Governor's Arts Awards Gala - KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports

Governor's Arts Awards Gala

Tickets are still available for the 2012 Governor's Arts Awards Gala at the Little American Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne, February 8.

Tickets for the event are $55 per person and can be obtained by calling the Wyoming Arts Council at 307-777-7742. This year's recipients are Advocacy for Visual Arts (AVA) Center in Gillette, musician Jalan Crossland of Ten Sleep and visual artist and educator Lynn Munns of Casper.  

Governor Matt Mead has announced the recipients of the 2012 Wyoming Governor's Arts Awards.

Advocacy for Visual Arts (AVA) Center in Gillette, musician Jalan Crossland of Ten Sleep and visual artist and educator Lynn Munns of Casper will be honored at the annual Awards Gala Feb. 8, 2013, at Little America in Cheyenne.

AVA Center opened in 1998, and now offers a slate of classes conducted by professional and volunteer instructors including pottery, mosaics, pine needle weaving, painting, drawing, felting and tile glazing.  AVA recently began the "Uncorked" series as an evening for friends, dating couples, and co-workers to get together to create a piece of art while partaking in fellowship and a favorite wine.  "Little Tykes" and "Van Gogh Kiddies" are just two of the many classes AVA offers for children. 

Singer/songwriter Jalan Crossland writes music inspired by his Wyoming roots. His prowess on the banjo and guitar and ability to create humorously honest lyrics makes him popular with audiences from Nashville, Key West and New Orleans, to towns across Wyoming.  He performs every August at the NoWoodstock Festival in his home town.   He has appeared on television and radio shows, and has been profiled in The New York Times, No Depression and Fingerstyle Guitar.  His latest solo CD is Portrait of a Fish.

Casper potter and arts educator Lynn Munns began teaching at Casper College in 1971. During his tenure, he expanded the ceramics program to include an array of course offerings, new equipment and increased studio space.  Munns served as the chairman of the Visual Arts Department from 1973-1980, then as chairman of the Fine Arts Division until his retirement in 2006. He also directed the Goodstein Visual Arts Gallery, and in 1989, he received two outstanding educator awards.  Munns has served as a board member for state and national arts organizations, including the Wyoming Arts Council.

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 20 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.