Wyoming Arts Council

Artists in The Hole confront bad economy


How are Wyoming’s artists reacting to challenges of a strange economy?

By thinking creatively, of course.

Henry Sweets reports in Planet Jackson Hole that local artists are forming collaboratives and making better use of existing local arts resources.

An as-of-yet unnamed think-tank artist collective has already met a couple of times at Lyndsay McCandless to gather and synthesize ideas about progressing creativity in Jackson despite tough economic times. “Everyone is sort of banding together,” McCandless said. “It’s an outcome of everyone feeling the crunch economically and coming together and saying ‘Look, we’re not going to let our creative spirits and creative juices die.’ ”

The first event birthed by the group will be “Art Aloud,” a collaboration between Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary and KHOL. Spearheaded by local DJ and artist Brian “Cutter” James, McCandless and a cadre of other local freethinkers, “Art Aloud” will explore the connection between musical and visual creativity. Artists will make art, DJs will spin music, ideas will change hands and people will have fun, McCandless said.

Meanwhile, over at the Art Association, studio manager Clint Green has opened up the doors to its Borshell drawing studio. The space is free for any artist to use anytime during regular hours, from now until March 15. Three of the prints the artists’ create during that studio time must be donated to the Art Association.

A $6,000 Takach press, ink, and etching or wood-cutting tools are available to those who know how to use the press. Beginners need to contact Green to find out about free instruction. E-mail Green at Clint@artassociation.org for more information.

Green also had hoped to bring a nationally renowned printmaker to Jackson for a winter residency — but funding dried up. So Green asked Travis Walker and his Teton Artlab to step in and take over the project, which will be called “Recession Proof.”

You can read the entire article at http://www.planetjh.com/music_arts_culture/Article.aspx?ArticleID=104712


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