WyoFile: "Gutting arts funding is a bad look for Wyoming's future"

Pinedale artist Sue Sommers wrote a fine op-ed in WyoFile today advocating for support of the Wyoming Arts Council. The header says a lot: "Gutting arts funding is a bad look for Wyoming's future."

The subhead sums up Sue's approach to the issue: 

A penchant for creative problem-solving makes artists resilient pillars of our communities, which is why they need state support.

I worked at the Arts Council from 1991-2016. It's made a huge contribution to Wyoming. The Wyoming State Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee meets June 12-13 in Evanston. The future of the WAC is up for discussion. The me, it's a non-issue. If you want Wyoming to have a future, support arts and culture. I know there is something called "the Wyoming lifestyle." For some, that's wide-open spaces and The Big Sky. For others, it's ranching and cowboying. For some, it's technology and the future. For the narrow-minded, it's a society open only to those who are a rabidly conservative as they are and the rest of you can STFU. We've seen a lot of the latter the past seven years. 

I see a creative Wyoming, home to an amazing array of artists and arts groups. That's the future the Wyoming Arts Council sees for the state. Is it how the Legislature envisions to future? Tell them what you want. I wrote emails to chairs Wendy Schuler (Senate) and Sandy Newsome (House). They're not my reps in the Legislature but they'll play a big part in the meeting's procedures. Your neighbor or a local rancher may be on the committee. Email them today. 

Message to Sen. Mike Enzi: You are no help on the Senate HELP Committee

Received this letter from my U.S. Senator Mike Enzi today. It was a response to my postcard appeal back in March to Sen. Enzi, a member of the Senate Arts Caucus, to save funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which Trump has targeted in his draft budget. Every time I receive a Congressional response, I frame it with  drawings of the human body in the excellent big-format book, "Wall Chart of Human Anatomy," 24 charts of "3D anatomy based on the National Library of Medicine's Visible Human Project." It's a very sciencey book which is appropriate due to  the hundreds of marches for science we had last weekend. Republicans have yet to show that they have human circulatory systems. 

I received a nice note from Sen. Enzi today. It was short, but I understand, as Sen. Enzi had an action-packed week advising Wyomingites the proper attire to wear (or not to wear) to a Wyoming bar. He was specific about the attire -- a tutu -- but not specific on which bar. It could be the railroaders bar in Bill or the cowboy bar in Cheyenne or the brewpub in a barn in Ten Sleep. He told high school students in Greybull that anyone who wears a tutu into a bar in Wyoming gets what he deserves. We know he was talking about Wyoming's Larry "Sissy" Goodwin, a heterosexual Wyoming man who wears women's clothes and has been beat up several times by drunks who don't think that Wyoming men should be walking around in tutus. Sissy and I have spoken at Democratic Party and union meetings. Sissy is quite a dresser.

So Sen. Enzi has been busy apologizing and, in turn, not apologizing.

So I will forgive the abruptness of his response. But I do want to deconstruct it as it includes some strange statements. Some non-explaining explanations, if you will. Maybe even some alternative facts.

Sen. Enzi points out that he is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. As such,

"I believe that the arts and humanities are an important part of a quality education for our children."

Who can argue with that? Children need the arts just like they need to breathe. But it's not just the children -- all of us need the arts. Republicans know that they can get into the least amount of trouble by saying they are for the children and education. If they said, "I love the arts for art's sake" at the local bar, they would be beat to a pulp. Or if they said they supported the rights of artists to artistic expression -- the same result. They might be spared if they said they supported their local arts councils which sponsor much-needed artistic performances in some of the smallest communities in the state. But then if they told the mugs at the bar that the money for these activities came from taxpayer dollars, they might object. Tax money shouldn't support the arts and artists. That's something they might say. Or this: The arts should be self-supporting. This is funny coming from a Wyoming taxpayer, who annually receives more in federal funding than they contribute.

