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WYOMING ARTS COUNCIL NEWS • WINTER 2016
cover story
Announcing the 2015 Governor’s Arts Awards recipients PAGE 4
When Friday, February 26, 2016 Social Hour: 6 p.m. Dinner: 7 p.m. Awards Ceremony: 8 p.m.
Governor’s Arts Awards Dinner Governor Matthew H. Mead and the Wyoming Arts Council invite you to celebrate the 34th Governor’s Arts Awards.
Where Little America Hotel & Resort 2800 W. Lincolnway Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
How much Individuals: $55.00 Table of eight (sponsorship): $1,000
Dress Code Cocktail Attire
Registration Deadline Monday, February 22, 2016
Governor’s Arts Awards is a gala event celebrating the awardees and the vibrancy of the arts in Wyoming. The event includes a social hour, dinner, the State of the Arts speech by the Governor, awards ceremony, and entertainment. 2015 awardees include Cedric Reverand and Paul Taylor of Laramie, Chris Navarro and Brian Scott Gamroth of Casper, Sarah Rogers of Sundance and the Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation of Thermopolis.
Online registration accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Register by going to http://www.cvent.com/d/9fqn6c Make checks payable to the Wyoming Arts Council and mail to: GAA Wyoming Arts Council 2301 Central Ave, 2nd Fl Cheyenne WY 82002 Please make sure to include the registrant name so we can credit the payment appropriately. Registration is not confirmed until payment is received. No cancellations or refunds after February 22nd, 2016.
table of contents Executive Director’s Column..............................2 Governor’s Arts Awards recipients Sarah Rogers ................................................. 4
our Mission
The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.
WAC Staff
Michael Lange : EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Rachel Clifton : PUBLIC ART AND CREATIVE SECTOR INDIVIDUALS SUPERVISOR
Annie Hatch : FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTS/ UNDERSERVED PROGRAM SPECIALIST
Danee Hunzie : COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INDEPENDENT MUSIC SPECIALIST
Karen Merklin : GRANTS MANAGER Brittany Perez : OFFICE MANAGER Michael Shay : COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING/
Brian Scott Gamroth ......................................6 Paul Taylor ......................................................8 Chris Navarro ...............................................10 Ric Reverand ................................................12 Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation ...................................14 ArtsReady Preparedness Guidelines ..............17 Cat Urbigkit: Books and animals .....................18 Hayley Ryckman holds “Stained Glass Sundays” .................................20 Independent music scene in Wyoming...........22
LITERARY ARTS SPECIALIST
New WAC Directory...........................................23
WAC Board
Art is Everywhere photo spread ................ 24-25
Janelle Fletcher (Chair) : LARAMIE Stefanie Boster : CHEYENNE Chloe Illoway : CHEYENNE Nina McConigley : LARAMIE Sharon O’Toole : SAVERY Steve Schrepferman : CODY Karen Stewart : JACKSON Erin Taylor : CHEYENNE Tara Taylor : MOUNTAIN VIEW Holly Turner : CASPER
Changes in the air at the WAC.........................26 New exhibits at The Nic in Casper ..................28
ON THE COVER: Big and Rich by Sarah Rogers, watercolor, 36 x 36 in. ON THE BACK COVER: Patti Fiasco at the Cody Wild West River Fest in summer 2015. Dewey Vanderhoff photo.
magazine
Artscapes is published quarterly and supported with funding from the Wyoming Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. wyomingartscouncil.org Managing Editor : Michael Shay Photographers : Richard Collier, Michael Shay Printing : Pioneer Printing
wyoming arts council 2301 Central Avenue • Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-7742 • Fax: 307-777-5499 Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. wyomingartscouncil.org
executive director's column
Mentoring, health & wellness and independent music initiatives all part of WAC plans
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ver the past few months, I have taken time to speak with other executive directors of state arts councils from around the country. There are several issues that continue to emerge as national trends in the arts. Two of these issues include how to provide programs and services that better engage the baby boomer generation and expanded focus of state arts agencies. Like in all fields, the baby boomer generation is retiring at a fast rate from arts professions. Although a great deal of institutional knowledge will be lost, the arts field is in a position to bring new people into administration and leadership roles. With this in mind, the Wyoming Arts Council is developing mentorship and leadership programs for arts administrators across the state. With many art administrators already working in silos due to geographic isolation, these programs will help to build the capacity of new art administrators, as well as help new individuals become part of the statewide community. Additionally, those retiring are rediscovering their love and joy for participating in the arts, creating a growing population of aging community members taking part in the arts. This is wonderful as we know the substantial benefits that arts provide to mental and physical development in aging populations. Knowing this information, the
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Michael Lange
Wyoming Arts Council is developing a program that will focus on health and wellness through the arts, including creative aging. We look forward to this endeavor as a new way to serve the state. State arts councils are also grappling with where to focus their efforts, realizing that there is only a finite amount of time and money. Historically, state arts councils have directed their resources to providing funding and services for the “high arts” and “fine arts.” However, times are changing and as technology and how people interact and communicate with one another changes, so should the work of state arts councils.
Wyoming arts council
With this in mind, the Wyoming Arts Council has made a strategic decision to focus efforts on strengthening the independent music scene in Wyoming. This focus will give us the opportunity to put resources toward the 18-34 demographic, an age group underserved by traditional arts programming. By offering services to this segment of our population, we are building an advocacy base for the future, recognizing that this group will be the next generation of leaders and policy makers. Additionally, this focus will help build the livability of our communities which will play a role in diversifying our economy. We know that in Wyoming the mass majority of jobs are not created by luring in big business but by recruiting one or two people to help expand a business or an idea. This means that to attract the best and the brightest we need to offer engaging and exciting experiences to enhance the quality of life for individuals who have the ability to decide where they call home. By focusing efforts on the
independent music scene, we will be adding to the livability and strength of our communities. The Wyoming Arts Council is excited to focus on these goals that are essential to fostering continued arts development in our state. We look forward to our continuing and new partnerships with communities, organizations, and artists around the state as we embark on these new initiatives. Our team hopes to see you at a local arts event soon. Keep building stronger communities, one note, one poem, one beat, and one brush stroke at a time. Sincerely,
Michael Lange, Executive Director, Wyoming Arts Council
Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s “Inspiring Sights” exhibit ties in with 2016 NPS centennial
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nspiring Sights: Yellowstone through Artists’ Eyes, is an exhibition of more than forty works of art celebrating Yellowstone National Park. Comprised of selections from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Whitney Western Art Museum’s permanent collection and important regional loans, Inspiring Sights examines Yellowstone as an unrivaled source of inspiration and heralds artists as champions of its wild beauty. From the iconic early paintings of Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran to notable contemporary works by William Matthews, M.C. Poulsen, and many others, Inspiring Sights traces the history of artistic response to Yellowstone’s splendor. On display in the Whitney Western Art Museum in summer 2016, Inspiring Sights coincides with the
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William Matthews (b. 1949). “Thermal Spigot, Yellowstone, 1998.” Watercolor on paper, 20 x 39 in. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, USA. Gift of the Jeannette and H. Peter Kriendler Charitable Trust. 7.98.
