AIR brochures winging their way to you

New Artist Image Registry brochures are in the mail!

The AIR is an online database of Wyoming visual artists, a program of the Wyoming Arts Council.

There is no registration. All WY artists are eligible. Just fill out and sign the AIR form and return it to the WAC with a CD of up to five images of your work.

AIR is in the testing stage but will go public later this summer. Check out the test site at http://wyomingartscouncil.org/artists/airsearch.aspx

Early bird registration deadline May 9 for Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference in Casper

2011 Wyoming Writers, Inc. Conference

June 3-5 in Casper, Wyoming

Ramada Plaza Riverside.

Presenters:

Author Lucia St. Clair Robson

Poet Chris Fischbach

Peter McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing

at Random House.

Editor Katie Dublinski, Graywolf Press

Agent Peter Steinberg, The Steinberg Agency

Register here. Early bird registration deadline is May 9!

Works of Wyoming flyer lists May 21 workshops

Click image for larger version

Postmark deadline draws near for WAC visual arts fellowships

The postmark deadline for the Wyoming Arts Council’s 2011 Visual Arts Fellowships is Friday, May 13. The applications will be judged by mixed-media artist Nancy Bowen, photographer Mark Klett and sculptor Joshua Wiener.

The WAC will award up to three fellowships of $3,000 each to honor the work of visual artists that reflects serious and exceptional aesthetic investigation. Painters, sculptors, printmakers, potters, media artists, craftspeople, video, film and others are invited to apply by submitting digital images of their work.

This competition is open to Wyoming residents only.

Printable applications are on the WAC web site at www.wyomingartscouncil.org. For more information, contact Mike Shay at the WAC at 307-777-5234 or mike.shay@wyo.gov.

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

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 

"A Diamond in the Rough" theme for annual Wyoming Artists Association conference

From Pinedale Online:

The upcoming Wyoming Artists Association Annual Convention will be held at the Sublette County Ice Arena in Pinedale April 29-May 1. This convention features an art exhibit at the Pinedale Ice Arena and a quick draw at the Museum of the Mountain Man. Both are open to the public.

The theme for this year’s convention is "A Diamond in the Rough". Workshops and demonstrations on the creative process and different art media are available to WAA members. These will also be held at the Ice Arena. Memberships are available at the door for only $20. A luncheon and banquet with entertainment are also available with pre-registration by April 15. For more information about the Wyoming Artists Association or to pre-register, call Ron Gregory, WAA Treasurer, at 307-856-7574.

The Quick draw is always fun to watch, and will be held from 6:30-7:30 PM ON Friday night at the Museum of the Mountain Man. Artists will have one hour to complete their work, which is a subject and medium of the artist’s choice. Subject matter might be still lift, model, sketches or reference photos. After completing their piece, they have 15 minutes to sign and frame it. Quick Draw pieces will then be taken to the auction area, which starts at 7:45 pm. Proceeds from the Quick Draw auction are split 50-50 with the Wyoming Artists Association and the artist.

WAA Annual Art Show and Competition Schedule
WAA Annual Art Show and Competition on display Friday through Sunday. There will be a wide variety of media, themes and awards.

Friday, April 29: Quick Draw and Art Auction At the Museum of the Mountain Man. Everyone welcome!
5:30 pm Quick Draw setup
6:30–7:30 pm Artists work
7:45 pm Auction
There will be wine, cheese, hors d'ouevres provided by the Museum. Proceeds benefit WAA and the artists.

Saturday, April 30 1-5 pm
Sunday, May 1 8 am-Noon

SAVE THE DATE: May 21 workshops for visual artists at WOW in Laramie

SAVE THE DATE: On Saturday, May 21, the Wyoming Arts Council visual arts fellowship judges will each conduct a 90-minute professional development workshop at Works of Wyoming in the Laramie Civic Center. Two workshop sessions will be held in the morning and one in the afternoon. To wrap up the presentations, WAC staffers will preview the agency’s new online Artist Image Registry (AIR) that you've been hearing so much about. Fellowship winners also will be announced at lunch (details TBA). Saturday's sessions are free but registration is required. Call 307-777-5234 or e-mail mshay@state.wy.us.

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."