Does anyone find it odd that the Senate has a committee called HELP? There might have been a time when Congress looked out for people's health care, public education, the rights of labor unions and the ability of seniors to support themselves after a lifetime of working. Those days are gone. If you need any proof, just take a look at the Repubs' latest healthcare legislation. None of us will get any HELP from this bill. Keep your eyes on Sen. Enzi's vote when it comes to the Senate. Let's see how much HELP he offers to his constituents. He was a foe of Obamacare and will probably gush over the latest cruel version of Trumpcare.

Here's another statement from Enzi's letter:

"In Washington, I am working to encourage people across the country to get more actively involved in the arts."

As James Baldwin once said, "I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do." This is a notable writer saying that "actions speak louder than words."

The statement that really got me riled was this one:

"As we celebrate the arts, culture, and humanities that are native to our land, we encourage our young people to learn about the past and develop their own artistic abilities."

What exactly are the "the arts, culture and humanities that are are native to our land?" You have to admit that the native artists who etched the petroglyphs were talented. Native artists to our land created beautiful baskets and pottery and jewelry. They built Mesa Verde in Colorado and the mounds in Indiana. The medicine wheel on the crest of the Big Horns.

Not sure that's what Sen. Enzi means. The man reads books and he attends arts events around the state. As a mayor, he energized the arts in Gillette. But his statement smacks of the Nativist mentality that got Trump elected. When they say native, they mean white men. White Protestants founded this nation, by God, and we are the native race. All those other cultures don't count. Witness the Arizona law that forbids schools to teach Latino culture. Are African-American art forms such as jazz and blues and hip-hop counted among the arts native to this land? Salsa dancing? Non-representational art created by New Yorkers and Coloradans and Wyomingites who may find their influences in art from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Japan, Iraq, or Ukraine?

The U.S., surprisingly enough, did not invent the arts and humanities. We come from many cultures, many lands, many religions. We all deserve to be heard and seen.

Sen. Enzi wraps up his letter with a cautionary note that "the president's budget is always just a starting point." OK, so get started and do something to ensure that arts and humanities thrive in these United States. Make a stand and say that you will no longer follow the voting patterns of the Republican right-wing kook caucus. Tell your constituents you will no longer follow Trump as he marches us off of a cliff.

HELP us!

And I leave you with this artistic image, which I thought was hilarious.

This from Wyoming Equality: LGBTQ friends and straight allies put a tutu on, we're going out!
Find a #ToLiveAndLetTutu party near you: https://goo.gl/IqdZQ6

CRMC sponsors first Culture Fest Promoting Health and Justice April 29 at LCCC

This comes from a press release:

Culture Fest sponsored by Cheyenne Regional Medical Center

The first Culture Fest Promoting Health and Justice will take place in Cheyenne on Saturday, April 29. The goal of this festival is to celebrate the various cultures represented in our Wyoming community and address social determinants of health that often contribute to health disparities of minority groups. During the festival, there will be opportunity to display your cultural arts and educate community members. There is also opportunity for performance on the “big stage. 

The main event will take place on Saturday, April 29, at Laramie County Community College’s Pathfinder Building, 1400 E. College Drive, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Check out the Participant Letter and and the Market Registration Form2. 

FMI: Monica Jennings at 307-432-3640 or monica.jennings@crmcwy.org

A line in the participant letter caught my attention:

We sincerely appreciate your willingness to devote your time and share your expertise with the multicultural communities in our state. Your commitment to the well-being of others does not go unnoticed.

Sounds as if this might be a good event to talk about the ACA, Medicare, Medicaid expansion, and any number of timely topics. Wyoming has many health challenges, not least of which is mental health care. I've written often about the challenges my daughter faced in getting the appropriate mental health treatment in Wyoming. She finally found resources in Aurora and Denver. The feds played a role, too. Which raises concerns about the Trump administration's proposed gutting of health and mental health agencies. If Trump continues to wage endless wars, veterans will continue to have mental health challenges. No aircraft carrier task force or joint strike fighter jet can effectively challenge a stubborn case of PTSD.

"Be kind of everybody. Make art. Fight the power."

"Be kind to everybody. Make art. Fight the power."