National Park Service centennial and the release of the anniversary edition of Peter H. Hassrick’s seminal publication Drawn to Yellowstone. A symposium to convene top scholars of Yellowstone artists is also planned.
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governor's arts awards Sarah Rogers That includes us in Wyoming. Her work has been featured at Jackson’s Horizon Fine Art in the prestigious Fall Arts Festival Group Show. She’s won “best of show” honors at the AVA Arts Center in Gillette. Her work was chosen by Wyoming Game and Fish for its conservation stamp. It was 36 years ago that Rogers moved permanently to Sundance in Crook County in the state’s Black Hills region. She wasn’t unfamiliar with it, as it was a place where she spent some of her childhood summers. Sarah Rogers
Rogers is a watercolorist. But that’s too simple an explanation. Here’s how she describes her methods on her web site:
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rtist Sarah Rogers adds a splash of the tropics to western wildlife painting.
Maybe it was a childhood spent in Florida and art instruction at the University of Florida, where she planned a career as a neurosurgeon until she discovered that the university had a good art school. Or maybe it’s just her passion for vibrant color.
Sarah Roger’s medium is watercolor, usually combined with graphite, and she frequently applies several layers of heavy color to create the bright tones and often opaque quality of the paint. She prefers smooth surfaces and uses hot press paper, plate smooth illustration board and Masonite with various surfaces. Lately, she often paints on clayboard with well-used toothbrushes as well as other tools to create texture. The clay surface lends itself to scrubbing, lifting and otherwise removing pigment and reapplying it to create a variety of surfaces.
“We, as do many others, benefit greatly from Sarah Rogers’ talent and her generosity.”
Whatever the reason, Rogers and what she refers to as her “tropical western wildlife art” has been showcased in a variety of magazines, including Southwest Art, Western Art Collector and Wildlife Art. It’s been a hit with art buyers and galleries from Kalispell, Mont., to Sedona, Ariz.
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Lest you get the idea that she spends all of her time ensconced in her studio, you just have to Wyoming arts council
look at her community involvement. Sarah – known to her friends as Sally – is a founding member and long-time board member of Artists of the Black Hills. She teaches drawing and painting through UW Community Education. She’s designed sets for the community theatre and served on the board of the Spearfish Art Center across the border in South Dakota. She teaches art and is known as the “Bingo Queen” at the Crook County Long-Term Care Center. She’s been instrumental in inspiring young artists. Author Jeanne Rogers (no relation to Sarah) tells the story of how her ten-year-old son, who spent his spare time sketching and writing poems, yearned to buy one of Rogers’s prints of a big horn ram. He was saving up for the $90 print, but admitted that he only had $63.50 when he saw Rogers at a local art show. As Jeanne Rogers recalled: “Well, Sarah said, that was just the right amount to buy her ram print that day. She told my son how touched she was that he wanted to save his money to buy her art, and how proud she was of him for diligently pursuing his goal.” When Jeanne Rogers and her colleagues with Bearlodge Writers were looking for cover art for their writing anthology, Sarah Rogers let them artscapes • winter 2016
Watercolors by Sarah Rogers (from upper left): Hummingbird, 10 x 10 in., Giclee on paper; Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, 10 x 10 in., Giclee on paper; Cousin Andy, 12 x 12 in., Giclee on paper.
use a painting of bison herd. Not just any herd but, according to Bearlodge Writers member Andi Hummel, one of “red, red bison that amble across the front and back covers of our dream piece published in 2006 by Many Kites Press.” When the group debuted the anthology at Devils Tower National Monument, Sarah Rogers brought along the original painting that was” an added thrill, a special complement for our special day,” Hummel said, adding, “We, as do many others, benefit greatly from Sarah Rogers’ talent and her generosity.” PAGE | 5
governor's arts awards Brian Scott Gamroth Gamroth on the air at KTWO.
Brian Scott Gamroth perched above Casper’s downtown.
“Not much happens in the art world in central Wyoming without the involvement of Brian Scott Gamroth.” That’s how Rachel Bailey, executive director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, summed up her Governor’s Arts Awards nomination for Brian Scott Gamroth of Casper. Lest you think it’s an exaggeration, a short list of his contributions to arts and culture in Casper and Wyoming is in order.
“Not much happens in the art world in central Wyoming without the involvement of Brian Scott Gamroth.”
He served two terms on the boards of Casper College Theatre Program, Casper Children’s Theatre, Nicolaysen Art Museum and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. Gamroth got his start as a performer in Casper. He acted in school plays at Kelly
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Walsh High School, Casper College and Stage III Community Theatre. After several promotion and marketing jobs with record labels in Chicago and Denver, Gamroth returned to Casper in 1993 and joined KTWO. Gamroth has a day job as morning announcer for KTWO Radio in Casper. Former Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal described another one of Gamroth’s skills, that as emcee for arts events.
“Anyone who has ever been an emcee or tried to run an auction at a philanthropic event knows it requires a great deal of preparation, ingenuity and energy,” Freudenthal said. Not everyone can do it – but Brian can. He has raised literally millions of dollars for the arts in Wyoming.”
