Schedule announced for May 21 professional development workshops for visual artists at WOW in Laramie

"Six quarter moons" by Mark Klett, 3/12/05, from the series Time Studies

Since 2009, the Wyoming Arts Council has sponsored annual forums for the state’s visual artists.

In 2009, the WAC teamed up with the University of Wyoming Art Museum for the "Public Art and Community Symposium" at the Hilton Garden Inn in Laramie. One WAC fellowship juror, well-known public artists Lawrence Argent, spoke about protecting intellectual property rights. All three jurors participated in the 20:20 event and the closing reception which included the announcement of visual arts fellowship winners for that year.

In 2010, the WAC traveled to Casper April 23-25 for a 20:20 event co-sponsored by the UW Art Museum. The three fellowship jurors conducted multimedia presentations of their work and an awards reception closed out the festivities. The WAC also gathered “focus groups” of visual artists and roster artists to get their input for the WAC’s next five-year plan. These sessions were held in conjunction with the High School Arts Symposium and the annual conference of WyoPoets.

This year, the WAC has teamed up with Works of Wyoming in Laramie for a series of professional development workshops on May 21. There is no fee for the workshops (lunch included) but you do have to register in advance. E-mail me at mshay@state.wys.us.

Here is the schedule for the May 21 workshops at Works of Wyoming (WOW) in the Laramie Civic Center, Laramie:

"Symbiosis" by Joshua Wiener

9-10:30 a.m.: Joshua Wiener, sculptor, Louisville, Colo.: “Everything you wanted to know about successful public art proposals.”

10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Mark Klett, photographer, Tempe, Ariz.: "Rethinking landscape photography (and all photographic practice) in the digital age"

12:30-1:30 p.m.: Lunch and announcement of visual arts fellowship winners

1:45-3:15 p.m.: Nancy Bowen, mixed-media artist, Brooklyn, N.Y.: “How to prepare and organize your work for visual arts competitions.”

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Wyoming Arts Council debuts online Artist Image Registry, Annie Wood (not confirmed) speaks about Wyoming Made, and Panelist Q&A

From Nancy Bowen's mixed-media exhibit "Sculptures & Drawings"

View Nancy Bowen's most recent exhibition at https://www.purchase.edu/Departments/AcademicPrograms/Arts/artdesign/richardanddollymaassgallery.aspx

View Mark Klett's work at www.artnet.com/artist/9580/mark-klett.html

Joshua Wiener's web site is at http://www.joshuawiener.com 

Attention arts entrepreneurs: WY Entrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program may be for you

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Would you like to:

• Upgrade your business to one that is more eco-friendly and
• sustainable?
• Discover new markets and customers?
• Save money by reducing waste and energy costs?
• Develop a business plan to guide you through the process?
• Receive grant funding of up $2000 to help you implement your sustainability plans?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the WyomingEntrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program is for you!
Enrollment is free — but limited. Don’t wait. Enroll today!

Understanding and implementing sustainable business practices in your business can save you money, help you reach new markets, provide a healthy and safe workplace for you and your employees, and help your business survive in a world that is increasingly focused on sustainability.

Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC is offering a valuable training program and grant package to help you understand and implement sustainable business practices in your business. It allows you to become more efficient, profitable and able to serve your customers for years to come.

The Wyoming Entrepreneur Sustainable Profits package is worth up to $2,500 to your business. This free program includes:

• A seven session online course that will guide you through the process of developing a sustainable business plan. This course will include a one-hour webinar each week plus group coaching sessions.
• A year-long license to the powerful online tool, “Solutions at the Speed of Business,” featuring modules on Lighting, Heating and Cooling, and Office Equipment. Visit www.NatCapSolutions.org
• Free consultation offered by the business specialists at Wyoming Entrepreneur.
• Participants who successfully complete the program will be eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2000 that may be used to implement sustainable practices identified in their business plan.

To be eligible for the Sustainable Profits program you must:

• Have been in business at least six months or obtain prior approval to apply from sustainability team.
• Agree to the program terms, specified in the application.
• Be a Wyoming company.

GRANT REQUIREMENTS:

• Complete an application. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2011.
• Attend a 7-week online course and participate in group coaching sessions, write a sustainable business plan, and utilize the three “Solutions at the Speed of Business” tools.
• Participants who meet these requirements will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $2000 to support implementation of their sustainability plans.
• Participants will also be expected to report on their progress and outcomes and showcase their successes.