Colson Whitehead's advice during his acceptance speech in November for the National Book Award in fiction. I am in the mood to take Whitehead's advice as I just read thousands of words he strung together for The Underground Railroad, his award-winning book. That's trust, isn't it? To be willing to give over your time and imagination for someone else's version of the world? That's what all writers hope readers will do. And if we can trust the writer with this, we can also trust that he or she will give us good advice. Maybe not. Ayn Rand was a writer and she dispensed lousy advice. I read her books as a young, impressionable reader. Good people write books. Bad people write books and give bad advice. What is one to do?

Be kind of everybody. Keep reading the good stuff. Keep writing. Make art. Speak truth to power.

For some context, here is a longer quote from Whitehead's NBA speech (from Vulture):

This time last year I was finishing up the book and was like, Don't mess up the last 20 pages, Colson. Every day I'm like, Only 19 pages to go, don't mess it up, Colson. And you never know what's going to happen in a year. And now the book is out and I would never think I would be standing here. And who knows where we're gonna be a year from now. We're sort of happy in here, outside is the blasted hellhole wasteland of Trumpland which we're going to inhabit. But who knows what's going to happen a year from now. And because I'm still promoting the book, people have been like, "Do you have any words about the election?" And I'm like, "Not really" — I'm sort of stunned. And I hit upon something that was making me feel better, and I guess it was, I think, hopefully applicable to other folks: Be kind to everybody, make art, and fight the power. That seemed like a good formula for me, anyway. So B, M, F, and if you have trouble remembering that, a good mnemonic device to tell yourself is, They can't break me because I'm a Bad Mother Fucker. Thank you. 

"Out West in the Rockies" lands at UW

At my day job, scores of press releases arrive daily. Occasionally, I read one and say "Wow!" It happened in March when I saw that artist Ai Weiwei's monumental sculptures were leaving China for display at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. In Laramie, Dancers of the Joffrey Ballet will be the artists in residence in July at the Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival. Wow! Short story master Tobias Wolff will be the featured presenter at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference later this month. Wow!

But I was doubly impressed last week when I saw the following news release from Rick Ewig, associate director of the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. This highlights a good year for equality in Wyoming. The LGBT community is finding its footing in The Equality State. Or rather the state is taking a turn for the better. Witness the big turnout last weekend at Cheyenne's "Pride in the Park." So many attended that the police arrived to tell us to move our cars as they were blocking traffic. We complied, of course, believing in blocking traffic only when absolutely necessary to get a point across.

But I digress.

Here's the news:

The American Heritage Center (AHC) at the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie, which houses several significant collections related to slain UW student Matthew Shepard, is currently developing “Out West in the Rockies,” a first-of-its kind regional lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history and culture archive of the American West.

The scope of of this collecting area welcomes collections from eight Rocky Mountain states: Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Retiring AHC Director Mark Greene helped inaugurate and Associate Director Rick Ewig will oversee this effort.  

Gregory Hinton, creator of Out West, an acclaimed national LGBT western museum program series, introduced the concept to the AHC and serves as project consultant.  Hinton announced Out West in the Rockies at the recent LGBQT Alliance luncheon of the 2015 American Alliance of Museums Annual meeting and Museum Expo in Atlanta. 

Growing interest in the rural LGBT experience underscores the need for a visible, dedicated, centrally located LGBT Western American archive. 

"The LBGT communities are under-documented in many established national archives and historical repositories, but particularly in collections dedicated to the history and culture of the American West,” says Greene, who is a Distinguished Fellow of the Society of American Archivists.  “An archive of this kind is long past due.  The AHC is proud to be committed to this effort.” 

The AHC ranks among the largest and busiest non-governmental repositories in the United States.  In 2010, the AHC was recognized as one of the nation’s premier archives when it received the Society of American Archivists’ Distinguished Service Award.  The AHC currently houses 75,000 cubic feet of materials, with 15,000 cubic feet remaining to welcome new collections.  Thus, with ample storage space, an experience, dedicated, and nationally recognized staff stands ready to accommodate substantial LGBT holdings. 

Rural Montana-born Gregory Hinton recently drove from Los Angeles through the Rockies in blizzard conditions to hand deliver his personal and professional papers to the AHC.  

