Final Preparations for Sculpture Symposium

Spring snows have come to Laramie. This is a view of
Ursula von Rydingsvard's Doolin Doolin
in the wind and snow from the Art Museum lobby late last week.
Courtesy of the UW Art Museum

It is not too late to register for the symposium this weekend! Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection will be at the new UW Conference Center a few blocks from the Art Museum.

UW students. There is still room to attend the conference for free AND get an excused absence for Friday classes! Contact Rachel Miller, interim assistant curator, at 766-6620 or rmiller@uwyo.edu for details and information.

Teachers. PTSB credit is available. Contact Wendy Bredehoft, education curator, at 766-3496 or wbredeho@uwyo.edu for information.

General public. Contact Rachel Miller, interim assistant curator, at 766-6620 or rmiller@uwyo.edu to register.

For the symposium schedule, click here.

For the registration form, click here (although do call or email to let us know you plan to attend!)

University Excused Absence for Students Who Attend the Symposium

In Circle, by artist James Surls, sits in Prexy's Pasture. Surls is one of ten sculptors from Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational who is presenting at the UW Art Museum symposium April 2-4.

Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum

In addition to the financial support from the Office of the President and the UW Foundation, students who attend the UW Art Museum's public art symposium on Friday, April 3 will receive a University Excused Absence for any classes they miss. To sum up all the benefits that students will receive, here's a list:

-No registration fee

-lunch on Friday and Saturday

-invitations to the opening reception and the closing reception

-an excused absence for missed class

-the chance to meet internationally recognized artists

-a chance to participate in discussions and presentations about public art and have your opinion heard

Students who are only able to attend the symposium for one day are still encouraged to register. If you sign up and need the excused absence, please include you W number with your contact information. The Art Museum will submit the necessary paperwork.

Contact Rachel Miller at rmiller@uwyo.edu or 766-6621 for more information or to register.

20:20 - A New Program to be Held at "Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection"

Open Book, by sculptor Charmaine Locke, stands outside the Albany County Public Library in Laramie. Locke will be presenting at the UW Art Museum symposium, "Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection."

Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum

20:20 is a new program in conjunction with the Wyoming Arts Council and University of Wyoming Art Museum symposium, Public Art and Community, Inspiration and Reflection. Scheduled for Thursday evening, April 2 at 10:00 pm, it follows the opening reception and Art Slam with artists Jesús Moroles, Ursula von Rydingsvard and John Henry. 20:20 is a fast-paced presentation format whereby presenters are allotted 20 images (either in slide format or a PowerPoint), which are shown for 20 seconds each. The total presentation time is therefore only 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Advance sign-up is required and offered on a first come, first served basis. Presentations by individual artists, community organizations, art groups and educators are welcome. 20:20 is an opportunity to share new work and new ideas from across the state and the region. It’s a chance for communities, groups and artists to show their work and share their accomplishments!

The Art Slam and 20:20 are free and open to the public. Anyone who signs up to participate in 20:20 will also be invited to the opening reception at the Art Museum.

The format of 20:20 is borrowed from a program that was first developed in Japan by two architects who were looking for a new way to present design ideas in an upbeat and exciting way. Events like 20:20 now occur internationally as specially organized evening events where the focus is on sharing information and community participation.

For more information on 20:20, or to sign up, please contact Rachel Miller at 307.766.6621 or rmiller@uwyo.edu.

Professional Development Opportunity for UW Students

UW Art Museum interns Jed Cracco (left), Kara Peterson (center) and Jamie Fritz (right) help with the installation of Charles Parson's sculpture Molto Allargando in Prexy's Pasture this past summer.

Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum

The Office of the President and the UW Foundation have supplied funding for 50 students to attend the UW Art Museum Symposium “Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection,” April 2-4. Students will have the opportunity to hear presentations from state legislators, internationally recognized artists and distinguished UW professors. Lunch on both days, and invitations to the opening and closing receptions are included. This opportunity is open to students of any class level and from any college, but may be of particular interest to students in American Studies, the Arts, Public Policy, Public Administration, Law, Education, Philosophy, Creative Writing, Business and Engineering.

