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82801 Features

Baby, Let’s Go to Vegas!

Kevin puts a localized spin on the world of the recent Wrangler National Finals Rodeo December 7 – 16th, in Las Vegas. This year’s NFR is 2017’s season-ending championship event for professional rodeo cowboys and girls from across the nation, including Wyomingites J.R. Vezain of Cowley (25) and Brody Cress of Hillsdale (21).

What is Project Enterprise? Local authorities in Sheridan’s economic development scene are seeking over $12 million from the Wyoming Business Council and the State Loan and Investment Board for the construction of a 100,000 sq. ft. facility to house a mystery project. It looks as though Sheridan’s business climate may be changing in the near future, and in a big way. But, why all the secrecy?

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2018

Meet the Teen Who Discovered the Secret of Social Capital When students with social media influence are given the training and tools needed to combat bullying, researchers found a 30 percent decrease in student conflict. Contributor Pamela Paresky shares the story of sixteen-year-old Natalie Hampton.

An Artist’s Muse Kevin takes us behind the scenes as he attends the Retrospective Show: Developed, Etched, and Bound hosted by SAGE (Sheridan Artists Guild, Etc.) Community Arts, where friends Adam Jahiel, Joel Ostlind, and Taylor Crosby are celebrated for their ongoing (and in some cases arguably unparalleled), contributions to the art of the American West.

Christmas Stroll Magic

Chamber Teams with Downtown Retailers to Deliver Christmas Cheer ome of Sheridan’s charm comes not from what the town has, but from what the town doesn’t have. There are no big box stores to camp out in front of, awaiting a frantic rush to the door on the day after Thanksgiving. There is no Black Friday in Sheridan. But, there is a Christmas Stroll! “The Christmas Stroll began in 1996 as a way to encourage people to stay in Sheridan for shopping on Black Friday, instead of going to Billings or Casper.” says Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Director of Marketing and Communications Jodi Hartley.

about everyone in town outdoors. Free chili and hot dogs were abundant, the latter being shoved enthusiastically at merry-makers by

“It has been very successful in doing that through its 22-year history.” ~ Hartley

members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. At Grinnell Plaza in the center of downtown, Sheridan Media offered free hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles for all. Bands, carolers, and choirs were positioned on various street-corners, providing the evening’s seasonal soundtrack. And, courtesy of Valley Motor Honda, signs along Main Street announced waiting areas for hayrides… a great way to see the entire length of the town and spot friends and family amongst the crowd. Inside the shops, people browsed for gifts and looked for deals, but with none of the panicked fervor that has become associated with shopping elsewhere on Black Friday. Instead, it was like

Friday, November 24th was a pleasant, warm evening in Sheridan as residents and visitors alike headed downtown, filling Main Street and Grinnell Plaza for the 22nd Annual Christmas Stroll. Sheridan retains an old-style evening of shopping that feels more like a town festival than a shop-a-thon. The Christmas Stroll is somewhere people can go for one night and see just

the festival happened to spill into the shops off of the street. Most businesses had refreshments of one kind or another and stood by ready to greet people. Many shoppers stayed out longer than they might have due to the pleasant weather, and shopkeepers were happy to have them. While many go to the Christmas Stroll mostly for the festive feel of the annual event, it is also a great chance for Sheridanites to support local businesses and put money back into the local economy. The Christmas Stroll has been taking place in Sheridan, virtually unchanged, for the past 22 years. When it first began, there was a petting zoo, and the hay-rides were pulled by horses instead of tractors.