"Too many LGBT men and women evacuate our rural western backgrounds seeking community, companionship, and safety in the bit city,” Hinton says.  “Happily, not everybody leaves.  And more and more of us return.  Thanks to the AHC, our stories are welcome in Wyoming.” 

A distinguished advisory board of respected western scholars, artists, and activists is being assembled, including W. James Burn, director, University of Arizona Museum of Art; Wyoming State Representative and UW faculty member Cathy Connolly; Rebecca Scofield, Ph.D. candidate, American Studies, Harvard University; and civil rights attorney Roberta Zenker, author of TransMontana. 

"Out West dispels the myth that LGBT history (and communities) are bi-coastal,” says Burns, recent chair of the LGBTQ Alliance of the American Alliance of Museums.  “Rural western LGBT populations are thriving and make significant contributions to the communities in which they live.” 

A call will soon be put out for significant regional collections of organizational records and personal papers consisting of a wide variety of materials, from emails and correspondence to speeches and manuscripts. 

“Everything from scrapbooks and photo albums to press clippings and marketing/promotional material; from digital and analog photos to diaries and blog entries; from professional contracts and grants to minutes and annual reports,” says Rick Ewig, also recent president of the Wyoming State Historical Society and editor of Annals of Wyoming. 

Seeking to immerse themselves in the vast landscape of the rural American West, scholars and historians from all over the world visit the AHC every year.  The AHC is UW’s repository of manuscript collections, rare books, and university archives.

Paul Krza remembers Rock Springs as an "island of Democrats"

Good to see Paul Krza return to the op-ed pages. I used to love reading his rabble-rousing columns when he lived and worked in Wyoming. A good progressive voice in a sea of conservatives. He grew up in Rock Springs, a one-time "island of Democrats" due to its population of unionized coal miners and railroaders. That island has shrunk as union membership dropped over the years in this so-called "Right to Work" state.

In Sunday's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Krza wrote about how his own Sweetwater County collectivist roots were vindicated by President Obama's inaugural speech in which he stressed that "working collectively is the new political normal -- solving our problems 'together'."

Krza wrote about how his Slovene ancestors worked together to form a fraternal lodge, the Slovenski Dom, where the Socialist Party met and where members could buy health and life insurance. The lodge library was stocked with socialist tracts. Teno Roncalio, the last Democrat to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House, campaigned there. Meanwhile, says Krza, the Rock Springs schools were "an ethnic mishmash that nurtured open-mindedness and my own willingness to ask questions."

As we gaze upon the strange proceedings of our State Legislature, in which even the Sweetwater County delegation is rife with Republicans, one has to wonder what happened to Wyoming Left-leaning traditions. Gone with the wind....

Paul Krza is syndicated by Writers on the Range. Read his latest column, "When frontier socialism thrived in Wyoming."

House reps need to hear from us today in support of Domestic Partners Rights and Responsibilities Act

The Domestic Partners Rights and Responsibilities Act (HB168) will have its first reading in the Wyoming House today. Jeran Artery at Out in Wyoming posted an action alert last night, urging supporters to e-mail their reps in support of equality in The Equality State. The fundies have apparently been very busy contacting their reps with the same hateful and exclusionary messages they spewed at the committee hearings on Monday. Don't let the haters win. Imagine the good vibes and national recognition Wyoming will receive by taking this giant step for equality. And what a signal we would send to the rest of the world about acceptance and diversity. This isn't an exclusive LGBT issue. It's also about family and friends and fairness. Get more info at Out in Wyoming. The list of Wyoming House members can be found here.

