“I asked the earth. I asked the sea and the deeps, among the living animals, the things that creep. I asked the winds that blow. I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars, and to all things that stand at the doors of my flesh…My question was the gaze I turned to them. Their answer was their beauty.” ~ St. Augustine
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Public Art is thriving here in Jackson Hole. Installations spring up all over town. But what about non-public arts initiatives? To an extent all art is public; people can go see it or hear it. True public art is free for us to enjoy—by definition a public service. But other art projects and exhibitions, theatrical plays, music experiences, children’s art projects and even arts curriculum rely in part — sometimes fully—on turnstile dollars and funding. Art access is not always free, and arts groups need money to make projects happen: to create costumes, rent space, purchase materials, advertise, provide refreshments, update websites, create curriculum, pay talent, staff and travel costs….the list goes on.
The Jackson Hole Cultural Council’s “Arts for All” program has received limited funding dollars from the Town and County. How the amount is arrived at is unclear. I assume the amount would be part of a budget request from the Town and County, available in pubic records. Given the number of non-profit arts groups and individuals requesting grants, it stands to reason that amounts the Cultural Council receives from a limited fund would leave arts organizations a bit hog-tied.
Anyone requesting grant money from any source must be aware grants are evaluated in multiple ways. Usually there are clear rules about submission processes. Hence, all requests should be submitted only when they are as polished and thorough as possible. We do have an astounding number of arts organizations for a town our size. The message of how much the Town of Jackson’s arts scene means to its profile is clearer each year.
The Cultural Council of Jackson Hole plans to go before Town and County officials on Tuesday, May 14, at 9:40 am, to defend this year’s “Arts for All” funding application. Whatever amount the Council is requesting (I don’t have that number) your voice (here is mine!) matters. Attend the meeting that day and help the Council get their message across. The meeting takes place at County Commissioner Chambers on Simpson Street. For information contact Alissa Davies at [email protected]
“A celebration of boredom.”
If I’d not read those words describing the heart of artist Charles Gill’s work, soon to be on display at the Tayloe Piggott gallery, and thought about celebrating boredom, I’d form a mental picture of somebody sprawled on a sofa, channel surfing, eating a bag of potato chips, perfectly content.
Not that I know what that’s like!
But Boise, Idaho abstract artist Gill has used those very words to describe his work. Acknowledging the mundane is truthful, isn’t it? The Tayloe Piggott Gallery hosts Gill in his first solo show at that gallery, focusing on the artist’s “Chip Series.” The show itself is titled “Palette Scraps,” and it opens with a reception Friday, May 17th, 5-8:00 pm. “Palette Scraps” remains up through July 6th.
“The stuff of life, in all its banality, becomes source material for [Gill’s] sophisticated, nuanced compositions,” says the gallery. “Whether approaching the interiors of suburban homes or his color palettes on index cards (chips!), Charles remakes the mundane as progressive and profound. Spanning as many genres as styles, his work has drawn comparisons to a wide roster of esteemed artists from Robert Motherwell, Gerhard Richter and Jasper Johns to his college roommate, Robert Bechtle.” www.tayloepiggottgallery.com
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“Voces Latinas de Wyoming,” a film about young Latino girls bridging two cultures, coping with separated families, and defining what it means for them to be teenagers in this country, premiers at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 18th, 5:30-8:00 pm.
The film is directed and edited by Bonnie Kreps and Leigh Reagan and features Latina girls involved with the College Bound Latinas project, housed in the Latino Resource Center. Three years ago Lety Liera and Isabel Zumel began mentoring Latina girls, helping them move towards their goal of gaining college degrees. A party featuring Mexican cuisine begins at 5:30 pm; the film begins at 6:30 and a Q&A follows. FREE. For information, contact Emy diGrappa at [email protected] or phone 307-699-2680. http://www.latinorc.org/english/index.php
Tammy Christel 