But, Mr. and Mrs. Claus have always been there. The buttons began that first year as well. Shoppers buy buttons with unique numbers and, when DECEMBER / JANUARY 2018

they find the matching number in a local business, they win a prize. Fourth grader Mallorie Akers drew the winning design for the buttons this year. According to Hartley, “The first few years, the buttons designs were done by local artists. Then it was changed to having children submit designs and has been that way since.” This too, a slightly different pace of change, is part of Sheridan’s appeal. There is something special about Sheridan, often drawing those who pass through to stay and make a home here. It is a great place to raise a family, retire, or start a business. The shop owners at Sidestreet Bed and Bath came for two of those reasons. “We came to retire,” said Garry Nelson, “But then she decided she wanted to open a shop,” he said, indicating his wife

Jennifer who was at the counter selling some softlooking sheets. Jennifer explained how she and Garry had fallen in love with Sheridan and moved here from Southern California. Originally intending to retire, Jennifer was inspired to open the bed and bath four years ago. Of the Christmas Stroll, Jennifer said, “it’s great to have everyone out. It’s a wonderful event that really kicks off the season.” She expressed how much she loves living in Sheridan and how much she enjoys having a shop here. “It’s just this energy you feed off of. It’s kind of magical.” Side Street Bed and Bath offers lotions, soaps, robes, other bath accessories, and fine bedding. Across town, another couple told a similar story about their shop. Four years ago, John and Kathy Lundberg sold the trailer park they owned in Montana. They hadn’t been looking for a buyer, but when someone wanted to buy it for a good price they

decided to take the deal and headed out to explore the country on their motorcycle.

First, the Lundbergs drove through Oregon, and thought about moving there. But, then they came to Wyoming. While driving through Sheridan, “We saw a store that looked empty and the door was open,” Kathy recalled, “It turned out the guy who owned the shop was inside. We decided to buy it. And, we’ve been here since.” The Lundbergs own Big Horn Trading, the only place within 100 miles of Sheridan with a Class 3 firearms license. They also sell used guns and top-grade water filters. John is an NRA firearms teacher, and Kathy is working to get certified. Kathy, who started shooting guns only recently, says there aren’t many female NRA instructors. “It’s less than one percent. I’m going to help to change that,” she said. The Lundbergs enjoy living in Sheridan. “It’s a great town,” said Kathy. She found herself surprised by how much she enjoys it here. She said it has given her and John a whole new way of spending time together. “It’s a whole ‘nother element to our relationship,” she said. Sadly, it’s common for small-town business owners to feel the enormous presence of Amazon and other online retailers. Most of them cannot afford to compete price-wise. But, they can offer something different: A real relationship with someone who loves Sheridan as much as their customers do. Returning to the Stroll, the evening grew late and the local breweries began to fill. The Black Tooth Brewing Taproom was packed in anticipation of a musical performance by Jalan Crossland in celebration of the establishment’s seven years of brewing beer in Sheridan.

Meanwhile, Kalyn Beasley played the opening act as people ordered food from on-site food trucks and sampled the newly unveiled 2017 barrelaged english strong ale, "1314.” At Luminous Brewhouse, the band Cruisin’ played some good old fashioned rock n’ roll, and the dance floor got busy with dancers of all ages, including parents and their young children. It gave the space an almost village hall feel, as laughs were shared around the room between generations. The Annual Sheridan Christmas Stroll showcases the giving spirit of the fine folks in Sheridan County. Volunteers and donations, from hot dogs to the beautiful lighting in the plaza by Rocky Mountain Sign Design & Print, brought everything together. And, the event capped off with a brilliant fireworks display at Grinnell Plaza. The 22nd Annual Sheridan Christmas Stroll 2017 was sponsored by Bank of the West, the City of

Sheridan, Decker Coal, Sheridan Travel & Tourism, State Farm Insurance Agent Jon Oman, and U.S. Bank. If you have a 2017 Christmas Stroll button (available at all participating businesses), wear it while you shop locally every Saturday before Christmas: December 9th, 16th, and 23rd. If an elf catches you wearing the button, you could win up to $250 in chamber bucks! By: Kevin Knapp for 82801

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Meet the Teen

Who Discovered the Secret of Social Capital “You're worthless. You should kill yourself. Everyone would be happier if you did.”

his is not someone’s depressed inner voice. This is what real children tell other real children in middle school.

