Have you heard of USA Artists? Or Pipeline to Miami?
I hadn’t, until I stumbled upon Pipeline’s home page. Pipeline is a Wyoming arts philanthropy project, the first of its kind in our Big Square State, and a sub-project of USA Artists. Pipeline’s goal is to send three Wyoming artists—David Klarén, Sue Sommers and JB Bond—to Florida’s Red Dot Art Fair. Red Dot, a Miami Art Week venue, takes place early December. Rather than paraphrase Pipeline’s mission, I’ll provide an excerpt:
“The Pipeline Art Project started with a handful of Wyoming contemporary visual artists realizing they all wanted the same thing: to live in the place they love, and to have viable art careers. But art opportunities are usually found in higher-population areas. We knew that to market our work outside the state, we needed to pool our ideas and resources. So we created the Pipeline Art Project: “Pumping Art from the Energy State of Wyoming.” Wyoming is better known for exporting coal, oil and gas than for its dedicated and talented contemporary artists. It’s the perfect place to make art, but a very tough place to build an art career. Pipeline wants to change that. We are trying to create a conduit to an international audience and better opportunities for ourselves and others.”
Providing techniques that move artists’ work to larger U.S. art market venues takes Wyoming arts support to new levels. It gets us thinking beyond sharing our great talents with each other. Intramural art missions will always be essential, but most Wyoming artists don’t have the means to get to art show venues outside the state. I hope Pipeline’s model earns its wings. Pipeline’s web page gets updated; at this writing the project has raised $3,750 of its $8,000 goal. Forty days left to help out! http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/project/pipeline_to_miami
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Jackson artists Jennifer Hoffman and Kathryn Mapes Turner entered an elite juried art show—the 12th Annual American Impressionist Society Exhibition in Carmel, California— and came back with big ribbons. Turner’s winning, “Best of Show” oil painting Siena
depicts a Italian church courtyard in Tuscany. Hoffman’s pastel, Allegory, won Plein Air Magazine’s “Award of Excellence.” Both artists are represented locally by Trio Fine Art.
Hoffman’s award includes ad placement in Plein Air Magazine. “I loved meeting so many incredible artists whose work I really admire,” says Hoffman. “I also was able to participate in the AIS paint-out the following day on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, surrounded by beautiful scenery, talented AIS artists from all over the country, and enthusiastic tourists who seemed to really enjoy the event. All in all, the whole trip was energizing, inspiring, and really, really special.”
“I felt honored just to be accepted into such an important exhibition” says Turner. “Once I saw the high level of talent displayed, I was humbled and thrilled to receive their highest honor.” Turner says she was intrigued by the scale of human figures as set against massive marble church walls. Monochromatic colors lent a sense of harmony, and the setting was a great chance to explore composition and reflecting light.
“It’s an honor just to get into the American Impressionist Society show, one of the best juried shows I’ve taken part in,” adds Hoffman.
Scott L. Christensen was this year’s exhibition judge; he bestowed both awards. “Knowledge is a catalyst to completing a painting,” says Christensen. “But it must have a force behind it, a certain ‘seeing’ that is distinctly your own and developed through time.” www.americanimpressionsitsociety.org
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Ralph Mossman and Mary Mullaney—known collectively as Heron Glass—are happy to say they’re back in the creative, glass-blowing mode. The shop has announced two holiday bazaars: Saturday, December 3, 2011 visit Heron Glass at the Art Association’s 2011 Christmas Bazaar. Saturday, December 10, visit Heron Glass at their Driggs, Idaho studio from 10 am – 5pm. Address: 240 Nth 5th Street, Driggs. 208-354-2759 www.heronglass.com
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Etcetera—-Mountain Trails Gallery has renamed itself. The gallery will now be known as Mountain Trails Gallery Jackson Hole…..Cayuse Western Americana has a great new website!……David Brookover has a great new website!
Tammy Christel 