Just think of it as The Sixth Annual State of Wyoming Poetry Bee

You're invited to the state finals of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition at 7 p.m. this evening at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. The event is free and open to the public. It's sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Competing will be 13 students in grades 9-12 from schools around the state:

Bryce McKenzie – Buffalo

Eddie Collins – Dubois

Jon Adams – Cheyenne East HS

Pheonix Hardin – Laramie 

Hannah Hout – Casper

Alicia Juanita Sanchez – Ft. Washakie

Alyssa Prado – Cheyenne South HS

Tyler Clementson – Shoshoni

Sara Ellingrod – Arvada/Clearmont

Raena Bush – Sundance

Marco Dominguez – Kaycee

Maddison Nielsen – Jackson

Izzy Jack – Cheyenne Central HS 

The students will compete in three rounds of poetry recitation. Judges are M.L. Liebler, a performance poet from Detroit; Max Maxfield, Wyoming Secretary of State; and Sophia Puccini, dancer and poet from Saratoga. 

The winner will go to Washington, D.C. on an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the national level, with 52 other contestants. The state winner also receives $200 and the winner’s school, $500 for the purchase of poetry books. The state runner-up receives $100 and their school, $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

P.S.: You could consider this a warm-up for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which opens March 18 at the Atlas. Get more info at http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org. 

Call for entries: Wyoming Writers, Inc., writing contest

Wyoming Writers, Inc., announces contest guidelines:

Hard copy entries much be postmarked by April 9, 2011.

Entry fee:  $10.00 for each entry from members of Wyoming Writers, Inc., $15.00 for non-members,

Member fee for poetry is $10.00 for 3 poems, non-members $15.00 for 3 poems. We encourage non-members to join the organization. Information and membership form are available on www.wyowriters.org. Contest entry forms are also available on the web site, and from flyers in libraries and bookstores, and in the WyoWriters newsletter.  You may photocopy an entry form.

No limit on the number of entries, but there is an entry fee for each manuscript and every 3 poems. Include one check for the total amount. No entry fees will be refunded. 

Eligibility: The contest is open to all writers. All works must be the unpublished and the original work of the   submitter. All works must be in English. Work accepted or under consideration for publication elsewhere, or entered in another contest simultaneously is not eligible. Work that has previously placed or received an honorable mention in a Wyoming Writers, Inc. contest is not eligible. Work may be submitted to other contests or for publication after the contest deadline.

Categories

Adult Fiction: (No horror or erotica) 3000 words maximum

Fiction for Children/Juveniles:  3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Personal experiences and Memoirs3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Articles and Essays., 3000 words maximum

Traditional Poetry:  28 lines maximum; up to 3 poems per submission.

Free Verse Poetry:  28 lines maximum;  up to 3 poems per submission

Prizes:   First place: $50, Second place: $30,  Third place $20. Each will get a certificate. There will be no Honorable Mentions.  Winners will be notified the latter part of May. Winners will be announced at the WWInc 2011 Conference to be held at the Ramada Plaza Riverside,Casper, WY June 3-5, 2011.

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

Detroit performance poet and 60s psychedelic music pioneer team up for Feb. 26 show in Cheyenne

Detroit author and performance poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis (shown in photo at right) one of the founding members of Moby Grape, will perform at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne on Saturday, Feb. 26. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $5, $3 for students, military and seniors (including over-the-hill hippies).

On Sunday, Feb. 27, Peter and M.L. will conduct a free public workshop at the Laramie County Public Library from 2-4 p.m.

On Monday, Feb. 28, M.L. will serve as one of three judges for the 2011 Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition. The competition begins at 7 p.m. at the Atlas Theatre. Peter will perform a short performance during intermission. This event is free and open to the public.

These events are all sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here is some bio info on M.L. and Peter:

One of our judges for the Poetry Out Loud event will be M.L. Liebler, a mover and shaker in the Detroit poetry scene. He has written several books of poetry including the 2001 Finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize and was winner of The 2001 Wayne State University Board of Governors’ Award. He has read and worked with Ed Sanders, Diane di Prima, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary & William Burroughs.

In addition, Liebler has recorded his poetry with such musical legends as Al Kooper, Country Joe McDonald, Jorma Kaukonen, Mike Watt, The Magic Poetry Band and many others. Liebler also edited the recently released anthology, Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams, (Coffee House Press).