Big equality vote next week in The Equality State

Jeran Artery at Out in Wyoming writes about next week's votes for equality in The Equality State. Jeran names name and challenges us all to contact our reps on the Corporations Committee. These are good people who can be reached with persuasive, cogent arguments from constituents. However, they often represent rural conservative constituencies. This is when you see a clash between fundie anti-gay arguments and Wyoming's live-and-let-live traditions. You just never know... There will be a rally at 11 a.m. at the Capitol on Monday. Get more info here. Stay active. Use those e-mails and smartphones to make these people accountable:

We are ready to rock and roll with Marriage Equality (HB169) and Domestic Partnerships (HB168) here in Wyoming. These two bills have been assigned to the Corporations Committee in the House of Representatives.  They are going to be heard at noon on Monday, January 28th.
All of the committee member names below are linked to take you to their legislative website.  The website contains phone and email contact information. 
Here are my notes on what you can do to help:
Madam Chairwoman Rosie Berger,  Needs lobbied.  Needs emails from across the state and especially from LGBT residents and allies living in Sheridan County.  Could become friendly but is going to take some work.
Rep. Gregg Blikre  I spoke with Rep Blikre this morning and he doesn't know where he stands.  He said he wants to hear all the arguments and make a decision from there.  So please email him and ask him for support, especially if you live in Gillette or Campbell county.  Again, I think we can get his support but he needs to hear from all of us.
Rep. Dan Kirkbride  I spoke with Rep. Kirkbride this morning and he said he is a probably a no vote on both bills.  He doesn't think his constituents in Platte County are favorable. Personally I know Rep. Kirkbride and he is good man.  I expressed how important these are to me personally and he promised to keep an open mind a listen to our arguments.  He really needs to hear from LGBT members and allies in Platte County.
Rep. Jerry Paxton  I have not had a chance to visit with him yet.  I'm hearing that he is moderate and persuadable.  His district includes parts of Albany, Sweetwater, and Carbon Counties.  Emails and phone calls of support would be great.
Rep. Gerald Gay  A 100% no vote.  Don't waste your time on lobbying efforts.  This is the guy that publicly stated on the house floor that out of respect to his last name "we should call these people what they are, homosexual sodomites... not gay."
Rep. James (Jim) Byrd  100% yes vote.  Co-sponsor of both bills.
Rep. Matt Greene 100% yes vote.  Co-sponsor of Domestic Partnerships and supports marriage equality.
Rep. Ruth Ann Petroff 100% yes vote.  Also co-sponsor of both bills and an absolute delight to work with.
Rep. Dan Zwonitzer 100% yes vote. Co-sponsor of both bills and a tremendous ally.

Much more here.

Vote for balance and equality in The Equality State's Legislature

Linda Stowers from the Laramie County Democrats sends this info: Daily through November 5 we will be making calls to precincts to get out the vote on November 6. We need all of your help. The script is very easy and more of a courtesy call. We will be calling by precincts. The calls can be made from your home or the office and can be done within this time frame. Please help the Democrats in Laramie County get elected. E-mail me at lpstowers at bresnan dot net if you can help and I will arrange to get you a list and script. Your help will make a difference this year.

Wyoming DNC delegate Jeran Artery live from Charlotte on Channel 5

Cheyenne's Jeran Artery from Wyoming Equality is a delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention in Charlotte. He's being interviewed by Channel 5's Rylee DeGood during both the 5:30 and 10 p.m. telecasts. He has a lot to say, especially tonight as he contrasted the cultural diversity of the DNC crowd with the Fifty Shades of White crowd at the RNC. Hear Jeran's report at DNC: Day 1. You have to put up with a short clip of Paul Ryan at the end -- but you can always cut that part. 

"Captured Justice" textbook cover features "Incarceration" poster designed by Laramie artist Felicia Follum

Laramie artist Felicia Follum shared this news today on her blog:

My poster "Incarceration" was recently used as a textbook cover for a Native American History and Public Law textbook.  I was ecstatic when I received the hard copy in the mail. It looks great!!

The idea for this poster was largely inspired by growing up in Rapid City, South Dakota, and seeing the mistreatment of, and racism toward, Native Americans.  The poster was created as part of a series addressing the conditions on American Indian Reservations (specifically Pine Ridge and Rosebud) after many hours of research.  The photo is an unknown chief from a portrait photography book.

"Captured Justice: Native Nations and Public Law 280″ is by Duane Champagne and Carole Goldberg. You can purchase the book online at Carolina Academic Press or on Amazon.com.

