Wyoming Arts Council

RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN FOR GOVERNOR’S ARTS AWARDS

Featured News | December 28, 2017

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The Wyoming Arts Council is now accepting reservations for the 2017 Governor’s Arts Awards dinner and awards ceremony at Little American Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne, Feb. 9.

Reservations for the event are $65 per person and can be obtained by visiting governorsartsawards17.eventbrite.com or calling the Wyoming Arts Council at 307-777-7742.

The premier sponsor of this year’s event is Anadarko, with additional sponsorship opportunities available as Governor’s Circle sponsors. Please contact Lori Hogan at 307-777-5196 or lori.hogan2@wyo.gov for sponsorship questions.

This year’s recipients are ART 321/Casper Artists Guild in Casper, Bodylines Dance Theatre director Leslie O’Hashi of Cheyenne, professor of music/choral instructor/conductor Dr. Patrick Patton of Casper, and individual artist/community arts builder/retired director of the UW Art Museum Susan Moldenhauer of Laramie.

The Casper Artists’ Guild (CAG) was founded with five members in 1924 and is one of the oldest arts organizations in Wyoming. Since moving to the former Pacific Fruit Warehouse in downtown Casper and rechristening itself ART 321 in 2015, the group has become a centerpiece of Casper’s cultural scene. Workshops, exhibitions, and informal weekly arts groups all utilize the space, making ART 321 a haven for artists of all disciplines and abilities.

Leslie O’Hashi and Bodylines Dance Theatre (BDT), which she has directed since 2004, may be based in Cheyenne, but her programs resonate throughout Wyoming and beyond. She has danced as a performing member for Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theater, and The International Ballet of San Diego. As a part of BDT, O’Hashi created the Ruby’s Adaptive Dance & Movement program for children with physical and developmental disabilities and delays.

Dr. Patrick Patton retired as professor of music and director of choral activities at Casper College in May of 2013. He is past chair of the Department of Music; conductor of the Casper College Collegiate Chorale, Women’s and Men’s Choirs, and the Contemporary Singers vocal jazz ensemble. He has also directed numerous other choral and orchestral groups throughout Wyoming. Dr. Patton has made over 400 appearances on four continents as guest conductor, adjudicator, and workshop clinician.

Susan Moldenhauer is more than one thing to the arts. She is a practicing artist, an arts community activist, and an arts administrator. She came to the University of Wyoming Art Museum in 1991 as a curator and served as director and chief curator from 2000 through 2017 when she retired. She has founded and served on the leadership of numerous community arts organizations. She has also sustained a studio practice in photography throughout her career.

The Governor’s Arts Awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a life-long patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 25 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.

For more information, contact Brittany Perez at the Wyoming Arts Council, 307-777-7742.

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