How should the target of this kind of comment react? Punch them? Explain that those words are unkind? Tell a teacher? Say, “How about you give it a try, and tell me how it goes?” What if the comments don’t go that far? What if those kids just say, “You’ll never have any friends”? New to her school, and knowing no one, Natalie Hampton started seventh grade expecting to make new friends. She was friendly and made an effort, but as she told me, “everyone already had friends and they weren’t looking for any more.” She knew that sitting alone at lunch would mark her as a social outcast, but when she tried to join other tables, “You can’t sit with us” was the refrain. Before long, Natalie faced persistent exclusion, name-calling, taunting, threats, and “pranks.” With no friends, by 8th grade, she was isolated and lonely. “You’ll never have any friends,” kids taunted her. The school administration was convinced Natalie was doing something to cause other kids to dislike her, and was certain she was exaggerating how she was being treated. Twice a week, Natalie dutifully met with the school counselor, who interrogated her, trying to identify what was wrong with her and how she was causing her social problems. The administration’s perception of Natalie resulted in adults at the school interpreting everything she did in the least generous way possible. With no support or protection from adults, bullies understood they had tacit approval to target Natalie, and the

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social aggression became physical. Natalie developed anxiety. Whenever she entered a classroom, she planned her escape route. She suffered from chronic headaches, stomachaches, and nightmares. She began to believe that everyone at school was right; there had to be something wrong with her. She would never have friends. “When a lot of adults in your life are telling you that it’s your fault,” she told me, “you start to internalize it.” She lost hope that her life would get better — that she would even live to graduate high school. Children and teens need friends. Friends aren’t just the “icing on the cake.” Friends aren’t even the cake. Friends are the vegetables. Having friends is socially and emotionally protective. Being told “you’ll never have any friends” can easily be shrugged off by a child who has friends — and a friend might even step in to prove it wrong. But for a socially isolated child, there is no one to demonstrate that it isn't true, and that can feel like a death sentence. Without the social protection that children provide for their friends, a child without friends is an easy target — and a useful one. Unkind behavior toward children without social status is rewarded with social capital and elevated social status, because it highlights the status differential. Calling attention to this difference in status results in a depletion of social capital and a lowering of social status for the target of that unkindness, who has no one to intervene. Defending a low-status child is like touching someone with “cooties,” so bystanders rarely step in. In contrast, allying with socially aggressive, high-status children earns social capital without risking any — with no one to defend their low-status targets, there are no negative consequences for bystanders who laugh or join in. Even when they do nothing, bystanders encourage

aggression, because doing nothing further proves that the target has no one on their side. As a result, a child at the bottom of the social ladder becomes “untouchable.” Even if that child has a delightful personality and loads of friends elsewhere, in a social system in which she lacks social capital, she is not likely to acquire friends. Befriending an untouchable doesn't earn the higher-status child any social capital, and the idea is so overwhelmingly unattractive that it is generally not even considered. Science writer Amy Alkon coined the term “social greed” to describe the unwillingness to risk social capital without an anticipated return on investment. Children with status erroneously believe that the reason untouchables have no social status is because they are repulsive, but in truth, it is precisely the reverse. The lack of social status is what makes an untouchable appear repulsive. This is why the single most effective peer intervention for eliminating bullying is for children to befriend those who are targets. But out of fear that associating with an untouchable could result in their own fall down the social ladder, children manufacture reasons to dislike low-status children and justify their refusal to spend social capital to help them. This childhood game of social status plays out in adulthood. When Harvey Weinstein had power and status, everyone was “afraid to say anything about him other than ‘Thank you, thank you, Harvey,’” says Peter Biskind, who wrote a book about the film industry. After the public revelations about Weinstein, director Quentin Tarantino admitted, “I knew enough to do more than I did.” Instead, he benefited for years from his association with Weinstein, who is described as having been Tarantino’s “greatest champion.” Tarantino is not alone in choosing not to spend social capital to defend those without high status. Going against someone at the top of the hierarchy is risky. Although people may want to speak out, stand up, or fight back,

