What's New On WAC Web?

The Wyoming Arts Council is making a gallant attempt to keep updated its web site. It's always a work in progress -- as anyone knows who has an active site.

There are some new features on http://www.wyomingartscouncil.org. The Cybergrants system allows you to apply for organizational grants and Individual Artist Professional Development grants. Just go to the home page and click on the "Grants/Applications" link. WAC staffers continue to find some quirky aspects to Cybergrants, especially as we guide applicants through the process.

"Arts Organizations" is an especially useful link if you're looking for arts councils, presenters, libraries, museums and other organizations. If your org is not up there, send us a link and we'll add it to the list. Find the link on the list in the middle of the home page. We plan to add a page for the state's individual artists.

As I noted in an earlier post this week, a printable artist roster application is on the site. Just follow the link in the "News" section.

Labels: grants, libraries, Wyoming Arts Council

- posted by Michael Shay @ 8:47 AM 0 comments

 
Wanted: Big Horn Basin Artists

I’m traveling to three sites in the Big Horn Basin next week – Jan. 22-24 – for grants training sessions. Here’s a special invitation for you creative types to come out and see a demonstration of the Wyoming Arts Council’s new on-line granting system. It’s also an opportunity for me to talk with performers and visual artists, people I’ll be working with now that I’m supervising fellowships and IAPD grants in the performing arts and visual arts categories, along with my ongoing responsibilities in literature. I’d also like to hear your ideas on what kind of programs for individual artists you’d like to see at the WAC.

Here’s the Big Horn Basin schedule:

Cody, Northwest College Cody Center, Room CC2208, 1501 Stampede Ave., Monday, Jan. 22, 7-8:30 p.m. Contact: Nancy Gilmore, 587-3376
Thermopolis, Hot Springs County High School, 331 Park, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 4-6 p.m. Contact: Eric Kay, 864-6511
Worland, Worland Community Center, 1200 Culbertson Ave., Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7-9 p.m. Contact: Steve Hunt, 347-8616

Grants training sessions are for individual artists and representatives from schools, arts groups, and community organizations. No need for advance registration. Just show up and I’ll take it from there.

For more info, e-mail me or call 307-777-5234.

See you in The Basin. By the way, Billings Gazette reporter Ruffin Prevost in Cody writes a cool blog about happenings in the Big Horn Basin. Go to Basin Beat Blues.

Labels: fellowships, grants

- posted by Michael Shay @ 9:49 AM 0 comments

 
The grants training session scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 11, 7-9 p.m., at the Sweetwater County Public Library in Green River has been postponed due to bad weather. The WAC staffer due to conduct this session (me) is stuck in Riverton with snow swirling all around (see accompanying DOT webcamera photo). This session will be rescheduled for later this month or early February. As noted before, WAC already had to rearrange another grants training session, this one in Evanston on Jan. 8, due to bad weather. That one will now be held on Jan. 17, 7-9 p.m., at the Uinta County Public Library.

Labels: grants, Wyoming Arts Council

- posted by Michael Shay @ 1:01 PM 0 comments

 
Road Trip: Ethete and Riverton

As I drove I-25 north on Tuesday, I was glad I hadn't been on the road the day before. I passed five truck trailers that had been smacked down by Monday's winds. Two were on their sides and sliding down the snowy hill on that last rise before you get to Wheatland. On the southbound lanes, two big wreckers were righting another big rig. The wind had settled to its usual 30 mph range, with enough oomph to let motorists know we are in Wyoming but not windy enough to send you down a hill or into Nebraska.

Conducted grants trainings in Ethete and Riverton yesterday. This is my first time on the road demonstrating the Arts Council's new on-line granting system. I'm still fumbling around a bit with it, so be forewarned! Despite me heavy-handedness, those in attendance in Ethete and Riverton got a sampling of the computerized application. It's easy once you get the hang of it.

At the Tech Center located next to Wyoming Indian High School, Ren Freeman outlined some of the plans she has for the Eastern Shoshone Heritage Center. They include a new building to house the center, as well as a bronze of Sacajawea (sometimes spelled Sacagawea) pulling a travois and surrounded by native plants. She plans to use local artists for all the projects. The Reservation, notes Ren, has great potential for cultural tourism if handled in the right way. She told the story a family from Denmark who visited last summer. It was almost a pilgrimage, as they had named their daughter Sacajawea. The Shoshones invited them to share a meal and participate in one of their ceremonies.

Last night at the Riverton Public Library, the attendees were all individual artists. That's a first for me. Usually I get a mix of artists and those representing arts (and other non-profit) organizations. Willie LeClair was there. You may know Willie for his long-time tenure on the WAC's artist roster. He's been to a number of communities in Wyoming and across the U.S., sometimes performing with "Buffalo" Bill Boycott and other artists. At this session, I focused on WAC's programs for individuals, which include fellowships, Individual Artist Professional Development (IAPD) grants, artists' roster, folk arts apprenticeships, and the Artist Image Registry (AIR). We have a number of opportunities for the state's many artists, and hope to have more in the future. If you're interested -- we still have money available this year for IAPD grants in literature and performing arts. Come to a grants training session and I'll show you how to apply. See my schedule below.

Labels: fellowships, grants, Wyoming Arts Council

- posted by Michael Shay @ 10:17 AM 0 comments

 
Grants Training Update

The WAC staff begins traveling this week to conduct grants training sessions in 26 communities. Make that 25, as we debuted last Thursday at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. About 30 people attended, including individual artists and reps from arts orgs – and a variety of other non-profits. The training focuses on our new on-line granting program, which we have been refining since August. We’re ready to show off the process, which allows applicants to conduct the entire process on-line.

I’ll travel to four sites this week. Here’s the schedule:

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Tech Center in Fremont County School District 14 (next to Wyoming Indian High School)), Ethete. FMI: 332-9765.
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 7-9 p.m., Fremont County Public Library, 1330 W. Park, Riverton. FMI: Syd, 856-3556.
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 7-8:30 p.m., Fremont County Public Library, 451 N. 2nd St., Lander. FMI: Linda, 332-5194.
Thursday, Jan. 11, 7-8:45 p.m., Sweetwater County Public Library, 300 N. First East, Green River. FMI: 875-3615.

During the week of Jan. 22, I’ll be in Cody, Thermopolis, Worland, and Wheatland. More about that in upcoming posts.

There have been a few changes since the grants training postcard was mailed. The Evanston training set for Monday (tonight) at the Uinta County Public Library has been postponed due to I-80 white-outs caused by hurricane-force winds. It has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 17, 4-6 p.m. at the library. The Jackson session will be held at the Teton Science School at 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11. For more info, call Laurel at 733-1313. The date and location of the Laramie training has been changed. It will be held at the UW Art Museum Multipurpose Room on Monday, Feb. 5, 7-9 p.m. For info, call 766-6622.

You can get the entire schedule at the WAC web site.

Labels: grants, Wyoming Arts Council

- posted by Michael Shay @ 9:00 AM 0 comments