UW Art Museum Seeks New Ann Simpson Artmobile Curator

A student works on an art project using the Artmobile printing press.

The University of Wyoming Art Museum (UAM) is looking for a new Ann Simpson Artmobile Curator. As a key outreach program for the art museum, the artmobile curator travels with an exhibition of original artwork to every corner of Wyoming. As an important member of the UAM’s education team, the artmobile curator achieves the museum’s mission by implementing field programs that align with in-house education programs supporting inquiry-based learning.

We are looking for an energetic, creative and organized individual who enjoys meeting and working with people all across Wyoming in diverse settings. An art and/or art education background with printmaking knowledge is required. The curator regularly works with Wyoming’s K-12 teachers to develop programs that support their classroom goals and standards, as well as with community organizations, senior citizens groups, pre-schools and more.

Excellent driving skills are a must since the curator drives many miles in the artmobile van each year to some of Wyoming’s most remote communities. The position is 30 hrs. per week and is benefited.

A full job description can be found online. It is an academic position listed under the UW Human Resources Employment site, titled “Assistant Research Scientist, Ann Simpson Artmobile Curator, position # 6082. Or click on the following url to go directly to the listing: http://www.uwyo.edu/hr/hremployment/showjob.asp?jobid=13172. For more information contact Wendy Bredehoft, Education Curator, 307.766.3496 or wbredeho@uwyo.edu.

Art Museum and Artmobile Featured in UWYO Magazine

The fine and performing arts are the focus of the January 2012 issue of UWYO Magazine, available now in print and online. Featured alongside such great programs at UW such as Cultural Programs and the Music, Theater, and Dance Departments, the Art Museum is excited to be featured. Images and information from past exhibitions and installations are highlighted, as are the goals and motivations of the Art Museum. Discussions with key personnel showcase the accomplishments of the exhibitions, education, and outreach of the museum.

Also included in this issue is the Ann Simpson Artmobile. UWYO Magazine followed Artmobile curator Beth Remington on a recent visit to Saratoga, where students had the opportunity to view original artwork and then make their own art project inspired by what they saw.

Check out the online version of the magazine here for some great behind-the-scenes images and a look at what we do here at the Art Museum!

Summer Solstice Tomorrow

Astronomer Ray Martin shows a museum visitor how to use his filtered solar telescope to view the surface of the sun.

Join us tomorrow between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm for the 18th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration at the UW Art Museum! This event happens every year on the first day of summer and is a great way celebrate the end of Wyoming's long winter, and to learn about the sun and the unique architecture of the Art Museum! At exactly noon, the sun illuminates a silver dollar in the center of the Rotunda Gallery floor through a special solar tube in the ceiling that the architect included for exactly this purpose! Astronomer Ray Martin will also be set up on the terrace with his solar telescope, which allows visitors to safely view the sun's surface.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that the rainy weather clears up by tomorrow! Please join us for this fun and free community event. For more information, please call 307.766.6622.

Look for Your Summer Newsletter on Monday

Summer newsletters are at the printer and hard copies will be available on Monday! Within the past year, the Art Museum has switched to an eNewsletter distribution that is in color and emailed directly to you! Black and white hard copies are still available to those who prefer to receive one in the mail, or who pick one up when they visit the Art Museum.

If you would like to be added to either newsletter distribution list, please call Administrative Assistant Bev Schroeder at 307.766.3477.

Check out the summer newsletter for the latest information on exhibitions, education classes, and public programs!

"Art Imidates Dance" online exhibition on Facebook

Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), Dancer, not dated, etching (restrike), 7 x 4 inches, Gift of Professor James T. Forrest and Dr. Suzanne S. Forrest, University of Wyoming Art Museum Collection, 1973.18

A new online exhibition titled, Art Imitates Dance, is now available to view on the Art Museum's Facebook page. Simply log in to your account and search for "University of Wyoming Art Museum." A photo album featuring 10 works from the permanent collection is on view.

This online exhibition is part of a collaboration with the Laramie Dance Center. Every year, the Dance Center holds a spring performance that is the culmination of a year's worth of hard work in each class - from tap to ballet to belly dancing. The theme of this year's performance is Art Imitates Dance, and each instructor selected a piece of artwork as the basis for the choreography, music, and costumes.