they are often counseled not to. It rarely seems like a good idea. Even someone with as much status as Jane Fonda, although she knew, said she “didn't feel that it was [her] place.” Parents teach this kind of thinking early. They tell children to “walk away” when they see a child being mean to another child. “Don’t fight other people’s battles,” they advise. “Avoid the drama." As a rule, we don't teach children to tend, defend, and befriend those without social status — to spend social capital on them. While some mothers I’ve asked believe in bystander intervention in theory, in practice no parent has ever told me that they actively encourage their children to stand up for or befriend socially isolated children. One mother of an especially high-status child (a “popular” girl) told me that while it’s not okay with her for her daughter to be “unkind” to anyone, she doesn’t believe in telling her daughter to befriend bullied children, because she feels strongly that her daughter has the right to choose her own friends without parental interference. After two years of hell at school and four separate physical attacks, Natalie Hampton finally escaped the school where no one defended her. Today, she's a vibrant, happy senior in high school. She has lots of friends, and she looks forward to graduation. Her transformation began on her first day of high school, when, just like before, Natalie didn’t know anyone. This time, however, another student, seeing that she looked

lost, befriended her. “It saved my life,” Natalie reveals in her TEDx Teen talk. All it took was one person. With one friend, she was no longer untouchable. She could make other friends — and she did. For two years, Natalie Hampton ate lunch alone. So after she changed schools, whenever she saw someone eating lunch alone, she would invite them to join her friends at their table. She knew that by saying “sit with us,” she protected other children from becoming untouchable. “Each time, the person’s face would light up, and the look of relief would wash over [it],” she says. “Some of those people have become some of my closest friends.” Natalie was willing to give up her social capital, but she discovered that when a person has friends, spending social capital by befriending those without it lifts people up without bringing anyone down. If “sit with us” became the ethos in middle school, bullying would be a thing of the past. Today, Natalie is famous for having created Sit With Us, the phone-based anti-bullying app that helps kids find a welcoming place to eat in their school cafeteria. It’s her way to encourage other children to befriend kids who don’t have social support at school. She has been profiled in Seventeen Magazine, Teen Vogue, and the Washington Post, interviewed by NPR, won multiple awards, named one of “25 Women Changing the World”

by People Magazine, and she was honored with the Outstanding Youth Delegate Award at the United Nations Youth Assembly. When Natalie invited to her lunch table a girl who would later become one of her best friends, she had no way of knowing that until that day, that girl had felt so lonely and hopeless that she had contemplated suicide. Being welcomed into a group of friends saved her life. All it takes is one person to make a world of difference. Follow Natalie on Twitter at @NobodyEatsAlone. * Here is the answer to the riddle: The child who continued to be bullied is the one no one befriended. By: Pamela Paresky

“This article was originally published by PsychologyToday.com.” Psychologist Pamela Paresky is Director of the Aspen Center for Human Development, and Chief Research Officer to the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. She is the author of the research-based guided journal, A Year of Kindness, and writes for Psychology Today. You can access her articles directly at www.PsychologyTodayBlog.com

Today Sit With Us

Natalie is famous for having created , the phone-based anti-bullying app that helps kids find a welcoming place to eat in their school cafeteria.

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Let’s Go to Vegas! T

he Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas is the premiere rodeo event in the world with the top 15 money-winners in standard PRCA events competing to qualify for the World Championship Title! This year’s events include: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping headers and heelers, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, WPRA barrel racing and bull riding. And, two athletes are proudly representing Wyoming. 25-year-old J.R. Vezain from Cowley earned $113,312 as a bareback rider in the regular season. He is a 5-time WNFR qualifier and a 2-time Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo qualifier. 21-year-old Brody Cress from Hillsdale is a saddle bronc rider who made over $105,000 in 2017. This is his first trip to the finals. Musician Tris Munsick, from Sheridan, also represented small town Wyoming in Las Vegas. He performed at the event’s Opening Ceremonies on December 8th.