Students must attend symposium sessions on Friday and Saturday. Interested students should submit their name, college and class level, email and phone number, and a 50-100 word statement that answers the question, “How would attending this event contribute to your professional goals?” Submissions and inquiries can be emailed to Rachel Miller at rmiller@uwyo.edu. The deadline for submissions is noon on Monday, March 30.

For more information on the symposium, please visit www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum or call 307-766-6621.

Symposium Round Table Topics/Schedule Announced

The Wyoming Arts Council and the UW Art Museum have announced the following schedule for roundtable discussions at the public art symposium. Please note that sign-up is required for the afternoon and evening round tables. On Friday, the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)will also have a round table set up during the lunch hour. On Friday and Saturday during lunch, the UW Art Museum Education Department will host a round table for educators.

Friday, April 3, 7 a.m., Coal Creek Coffee adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn
*No sign-up required*

Topics: General discussion of Wyoming Arts Council programs for individual artists
Staff present: Mike Shay and Rita Basom

Friday, April 3, noon, Hilton Garden Inn luncheon round table
*Lunch is part of registration fee, but you will need to sign-up at the registration table for this round table.*

Topics (and moderator):
1. Folk Arts and Visual Arts (Annie Hatch)
2. Fellowship application/guidelines and AIR (Mike Shay)
3. Artist Roster (Marirose Morris)
4. Individual Artist Professional Development (IAPD) grants (Rita Basom)
5. Art in Public Buildings (APB) and Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibit (Ann Larson)
6. Individual Artists’ Survey (Randy Oestman)
7. Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) programs (Anthony Radich)
8. Learning from the Masters: A Close Look at a Successful After School Enrichment Pilot Project (Brendan Magone, UWAM Lead Teacher, Camellia El-Antably)

Friday, April 3, 5:30 p.m. (meet in lobby at 5:15 p.m. for transportation), dinner at Laramie restaurants
*Need to sign up at registration table*

Topics: General discussions
Locations/staff:
Anong's Thai Restaurant/Camellia
Jeffrey’s Bistro/Mike
Hilton Garden Inn Restaurant/Marirose
Corona Village/Rita

Saturday, April 4, 7 a.m., Coal Creek Coffee adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn
*No sign-up required*

Topics: General discussion of Wyoming Arts Council programs for individual artists
Staff present: Mike Shay and Rita Basom

Saturday, April 4, noon Hilton Garden Inn luncheon round table
*Lunch is part of registration fee, but you will need to sign-up at the registration table for this round table.*

Topics (and moderator):
1. Opportunities for visual artists other than WAC -- WESTAF, NEA, etc. (Marirose)
2. Current economy and impact on artists; stimulus bill and arts impact (Camellia)
3. Future gatherings of visual artists (Rita)
4. Connectivity, newsletter, blog and listservs (Mike)
5. Utilizing Sculpture as Inspiration for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Classroom (Wendy Bredehoft, UWAM Education Curator)

PTSB Professional Development Credit available for Teachers

Steven Siegel, whose site-specific installation
It Goes Under is sited along the Laramie Greenbelt,
is one of ten sculptors in Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational
scheduled to discuss his work during
Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection
Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum

Wyoming's K-12 teachers will be able to attend Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection for PTSB credit. In addition to the more than 30 presenters who are scheduled for the symposium, round-table sessions for teachers are scheduled over the lunch hours on Friday and Saturday. Conversations will focus on ways to utilize art and other original resources as inspiration for teaching and learning, based on the Art Museum's model of observe, question, explore, create, and reflect.

Participating teachers will develop ideas on how they can use original art in their own communities to achieve teaching and learning across disciplines and meet academic standards. They will also begin to build a resource portfolio of ideas that can be implemented when they return to their classrooms.

For more information, contact Wendy Bredehoft, education curator, at 307-766-3496 or wbredeho@uwyo.edu.

For symposium information, registration form, and schedule of presenters, click here.

For information on Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational, visit the Art Museum webpage.

Student Fees to Attend Public Art Symposium Reduced

In an effort to encourage students to attend the symposium, Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection, rates have been reduced to:

$25/single day (includes lunch and opening or closing reception)
$40/both days (includes 2 lunches and both receptions)

This is a great rate for students to meet artists of national and international prominence, learn about public art programs and how they work, gain insight on issues of public policy and copyright, and be involved in a great event with colleagues and art world professionals.