Rodger McDaniel: "When they say 'it isn't about race,' you can bet it is"

We don't have to go to Central Florida to find racism in action. It can strike close to home -- and has! Great column by Rodger McDaniel. Posted on his blog and on the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle's op-ed pages. For the original, go to http://blowinginthewyomingwind.blogspot.com/2012/04/when-they-say-it-isnt-about-race-you.html?spref=fb

Felicia Follum's "Make it Plain" exhibit to be held in conjunction with the Shepard Symposium at UW

Artist and fellow progressive blogger Felicia Follum (see blogroll on right sidebar) will be featured in an exhibition "Make it Plain," March 19-April 2 in Gallery 234, room 004 in the lower level of the UW Union. A reception for the exhibit is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, from 6-8 p.m. Admission to both events is free and open to the public. It’s an African-American view of history and religion, as well as an exploration of the ways we persecute members of society today. This exhibit is being shown in conjunction with the Shepard Symposium for Social Justice , March 28-31.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events celebrate diversity & equality across The Equality State

From Dan Neal at the Equality State Policy Center:

State residents will celebrate Martin Luther King Day with in communities across Wyoming including in Riverton where Rez Action, a group working with the Equality State Policy Center, plans a march and speeches by three leaders of the Wind River tribes. 

“We invite all those who want to celebrate equality to march with us to honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” a news release from the organizers says. “We march in celebration of equality and Dr. King’s vision of ‘that all of us will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.’” 

Other events are planned in Laramie and Casper. 

Tribal members Micah Lott and Molly Holt are two of the Rez Action members staging Monday’s “Embrace Equality Celebrate Diversity” event in Riverton. Participants will rendezvous at 1 p.m. at City Park for the march to City Hall. State Rep. Patrick Goggles, the House minority leader who represents HD33, will speak as well as former state representative Scott Ratliff, now an special assistant on Native American issues to U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, Northern Arapaho tribal liaison Gary Collins, and Riverton activist Cody Green. 

For information, please contact Micah Lott at 307-851-1344 or micah.lott93@gmail.com. Rez Action members describe the group as an organization of “dedicated activists who fight social injustice, discrimination, and advocate for a healthy environment.” 

The Casper NAACP will host the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March and Rally starting at 11 a.m. at Casper’s City Park at Center and 7th streets. Marchers will walk to the United Methodist Church downtown. Eastern Shoshone Tribal elder Ivan Posey will speak. Members of the Wind River Unity Youth Council will participate as dancers with the Scout River Drum Group. Following a soup lunch at the church, the Unity group will conduct a workshop at 1 p.m. In Casper, contact Nurieh Glasgow at 234-3428 or Janet de Vries at 268-2446 for more information. 

A third march is planned on Jan. 16 in Laramie. Marchers will walk from the Albany County Courthouse to the University of Wyoming Student Union starting at 4 p.m. followed by a supper in the union ballroom. As part of its Martin Luther King Jr./Days of Dialogue, actor Hill Harper will speak at 1 pm. Jan 18 at the Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. A full schedule of events is available here. 

In Cheyenne, a march is planned at Noon from the old Union Pacific Railroad Depot up Capitol Avenue to the state Capitol. Gov. Matt Mead and Mayor Rick Kaysen will speak along with State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, and State Supt. of Public Instruction Cindy Hill. The march is being organized by the Love and Charity Club. Contact moderator Rita Watson at 307-632-2338 for more information.

Attention Occupy Cheyenne: Here's the plan for Monday's Martin Luther King, Jr., Day march

This is a copy of the status update I sent to my fellow occupiers on Occupy Cheyenne:

My wife Chris and I attended the local NAACP meeting Monday night at the Laramie County Public Library. Chris chairs the planning committee for Juneteenth, the annual summer celebration held in Cheyenne’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Park. Rev. McDowell gave up 15 minutes in the NAACP agenda so I could talk to the membership about Occupy Cheyenne.

I spoke about our street actions and protests. I talked about our General Assemblies and the work we did on the declaration. I read the first two paragraphs of the declaration. As I read, I thought that there was little in the declaration that Dr. King would disagree with.