J.R. VEZAIN This will be Vezain’s fifth trip to the finals and, in 2012, he placed fourth in the world standings. He goes to the finals this year as the fourth place bareback rider. According to his Wrangler profile, he competed in Las Vegas for three consecutive years and was planning on his fourth. He was at an invitational event in Cloverdale, British Columbia in May of 2015, when a horse flipped over on him and broke his back.

He didn’t stay down for long, though. After recuperating from surgery and getting married, he was back in Las Vegas at the NFR last year where he tied for second place in the average and won over $85,000. Meanwhile, on his wife's family ranch, Vezain has weaned heifers and steers and is getting them shipped, getting things “buttoned up”, according to the Tri-state Livestock News. They also reported that a sports athletic trainer from Texas has sent Vezain workouts since October, including strength training, higher intensity and explosive muscle movements. He credits his uncle, Duncan Vezain, with his success as a top bareback rider.

BRODY CRESS Cress took 6th place this year and garnered a lot of hard-earned hometown pride. When he won the saddle bronc event at the Cheyenne Frontier Days earlier this year, as one of the youngest champions, he was also the first Wyoming native to win the event since 1995. The roar of the crowd was deafening, Cress recalls.

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Everyone, not just Wyomingites, is excited to see what Cress is capable of. During an opening broadcast, one commentator said, “We’ll be following a newcomer in this year’s saddle bronc. Keep an eye on Brody Cress from Hillsdale, Wyoming. Where is that? It’s about 20 miles east of Cheyenne. Cress is sixth in the saddle bronc with over $105,000. If he catches fire, he could win it all in his first ever trip.” Cress is a student at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and he will actually miss his own graduation while in Nevada at the WNFR. His professors will probably understand. He graduates with a degree in agricultural business, but will be back at Tarleton next semester to work on his master's in agricultural consumer science. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo runs from December 7th to the 16th. You can watch it live on the CBS Sports Network or streaming online at ProRodeoTV.com. By: Kevin Knapp for 82801

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What is Proje O

n Thursday, December 7th the Wyoming Business Council unanimously recommended that the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) approve a loan application by the Sheridan Economic and Educational Development Authority Joint Powers Board (SEEDA) for over $12 million. The loan would pay to construct a facility of up to 100,000 square feet in the Sheridan High Tech Business Park to house the mysterious “Project Enterprise.”

100,000 SQUARE FEET

SHERIDAN’S NEW HUSH, HUSH ACQUISITION According to Business Ready Community (BRC) Grant Project Manager Brayden Connour, “Project Enterprise is an internationally recognized manufacturer and iconic brand name that has chosen to move its corporate headquarters and manufacturing to Sheridan. The company’s identity and specific industry remain confidential due to the proprietary nature of its plans and to avoid significant workforce disruption because of its relocation.”

SOUNDS ENTERPRISING Wyoming was in competition with other states as a relocation site for the anonymous company, and Sheridan was chosen from multiple possible sites in Wyoming. Tax and regulation burdens in their current location make Wyoming an attractive option and, according to the company, the Business

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Sheridan High Tech Business Park Ready Community Grant program sealed the deal. Sheridan College’s vocational training in skills useful to their industry were also cited.

BRAND COHESION Additionally, Sheridan County and the Big Horn

ct Enterprise? split between SEEDA and BRC.

MAYOR’S TAKE

Mysterious “Project Enterprise” Mountains reportedly fit in with the company’s brand. When executives visited Kennon in Sheridan, someone suggested that they could go pheasant hunting on their lunch break, which struck their fancy.