If you need a registration form, visit the UW Art Museum webpage or if you have questions, please call Rachel Miller, interim assistant curator, at 307-766-6621. You may also email her at rmiller@uwyo.edu.

Early Bird Rates End March 15 for Arts Symposium and Laramie Hotel Rooms

The early registration deadline is March 15 for the Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection symposium April 2-4 at the UW Conference Center in Laramie. Register by Sunday, March 15, to receive the $100 rate, which includes the full conference, opening and closing receptions and two lunches. NEW! Registrations postmarked on Monday March 16 will be considered advance registrations for the reduce rate!

Registrants should keep in mind that a block of $99/night hotel rooms are available only through March 15. Lodging in Laramie that weekend will be at a premium as 12,000 Elton John fans hit town for his April 3 benefit concert.  

For information or downloadable registration forms for this exciting symposium, please visit the UW Art Museum web page at or the Wyoming Arts Council web site. The Art Museum and WAC are co-sponsors of the event.

Wyoming visual artists! This is your first opportunity since the WAC’s ARTSPEAK conferences to gather together with fellow artists from around the state. You are invited to attend a series of roundtable discussions with WAC staffers on Friday and Saturday to discuss the agency’s programs for individual artists. Stick around for the closing reception at 5 p.m. Saturday when the WAC will award its 2009 visual arts fellowships. Meet this year’s fellowship jurors Greg Esser, Gina Ruggeri and Lawrence Argent.

Conference attendees will have a chance to hear inspiring talks by renowned artists such as Texas’s Jesus Moroles, winner of a 2008 National Medal of Arts; Lawrence Argent, creator of the “Big Blue Bear” sculpture at the Colorado Convention Center which has become the most photographed site in downtown Denver; Charmaine Locke, whose six-foot-tall multi-armed “Open Book” bronze now greets Laramie’s library patrons; and Ursula Von Rydingsvard, a New York-based monumental sculptor whose work was influenced by a childhood in World War II Germany and post-war refugee camps.

Three artists featured in Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational--Moroles, von Rydingsvard and Tennessee sculptor John Henry--will stage an “Art Slam” at 7:30 p.m. on the symposium’s opening night on April 2.

UW’s Jeff Lockwood brings a philosophical and scientific slant to sculpture during a 9:20 a.m. talk on April 3. At 1:40 p.m. on April 4, UW Music Professor Rod Garnett will perform a musical interpretation of UW’s year-long Sculpture Invitational. Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal speaks later that afternoon (4:20 p.m.) about her involvement in the arts. 

Symposium Schedule Announced

The University of Wyoming Art Museum, in partnership with the Wyoming Arts Council, is pleased to announce the schedule of speakers and topics for the forthcoming symposium, Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection.

For the symposium schedule, click here.

Hotel blocks and early bird registration ends on March 15 (postmark for registration).

For registration forms, click here.

To visit the UW Art Museum webpage, click here.

Big Weekend of Events as the UW Art Museum reopens its Galleries

Ana Tiscornia (Uruguay, lives in New York), Portraits II,

13 sections, 14 x 11 ea, portraits orverlaid with translucent film (detail)

Courtesy of the North Dakota Museum of Art

After a year long closure to renovations and upgrades, the UW Art Museum will open its galleries on Friday evening, March 6. Curator of the exhibition, Laurel Reuter (director, North Dakota Museum of Art) will be in attendance.

The Disappeared / Los Desaparecidos fills the museum's more than 10,000 sq ft of exhibition space with the work of 26 Latin American artists who have lived through the horrors of the military dictatorships that ruled their countries over the last 30 years.

Public programs scheduled with the exhibition include:

Fri., Mar. 5, 10:30 am
Gallery Walk through the exhibition with Laurel Reuter, curator

Fri., Mar. 5, 6 - 8 pm
Opening Reception

Sat., Mar. 6, 10 am
Art Talk by Laurel Reuter

Mon., Mar. 9, 7 pm
Screening of the film Missing (Costa-gravas, director, 1982) with Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemon in a suspense thriller based on the rel life experience of American journalist Charles Horman and his wife's and father's search to find him after he disappeared in Chile

All of these events are free and open to the public.

For The Disappeared / Los Desaparecidos press release, click here.

For the Missing press release, click here.

For additional information about these and other programs at the University of Wyoming Art Museum, click here.