I then told the group about our plans to participate in Monday’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Day (known in Wyoming as “Equality Day”) march from the Depot Plaza to the Capitol. I told them that our plans were to bring signs that were respectful to Dr. King but also carried a message from Occupy Cheyenne.

Several members spoke out against the sign idea. They felt it would distract from the commemoration. Rev. McDowell, president of the local NAACP chapter, suggested we talk to the actual organizers of the march, Love & Charity, about our plans. I plan to do that before the march.

My suggestion is that we forget about the signs and attend the march. How many of you have participated in the local MLK Day march? It’s well attended but the numbers could be better. Rev. McDowell and others spoke last night about the crucial nature of the 2012 elections. Equality is threatened on all fronts, but especially in Wyoming with its Tea Party Republican-dominated Legislature. Unnecessary cuts will be made to programs crucial to the 99% while legislators will busily be turning over the store to their benefactors in the energy industry.

The NAACP members support our goals. They were interested in hearing about our actions. They were very interested in participating in the action we plan for the first day of the Legislature, although I had few details.

On Occupy Cheyenne's Dec. 10 action, we were allied with union members in Wyoming AFL-CIO affiliates. As far as I can tell, we’re one of the few Occupy movements in WY and CO that have done this. Other alliances would be welcomed. Attend the MLK Day march, meet some of your fellow marchers, introduce yourself as a member of Occupy Cheyenne, attend the soup and crackers luncheon after the march at the Allen AME Chapel, attend the “Youth Salute” to Dr. King at 4 p.m., at the Second Baptist Church. And there’s also a full slate of events this weekend.

See you Monday at noon for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day/Equality Day march.

"Occupy Your Heart" the theme of this Sunday's service at UU Church of Cheyenne

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne has been very supportive of Occupy Cheyenne during its formative phase. We've held several GAs at the church, as well as sign-making sessions before public actions at the State Capitol and the Depot Plaza. UU Church members Leah Zegan and Forrest King and others have been very welcoming. I'm not a member but, during the past five years, I've been inside the walls of this church much more often than I have been in any other, including the two local Catholic churches (and one big downtown cathedral) that represent my faith tradition. 

I am drawn to the UU's commitment to social justice. This Sunday, Jan. 8, at 10:30 a.m., Rev. Dana Lightsey will conduct a service with the theme of "Occupy Your Heart." Here's a short description:

Time magazine's person of the year for 2011 is "the protester." Our world is being changed by mass protests all over the world. What are the common themes of these protests and what can we learn from them to make our world a better place for all?

Wyoming scholarships available for National Main Streets Conference in Baltimore

As we've discussed at length here, Wyoming's downtowns have launched some innovative projects. I think of downtown Cheyenne's LightsOn! project and the arts-based redevelopment launched by Casper. There is the renovated Rock Springs downtown theatre, the roundhouse project in Evanston, the "living upstairs in downtown" program in Sheridan, and so on. But much more needs to be done. You can't have a great city or town without a thriving downtown. The Wyoming Main Street Program is leading the way. It is offering scholarships to the national conference:

The Wyoming Main Street Program is offering travel scholarships to a conference that will help participants revitalize and build vibrant commercial districts in Wyoming’s downtowns. Several scholarships are available for the National Main Streets Conference in Baltimore, Md., April 1-4, 2012. The trip includes a Wyoming Main Street sponsored pre-trip to Maryland and Delaware, March 29-31, to learn how Main Street principles are being applied in other communities. 

The conference brings together people from communities of all sizes to network, discuss issues, and learn new ideas and solutions for growing and developing downtown revitalization programs. This year’s conference will focus on taking Main Street to the next level by continuing to grow support, economic strength, and the national movement. The scholarships cover airfare to and from an applicant’s nearest airport and Baltimore, conference registration fees, and lodging during the pre-trip and conference. 

Scholarship applications are due to Wyoming Main Street no later than Feb. 3, 2012. Application packets must include a completed application form. Scholarships will only be offered to individuals who are residents of a Wyoming municipality and associated with, or supported by, one of the following organizations: local government, downtown association or its equivalent, downtown merchants association, urban renewal authority, downtown development authority, chamber of commerce, historic preservation organization, or other community organizations intended to revitalize a historic downtown. 