While many employees will be relocating along with the company, it is estimated that 50 – 70 jobs will be created locally. The facility will be leased to Project Enterprise, and revenue will be

Sheridan Mayor Roger Miller spoke at the December 7th meeting, thanking the Wyoming Business Council, the anonymous company, and everyone involved. Representatives of the company listened in on the phone throughout and, when discussion of the project was wrapping up, one of them referred to as “Mr. Enterprise” was moved by the overwhelming support to make a statement. He said that what started as a business conversation turned into an all-encompassing welcome as they learned more about Sheridan and Wyoming. “We want to let you know that we do not take this lightly. We don’t want to feel entitled. We know that when we get there, that we’ve got a lot of work to do for our brand, but also for the great state of Wyoming. So, on behalf of our anonymous organization which I do apologize for, I wish we could share it now, and hopefully we will in January if everything goes forward and the grant is approved, I look forward to meeting many of you in the months and years ahead as we grow our business together. So, thank you so much and I better stop there before I reveal something that might give something away.” The Wyoming Business Council’s recommendation will be considered by the SLIB in January. Turns out, our acronym-loving friends at the SEEDA, SLIB, and BRC, aren’t the only ones who truly know how to keep a secret. By: Kevin Knapp for 82801 DECEMBER / JANUARY 2018

An Artist’s Muse T

he art of the American West is as elusive as the “West” itself; Mythology far outweighs realism, and the artists, like cowboys, belong to a small (some might say dwindling) club. Adam Jahiel, Joel Ostlind, and Taylor Crosby, three distinctive artists who live and work in Sheridan County, are featured in a retrospective show titled Developed, Etched, and Bound at the SAGE Fine Art Gallery through January 3rd, 2018. The Northern Plains and Rockies have been the muse of many legends of Western Art. Some of them, such as E. William Gollings or Hans Kleiber, have indelible ties to the Sheridan area specifically. Jahiel, Ostlind, and Crosby have chosen to make the Sheridan area, essential to their crafts, home. These three friends challenge the myths of Western Art as they posit the notion that the traditions of hard-working, humble craftsmanship and an awe of authentic subject matter still thrive in the heart of the modern West.

statements about subjects such as man’s relationship to nature. The documentary works show intimate details and portraits of a lifestyle at odds with modernity. Overall, these images are less iconic, but Jahiel feels that they have multi-layered stories to tell. Jahiel’s varied professional career has taken him down many interesting paths, from the motion picture industry, working on projects including Out of Africa and HBO comedy specials, to the landmark FrenchAmerican 1987 Titanic expedition. His work has appeared in most major U.S. publications, including Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, National Geographic Society, and others. After a trip to a ranch to photograph a bull on assignment for the Sacramento Bee, Jahiel was struck by the visually anachronistic world he had stepped into. He asked the ranchers if he could come back, and the "Last Cowboy" project was born.

DEVELOPED

From Jahiel’s biography: “For years, Jahiel has been photographing the cowboys of the Great Basin, perhaps one of the most inhospitable regions of the already rugged West. These people represent one of the last authentic American subcultures, one that is disappearing at a rapid rate. Cowboying as an art form is almost obsolete; still, the cowboys hang on, with a

Adam Jahiel has spent almost 30 years photographing the lives of working cowboys. He told Western Horseman magazine in 2007 that he divides his work into “hero” and “documentary” pieces. The hero photographs are highly popular because they capture poetic moments and make deeply felt

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ferocious tenacity. Respect there doesn't come from the trappings of modern life. Talent, knowledge and skill are valued above all else. And the cowboy tradition has its roots in the oldest of human conflicts: man against nature and man against himself. “Jahiel tries to reflect those sentiments in these photographs. These cowboys aren't "remade" into a Hollywood image. Instead, they are "found" images, in keeping with the spirit of authenticity that permeates the best keepers of this tradition.”

