Call for artists: ArtCorps in Central America

Calling all artists!

Join ArtCorps and strengthen sustainable development in Central America with your creative talents.  Through theater,storytelling, music, digital media and other creative facilitation techniques, ArtCorps Artists educate and inspire people to participate actively in improving the environmental, health and social conditions in their communities. Each ArtCorps artist works directly with a local development organization that is an expert in its field, strengthening their work through the arts.

Artists will:

• Work and live in his or her host community from January 2012 through December 2012.  Artists have the option to extend their stay for a second year if agreed upon by the host organization. 
• Receive room and board, medical insurance and a small personal stipend.
• Receive training and technical assistance from ArtCorps staff in the region in order to integrate ArtCorps methodology into the host organization.

Apply now for opportunities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize!  For info and initial application, visithttp://www.artcorp.org/Become-an-ArtCorps-Artist. The early application deadline is May 15, 2011 and the regular deadline is June 20, 2011.

Wyoming photographer Tom Mangelsen featured on "Discover the Wild" on PBS March 6

From FilmWyoming.com:

Master photographer Tom Mangelsen of Jackson Hole will share some of his wildlife photography secrets and his passion for wild places and wild things in a special Wyoming edition of "Discover the Wild" this Sunday, March 6, at 6:30 PM on Wyoming PBS as part of the festivities during pledge week.

The "Discover the Wild" series, a program featuring 10 shows with 25 titles filmed in Wyoming, presents an array of wildlife and related topics and was produced by Evergreen Productions of Casper. This Sunday night's broadcast will showcase three of Mangelsen's wildlife photography features produced for the series on light, knowing animal behavior, exposures and composition. Viewers will also be treated to segments on Yellowstone wildlife in winter, Jackson Hole elk, Park County and Sublette County Wyoming wildlife, grizzly bears and the Teton Science School. They will also have an opportunity to bid on a stunning 20 x 30 Mangelsen print, "Fire on the River."

"To have Tom on board for the live PBS broadcast of these segments from 'Discover the Wild' is a real honor for us," says producer, Neil Rodgers. "He's one of the top wildlife photographers in the world. And, like so many other folks who live here, he shares our unbridled enthusiasm for wild animals and the wild landscapes they inhabit."

UW Social Justice Research Center presents free public lecture on nonviolence by Gandhi's grandson

From a University of Wyoming press release:

The grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, peace activist and proponent of nonviolence, will speak at the University of Wyoming Tuesday, Nov. 16, as part of the UW Social Justice Research Center's semester speaker series.

His free public lecture, "Lessons Learned from My Grandfather: Non-violence in a Violent World," -- offering firsthand insights into one of history's most influential leaders -- is from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts main stage.
"We are excited to have Mr. Gandhi here at the University of Wyoming. At a time of such contentious societal dialogue around the war in Afghanistan, immigration reform and restrictions, and even the meaning of social justice, a voice of peace and civility is much needed," says Francisco Rios, UW Social Justice Research Center director and head of the Department of Educational Studies.

Few names in world history evoke such powerful images of integrity, courage, social harmony and -- perhaps most of all -- hope, than Gandhi. Arun Gandhi carries within himself the same guiding principles as his grandfather, the legendary peace-maker and spiritual leader.

Growing up in apartheid South Africa as a person of Indian heritage meant racial confrontations with both blacks and whites. Filled with rage and plotting to avenge his beatings, Arun Gandhi subscribed to Charles Atlas' bodybuilding magazines so he would have the strength to fight back. When his parents discovered the reason for their 12-year-old son's sudden fascination with exercise, they decided that a visit to his grandfather in India was in order.

What followed was an 18-month stay with one of the world's great leaders that would give him the keys to the powerful philosophy of nonviolence and help shape the foundation for his life's work.

After leading successful projects for economic and social reform in India, Arun Gandhi came to the United States in 1987 to complete research for a comparative study on racism in America. In 1991, Gandhi and his late wife, Sunanda, founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, now headquartered at the University of Rochester, N.Y. The institute promotes nonviolence through workshops, lectures and community outreach programs.

UW's Social Justice Research Center, Indian Student Association and the Department of Theatre and Dance sponsor the talk. For more information, call the UW Social Justice Research Center at (307) 766-3422.

Photo: Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, will discuss "Lessons Learned from My Grandfather: Non-violence in a Violent World," from 4-5:30 p.m. Nov. 16, in the Fine Arts main stage.