While the Art Museum doesn't have the specific artworks in the permanent collection, we do have similar works by some of the same artists and their contemporaries. This online exhibition features five works by some of the same artists who were selected by Laramie Dance Center instructors, and five works by contemporaries of other artists who work in either the same style, or have the same themes in their work.

Information about each piece is listed under the image, along with the title and artist of the similar work selected by the Laramie Dance Center. The goal of this online exhibition is to continue making connections between dance, gesture, movement and art. Each image in the online exhibition also features questions that encourage viewers to look closely and explore ideas about dance and art.

The Laramie Dance Center spring performance is this Saturday, May 21 at 1pm in the A&S Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. For more information about the ongoing collaboration between the Laramie Dance Center and the Art Museum, which will also feature Dance Center instructors teaching a movement component at the Art Museum's free summer program, Paint Pony Express, please call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622.

Afternoon at the Museum is on Monday

Children create art in the Shelton Studio. Courtesy of the Art Museum.

Afternoon at the Museum, a UW Art Museum class for students with the afternoon off due to Albany County School District staff development, will be offered on Monday, April 25 from 1 – 5 p.m. Students ages 6 – 10 are invited to attend and spend the afternoon investigating and producing art.

During the afternoon students will look at the theme of place as they tour the exhibitions, From the Scottish Sublime to the American West, Selected Works from the University of Wyoming and Etsuko Ichikawa: NACHI –between the eternal and the ephemeral–. Using these exhibitions as inspiration, students will use a variety of materials to explore their own ideas of place. Healthy snacks are provided.

The class is $20 per student or $15 per student for families signing up 3 or more children. Pre-registration is encouraged, but is not required. For more information regarding Afternoons at the Museum or other UW Art Museum classes, contact Master Teacher Heather Bender at (307) 766-3515 or hbender1@uwyo.edu.

Final March Art Month Class This Saturday

A student works on his art project in the Shelton Studio. Courtesy of the Art Museum.

The final March Art Month Saturday class will be this Saturday, March 26th, 1 - 3 pm, at the Art Museum. It is open for students age 4-11. Parents of students age 5 and younger are asked to remain with their children.

This class is a great way for students to explore new ideas, concepts and artistic mediums. The class will explore artwork that is on view in the museum, and then using the ideas and materials seen there, create their own work in the Shelton Studio.

Pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, or to register, call Master Teacher Heather Bender at 307.766.3515.

Spring Break Art Camp

A student works on his project in the Shelton Studio. Courtesy of the Art Museum.

As college students vacate Laramie next week for spring break, the Art Museum is inviting kids ages 6 to 12 to join our education team for Spring Break Art Camp. The camp will run Monday - Friday, March 14-18 from 1 pm to 4:45 pm each day.

The theme of this year's camp is, "Make the Everyday Extraordinary." If you like to make art and are curious about new forms and materials, this is the class for you! We'll explore the many artworks that are on view in the museum, and then use what we learn to make extraordinary art from everyday moments. Discover all kinds of materials and ways to make art in the Shelton Studio, including sculpture, painting, collage, and more! We'll look at different ways to write, too. Join us for the week - or even a day - to explore your own possibilities!

Pre-registration is encouraged. Spring Break Art Camp is $60 for the week or a $15 a day "drop-in" rate. Call Master Teacher Heather Bender at 307.766.3515 or email her at hbender1@uwyo.edu for more information or to register.

March Art Month Begins This Saturday

A student works on an art project in the Shelton Studio during one of last year's March Art Month classes. Courtesy of the UW Art Museum.

Join in the celebration of March as Youth Arts Month by participating in one of the free Saturday classes offered for students ages 4-11. The 2011 classes kick off this Saturday, March 5 with others taking place on March 12, and 26. Each Saturday class is from 1-3 pm. Every Saturday we’ll investigate new ideas and creative processes, in addition to exploring and making art. Parents of students 5 years old and younger are asked to join in the fun and remain with their students. Be sure to wear your best art making clothes!

There is no fee for this class, but pre-registration is appreciated so that we may anticipate how many students will be joining us. E-mail Heather Bender (hbender1@uwyo.edu) or call (307) 766-3515.

Art Museum Docents Attend Symposium in Denver

Art Museum docents and education staff outside the Denver Art Museum.

Photo courtesy of the Art Museum.