Wyoming arts council
One recent success was the symphony’s 2015 Wine on the River event, which realized a gross profit of $125,000, according to Bailey. As a result, the symphony was able “to start our concert season much further ahead than we were as little as three years ago, as well as plan educational activities throughout the year,” she added. When Gamroth was on the Casper College Theatre advisory board, he helped raise money to refit the Gertrude Krampert Theatre
with necessary upgrades to its lighting and sound equipment. Also at Casper College, he helped raise thousands of dollars for arts and humanities scholarships. Gamroth’s community involvement doesn’t end with the arts. He currently serves as chairman of the board for the Wyoming Lottery Corporation and on the Central Wyoming Counseling Center. Community involvement is obviously important to him. While Gamroth has received national awards such as the Marconi Award Best Small Broadcaster of the Year in 2001, he was more impressed with a surprise award from Casper’s Boys & Girls Club. As he told the Casper Journal at the time: “That’s probably more rewarding getting recognition like that locally than it is nationally because the people that voted for me nationally don’t know who the hell I am. People here in town do and that means a lot more.” He now can add a 2015 Governor’s Arts Award to his shelf.
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Jackson makes NCAR Arts Vibrancy Index
outhern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) has designed an Arts Vibrancy Index based on a series of metrics. Jackson, Wyo., made the list as one of the “Top 20 Arts Vibrant Medium and Small Cities.” Here’s a summary from NCAR: What factors make up a community's arts vibrancy, and which cities possess them? We provide scores for every county's Arts Dollars, Arts Providers, Government Support, Socio-economic and Other Leisure char-
artscapes • winter 2016
acteristics. This way, when you read in the NCAR report how these community characteristics drive performance, you can also see your community's relative strength on each characteristic. The scores are on a scale of 0-100 with 100 being highest. The scores are akin to percentiles – i.e., if your county's score on a measure is 56, it means it did better than 56% of counties on that measure. See the list of all cities that made up the Arts Vibrancy Index at http://www.smu.edu/~/media/Site/Meadows/NCAR/NCARArtsVibrancyWhitepaper.
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governor's arts awards Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor conducts a lesson on the didgeridoo at a workshop sponsored by Promoting Arts in Lander Schools (PALS).
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wenty-one years ago, Paul “Walking Stick” Taylor strode out of the Australian Outback into Wyoming. He took a look around, saw a familiar landscape, and, as the song says, knew that Wyoming would be his new home.
Aboriginal dot painting and x-ray style. Taylor, who presents more than 200 events a year, also travels widely around the U.S. A fixture on the Wyoming artist roster since 1995, Taylor also has been on rosters in Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, New York, South Carolina and North Carolina.
One nine-year-old girl succinctly described a Taylor residency as “better than a warm cookie.”
Taylor, a Wyoming Arts Council roster artist, estimates that he has performed for 140,000 people in the state in the course of 2,000 performances. He’s led 38 mural projects. He enlists the help of K-12 students, using vivid colors applied in the traditional
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“We sing, dance, paint and tell stories while learning about my homeland of Australia,” Taylor said. “The results have been
Wyoming arts council
Paul Taylor works with his mentor, Bill Harney, during a trip to his native Australia.
Paul Taylor with students at a presentation sponsored by Rawlins Main Street.
powerful for me personally and for the students – kids and adults alike. I’m amazed at the energy, joy and sense of community that emerges from a residency.”
learn more about the Aboriginal culture, which has attracted to as a young man in Adelaide. He was befriended by a group of Wardaman people who taught him to play the digeridoo.
Here’s a quote from one teacher who sent in a recommendation letter for Taylor’s GAA nomination: “He made a dynamic impact on not only our students, but our staff as well,” said Angie Hayes at Willard Elementary School in Casper. “We saw our student body come together as a community to celebrate learning. It was an experience that we will not soon forget.”
“I owe them a lot,” Taylor said.
One nine-year-old girl succinctly described a Taylor residency as “better than a warm cookie.” Taylor annually returns to his native land to work with his mentor Bill Harney in his Wardaman homeland in Australia. Harney is an elder and the last senior male Aboriginal custodian of the Wardaman people of the Victoria, Flora and Katherine River Districts in the Northern Territory. Harney has worked in both indigenous and nonindigenous worlds. He and Taylor talked to many classes during the elder’s visit to UW in September of 2008. As for Taylor -- “I’m still learning,” he said. The Laramie resident spends time with Harney to
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The didgeridoo is a key element of his performances and workshops. He’s taught thousands of schoolkids to make didgeridoos out of PVC pipe. He also teaches them how to make whackadoos, noisemakers made from a long stick and found objects such as bottle caps. Along the way, he tells stories from Australia’s colorful history. Taylor’s life story is almost as colorful. During his school years in Adelaide, he cared for four of his eight siblings while trying to keep up with his schoolwork which did not include any art classes. After graduation, he traveled to London to study acting. He worked as an actor and stage manager and – eventually – a clown. He then brought his new performing skills back to Australia, where he also spent some time as a social worker. He was chosen to accompany U.S. performer Bobby Bridger on an arts tour of Australia. Along the way,
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governor's arts awards Chris Navarro This public art work, “Essence of Rex,” was installed in the lot in front of the Tate. It was dedicated with fanfare in August 2014. Prior to the installation, an “Essence of Rex” float, with the artist on board his creation, won first place in the Central Wyoming Fair Parade. Navarro celebrates big. Ride ‘em cowboy – Chris Navarro astride his Essence of Rex sculpture.
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n the summer of 2014, a Tyrannosaurus Rex on a Wyoming interstate caused quite a stir.
A flashback to the area’s Jurassic past? No. Just a vision hatched by Casper sculptor Chris Navarro.
T. Rex, made in Wyoming, just as it was 65 million years ago – using slightly different materials.
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Navarro works out of studios in Casper and Sedona, Ariz. His finished work can be seen from Worland, with the impressive Columbian mammoth bronze that beckons travelers to the Washakie Museum and Heritage Center, to Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, with its commemorative Lane Frost bull-and-rider statue. Coyotes, eagles, doves, mustangs, grizzly bears, bulls – Navarro has depicted a menagerie of the animal kingdom.
“Chris has a lot of great one-liners and one of my favorites is, ‘The more you give, the more you get.’ I truly believe that he lives by this philosophy and not for monetary gain.”
The life-size bronze of a juvenile T. Rex was on its way via trailer to its new home outside of the Tate Geological Museum at Casper College. It is 13.5 feet high, 28 feet long and seven feet wide. Navarro used more than a thousand pounds of clay to sculpt the original cast. It was then cut up and shipped off to Caleco Foundry in Cody.
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During a career of more than 30 years, Navarro has become the foremost bronze monument sculptor in Wyoming.
But it’s people too. The Buffalo Soldier who comes to life outside the gates of F.E. Warren Air Force Base. Saint Anthony at a Catholic school in Casper, the rock climber in Mesa, Ariz., and the 14-foot-tall 10th Mountain Division ski trooper on the Aspen, Colo., slopes.