ETCHED Joel Ostlind spent much of his life as an actual working cowboy, who happened to have a notebook for sketching always onhand. As an artist, he is completely self taught. He met his wife Wendy in 1978 at Casper College, where he was working on a degree in soil science. They married while living in the Texas Panhandle where Joel worked as a cowboy and completed another degree in ranch management. After many years of ranch work, Joel’s art gained attention and the Ostlinds and their two children moved to Big Horn where Joel built a

studio and dedicated himself to etching. His composition focuses on the expressiveness of form in simple scenes, often involving horses, cattle, and cowboys. Ostlind’s work is often described as “zenlike” “He is not afraid of nothingness,” observes gallery owner Susan Simpson Gallagher in a 2005 interview with Southwest Art magazine. “Joel maintains a real balance,” she points out. “He is secure in himself and does not waver on his approach to a simple life.” Ostlind said “Etching itself can be complicated, but the concept is not. It is a form of intaglio printmaking where a metal plate is sealed with acidproof wax. Lines are scratched through the wax to expose the metal, and then the plate placed in a tub of acid. The acid etches little grooves into the plate where the lines were drawn. The wax is removed, ink is rubbed onto the plate, the surface is wiped off leaving ink in the lines, and the plate is run through an etching press with a piece of damp paper. The ink transfers to the paper, and a mirror image of the plate is printed.”

BOUND The book, like a sea anemone, must expose itself fully to live, and must shut itself snugly to survive. Taylor Crosby does more than just cover books: He crafts the covers by hand, preserving objects whose secrets would otherwise be lost forever. “In truth, anyone can fold pages, sew them together, and attach covers,” Crosby writes. “It is not easy, however, to do so so that the result opens like a daisy, and closes as neatly as a clam.” As people entered the gallery for a special handson experience with Crosby’s work, he asked each of them to wash their hands. “I won’t be touching anything,” replied one guest.

“Oh, you will be,” Crosby responded. “It’s required.” His brochure at the display includes the plea, “As you circumambulate the long table in the gallery, please touch the books, decorative papers, and fabrics, maquettes, etc. that are outside the boxes. The feel of books and good materials evoke the craftswomen and men who make them for us.” He went on to expound upon different compression rates of paper and explain why the grain must be parallel to the spine. Displaying a beautifully bound book to the crowd, he said, “The wrinkles were intentional. I wish I had more wrinkles.” Replicas of historic bookmaking technologies were on display, including papyrus and an Egyptian agricultural account book. But even these are for touching. At 5 PM Thursday, December 14, Sage Gallery will stay open for a second soapy-washed-hands conversation and handling event. Crosby promises, “I will free the books (except one) from their acrylic prisons so that we can hold them, and talk about the curious magic of these objects.” He explained that modern bookbinding techniques have remained unchanged since the 5th and 6th centuries. “In 7th century Belgium,

you’d have 7 people in a room this size to assemble books.” The craft definitely requires a lot of time and dedication. When he was learning book binding, Crosby said that he spent a whole day learning how to properly open a book, because the teacher was tired of students cracking the spines on their textbooks. Crosby’s first experience with bookbinding was in 1982 in Connecticut. He and his wife Elise found an attractive little ranch in Big Horn and moved there with their children in 1986. Since 1996, he has been attending the American Academy of Bookbinding in Telluride, Colorado. Crosby has become a master of materials from shark-skin to banana fiber. He even invented using wasp paper in the design of a book cover. In that instance, he was commissioned to bind a photographer’s book, but that book, while admittedly beautiful, did not sell. From experiences like that one, Taylor has decided he isn’t that interested in being commissioned to bind new books, instead he prefers to repair old books for people who love them. He said, “I’m happy to rebuild things for people they never thought they’d hold again. My business is sentiment. Grandpa’s dictionary. ” These three artists have generously shared their unique visions with Sheridan, Wyoming and the world. With this retrospective show, Developed, Etched, and Bound they reveal the depth of their connection to the no-nonsense roots of authentic American Western Art. By: Kevin Knapp for 82801 DECEMBER / JANUARY 2018