M.L. has worked with the Wyoming Arts Council before – as one of the judges for the FY 2002 creative writing fellowships and as a presenter at one of the last ARTSPEAK conferences, held in Jackson in the fall of 2001. As director of the Detroit YMCA Writer's Voice, he came to Cheyenne in 2002-2003 at the request of the YMCA to conduct poetry and music presentations and workshops with Woodstock legend Country Joe MacDonald.

Peter Lewis is a founding member of the 1960s band Moby Grape. Their debut album was released in 1967, and it is still to this day one of the most revered rock albums of all times according to Rolling Stone magazine and other cultural critics. The band's energetic and hyper-exciting combination of folk, blues, and country was a unique sound to rock & roll. It was a new kind of American roots music but the band's career never took off the way it should have, due to personal tragedies. It took Peter Lewis a long time to shake off the troubled legacy of his band and begin to make his mark again with a stellar singer/songwriting recording career. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this living legend perform.

M.L. and Peter perform together (see photo at right). These two artists take their audience on a historical, cultural & literary journey from poetry to blues, folk and rock up to original contemporary compositions of both poetry and music. Together they blend words & music with beautiful harmonies, memories and the art of spoken word.

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

WAC roster panel to meet in Cheyenne Jan. 21

The Wyoming Arts Council will hold its annual artist roster selection panel on Friday, Jan. 21, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Arts Council Gallery, 2320 Capitol Ave., Cheyenne.

The meeting is open to the public.

Every year, the WAC invites applications for its roster. A panel of artists and arts professionals then convenes to review the applicants and select those that meet the criteria of “artistic merit of the artist” and “ability of the artist to successfully interact with an audience or in a public setting.”

Last year, the panel selected 12 new artists and arts groups, raising the number of talented Wyoming roster artists to 76. Any Wyoming arts organization, school or community can bring in any of these artists through an Arts Across Wyoming grant.

To view the current artists’ roster, or to get more information about grants, go to the WAC web site.

For more information about the panel meeting, please call the WAC at 307-777-7742.

Call for entries: Works of Wyoming

Go NAKED! Go CLOTHED! Go FIGURE!

by Barry Allen O'Riley

Works of Wyoming (WOW) is soliciting artwork for our Go NAKED! Go CLOTHED! Go FIGURE! show. Artwork in all mediums about the human figure will be accepted until February 18. Please submit application and images to wow@uwyo.edu.  The show will debut March 4th and will remain up until April 1.

WAC welcomes your response to its long-range plan

The Wyoming Arts Council’s Long Range Plan for 2011-2015 is now available for public comment through January 31, 2011.

Access the plan online from the WAC homepage at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us./

The WAC welcomes your input!

Call for entries: Jackson Hole Review

JH Weekly Editor Matthew Irwin sends this info:

The alt-weekly Jackson Hole Weekly recently acquired a fledgling lit mag, called Jackson Hole Review. We will be redesigning the publication and the website, but in the meantime, we're seeking submissions for our winter issue, themed "connect/disconnect." The cutoff date is January 12, 2011. For submission guidelines, an explanation of the theme and our mission, visit http://www.jhreview.com/.

Photo of the week: Susan Moldenhauer

Susan Modenhauer, "The White Desert, Egypt" (2010), archival inks on Inkpress WT paper, 12" x 18"

This is just one of the photos by Susan that will be on display when The Laramie Artists Project presents the 5th biennial “Touchstone Laramie” on Saturday, Nov.13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 14, from 1-5 p.m at the Fairfield Inn in Laramie. The event is a special fine art exhibition and sale by a consortium of Laramie’s professional artists.
 
FMI: http://www.laramieartistsproject.com/

Nina McConigley writes about bookfest for New West

Nina S. McConigley writes about Casper's 2010 Equality State Book Festival in the 10/20 New West. Read the entire article at http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/equality_state_book_fair_celebrates_regional_writers_in_wyoming/C39/L39/

Nina now teaches at UW in Laramie. She's the winner of a 2010 Blanchan/Doubleday writing award from the Wyoming Arts Council.

Amnesty International Film Festival at UW Oct. 23

The Amnesty International Film Festival, featuring short and full-length film on issues of human rights worldwide, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, in Laramie. Many films are award winners. Schedule includes "ICYIZERE: hope" (2008) that is also showing in Casper and Jackson. Refreshments provided. Time TBA (start about 10 AM or Noon) into the evening, Classroom Bldg Rm. 129, UW Campus. Info: Conor, cmullen@uwyo.edu. Free.