Wyoming arts council
Chris Navarro at work in his studio.
Chris Navarro
As Justin Pehrson noted in his nomination letter: “Chris has a lot of great one-liners and one of my favorites is, ‘The more you give, the more you get.’ I truly believe that he lives by this philosophy and not for monetary gain.” He goes on to list just some of the entities for which Navarro “has used his art to raise funds:” Casper Boys and Girls Club, Nicolaysen Art Museum, Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo, Natrona County High School, Buffalo Bill Center for the West, Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, Reach for a Star Riding Academy, and the Casper Soccer Club. He puts his storytelling skills to work as a public speaker. He’s been the featured speaker at the Casper Soccer Club’s Black and White Ball and recently talked to the inmates at the Wyoming Conservation Camp and Boot Camp. Navarro is a mainstay at notable sculpture shows, including the Loveland (Colo.) Sculpture
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Invitational, Jackson Hole Arts Festival, Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale and the Calgary Stampede Art Show in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His work is showcased in a number of museums, including the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, T. Rex, illuminated from within, skull to tail, with an L.E.D. 12-volt lighting system, stands watch over the Casper College campus. This lighting scheme was Navarro’s idea, according to Paulann Doane with the Casper College Foundation which commissioned the work. In this case, as in others, the experienced Navarro was working with rookies in the public art sphere. “Chris was very involved and extremely helpful in guiding me through location and installation requirements,” Doane said. “This was the first time I have ever commissioned a public art piece. Chris was extremely helpful with the myriad details that had to be dealt with.”
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governor's arts awards Ric Riverand
Ric Riverand
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edric D. Reverand II, or Ric as he’s known around the University of Wyoming campus, retired in 2013, leaving behind a rich legacy of arts and cultural programming. Reverand headed up UW Cultural Programs for almost 30 years, sharing his university time with teaching duties in the English department. Who did Reverand line up for gigs in Laramie? Wynton Marsalis, Pinchas Zukerman, Barry Douglas, Marilyn Horne, McCoy Tyner, Modern Jazz Quartet, Allen Toussaint, Bela Fleck, Helene Grimaud, Emerson String Quartet, Bobby McFerrin, Sweet Honey on the Rock, the Martha Graham Dance Company, The King’s Sisters, and PDQ Bach (Peter Schickele), to name a few.
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Often Reverand brought these artists to campus way before they became international stars. Take jazz trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. He was featured by UW Cultural Programs multiple times, long before he appeared on the cover of Time magazine for revitalizing American jazz, way before he brought jazz to Lincoln Center by being named its director of jazz, and before he won eight of his nine Grammy Awards.
Reverand brought Barry Douglas from Ireland to Wyoming. This was before the legendary pianist received the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the only other westerner to win the award since Van Cliburn. In the 1990s, Douglas returned to Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains for a 15-stop tour in which he played the complete Beethoven sonatas in a two-week period. According to Tim Wilson, executive director of the Western Arts Alliance (WAA) in Portland, Ore., “this rarely takes place in the finest concert halls of Europe, to say nothing of rural Wyoming.” “This could only work if overseen by a selfless and patient arts leader such as Ric Reverand,” added Wilson. “His service is greatly appreciated by
Wyoming arts council
the small communities to which he donated his time, energy and passion for bringing the finest performing artists to the stages of Wyoming.”
Reverand accomplished this was making sure that visiting artists had direct contact with Wyoming students.
Reverand shared his expertise with WAA by serving on its board for many terms. In 1999, WAA honored Reverand with its Betty Connors Award for Outstanding Service to the Performing Arts in the West.
Said Parolin: “Artists played and sang alongside student musicians in UW Symphony concerts, they conducted master classes, and, in the case of jazz pianist Eric Reed, he flew to New York with the students of the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble. Together, they played a concert at Lincoln Center.”
On the teaching side of his life, Reverand was honored with the “Top Prof” award from Mortar Board in 2009, the Ellbogen Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1987 and the George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Professor Award (UW’s highest honor) in 2003.
“His service is greatly appreciated by the small communities to which he donated his time, energy and passion for bringing the finest performing artists to the stages of Wyoming.”
Peter Parolin, head of the UW English department, has been witness to Reverand’s skills as an arts educator.
He noted that Reverand “has not only been a champion of the arts but also a visionary for the future; he has cultivated audiences that will appreciate and support art of the highest caliber for years to come, and has nurtured young people who will themselves go on to create meaningful art.”
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Finally, Parolin identifies Reverand’s skills as an arts communicator.
“The program notes for his concerts helped educate great audiences,” Parolin said. “Written by Ric, these lively notes encouraged audiences to understand these visiting artists as people who had careers in progress and who contributed all over the cultural map.” “Whether they were playing the concert halls of Russia or recording music for the TV show Glee, these artists, Ric helped us to see, were people like the rest of us, following their passions, trying to make worthwhile lives and enrich their communities in the process.”
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governor's arts awards Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation
Lights Along the Shore’s Rodney Garnett leads a student workshop sponsored by the Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation.
W
hen it comes to Wyoming folk arts, all roads lead to Thermopolis.
tourism, agriculture tourism and best practices in rural development and sustainability.
That may not be true now. But that’s the longrange goal of the Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation, founded in 2003. The organization’s members have been promoting the Wyoming Big Horn Basin Nature & Discovery Center for 10 years. It would serve as an interpretive center for Hot Springs State Park but also a folk arts center and the state’s only folk arts school.
In 2009, Blakey and colleagues presented a report to the State Legislature. The legislature gave the HSGLF $100,000 for engineering, tourism impact and economic feasibility studies, as well as architectural components of the possible building.
HSGLF’s Sue Blakey did the initial research on arts as economic development, cultural heritage
A Joint Powers Board was created and, in 2012, a charrette was held in Thermopolis
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That really got the ball rolling.
Wyoming arts council
with representatives of Gillette’s Schutz-Foss architectural team, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Arts Council, Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources and Wyoming Game and Fish. All of those results went into a report to State Parks & Cultural Resources which held a series of sometimes-contentious community meetings about the future of Hot Springs State Park, one of Wyoming’s most-visited parks. All that input went into the park’s 20-year master plan draft which will guide development of this Wyoming resource. The building is still a dream. But Blakey isn’t one to rest on her laurels. She wrote a National Endowment for the Arts grant to put on the firstever statewide folk festival Aug. 1-2 of this year. The Big Horn Basin Folk Festival featured a juried art show and performances and demonstrations by 60 artists, many of them from the WAC’s artist roster. Names will be familiar to Wyomingites: The Fireants, Buffalo Bill Boycott, Willie LeClair and a host of others. Almost 5,000 people attended, a third of them from outside Wyoming, a clear boost to the area’s tourism economy.
