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.

NIC Fest features performances by Urban Island

Denver's Urban Island

NIC Fest at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper starts at 5 this evening. The annual event features booths and demos by more than 60 visual artists and three days of musical entertainment.

The corner of Beech and 2nd street on the NIC Fest grounds will feature a whole new “unique, completely original” sound this year when the Urban Island, a steel drum band from Denver, performs on Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26.

Rick Henson, founder of Rocky Mountain Steel Bands, formed this ensemble when he recognized that steel pan drums are universally regarded as intriguing, fascinating, and beautiful instruments – yet they are confined to traditional "tropical" tunes. Urban Island utilizes the versatility of these melodious drums in performing favorite pop classics, light modern rock, and dance-able Caribbean folk tunes.

Performances are set for 12:30, 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday; and 10:50 a.m., 12:10 and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

40 years after -- Cheyenne's Class of 1971 celebrates through art

Hynds Building art space, downtown Cheyenne

Class reunions usually consist of picnics and boozy receptions recalling the good ol' (or not so good ol') days. Here's a unique event centered around 40th reunion activities for grads of Cheyenne high schools. Class of '71 grads B.J. Buckley (poet) and Alan O'Hashi (filmmaker) sent me this info:

Gallery 71, sponsored by the Cheyenne High Schools Class of 1971, is hosting an art show and sale in association with the Deselms Gallery and LightsOn! Downtown. It will take place June 21-Aug. 7 at Deselms Fine Art, 300 E. 17^th St., and the Hynds Building, 1608 Capitol Ave., Cheyenne.

The class seeks works from artists who are associated or were associated with the Laramie County School District No. 1 as students or faculty. 

There's a nominal $10 fee per artist. We'll accept up to five entries per artists, however, the number of pieces shown will be dictated by the number of artists who participate. You'll get a chance to determine which of your works will be hung.

Works of art may be of any media. If any of your work sell, there's a 60-40 split with the Deselms Gallery.

Participating artists also may take part in the Friday July 22 Quick Draw event. Artists will set up at the Hynds Building and be provided a painting surface. Open house-goers will get a chance to observe artists in action as they create works of art on the spot. More details will follow. Each quick draw entry will be auctioned off. The proceeds will be spit 50-50 with the artists and LightsOn! Downtown Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

How to enter? Download the entry form by opening the "Art Show" tab at http://www.wyocomedia.com/

If you have questions, please email alan@ciff1.com or call 307-509-0182

Call for public art proposals: WY Military Joint Force Readiness Center

Photo by Sue Sommers

FMI: Wyoming Military Joint Force Readiness Center, Cheyenne. Deadline is June 30, 2011 

Casper College board of trustees names theatre for Tom Empey

On Wednesday, Casper College trustee Bill Hambrick spoke in favor of renaming the college’s Black Box Theatre for former theater director Tom Empey. Empey is a former board chair of the Wyoming Arts Council.

The Casper College board names buildings after people who have given “distinguished service” or substantial monetary gifts, according to a new policy approved by the board last year. 

Empey created the college’s theater department and taught for 31 years at the college. The board unanimously approved the naming. 

“The theater is not just recognized in this area — it’s recognized regionally, and Tom is responsible for so much of that,” Hambrick said.

Read the Casper Star-Tribune article here: Casper College's black box theatre named in honor of Tom Empey

BBHC offers field trip for Fern-filled Fauna of the Bighorn Basin

Fossilized vegetation of the Bighorn Basin

From the Buffalo Bill Historical Center:

Dr. Scott Wing describes his job like this, “As a research scientist and curator at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History the three major parts of my job are research, collections, and outreach.”

All three come together on July 9, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with a plant fossil field trip to the Big Cedar Ridge in the southeastern Bighorn Basin. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center co-sponsors the outing—dubbed Fern-filled Fauna of the Bighorn Basin—with the Wyoming Native Plant Society, Washakie Museum, and the University of Wyoming Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center. There is no charge for the trip; however, pre-registration is required by contacting Emily Buckles at emilyb@bbhc.org or 307.578.4110.

Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative selects Don Rambadt's design for underpass project

Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative, Jackson Hole Community Pathways and the National Museum of Wildlife Art are pleased to announce that artist Don Rambadt has been selected to create public art for the retaining walls framing the North Highway 89 Underpass that connects to the Museum’s new sculpture trail.

The main features of Rambadt’s proposal (see artist's rendering above)are called “Sky Play” and “Aspen Gateway”. The artwork depicts a large group of young Ravens at play. The object of the flock’s attention is its stick-toting leader, a reference to the remarkably intelligent Raven’s use of tools, and its family’s unique position as the only birds that fashion and keep their favorite “toys”. The birds will be created in carbon steel plate supported by Corten steel panels.

Aspen Gateway presents the viewer with a stylized view of an Aspen grove, executed in mirror-polished stainless steel with a black background to accentuate the forms of the trees. “The steep, out-swept angle of the wing-walls presents a wonderful opportunity to reflect the sweeping scenery of the Elk Refuge on the surface of the artwork, while the subtle forms of the trees and the abstract shapes between the reflected images will prepare the viewers mind and eye for the artists’ visions that await them at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.”

Installation will take place this fall and into 2012.

FMI: Jackson Hole Public Art Initiative, Carrie Geraci / Director, 307-413-1474, www.jhpublicart.org