Download

Sustainable Profits Brochure or Sustainable Profits Application

Sunstainible Business Consulting:

Susan Jerke
Regional Director, Wyoming Entrepreneur

2001 West Lakeway Road, Suite D
Gillette, Wyoming 82718

307.682.5232 or in Wyoming 888.956.6060

Email Susan

Take a 3-D trip to "Wyoming Entrepreneur Island"

This info comes from Mark Atkinson, Regional Director of the Wyoming Entrepreneur Small Business Development Center in Rock Springs:

I am teaching two small business classes (seminars) in the 3-D virtual world, Second Life, at our facility called Wyoming Entrepreneur Island.

The first one will take place February 10th at 12 noon. This is a business startup class for starting a small business in Real Life, although the basic principles apply to a business in any environment.

If attending and you live in Wyoming, please register for the free event at http://www.wysbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=10310001.

The second class will take place on March 3rd at 12 noon. This is an eCommerce class that teaches entrepreneurs how to sell online with a website.

If attending and you live in Wyoming, please register for the free event at http://www.wysbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=10310002.

All are welcome to attend whether living in Wyoming or not.

FMI: (307) 352-6894 or (800) 348-5205

Art Design & Dine -- Just in time for Valentine's Day

From the Art Design & Dine site: Art Design & Dine in Cheyenne has a new look! Each poster will list the dates for the next three months of art tours. The flyers will list the featured restaurants on the back. Each quarter there will be new restaurants added to the flyer to give you more options and a longer time to use the coupon.

Tax tips for the self-employed (including artists)

Wyoming Entrepreneur sends this:

Join us online for this series of "Tax Talk" webinars. Keith Hall, CPA of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) will present three, free, 45-minute webinars beginning February 3. Each online session will start at 2:00 pm. Keith is a nationally recognized speaker and truly understands the problems faced by small businesses.

On February 3, the topic will be, "Top 5 Tax Questions for the Self-employed." In this session Keith will cover entity formation, registrations and recordkeeping, and paying estimated taxes. He will also discuss popular deductions such as automobiles, meals and travel. To register for this session, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/454703073.

 The February 10^th webinar is titled "Preparing an Audit-proof Tax Return." In case you are audited by the IRS, you need to understand how to best safeguard your business for survival. Key topics to be discussed include getting organized, searching for deductions, and building your paper fort. To register for this session, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/790421080.

You will get "Tips for Saving on Your Taxes" on February 24. Learn how to maximize deductions with possibilities such as hiring your child, utilizing a home office, retirement contributions, and more. To register for this session, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/713500168.
 

Keith Hall helps self-employed and micro-business owners through the NASE's Tax Talk service, offering personalized tax advice on everything from incorporation and automobile expenses to home office deductions and travel expenses.

Please note: You'll need to register for each session separately. Upon registration a confirmation email will be sent with information on how to join the webinar at the scheduled time.

Our monthly webinars are typically offered the first Thursday of each month at 2:00 PM, promising to provide attendees with at least 3 actionable ideas. Presentations are one hour long and are extended free of charge in a convenient online format.

Journey to a place where story pitches succeed with author Dina Mishev

From Nicole Burdick at nicole@jacksonholewritersconference.com:

Jackson Hole Writers Conference is excited to present you with the fourth in a series of six FREE writing workshops for 2010. Space is limited, so if you would like to sign up, please reply to this email or nicole@jacksonholewritersconference.com. See the nether part of this message for upcoming opportunities.

"Angle and Pitch to Sell Your Story" on Thursday, September 23, 6-9 p.m., Center for the Arts Conference Room.

No matter how well you can write, if you can't sell an editor on your idea, you're not going to make a living. The more angles you can come up with based on a single idea, the better your chances of selling one of them. Dina Mishev knows from experience. During this workshop she will take writers on a journey to the place where pitches succeed. While she gives you an approachable understanding of the magazine publishing industry, you’ll also have the chance to work on crafting a great pitch, which means you’ll also be on the way to your next great story. So wrap your mind around three angles of the story you really want to tell and bring them with you, or just grab your pen and paper, and come learn how to spin an idea well. Class is free and open to the public, and registration is required. Light snacks included.