Musician Mike Bleakley conducts a music lesson sponsored by the Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation.
feature an artist who demonstrates their skills and sells his/her wares. Meri Ann Rush, executive director of the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, believes that the HSGLF has “increased arts awareness” by local businesses and the fact that downtown has seen an increase in new business in the past three years, including three galleries, one quilt shop and a micro-brewery/pub with live entertainment.
The HSGLF sees the arts as “a way to improve quality of life and to strengthen the local economy.”
The HSGLF, said Blakey, sees the arts as “a way to improve quality of life and to strengthen the local economy. Research shows the arts help students develop creativity and selfconfidence and improves thinking processes that affect all subject areas. At the same time, the arts can help bring together skilled artisans and craftsmen who can create an entrepreneurial economy.”
The HSGLF is active year-round. Thermopolis just finished its second year of the downtown ArtStroll, a joint effort of HSGLF and the Smoking Waters Art Guild, which HSGLF helped start in 2013. Stores stay open one night a month. They each artscapes • winter 2016
Speaking of live entertainment… HSGLF sponsored a series of summer concerts in the state park and house concerts, featuring the likes of Celtic guitarist Jerry Barlow, Florida alternative folk group Flagship Romance and Texas musician Mike Blakely. Another summer event – People of the Earth Days -- celebrated local husband-wife writing duo Michael and Kathleen Gear. Oktoberfest enlivened the fall, as did a performance by the music group Okaidja from Ghana.
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governor's arts awards continued from page 9
Bridger, descendent of famous mountain man Jim Bridger, invited Taylor to Wyoming. He worked as an actor and stage manager for Bridger’s “Ballad of the West” at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody from 1992-94.
people together to learn from his vast knowledge of Australian lifeways and Aboriginal art and culture.” In 2014, Taylor was a Northern Territory state finalist for the “Australian of the Year” awards. Ironic when you consider that Taylor is now a U.S. citizen.
Taylor has recorded numerous CDs, including 2003’s “Cooee: Songs and Stories from Down Under,” with Don Spencer. It won seven awards in the U.S., including the Parent’s Choice Gold Award for Storytelling and the Children’s Music Web Award.
Since 2003, Taylor has served as the director of the Yabulyawan Dreaming Project (YDP), dedicated to documenting Aboriginal culture and the wisdom of Yidumduma.
In 2013, Taylor served as a guest lecturer in the University of Wyoming Honors Program. Over the years, he’s taught and advised classes in anthropology, global and area studies, theater and dance, music, and religious studies.
He conducts tours of Australian cultural areas for Wyoming educators. John Gores and his wife have been on two of those trips. Said Gores: “We can attest to the respect he has earned from Aboriginal people for his efforts to preserve and educate others about their fastdisappearing culture.”
According to musician and UW professor emeritus of music Rodney Garnett: “Paul Taylor is able to bridge the sometimes artificial boundaries between disciplines and ways of thinking, to bring
In many creative ways, Taylor has been able to shrink the distance between Australia’s Outback and Wyoming’s out-of-the-way places.
Paul Taylor works with Thermopolis Middle School students on the rainbow snake mural, a project sponsored by the Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation.
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Wyoming arts council
Precautions
ArtsReady offers preparedness resources for arts and cultural gathering places
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he Wyoming Arts Council is a partner with ArtsReady in Atlanta. At the end of the year, ArtsReady sent out this reminder about preparedness in the event of violence at cultural gathering places such as that experienced at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris. Find detailed information at https://www.artsready.org: Last fall’s horrific events in Paris remind us that cultural gathering spaces can be targets of violence. While we hope you will never experience an act of violence at your organization, our partners at ArtsReady have an array of resources to help your organization improve its security and to train your staff/volunteers in key safety procedures. Staff should become familiar with the bomb list checklist provided by the FBI, and keep it posted near the main phone lines in both administrative and box office/guest service areas to use in the event of a bomb threat. The information collected through the checklist can be highly valuable to the police/first responders. Make sure you have a rigorous walkthrough process of your facility particularly on open/event days. Your staff, volunteers and patrons should regularly be reminded “If you see something, say something.” The FBI provides guidance for suspicious activity, suspicious mail packages and monitoring your site’s physical security.
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The U. S. Department of Homeland Security has published the booklet “Active Shooter – How to Respond.” The booklet contains advice on individual responses including evacuation and hiding out, as well as guidance on training your staff on how to prepare and respond. An array of other training resources is available through DHS, including the 90-minute Active Shooter Webinar, which describes three types of active shooters—workplace/school, criminal, and ideological—and how their planning cycles and behaviors differ. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has produced a video Surviving an Active Shooter (which is very graphic) portraying a number of different types of active shooter scenarios and how to protect yourself and those around you. The portrayals are very realistic and demonstrate the best actions to take in different situations. As the LACSD video states, “Even though the number of Active Shooter events has been increasing, your odds of being involved in one are still very slim. But just like fire drills and earthquake preparedness, making a plan in advance can make all the difference.” We hope you never need to utilize this information, but want you to be prepared for any possible “What if…” scenarios. And finally, remember that even in the midst of terror, the arts help provide refuge and healing.
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artist profile
Cat Urbigkit: Sheep rancher, writer, photographer Cat Urbigkit and friends.
Association, and Society of School Librarians International. “In third grade, my teacher had all of us start keeping a journal and that’s where I really remember starting to tell stories with my writing,” Urbigkit said. “Having a daily journal as a student got me in the practice of writing. I journal every day and I take photographs every day and I try to do a photo
By Monica Miller
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at Urbigkit is a Wyoming sheep rancher located 30 miles south of Pinedale.