UW Art Museum Docents attended the Denver Art Museum's (DAM) Volunteer Symposium on September 24 and 25. Docents Sue Ettema, Genevieve Legowski, Margaret Plumb, Karen Maxfield, Sid Walter, and Judy McBride, along with Art Museum educators Wendy Bredehoft and Heather Bender, attended sessions that presented new information on visitor trends, and ways to engage museum visitors. Workshops included "New Perspectives on Thinking about Traditional Arts" by Michael Cassin, Director of the Center for Education in the Visual Arts, The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and "New Perspectives on Thinking about Contemporary Art" by Shelly Casto, Director of Education, The Wexner Center for the Arts.

These sessions provided lots of talking points over lunch and wherever the group convened. It was agreed that "museums are places that contain the most wonderful things in the world" (Cassin) and that "artists are people on a quest for knowledge" (Casto).

UAM Docents explored exhibits with DAM docents and other participants through gallery walks and discussions, putting into practice models for investigating traditional and contemporary art. Additional highlights of the trip included a visit to the exhibition, Tutankhamen: the Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, and the DAM's three gift shops.

For more information on the UW Art Museum's docent program, please call the education office at 307.766.3496.

Art Museum Education Department Wins Programming Award

Participants in the 2010 Summer Teaching Institute discuss their artwork.

Photo courtesy of the Art Museum.

Congratulations go out to the Art Museum's education team for receiving the EdCom Award for Excellence in Programming. This is a regional award given by the Mountain Plains Museum Association, which also places the Art Museum Education Department in contention to receive the national level award given by the American Association of Museums.

The award was given for Transforming Learning: Summer Teaching Institute, an annual summer program hosted by the Art Museum to help teachers, librarians, and community leaders learn about ways to incorporate original artwork into their teaching. This prestigious award is given for "exemplary creativity and innovation in museum educational programming."

To learn more about the great things that the education team is doing, or to tell them congratulations, give them a call at 307.766.3496, or email Master Teacher Heather Bender at hbender1@uwyo.edu.

Fall 2010 Newsletter Now Available Online

Frederic Remington's painting, Conjuring Back the Buffalo, is featured in the fall newsletter and is included in the exhibition of Western American art from the Erivan and Helga Haub collection.

The Art Museum fall newsletter is now available on the museum website in a .pdf format. The online version is in color and has information about all of the new exhibitions now on view at the museum. Information on the upcoming education classes and programs can also be found inside, along with the latest in collections news and a spotlight section on our new board members.

This online, color version is also available to be emailed. If you are not on the email list and would like to be, please contact Bev Schroeder, Administrative Assistant, to be added. If you would like to continue to receive a black and white hard copy, please contact Bev at 307.766.3477 or bschroed@uwyo.edu.

Final Week of Paint Pony Express

Harold Garde (American, b. 1923), Samurai Kimono, 1997, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 56 inches, courtesy of the Museum of Florida Art

The final week of Paint Pony Express begins today. Each week of Paint Pony Express has focused on a different exhibition and different art-making techniques. This week's classes will view the series of kimono prints by Florida artist and UW alumnus Harold Garde. They will discuss the similarities and differences between repeating patterns and art in a series. Kimonos are a recurring theme in Garde's work, and he uses that particular shape and image in his prints and paintings.

Students will then create their own triptych in the Shelton Studio. They will create one idea of images in three different ways, as a series. They will create a monotype, a fabric print, and a collage.

Classes are free and are held from 1-3 pm. Ages 4-5 will meet today (Tuesday), ages 6-8 will meet on Wednesday, and ages 9-11 on Thursday. Parents are asked to stay with children under age 5. Students should wear clothing that they can create in! For more information, contact the Art Museum Education Department at 307.766.3496.

This Week at Paint Pony Express

Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953), Éléphants (Elephants), c. 1920-1922, watercolor, gouache, 14.8 x 14.7 inches, image courtesy of the Humanities Exchange

Paint Pony Express continues this week at the UW Art Museum, Tuesday-Thursday, July 13, 14, and 15. This summer students are exploring ways that artists use the idea of multiple images in their art work. This week they will explore repeating patterns in art work created by the artist Raoul Dufy. They'll investigate the imagery he used to create his patterns, including animals, flowers, and geometric shapes. In the studio they will create their own fabric prints using repeating patterns. They will also explore ways that patterned fabrics are used by artists and designers to fit the human form.

