Wyoming Arts Council

Wyoming Arts Council’s short film to be screened at Wyoming International Film Festival

Featured News, Program News | June 28, 2024

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The Wyoming Arts Council is excited to announce the upcoming screening of a short film, “A Responsibility to Pass It Along: Traditional Arts in Wyoming” at the Wyoming International Film Festival (WIFF) in Cheyenne. The film will be screened on WIFF’s opening night, Tuesday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium at Laramie County Community College.

“A Responsibility to Pass It Along” is a short film featuring six pairs of recent Folk Art Mentoring Grant recipients. The Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk Art Mentoring Grant supports masters of folk and traditional art forms to spend time over the course of a year passing their specialized and traditional knowledge on to somebody else from their community. The film was produced by the Wyoming Arts Council with Laramie-based filmmaker, Mike Vanata. It previously was adapted to be shared over the span of two episodes of Wyoming PBS’s ongoing series, Wyoming Chronicles, which aired in September 2023. The film was produced with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, as part of the Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk Arts Program, which aims to identify, document, conserve, and honor folk and traditional arts throughout Wyoming.

Two of the featured artists in the film, Gloria Runs Close to Lodge-Goggles and Jenn Runs Close to Lodge, will be present at the film screening for an artist Q&A following the film. Gloria taught the art of Traditional Tradecloth Dressmaking to Jenn. They regularly make dresses to be worn by community members, including high school graduates at their commencement ceremonies.

“We are excited about sharing the incredible artistic traditions of Wyoming artists with the public,” says Josh Chrysler, Wyoming Arts Council Folklorist. “The film highlights individuals who are recognized by their communities as being stewards of those artistic traditions, and are now devoting time to ensure that those traditions are carried on, through the act of mentoring others in their community in that knowledge. We’re excited to have Gloria and Jenn join us at the screening of the film to discuss their experiences maintaining their cultural traditions.”

Visit the Wyoming International Film Festival’s website at www.wyoiff.com for more information about the film festival and to find details about festival tickets.

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For additional information about the Wyoming Arts Council, please contact Josh Chrysler at joshua.chrysler@wyo.gov, or 307-256-2010.

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