She’s also a photographer whose work has been included in the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition, among other arts venues. And, the past decade, she’s been writing nonfiction books for adults and children. Her books are focused on Wyoming’s agriculture and wildlife. Urbigkit’s work has received honors from the International Reading Association, Junior Library Guild, National Science Teachers PAGE
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of the day for the journal. I find that it helps me by giving me writing prompts.” A sheep rancher for 25 years, Urbigkit spends most of her days among the animals, including the big livestock guardian dogs that protect the sheep while out on the range. She gets up around 4 a.m. every morning and spends time writing before starting her day’s outdoor activities. “We raise these big livestock guardian dogs with our sheep and I take a lot of pictures of them. And one day, my husband Jim came and said, ‘You really should write a book about this because there aren’t many people who know Wyoming arts council
about the close relationship between the sheep and the dogs.’ ” This sparked the idea for her first children’s book, Brave Dogs Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep, published 10 years ago. “I think those of us who live in Wyoming are blessed because if you want to see something beautiful every day, all you need to do is step outside. What I am trying to do is share that beauty that I see in Wyoming with other people.” This led Urbigkit to be selected as the featured author for One Book Wyoming, a program of the Wyoming State Library System that is funded by the Wyoming Legislature. This program distributed three of Urbigkit’s books to communities around the state, and enabled her to travel to communities throughout the state to talk about the books. Since two of the books were for children, and one for adults, it provided for multigenerational talks of the same subject matter. She went to many schools and public libraries to talk about her books from April to November 2015. “The response was fantastic!” she said, estimating that she presented to about 7,400 students and countless adults. “I had schools that had teachers and librarians who had worked with students to prepare them for my author visits. Before I arrived, the students had already read my books and written questions on things they wanted to know more about. For many students, it was the first time they had met a book author.” artscapes • winter 2016
Since touring, Urbigkit has received fan mail, letters and art from students throughout the state, thanking her for her time and inspiration. Urbigkit said that her daily journaling aided her success. “I’ll write something in my journal and then I might go back to that subject matter for a few days or weeks and then I realize I’m developing a trend or am interested in this subject matter. That is what often prompts me to go ahead and sit down and write out a full blown book.” Her advice for other writers in Wyoming? “I think the most important thing to do the actual work – the writing. Sometimes people have a great idea for something they want to write and they immediately jump into ‘How do we get this published?’ before writing it first and really making it the best it can be.” You can find Urbigkit’s books at local venues such as the Wyoming State Museum store in Cheyenne and Wind City Books in Casper. Stay updated with her latest books on her website at caturbigkit.com and on her Facebook page, https://www. facebook.com/cat. urbigkit.
“I think those of us who live in Wyoming are blessed because if you want to see something beautiful every day, all you need to do is step outside. What I am trying to do is share that beauty that I see in Wyoming with other people.”
“I love the beauty of Wyoming! I try to get people to look and notice the beauty that we have here. That is my inspiration.” Monica Miller is a freelance writer based in Cheyenne. You can read more of her writing at monicawrites.com. PAGE | 19
artist profile
Stained Glass Sundays in Pinedale
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ld adages aside, if ever people actually lived in glass houses, Wyoming artist Hayley Ryckman would be right at home. Ryckman is the owner and creative force behind Stained Glass Sundays, a Pinedale-based stained-glass art studio specializing in custom and commissioned design that honors the tradition of stained glass art but also pushes it in new directions. Stained Glass Sundays has become a fixture in the western Wyoming art scene since 2013 when Ryckman relocated to Pinedale from her native Ohio and immediately began producing mid- to large-scale works ranging from mountains and landscapes to religious imagery to custom home décor. A stained glass artist for almost 15 years, she began her journey when she participated in an independent stained glass project in high school. She designed a stained glass lamp shade and thus began a love affair with stained glass. What started as hobby carried over into Ryckman’s college years while she was studying civil engineering. She used her stained glass artistry as a way to express her creative side and, as a result, her weekend and holiday visits home usually wreaked havoc on the family kitchen. “I would take over mom’s kitchen since the oven had a vent hood, which is useful when soldering, and make stained glass presents for friends and
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Hayley Ryckman conducts a workshop at the Children’s Discover Center.
family,” Ryckman said. “Business card holders, lamps, you name it. Whatever I could make and give away as gifts!” It was during these many weekends and holidays – many of which were on Sunday that the young artist came up with the name Stained Glass Sundays. Her first large project came when she was studying for her master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma. Ryckman asked to make a stained glass window for the church she attended. “I taught a few friends the process and together we designed and built a window of approximately 30 square feet,” Ryckman recalled. After working on her thesis research in the lab during the day and evening, she would spend the remaining hours of the night working on the window. And while the name Stained Glass Sundays is
Wyoming arts council
rooted in those formative years in her mom’s kitchen, the name still applies to her life today. When she’s not working as the director of engineering for the Town of Pinedale, she’s working away on personal projects and commissions – only this time it’s in her own studio and kitchen.
Giant Leaf featured at Stained Glass Sundays.
More recently, Ryckman has expanded her efforts to include teaching stained glass classes for children, adults, and seniors. While she has served clients all over the nation, her heart is in teaching. “The classes are rewarding,” Ryckman said. “I love seeing people fall in love with stained glass and I enjoy seeing the students’ surprises at their accomplishments.” This past winter, Ryckman was commissioned by the Children’s Discovery Center to produce a largescale window project. Early in the project’s design, she asked the Discovery Center’s administration if the children could be involved in the process as well.
“I’m always developing my skills and stretching my art,” Ryckman said. “I never follow patterns; when I’m designing, I put the body together and then I surround it with glass I think is appropriate and pick the colors as I go. It adds time to the project, but it adds more uniqueness and character to the piece.”
“I love seeing people fall in love with stained glass and I enjoy seeing the students’ surprises at their accomplishments.”
“I could have easily made something vibrant and colorful for the school, but I was excited to get the kids involved in a process that they might not get to experience or appreciate until they are adults,” Ryckman said. “The kids are now able to tell their parents about the process and point up to the window and say that they personally contributed to the piece.”
And while her studio and kitchen may be forever be cluttered with glass shards, wine bottles, glue spills and metal, Ryckman remains focused on the future of Stained Glass Sundays.
artscapes • winter 2016
To learn more about Hayley Ryckman, visit her website at www. stainedglasssundays. com. To see the process and current projects, Stained Glass Sundays is on Instagram (@StainedGlassSundays) and Facebook. While she does sell online, Ryckman’s work is also found at the Bent and Rusty in Laramie and WyoMade in Casper. Cheyenne freelance writer Monica Miller contributed to this piece.
