The cowboy culture has always thrived in the west, but now Casper, Wyoming is taking steps to attract a wider scope of arts and artists to its beautiful town. According to a press release by the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Nicolaysen Art Museum is sponsoring a new event in June. To add to the perfect weather and breathtaking scenery, this Festival will feature a mix of arts and entertainment. The launch of the “Windows of Wyoming” art project will also coincide with the event.
Casper, Wyoming ~ Nicolaysen Art Museum:
Take part in a brand new event at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, the first annual NIC Summer Art Festival. This event is similar to the Art Show and Sale in November, but it will be moved to the grounds surrounding the NIC. Various artists and many entertaining events will be held under large outdoor tents provided by Kistler Tent and Awning. The Festival will be June 16th and 17th from 9am to 6pm. A wide range of art pieces, from over 50 regional artists will be available for sale. Hand woven baskets, jewelry, furniture, pottery, paintings and so much more will be offered.. Several local vendors will serve food during the show. Inside the NIC, the artwork of the late Chris LeDoux will be on exhibit. This great singer and songwriter was an illustrator and sculptor. The pieces in this show are from the Larsen Family Collection of Art and speak of what it means to work and live on the rodeo circuit. LeDoux once said of his rodeo experience, “My heroes had always been cowboys. So I thought this (rodeo) would be great to try. So I tried it and won a buckle and that was it. I was bitten by the bug.” These pieces reflect LeDoux’s love and fascination with rodeo. To kick off the Festival the NIC will host a fashion show on Wednesday the 14th in conjunction with the College National Finals Rodeo which is being held in the City, June 11-17. More information on the Art Show is available at http://www.thenic.org/or call Holly Turner at 307-235-5247.
UNITY ART PROJECT UNDERWAY – On June 16, 2006, the Nicolaysen Art Museum will unveil a unique art creation as part of its June 15-17 art festival. The Windows of Wyoming art project, dubbed W.O.W. has recruited 44 artists and 26 community groups to create works of art for windows of the Townsend Building at lst and Center Streets. This abandoned building was an excellent choice for this project as it is centrally located in Casper and has some historic significance for the city. The art work will be on panels that are approximately 5′ by 4′. The windows of this hotel, darkened for over 25 years, will be brought back to life with color and beautiful images, creating a work of art on a grand scale. For more information on this project contact Holly Turner at the Nicolaysen Art Museum at 307-235-5247.
