Wyoming Breezes

stained glass window  Ivinson Mansion Laramie, WY                           •  there is light                           •  there is hope                           •  there is help May is Mental Health Awareness month Here is some helpful information from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing about mental health and substance use in America: 1 in 5 adults (52.9 million adults) in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2020. 40.3 million people aged 12 or over had a substance use disorder in 2020. 32.1% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2020. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34. 1 in 3 young adults (aged 18-25) in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2020. 1 in 6 adolescents (aged 12-17)...

"Monday" by Elizabeth B. Warren  University of Wyoming Art Museum Laramie, WY February 2022 It seems fitting to post "Monday" on a Monday.  Several weeks ago, I visited the UW Art Museum, and this watercolor painting caught my eye. I love everything about it -- the colors, the scene in particular.  I have many memories of wash day when I was young, but sadly no photographs. Most of the clothes on our clothesline were denim jeans, work shirts, sheets, towels, a few dresses and some underwear. Occasionally, coveralls, were also hung to dry.

Xi’an Mickey Inflatable by Lizabeth Eva Rossof on display University of Wyoming Art Museum February 2022 Pop Warriors have been on display at the University of Wyoming Art Museum since August, and I finally saw them on Friday afternoon. The warriors are constructed from nylon by a company that makes bouncy castles, and are inflated by electric fans. Most of the warriors are over twelve feet tall.  Also on display were Bart (Simpson), Batman, Shrek, and Spiderman.  A brochure at the exhibit said the original Pop Warriors were made in Xi’an of the same clay and earth as other replica souvenirs of the Xi’an warriors.  It was an interesting exhibit, but if I hadn’t read the brochure that explained her concept and the development of the warriors, I doubt I would have spent much time viewing them. 

close-up "Butterfly" by Marie Watt Denver Art Museum November 2019 "Butterfly" by Marie Watt was an interesting piece of textile art. I was amazed at the sheer number of jingles that it had attached. zooming out to include part of the textile section of "Butterfly" by Marie Watt "Butterfly" was constructed of reclaimed wool blankets, satin binding, thread, cotton twill tape, and thousands of tin jingles. It was created in 2015. "Butterfly" by Marie Watt Isn't this an interesting and unique piece. I can't imagine making all those jingles. Traditionally, jingles are made from chewing tobacco lids and adorn Native American jingle dresses. If you want more information on jingles and jingle dresses:           Jingle Dress Dancing          Jingle Dress - Wikipedia         Jingles & Lids (for those who don't want to chew the tobacco)

"Wisdom" created by Enrique Gomez de Molina UW Art Museum Laramie, WY November 2019 A couple of weeks ago, I went to the University of Wyoming Art Museum to see the (re)Evolution art exhibit. I'll admit the pieces were a bit odd, but also intriguing. This piece, created by Enrique Gomez de Molina, was made with bits and pieces from other animals. The whiskers are porcupine quills, the iridescent body was made with beetle wings. close-up of the beetle wings used on the body of Wisdom Yes, each one of those scales is an individual beetle wing - kind of creepy, but also quite pretty.

On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Monet exhibit (THE TRUTH OF NATURE) at the Denver Art Museum. The Laramie senior center (Eppson Center for Seniors) organized a bus trip to the exhibit, and I'm thrilled that I was able to secure a seat. It was often difficult to get close to the masterpieces because so many people were in the exhibit hall, but I did manage to take photos of my favorites. I'll be sharing them periodically. Forgive me for not giving the names of these fabulous works of art, but I felt fortunate to just photograph the paintings before the crowd surged around. Monet is well known for his use of color, so I was surprised that one section of the exhibit included winter scenes. The detail was amazing down to the brush strokes of the frosty trees. I particularly loved the paintings that included water and clouds and could have viewed the details for hours.

Ladies Lunch (1994) Ken Carlson oil on masonite on display National Wildlife Art Museum Jackson, WY a gift from Mr. & Mr.s John Geraghty I couldn't help but smile at this photo I took of a painting on display in the National Wildlife Art Museum near Jackson, WY in 2012.  This time of year as the tender shoots of new growth appear along the river banks, it's possible to see various wildlife grazing.  The placard by the painting stated, "The title of this piece encourages an anthropomorphic reading, a group of ladies having lunch, but the picture itself resembles a natural scene, a group of cow moose chomping Alaskan vegetation, separated from the males. Though paintings of male animals vastly outnumber paintings of females, contemporary wildlife artists have begun to close the gap by depicting scenes like this." The photo was taken when I joined Nancy, Trish, and Jane in 2012 on a road trip to Jackson. Older posts of that trip can be seen ...

Four Seasons in front of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas, MO July 2015 Last summer, Marilyn, Brenda, and I visited The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art . The featured outdoor sculptures were the Four Seasons , created by Philip Haas, displayed in front of the museum building.  I didn't care for the "summer" sculpture, so I didn't take a photo of it. The sculptures were 15 feet tall, and three-dimensional. Spring Fall Winter The artist had quite an imagination: I love the whiskers on Winter.

click to enlarge Recently, I went to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center with some friends. I had been to the museum before, but I really wanted to see the featured quilt show, entitled The Fabric of Memory . The photo above gives an explanation about the show and those involved. Below is a sampling of the small, art quilts in the exhibit. Daily Chores Linda MacDonald Powell, WY The tag for Daily Chores stated, "My inspiration for this piece is the human spirit and how we can make the best of any situation. As detainees adjusted to their new life at Heart Mountain, they continued their daily chores, including wash day and gardening. They built raised containers for vegetable on the hillside and raised crops on the flats. These farming techniques were so successful that their crops supplied other relocation camps with fresh food, as well.  The clothes drying in the breeze are made from actual Japanese kimono scraps."  Peaceful Internees Carol...

"Stormy" 1999 by Nancy Glazier Oil painting on Belgian Linen The National Wildlife Art Museum in Jackson is filled with dynamic paintings, among which were two, realistic, bison paintings that appear to be photographs. "Chief" 1997 by Robert Bateman Acrylic on Canvas Staring down an open corridor between galleries, "Chief" (a life-size painting) commands the viewer to stop and study the detail. A plaque on the side states that Bateman spent many hours studying bison in the field. Bateman is quoted, "I was after a dynamic shift, when the life-hand side of the picture is the place where the subject originates. It's like an oncoming locomotive. The tension increases as you move from left to right. This particular guy is at Elk Island Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada." You can take a virtual tour of the museum here .