the city's central business district.

Organizers hope to develop an artist-in-residence program there as well as create studios to teach high-school and college students.

Read the rest at http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/06/11/news/01top_06-11-10.txt

Rehab plans announced for abandoned movie theatre in downtown Rock Springs

The abandoned Rock Theatre (once the West Theatre) in downtown Rock Springs is being rehabilitated. Here's an excerpt from a story about the project from Casper Star-Tribune reporter Jeff Gearino:

A little bit of that local history is being saved under an ongoing, approximately $2.1 million revitalization project by the city's Urban Renewal Agency/Main Street program. The project aims to renovate the old venue for use as a theater and performing arts facility.

The West/Theatre project is part of a larger effort to revitalize the city's downtown area and promote economic growth, says URA/Main Street director Lisa Mueller.

"We want to rehabilitate the building, put it to public use and access, and hopefully it can become a kind of new catalyst for people and give them a reason and a purpose to come downtown," Mueller says.

---------------

The facility will serve as a community gathering place, Mueller says, and will accommodate movies, theatrical and cultural performances, youth-oriented and other activities.

Earlier this year, the agency received a $1.5 million community facility grant from the State Loan and Investment Board to help fund the project. Donations, smaller grants and city funds are footing the rest of the project.

---------------

Mueller says the agency expects to review architectural drawings around June 15 and begin bidding the construction phase soon after.

Construction is expected to begin in September or October, with an eye toward completing renovations by summer 2011.

She said a "peek party" is planned for June 19 to allow residents one last look at the old theater before construction begins.

One of those other grants for this project is coming from the Wyoming Arts Council is the form of a $10,000 Community Arts Partners grant. FMI: 307-777-7742.

Wyoming Philanthropy Days June 16-18

Preserve Wyoming 2010 conference will be held May 14-15 in Evanston

From a Wyoming SPCR press release:

Have you ever seen the rehabilitated historic hotels and motels in Buffalo? Or, wondered how Powell’s historic downtown building got all their facades redone?

Have you wondered how your community could use heritage tourism as an income generator? Or, how the windmills of Wyoming relate to the state’s historic trails?

These questions and more will be discussed during the Preserve Wyoming 2010 Conference in Evanston, May 14-15.

This biennial State Historic Preservation Office conference will be hosted by the City of Evanston and held in the newly rehabilitated historic Union Pacific Roundhouse and Machine Shop. (Evanston's Historic Depot is shown in photo above.)

The conference begins with lunch May 14 and concludes with tours of historic sites in the area on May 15.

Registration is $60 and includes all conference meals, including the annual awards banquet honoring recipients of the Wyoming Historic Preservation and Main Street awards.

Complete conference information is available online at http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us. Registration deadline is May 7.

For more information, please contact Ashley Rooney, State Historic Preservation Office, 307-777-7566 or via email at aroone@state.wy.us.

Ford Foundation announces new program to fund art spaces around the U.S.

The Ford Foundation announced new $100 million program to fund art spaces during the next 10 years. Last year, the foundation awarded a $1 million grant to ArtSpace Projects, a Minneapolis non-profit that finances live-work spaces for artists. Representatives from ArtSpace spoke last September at the Wyoming Arts Summit in Cheyenne and at the "Upstairs in Wyoming" conference last May in Sheridan.

Artspace Projects has received more than $1 million toward, among other things, transforming an abandoned public school in East Harlem into such a development, in partnership with El Barrio’s Operation Fightback, a New York community organization.

The project is to include 72 units of housing for artists and their families and a large space that can be used for art exhibitions, cultural events, conferences and gatherings of community groups.

Read the entire New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/arts/design/05ford.html?hp

Artspace launches toolkit to help communities find affordable space for the arts

Representatives from Minneapolis-based Artspace spoke at the "Living Upstairs in Wyoming" conference last spring in Sheridan and at the September 2009 Arts Summit in Cheyenne. They also conducted a site visit a few years ago in Casper.

Artspace now has designed a toolkit for communities to use as they investigate affordable spaces for the arts.

Here are some details from a press release:

Artspace Projects, the country’s leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, is pleased to announce the launch of its Consulting Toolkit. This comprehensive resource will help arts organizations and advocates, community development professionals, and municipal leaders, effectively explore the process and options for development of affordable space for the arts in their communities.

With more than 25 properties developed nationwide, Artspace has long been recognized for setting the standard in creating affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Artspace’s projects are frequently cited as playing a critical role in bringing economic and physical rejuvenation to city centers large and small, while providing affordable space for area artists and arts organizations.

Artspace’s Consulting and New Projects division is in high demand as communities seek their expertise. In light of this demand, and in lieu of embarking on a full-scale consulting contract, Artspace’s Consulting and New Projects’ staff now has the Consulting Toolkit to offer as a next-step for some communities.

The Artspace Consulting Toolkit is an online tool, designed to help communities clarify their interest and determine the feasibility of creating affordable space for the arts. The Toolkit is self-guided, cost-effective, and offers a wide range of information including downloadable documents, relevant website links, and robust descriptions of steps to complete the entire process. Topics such as How to Survey Your Market, How to Analyze a Site, How to Identify Funding Sources and How to Identify and Cultivate Local Leaders are all covered as part of the Consulting Toolkit.

--snip--

“We hope people will look into this new tool,” said Wendy Holmes, Artspace vice president for consulting and resource development. “If an organization is interested, they can simply fill out the online questionnaire, and one of our staff consultants will contact them within five working days to discuss whether the Consulting Toolkit is the right resource to help them maximize their community’s opportunity.”

For more information on the Artspace Consulting Toolkit visit www.artspace.org and click on “Consulting.”