Paint Pony Express is FREE for students. Ages 4-5 will meet on Tuesday, ages 6-8 on Wednesday, and ages 9-11 will meet on Thursday. Each session meets from 1-3 pm. Parents must stay with children under the age of 5. Students are encouraged to wear clothing they can create in!

For more information, please call the Education Department at 307.766.3496.

Neltje in the Shelton Studio

Artist Neltje has been busy this week in the Shelton Studio! As artist in residence she has been working with students between the ages of 4 and 11 during Paint Pony Express, the Education Department's annual series of free art classes. She also works on her own art projects; and museum visitors are encouraged to stop by to watch her creative process and ask questions. An exhibition of Neltje's work is currently on view, so now is your chance to see the artwork and talk directly to the artist!

In the photo above, Neltje works with some Teen Apprentices in the Shelton Studio. For more information on the Teen Apprentice Program, Paint Pony Express, or any of the other classes offered through the Education Department, contact them at 307.766.3496.

WY Artist Neltje to be Artist in Residence

Neltje (American, b. 1943), PAT - Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 72 x 144 inches, lent by the artist.

Week one of Paint Pony Express kicks off on Tuesday, July 5th at the UW Art Museum. Paint Pony Express is a three week program of FREE art activities for students between the ages of 4 and 11. Each day of Paint Pony Express is designed for a different age group. Ages 4-5 will meet on Tuesdays (July 6, 13, 20), ages 6-8 will meet on Wednesdays (July 7, 14, 21), and ages 9-11 will meet on Thursdays (July 8, 15, 22). Classes are from 1 - 3 pm each day. Please wear clothes that you can create in! Parents are asked to stay with children under 5 years of age.

Under the guidance of visiting artists and museum teachers, students will explore an array of artwork, including paintings, textiles, collages, and more. They will create their own artwork using writing, movement, and visual arts materials.

Each week, the focus will be on a different exhibition. Week one will focus on the work of Wyoming Abstract Expressionist artist Neltje. Neltje will work with students and explore concepts of painting and collage. In addition to working with students, Neltje will be an artist in residence in the Shelton Studio working on her own artwork. Museum visitors are encouraged to stop by to watch her process and ask questions.

Pre-registration for Paint Pony Express is recommended. For more information, please contact Master Teacher Heather Bender at 307.766.3515 or hbender1@uwyo.edu.

Art Museum hosts Summer Teaching Institute

Sculptor Patrick Dougherty works with teachers, librarians, and community educators at the 2008 Summer Teaching Institute.

Photo courtesy of the UW Art Museum.

The UW Art Museum will be hosting its annual Summer Teaching Institute in Laramie, July 26-30. The Summer Teaching Institute is open to K-12 teachers, including arts education specialists, discipline specific teachers, general elementary classroom teachers, and special education teachers. It is also open to community educators, such as Boys and Girls Clubs, Parks and Recreation programs, senior centers, museums, libraries, and more.

The title of this year's Summer Teaching Institute is "Transforming Learning," and the focus will be on using original sources as inspiration for teaching and learning (including traveling exhibitions and trunks, local museums and libraries). Another focus will be on how to build school and community partnerships for art education.

Among the many topics to be covered at the Summer Teaching Institute, some include examining the Wyoming resources that are available to inspire creative and meaningful learning opportunities, how partnerships can be built to support art education programs, and how community educators can develop programming that incorporates meaningful creative learning strategies that engage students and audiences.

Featured speaker Dawn Ellis will host a workshop that explores developing partnerships for programs that use original art and other materials that are at the core of teaching and learning. She will be joined by educators, archivists, and librarians. For more information on Ms. Ellis, please visit her website. Studio time is included every afternoon for participants to explore new materials and ideas inspired by the original artwork, objects, and books encountered throughout the Summer Teaching Institute.

3 credits of PTSB certification or UW Continuing Education credit is available. Cost is $150 per person, which includes a non-refundable $50 pre-registration fee. Partners are also encouraged to sign up, which is $150 for the first partner, $125 for the second, and $100 for any additional partners. Partners must register together. Lunch and snacks are provided daily. Participants are responsible for their own breakfast, dinner, room and travel costs. There are a limited number of travel scholarships available, courtesy of the Wyoming Arts Council's Arts Access Program.

For more information, or to sign up, please contact Curator of Education Wendy Bredehoft at 307.766.3496 or wbredeho@uwyo.edu.

Summer Art Camps Begin Next Week

Students work on art projects in the Shelton Studio during last year's Summer Art Camp.