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music
Wyoming independent music program by Danee Hunzie
“Music is a world within itself that we all understand”
Stevie Wonder
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tarting in late July, I was hired as the Community Development and Independent Music Specialist. It has been a whirlwind of exciting conversations, meetand-greets across the state, and research on how a live music strategy can be created and implemented to benefit the State of Wyoming and all of our great communities. Prior to accepting the position, I worked with a variety of festivals both in Wyoming (including Cheyenne Frontier Days) and out-of-state, with most of my background with the Academy of Country Music helping with the annual Party for a Cause Festival and Awards show. Through these gigs, my background with policy and community development, and several partnerships and collaborations around the state, the independent music scene in Wyoming will be stronger and soon. All around the globe, countries are developing and implementing music offices and public policy strategies. I had the opportunity to attend two international conferences in Washington, D.C., earlier this fall (The Future of Music Coalition and the Music Cities Convention). Both conferences bring folks together from all over the world to discuss, brainstorm and advocate for music. I was able to interact with leaders of the top music cities around the globe and the U.S. including London, Nashville, Austin, and Adelaide. Together we discussed challenges and strengths of a strong music scene, how to develop and implement a live music strategy, and PAGE
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the defining characteristics of a music city. Music Canada published a robust study full of data and recommendations for developing a live music strategy titled “The Mastering of a Music City: Key elements, effective strategies and why it’s worth pursuing.” I (with several partners) am currently using this is a guide while embracing the uniqueness of Wyoming, to create a statewide live music strategy that will not only help promote and support the independent music scene, but also contribute to community development, vibrancy, tourism and economic development. A vibrant music economy can drive the economy in many ways including artistic growth, tourism development, social cohesion and development, economic growth, and job creation and retention. Music is a commodity in itself and there is even field titled “music tourism” due to its ability to generate economic benefits. Tourist spending brings “new” money to the state. We hope to capture the talent of Wyoming while showcasing it across the state for citizens and tourists, creating an experience for all, but also one that helps drive economic development. In 2014, Nashville welcomed over 13 million visitors who contributed over $5 billion in revenue, creating 50,000 jobs. The music scene in Wyoming may look different than Nashville or Austin, but there is great potential! Starting later this spring, there will be big partnerships announced as we work closely with key stakeholders, musicians, and supporters of music across the state. We will also start showcasing this talent while further supporting the presenters and venues who host live music through spotlights, grants, and the new WAC artist directory to be launched next year. Stay tuned.
Wyoming arts council
directory
new directory coming to connect wyoming arts community by Rachel Clifton
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he Wyoming Arts Council will launch a new directory in 2016 to better connect the state’s artists, arts organizations, and other community resources. After recognizing that the current structure doesn’t accurately represent all of the creative talent within the state, the WAC staff developed a system that is more inclusive and expansive. Working with local marketing and design agency Warehouse 21, the new WAC directory will be easier to use for both artists and those looking for information. The directory will be formatted to allow artists to create their own profiles and upload work samples including images, audio,
Jalan Crossland and band perform at the state’s 125th anniversary bash last summer in Cheyenne.
artscapes • winter 2016
written work, and video. This opens the directory to a wider range of artists, from poets and authors to actors, singer/songwriters, visual artists, Folk and Traditional artists, graphic designers, dancers and choreographers, and those working in other arts occupations like tattoo artists and florists. In addition to better representing individual artists and arts groups, a second component of the directory will list arts organizations, venues, and other resources for artists and communities. Whether you are an artist looking to find a residency, a musician wanting to book a venue, a senior center wanting to hold a writing workshop, or a jeweler wanting to reserve booth space at an arts festival, the new directory will better connect the creative individuals and groups working in Wyoming. The restructured directory will take the place of the current Artist Roster and the Artist Image Registry (AIR), which will both remain on hold until the new directory is completed and ready to be implemented. The WAC believes that this new directory will become a key creative resource for artists, communities, and arts organizations working in the state. Look for the new directory this spring, and be sure to call or email the WAC with any questions or suggestions. Updates will be posted on the WAC website and social media.
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art is everywhere
Pictured clockwise from upper left: Lincoln Elementary School students; Jared Rogerson in concert, Pinedale; Pop-Up Artwalk, Laramie (photo by Megan Lee); Northwest College Guitar Summit, Powell; Artists from Lander and Laramie featured in Riverton’s Give/Take Exhibition.
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Wyoming arts council
Pictured clockwise from upper left: Rocky Mountain Fiddle Championships, Casper; Rebecca Foust (left) poses with 2016 WAC poetry fellowships winners: Katie Smith, Conie Brewer, and Carol Deering; David Romtvedt and Caitlin Belem perform in Cheyenne; Gillette Community Children’s Theater production of The Princess with no Name; Snowy Range Dance Festival rehearsals.
artscapes • winter 2016
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wac Funding Programs
new Grant categories
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he Wyoming Arts Council will be switching to a new e-granting system for all Fiscal Year 2017 grant applications for projects that will take place between 7/1/16-6/30/17. The Go:GrantsOnline system is managed by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) and will launch on Feb. 1.
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Here are some details about the upcoming changes:
The Community Support Grant is specifically designed for project and/or operational support for organizations that provide services to their community through the arts.
This grant is specifically designed to help grow the capacity of organizations and individuals that work in, and support the arts. Projects can include but are not limited to: board development, leadership development, conference attendance, professional development training, fundraising development, strategic planning, creation of marketing plans, etc.
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Community Support Grant Program
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This grant category replaces the former Operating Support, Grant to Organizations, Arts Projects, and Arts Education grant programs. An organization is eligible to receive up to $23,000 in this grant category. Funding amounts available in this grant category will provide support for the following: o Operating and Project Support ($13,250) o Arts education activities ($7,000) o Professional development ($750) o Programs involving folk artists ($1,000) o Outreach to rural communities ($1,000) Application Available: 2/1/16 for programs taking place 7/1/16 – 6/30/17. Draft Deadline: 3/15/16. Final-Deadline: 4/1/16. WAC grant can pay for up to 30% of the total project/operating expenses.
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This is a competitive grant category. Organizations with operating budgets over $1 million will be reviewed separately from those with operating budgets under $1 million.
Professional Development/Career Advancement Grant
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An organization or individual is eligible to receive up to $750 in this grant category. Available to individuals and organizations that did not receive a Community Support Grant. Application Available: 5/1/16 for programs taking place 7/1/16 – 6/30/17. Grant will be available until funds are expended. Deadline: 6 weeks before project start date. No cash match is required, and In-kind contributions will be reported on the final report.
