Quilting is Dinomyte

The Wyoming State Quilt Guild Southwest Region is hosting Quilt Wyoming 2010's "Quilting is Dinomyte," July 15-18 at Western Wyoming Community College. Quilt classes, a vendor mall and quilt display will be offered, as well as quilt entries in the Challenge and Opportunity categories for judging.

Registration must be postmarked by April 15, 2010.

Go to http://www.wsqg.org/ for more information, a complete brochure listing hotel information, classes, and registration forms, which can be printed and mailed.

UW hosts 29th biennial powwow April 17-18

From a UW press release:

Contestants from around the region are expected to take part in the 29th biennial powwow April 17-18, at the University of Wyoming's War Memorial Fieldhouse in Laramie.

UW's American Indian Studies Program, together with the American Indian Studies Alliance, will host a series of events before the spring semester powwow.

The powwow, free and open to the public, begins at noon Saturday with the grand entry followed by a second grand entry at 7 p.m. The Sunday session grand entry is at noon.

Indian dances will be performed throughout the weekend. Vendors will sell Native American items and memorabilia, Indian tacos and more.

The event is sponsored by UW's Native American student group, Keepers of the Fire, celebrating its 39th anniversary as an organization that helps preserve and promote cultural diversity on campus.

The words "Keepers" and "Fire" represent the concept that the fire must be kept preserved and burning. In the Indian culture, a fire must never be allowed to die out. It was the keeper's duty to keep the fire going.

Saturday and Sunday, contestants from the region will be judged on their dancing ability and on the quality and creativity of their regalia. Dancers in various age groups will perform in men's, women's and teen divisions in such categories as fancy, grass, traditional and jingle dances. Other activities include a Keepers of the Fire princess contest, tiny tot competition and drum contests. Prize money will be awarded in five age divisions.

Will Peters from Pine Ridge, S.D., is the powwow's master of ceremonies; Patrick Iron Cloud Sr. of Ethete is arena director; and Irene Sanke is the 2008-2010 Keepers of the Fire Powwow Princess.

For more information, contact Tanaya Moon Morris at (307) 760-6340 or e-mail moon@uwyo.edu.

UW's American Indian Studies Program and the American Indian Studies Alliance have scheduled three days of activities before the powwow. Events each day are:

-- Wednesday April 14: Writer Diane Wilson will read excerpts from her book "Spirit Car" at 6 p.m. Classroom Building Room 310.

-- Thursday April 15: Film festival -- topic: boarding schools. "In the White Man's Image," 6 p.m., and "Where the Spirit Lives," 7:30 p.m. Classroom Building Room 129.

-- Friday April 16: Film festival -- topic: sovereignty. "The Battle for Whiteclay," 4 p.m., followed by a discussion with film maker Mark Vasina and Indian activist Frank Lamere who appears in the film. "Skins," 7:30 p.m. All events are in the Classroom Building Room 129.

Ed Reeve is YMCA "Artist of the Month"

From a press release:

The Cheyenne Family YMCA "Artist of the Month" for April is photographer Ed Reeve. This is Ed’s fifth year as YMCA artist of the month and his work is very popular. Ed’s art is of wildlife, Wyoming ranch life and Wyoming’s beautiful scenery from the Tetons, the Snowy Range and many places he's traveled around the world. His photography is on display during the entire month of April for viewing during regular YMCA business hours. A reception to meet the artist is free and open to the public on Friday April 9, 5-6 p.m. in our pool lobby. For more info, go to http://cheyenneymca.org

WAC adds 11 new artists to roster

We have 11 new artists that were approved for the Wyoming Arts Council’s Artist Roster, now totaling 74, who represent the literary, visual and performing arts from across the state. I’ll be profiling them here over the next few days. The full-color, printed version of the roster will be out toward the end of May. Look for it in your mailboxes, as well as the 2010 Spring newsletter issue.

Wendy de la Harpe – dancer
Wendy de la Harpe was born and raised in South Africa, where she established a career as one of the country’s top choreographers in stage, television and film productions. She is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance, a leading international dance examination board specializing in classical ballet. From 2000-2009, Wendy was at Ballet Idaho, where she served as associate artistic director, interim academy director and education director. Wendy has written Dare 2 Dance, a curriculum that introduces students to cultural stories and music of South Africa, which also includes kinesthetic teaching techniques. Contact: 307-742-9568; 208-283-5737; E-mail: delaharpe@q.com


Daron Little – singer/songwriter
Daron Little is a working ranch cowboy who is also a singer/songwriter. His cowboying has taken him through Louisiana, where he was born, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming, where he currently ranches near Encampment. His CD “…The Faraway Look,” of songs that reflect the country and cowboy life, was released in 2009. He was named 2009 Academy of Western Artist’s Top Male Western Vocalist. He has performed at the Western Music Association Year End Festival, the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Heber City Cowboy Gathering, the Devils Tower 12th Annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and The Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering, among others. Contact: 307-327-5217; E-mail: daron@ranchcowboymusic.com; Website: http://www.ranchcowboymusic.com/

Equinox Trio – classical musicians
Violinist Jennifer Cowell, violist Gary DePaolo, and cellist Christine Dunbar have been playing together as a trio for the past seven years. Exploring the evolution of classical strings music, they feature selections from Mozart to contemporary composers. Equinox Trio performs for concerts, fundraising and arts events, social functions and weddings. Instructors and teachers in college and secondary schools, they are also principal players with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. Each member also provides private lessons to school age children. Their mission for educational outreach stretches to underserved areas, and educating all school-aged children about bowed string instruments and repertoire.Contact: 307-237-5240; E-mail: violinviola@mac.com

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

Call for entries: Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition

From a press release:

The Oklahoma Songwriters & Composers Association, in association with The Woody Guthrie Coalition, is proud to announce the Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition. This international, folk-oriented songwriting contest is held in conjunction with the 13th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, held in Woody’s hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma, each July. This year’s Festival dates are July 14-18, 2010.

All entries must be postmarked by April 17, 2010.

Please do not send entries overnight, express or certified mail! This impedes the process, and is not necessary as postmarks are used exclusively as far as timeliness of receipt of an entry.

Songwriting Contest Rules & Entry Form for the 2010 Festival Contest at http://www.woodyguthrie.com/Songwriting_Competition.html

"The NEAT Show" opens April 2 in Lander with a Buffalo Feast Reception

Work by NEAT Show artists (from top, clockwise): Jola LeBeau, Waylon Bonatsie, Helene Oldman, Vicki Giles

A Buffalo Feast Reception will be held for the debut of "The NEAT Show (Native Emerging Artists Training)" on Friday, April 2, 6-8 p.m., at the Lander Art Center in Lander.

This exhibition is the culmination of the Native American Emerging Artist Training which began in the fall of 2009. The purpose of the training was to teach Native Emerging Artists how to enter a juried show. The training began with 22 artists and 14 are included in the show.

The exhibition will continue through May 14, 2010.

FMI: http://www.landerartcenter.com/