Workshop Presenter: Dina Mishev has been living and writing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming since 1997. A graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in Math and Economics, Dina moved to Wyoming immediately following college and one year turned into another. Dina’s writing career started shortly after her arrival in Wyoming when the Jackson Hole News entrusted her to write a bi-weekly column about 20-something life in the valley. Three years later, Dina quit her job managing the Jackson Hole Wine Auction, deciding it was time to sink or swim as a writer. That first year she sent out 1,483 queries to magazines and newspapers. She got one assignment. Slightly disheartened, but never considering giving up... she now writes about travel, sports, adventure, gear, art, people, and lifestyle topics for Sunset, AAA Via, National Geographic Traveler, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Pain Solutions, Cooking Light, NWA World Traveler, United Hemispheres, Wyoming Tourism, Arizona Office of Tourism, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, and Mobil Travel Guide. She is a Contributing Editor at Travel Squire. Assignments have taken her from spas in Africa to 100 feet under the Caribbean Sea. See Dina's full bio and more, here.

Upcoming FREE workshops with Jackson Hole Writers Conference: Fiction with Lucy Flood on October 21 and nonfiction with Broughton Coburn on December 2. More details to follow.

These workshops were supported by a grant from the Community Foundation, and your generous donations during Old Bill's Fun Run keep publishing opportunities grounded in Jackson Hole. We're lucky to have over 40 well-published writers living and working in this valley. By making a charitable gift to the Conference you ensure a steady stream of stimulating guest speakers from near and far as well as literary education opportunities throughout the year. Do write! Do consider joining us in making the literary arts thrive in Jackson Hole, and in turn filling the bookshelves of tomorrow with your contributions.

FMI: Nicole Burdick, http://www.jacksonholewritersconference.com/, http://www.jacksonholewriters.wordpress.com/, 307-413-5235

Entrepreneur workshop not just for artists

"Entrepreneur Workshop" will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Laramie Civic Center, 710 East Garfield, Suite 271, Laramie.

This an entry-level workshop created for all business people (not just artists), to see if entrepreneurship really fits with your lifestyle. You will get a good sense of what it “really” takes to run a successful small business. You will gain the tools to begin to get started on the feasibility of your plan and begin to seriously look at your strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome any problems in those areas prior to actually starting the business. Only $10!

FMI: Rebecca Sissman, Wyoming Women's Business Center, wwbc@uwyo.edu, 307-721-3083

Wyoming entrepreneurs invited to tell their stories on Christmas ornaments

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Wyoming is honored to provide the 2010 Capitol Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol! Wyoming Entrepreneur is sponsoring a "companion tree" that will accompany the official tree to Washington D.C.

You are invited to submit an ornament that tells your story and take part in a social media training and networking event as our tree takes a road trip across the nation to its final destination.

The fee to participate is $50, payable by credit card. The deadline to register is September 10. All submitted ornaments will be featured on our Facebook page.

To register for this exciting project, visit http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz/ and click on "An Entrepreneurial Christmas Story." Questions? Call 1-800-348-5194 or email wyenbiz@uwyo.edu

Turning the "Lights On!" in downtown Cheyenne begins with "Night D'Lights" on Sept. 24

FMI: LightsOn Downtown Group Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/LightsOn-Downtown-Group/142769705746536

Lander Photo Group releases book just in time for Christmas

Wyomingarts is always glad to receive new books. The latest comes from David Schuster in Lander. The title is “Representations: A Collective Work. Photographs by the Lander Photo Group.” Inside are black-and-white and color photos from some of Lander’s finest: Mary Allen, Brad Christensen, Tony Henry, Ken Kidder, Juan Laden, Chris Robisch, David Schuster, and Sara Wiles. You may recognize some of these names. Sara Wiles has received the Governor’s Arts Award for her documentation of life on the Wind River Reservation. Juan Laden has exhibited his work extensively, both in the U.S. and overseas. He is best known for his series entitled “Passing Memories, Descansos, Roadside Memorials of the West.”

Here is a snippet from the book’s introduction:

Just as photography is perhaps the most diverse of all art forms, our photographs are equally diverse. We use color and black-and-white film or digital formats, and experiment with a variety of alternative techniques. The photographs we produce are documentary, landscapes, portraits, architectural or abstract forms, or combinations of them all. This book represents our first formal attempt to present ourselves to you.