Summer Art Camps at the UW Art Museum will begin next week. The theme for this year's camp is Look Around: What Do You See? Different age groups will meet during different weeks. See below for the complete schedule and registration information.

Artists have the most interesting way of looking at the world. Sometimes the most commonplace items become their subject. Other times they use materials that no one else would consider as art supplies. We’ll explore the work of an exciting array of artists who paint, print, collage, and more. We’ll write about our impressions of their viewpoint and make art inspired and informed by what we see. Soon others will be considering your unique perspective as you become the artist.

Ages 6-10: Monday-Friday, June 14-18, 1 - 4:45 pm

Ages 11-15: Monday-Friday, June 21-25, 1 - 4:45 pm

Weekly rate: $60/student

Drop in rate: $15/student

For more information, or to register, please contact Master Teacher Heather Bender at hbender1@uwyo.edu or 307.766.3515.

Summer Art Classes and Camps

Students participate in the Spring Break 2010 Art Camp.

The Education Department at the UW Art Museum has several summer art opportunities for kids of a variety of ages. Scholarships are available to assist families with limited incomes. Pre-registration is recommended. Museum members receive a 10% discount. See below for a list of the various classes and camps, information about when they meet, and the activities involved. For more information, or to register, contact Master Teacher Heather Bender at hbender1@uwyo.edu or 307.766.3515.

Pre-School and Kindergarten Class

Finding Inspiration in the World Around Us

Wednesdays, June 2, 9, 16, 23

10:30 - 11:30 am

$25/4-class session

Everyday we see things that can become ideas for making art. Sometimes we don't even realize it. This month, students will transform their own ideas into prints, collage, fabric art, and more, as they investigate the world around us for unique art ideas and inspiration. This class will look at the work of artists Harold Garde, Leon Kelly, Neltje, and Raoul Dufy for inspiration and ideas.

Summer Art Camp

Look Around: What Do You See?

Ages 6-10: Monday - Friday, June 14 - 18, 1 - 4:45 pm

Ages 11-15: Monday - Friday, June 21-25, 1 - 4:45 pm

Weekly rate: $60/student

Daily drop-in rate: $15/student

Artists have the most interesting way of looking at the world. Sometimes the most commonplace items become their subject. Other times they use materials that no one else would consider as art supplies. We'll explore the work of an exciting array of artists who paint, print, collage, and more. We'll write about our impressions of their viewpoint and make art inspired and informed by what we see.

Paint Pony Express

Ages 4-5: Tuesdays, July 6, 13, 20

Ages 6-8: Wednesdays, July 7, 14, 21

Ages 9-11: Thursdays, July 8, 15, 22

1-3 pm each day

FREE

Under the guidance of visiting artists and museum teachers, students will explore an array of artwork: paintings, textiles, collages, and more. They will then create their own artwork using writing, movement, and visual art materials to convey their own artistic response and vision. Wyoming artist Neltje will be an artist-in-residence with Paint Pony Express the week of July 6-8. Each week focuses on a different exhibition, and each day is designed for a different age group. Please wear clothes that you can create in. Parents must stay with children under 5 years of age.

Summer Solstice Celebration

Monday, June 21, 11:30-12:30 pm

FREE

After Wyoming's long winter, it's worth celebrating the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer. Every year on the summer solstice, a solar tube in the ceiling illuminates a silver dollar in the center of the Rotunda Gallery at exactly 12 noon. Join us for this fun event and to view the sun through astronomer Ray Martin's filtered solar telescope, which will be set up on the terrace.

UPDATED - Art Museum to be Featured on CBS

Art Museum Master Teacher Heather Bender talks with CBS reporter Ben Rosehart in the Shelton Studio.

The UW Art Museum will be featured in CBS News Channel 5's new segment "Common $ense" on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Reporter Ben Rosehart is focusing on a series of fun, family friendly things to do this summer in Southeast Wyoming. Rosehart was at the Art Museum Tuesday afternoon to talk with staff members and hear about the summer exhibitions and education programs.

The show will air Wednesday, May 19 on the 5:30 and 10 pm news. It will also show on the 6 am Thursday morning news. Tune in to hear about the fun and free things to do at the Art Museum!

UPDATE: The segment is also featured on the CBS Channel 5 website. Scroll down the homepage until you see the link to the video for "Common $ense."