Rural Arts Access Grant This grant is specifically designed to provide project funding for geographically isolated and rural areas with a population of less than 3,000.
Wyoming arts council
Kiddie corral mural painting Green River Valley Trust picnic.
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An organization is eligible to receive up to $750 in this grant category. Available to organizations that did not receive a Community Support Grant. Application Available: 5/1/16 for programs taking place 7/1/16 – 6/30/17. Grants will be available until funds are expended. Deadline: 6 weeks before project start date. No cash match is required. In-kind contributions will be reported on the final report.
Capital Support Grant
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Additional Grant Information •
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This grant is specifically designed for large-scale capital projects that will build a sustained public value for communities. • • • • •
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An organization is eligible to receive up to $24,500 in this grant category. A total of two grants will be awarded in this grant category. Application Available: 4/1/16 for programs taking place 7/1/16 – 6/30/17. Application Deadline: 5/1/16 and 11/1/16. If both grants are awarded in the 5/1/16 grant cycle, then we will not accept applications in the 11/1/16 grant cycle. This grant category is not for event programming. Requires a 1:1 cash match. Capital Support Grant is available regardless of other grants received from the WAC.
artscapes • winter 2016
Organizations can only receive one Capital Support Grant every two years.
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Organizations that receive a Community Support Grant are only eligible to apply for a Capital Support Grant. Organizations that do not receive a Community Support Grant are eligible to receive up to two WAC grants in the other grant programs for different programs/events, depending on criteria for each specific grant. Each school district is eligible to receive one Community Support Grant. If a school district does not receive a Community Support Grant, they are eligible to receive up to two other WAC grants for different programs/events, depending on criteria for each specific grant. Individual schools are not eligible. University of Wyoming and Wyoming Community Colleges can apply for one Community Support grant per department. Departments cannot use Section I (state funding) as match. If a department does not receive a Community Support Grant, they are eligible to receive up to two other WAC grants for different programs/ events, depending on criteria for each specific grant. Final report signature forms are no longer required.
For more information, please visit: wyomingartscouncil.org
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visual arts
Three new exhibits open at The Nic in January
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ric Wimmer at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper sent along a reminder of the museum’s exhibits that are opening in January. In case you are new to Wyoming, the Nic, as it’s called around the West, is a terrific arts venue and well worth a visit next time you’re in Casper for work or play. The Nic is located at 400 E. Collins in downtown Casper and is open every day but Monday. Web site: http:// www.thenic.org. Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/thenicmuseum Here’s info about the new exhibits:
eating sailor, they are what they are. “I find a great deal of significance in these areas. Their juxtapositions of organic and unnatural, large and small, light and dark, soft and sharp, offer a more realistic view of the western landscape than the common postcard photograph. In keeping with the aura of the landscape, I photograph primarily in black and white, and in a straightforward style no doubt influenced by my background as a photojournalist.” – Chuck Kimmerle
Chuck Kimmerle: The Naked Landscape Jan. 15-May 8, 2016 McMurry Gallery
Patricia Aaron and Alicia McKim: From the Outside Looking In Jan. 29-May 1, 2016 Ptasynski Gallery
Reception and artist talk: April 15, 6-8 pm
Reception and artist talk: April 15, 6-8 pm
“The only true voyage of discovery . . . would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes . . .” —Marcel Proust
Looking to the north we Coloradans typically view Wyoming as a space filled predominately with sagebrush and cowboys. Outside of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons most parts of Wyoming lay undiscovered to us. We are from the outside looking in with our own prejudices and myths. Patricia Aaron and Alicia McKim each through their own experiences, have come to see that this sparsely populated landscape imparts spacious skies and vast lands that extend to the horizon line, often times with brutal wind, bearing extreme temperatures. As artists they have found that this intense climate creates profound beauty in the
“Between the distant vistas of loud, prismatic, neon-coated grandeur (and often inside them) lie the often bypassed landscapes of simplicity and subtlety. Quiet areas whose significance is spoken in soft whispers rather than selfaggrandizing shouts. These landscapes are straightforward and honest, stripped of any façade, and unapologetic in their reticent presentation. To paraphrase a certain spinach-
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Wyoming arts council
everyday landscape, as it molds the people who inhabit this area. This collection of monoprints is their studio interpretations of the fragile and everchanging landscape of Wyoming. Candace Forrette: Meditation/Reflection Jan. 29-May 1, 2016 Bordewick and Durham Galleries Reception and artist talk: April 15, 6-8 pm “This current body of work is informed by my feelings for and observations of the land. I am interested in exploring smoke fired ceramics, and in the combining of natural materials - also of the earth and of fire, notably copper and muscovite (mica). “The somewhat minimal, yet made-by-hand qualities of the work reflect my feelings about the landscape and about our place within it. This use of minimal form and the repetition of elements allows for a space for meditation,
reflection and belonging. “Over the years, I have worked with a variety of media. I am interested in using whatever materials I need to express what I want to ‘talk about’ and so, have been lead to employ many different materials and methods. For me, art is very much about process. The best pieces are a result of working with my ideas while ‘listening’ to what the materials suggest. I like the idea of working between having control and giving up control. This is one reason the smoke and woodfire processes intrigue me. I can coax the results, but in the end, the firing presents me with something of its own – something I didn’t expect, but really like – orsomething not quite right, which requires me to continue with the process. “Like many of those who make their home in the West, the natural world sustains me. Its contemplation often becomes a form of prayer.” – Candace Forrette
the WAC calendar February
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. . . . . . . . .New WAC grants program opens for FY17 applications
. . . . . . .Opening reception for 2016 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition, Cheyenne
. .WAC quarterly board meeting,
Cheyenne
. . . . . .Governor’s Arts Awards gala and dinner, Cheyenne
artscapes • winter 2016
March
7&8
. . .Poetry Out Loud state finals,
Cheyenne
April
7-9
. . . . .CLICK! Conference for Visual Artists, Casper
May
st
Through 1
. . .Zak Pullen’s exhibit of The Presidents, Wyoming State Museum, Cheyenne For more information, contact the WAC at 307-777-7742 or go to the web site www.wyomingartscouncil.org PAGE | 29
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The Wyoming Arts Council provides resources & leadership to help Wyoming communities grow, connect and thrive through the arts.