“Representations” was published by CreateSpace, the print-on-demand arm of Amazon.com. The square-format paperback (8.2 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches) is 202 pages and sells for $29.99 (free shipping) on Amazon. You can order it through your favorite bookstore, or online at http://tinyurl.com/ybwz7mn.

Wyomingarts leaves you with this sage holiday advice: Buy a book by a Wyoming writer/artist today!

Call for entries: 2010 Green Book Festival

From a press release:

The 2010 Green Book Festival has issued the call for entries to its annual competition honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment.

The 2010 Green Book Festival will consider published, self-published and independent publisher works in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, children's books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/graphic novels, poetry, science fiction/horror, biography/autobiography, gardening, cookbooks, animals, photography/art, e-books, wild card (anything goes!), scientific, white paper, legal, business, mystery and spiritual.

Entries can be in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or Italian. Our grand prize for the 2010 Green Book Festival Author of the Year is $1500 and transportation to our April 30-May 2, 2010 outdoor festival in Los Angeles as part of the LA Garden Show OR an equivalent amount donated in your name to the environmental charity of your choice.

A panel of judges will determine the winners based on the following criteria:
1) The overall writing style and presentation of the work;
2) The potential of the work to enhance understanding of the environment and its issues;

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at http://www.greenbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you by emailing GreenBookFestival@sbcglobal.net or calling our office at 323-665-8080.

C'mon down to Cheyenne -- WAC offers travel stipends to Sept. 24-25 Arts Summit

In recognition of challenging economic times, the Wyoming Arts Council is offering travel stipends to Wyoming artists, arts organization representatives and community leaders interested in attending the Arts Summit Sept. 24-25 at Little America in Cheyenne.

The Summit features sessions by renowned experts exploring linkages among the arts, government, community development, economic prosperity and business.

The WAC travel stipends, available on a first-come, first-served basis, will help defray costs associated with the conference. Cheyenne residents can receive reimbursement for their Arts summit Registration; residents outside Cheyenne but within a 50-mile radius can receive $150; and those living in Wyoming outside the 50-mile radius can receive $300. Please – only one request/representative per arts organization may receive a travel stipend.

In return, the Arts Council asks stipend recipients to attend all sessions and fill out an in-depth evaluation that will help the agency with its strategic planning for the future of the arts in Wyoming.

Postmark deadline for requests is Sept. 15. Please call the WAC at 307-777-7742 and ask for Linda Coatney if you’re representing an arts organization, government (local, state, federal), schools, college/university or business. Ask for Michael Shay or Linda Coatney if you’re an individual artist.

For more information about the Summit, go to the WAC web page at http://www.wyoarts.org/

Pre-Summit workshop addresses arts-based development in the rural West

The Wyoming Arts Council is hosting three pre-Arts Summit workshops in Cheyenne on Sept. 23.

The WAC's Community Development and the Arts Program Specialist Randy Oestman is the planner for "Creating and Sustaining Arts-Based Development in Small Town Rural West." It will be facilitated by Dan Wecks on Wednesday Sept. 23, 1-5 p.m. Location TBA (and we'll have it on the blog when it is). This workshop is free to registrants of Wyoming Arts Summit 2009

Here's some background on the workshop:

More than ever communities across Wyoming are realizing the importance of Community Development and the Arts with may of the same questions being raised. Where do we start? How do we determine and communicate the importance of arts and creativity? What are possible projects? How do we attract participants? How do we fund this project and make it sustainable?

This will be an open discussion exploring successful and unsuccessful examples of Community Development and Arts projects from smaller communities with an opportunity to glean information from a very successful Community Development Leader. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for community leaders with similar visions to network and connect for assistance in making things happen throughout Wyoming.

Dan Wecks has a broad background of experience including government, non-profit, and private business. Before deciding to follow his heart to do what mattered to him, he was President of a large real estate and development company. He was elected to the Manitou City Council and later as its Mayor. During this time he became the Executive Director of the Business of Art Center, a business incubator for artists and arts organizations in Manitou Springs.. Dan’s twin loves are assisting arts/community organizations, schools and government in looking to creative solutions to community issues and helping build "Strength-Based" organizations through the development of their people.

FMI: Randy Oestman, WAC, 307-777-7109.

P.S.: The other two pre-Arts Summit workshops will be on arts education and writing WAC grants. More info later...