Notification of scholarship awards will be made from the Wyoming Main Street staff on or around Feb. 15, 2012. Recipients are asked to give a report to their local city/town council as well as the Wyoming Main Street Advisory Board about the information learned on the trip and how it will help their community. 

For more information, contact Wyoming Main Street Specialist Scott Wisniewski at 307.777.2934 or scott.w@wyo.gov. 

The Wyoming Main Street Program is dedicated to providing Wyoming communities with opportunities to strengthen local pride and revitalize historic downtown districts by utilizing the Main Street Four Point Approach. This approach means Wyoming Main Street strives to help downtown business owners improve the appearance of downtowns, build cooperation between downtown groups, help downtowns market their unique qualities and strengthen the economic base of downtown.

Applications available here. For information, contact Kim Kittel at 307.287.2170 or kim.kittel@wyo.gov.

New Wyoming Public Media site features podcasts of home-grown and visiting performers

WPR's Grady Kirkpatrick (left) with
Teresa Jordan and Hal Cannon.

Wyoming Public Media's slick new web site features a number of excellent podcasts of interviews with Wyoming based performers -- and those with ties to Wyoming. Some of these interviews were conducted by Grady Kirkpatrick on WPR's "Morning Music." One of my favorites is one from Sept. with Hal Cannon and Teresa Jordan. Hal is founder of the Western Folklife Center in Elko, home of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Teresa is his wife and Laramie County, Wyoming, native, author of the fantastic award-winning memoir, "Riding the White Horse Home." I had the opportunity to see Hal and Teresa perform at a house concert during their September swing through the state. They know their traditional cowboy music -- and they have some great songs of their own! Other podcasts feature Miss "V" the Gypsy Cowbelle (Cora), Spencer Bohren (raised in Casper and now lives in New Orleans), Green River's Brian Ragsdale and bluegrass duo Anne and Pete Sibley of Jackson. Internationally-renowned dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones was interviewed during his fall residency at the University of Wyoming. Ira Glass, producer of NPR's "This American Life," was interviewed before his November appearance at UW. To listen, go to http://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/term/arts

Occupy Cheyenne Oct. 22 at Depot Plaza

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Cheyenne/188084631268023

Cheyenne artist Forrest King takes a little of this and a little of that for artwork celebrating peace and healing

Forrest King and daughter at table filled with donated items for International Day of Peace artwork

Local artist and community activist Forrest King has his work cut out for him.

During the next ten days, Forrest will craft a work of art from a firefiighter's gear, an empty wine bottle, a string of Islamic prayer beads, shards of a shattered stained glass window and a broken bone.

The items were donated to the cause at today's 9/11 commemoration at the Wyoming State Capitol. It was the first in a series of 11 days of peace that will culminate in the International Day of Peace ceremony Sept. 21 at the Capitol Rotunda.

The ceremony started with a performance by Hands in Harmony and a community chorale made up of the LCCC chorus and members of local church choirs. Speakers came from local Christian churches, Mt. Sinai Synagogue, the Southeast Wyoming Islamic Center and the UU Church. The most touching aspect of the day featured mosque members translating the original Hebrew text and Synagogue members translating work recited in the original language by mosque members. It was all scripted but really illustrated the "healing" theme of the event.

People representing at least a dozen local congregations donated items for Forrest's commemorative work of art.

From the V.A. Medical Center -- a broken bone representing wounded warriors of our many wars.
From Mt. Sinai Synagogue -- Jason Bloomberg, who spent 20 years as an emergency responder, brought an EMT's jump kit found at Ground Zero and a firefighter's helmet.
Community of Christ -- a peace candle
St. Paul's Lutheran -- pieces of a stained glass window.
SE Wyoming Islamic Center -- a broken string of prayer beads

Community choir assembled on the WY State Capitol for 9/11 commemoration

We were piped out of the ceremony by a lone piper performing "Amazing Grace."

We eagerly await Forrest's finished artwork. Its theme is the journey from brokenness to hope.

Shalom