WLM | art
than a decade, the Wyoming Arts
Council has been providing grants
to skilled individuals dedicated to
passing on their skills to others,”
explained Annie Hatch, Arts Council
folk arts specialist. “Some are family
members; others are just talented
individuals who show promise of
carrying on the traditions.”
FolkMasters and crafts men and
women who will be demonstrating
are Leane Linnell (Riverton),
horsehair hitching; Darrell & Koleton
Lonebear (Fort Washakie), rawhide
drum making; Von Ringler (Powell),
leatherwork; Wild West Rug Hookers
(Cody) rug hooking; Worland
Wyoming Woodturners, (Worland),
woodturning; David Osmundsen,
Arrowhead Forge (Buffalo),
blacksmithing; and Pete Weisbeck
(Thermopolis), boat making.
Wyoming musicians and dancers
performing in the Hot Springs
State Park Pavilion include David
Romtvedt & The Fireants (Buffalo),
dance music of the Americas; Miss
V, “Gypsy Cowbelle” (Kirby),
traditional & original country, banjo
& guitar; Mike Hurwitz & The
Aimless Drifters, (Alta), country-
blues and cowboy; Hot Springs
Dance (Thermopolis & Worland),
dance performance; Buffalo Pan
Steel Drums (Buffalo); and The
Songbirds (Thermopolis), spiritual
and gospel music.
Art activities include Smoking Waters
Art Guild, leading “make it and
take it” activities; Red Dirt Master
Gardeners getting down and dirty; a
singalong with Miss V and handmade
instruments and learning to rope a
steer head with John Herrin.
Food will be available throughout
both days. The Kiwanis Club will
serve their always popular burgers
and brats lunch on Saturday and a
Food Court will feature a variety of
eats on both Saturday and Sunday.
A Kiwanis Fine Art and Folk Art
show and sale will have items made
of paper, clay, metal, fi bers, wood,
leather and animal byproducts.
Other vendor art will be paintings,
photography, jewelry and sculpture.
The Kiwanis Trading Post will
include other arts and crafts for sale.
The festival is held the same
weekend as the Gift of the Waters
Pageant Days. The Pageant tells
how the hot springs were given to
the state by the Native Americans on
the Wind River Reservation. It will
be performed starting around 6 pm
in the area around the Big Spring,
Saturday and Sunday evening.
Check www.hsglf.org for
more details or contact
[email protected]
for specifi c inquiries. W L M
Thanks to those who helped compile this feature…
Jeb Schenck, photos
Ellen Sue Blakey, Thermopolis is a textile artist, rug braider, author, musician & occasional
storyteller. You can hear and see her story about rug braiding and Depression-era women
on youtube (see “Braiding Rugs – by Sue Blakey” on StoryCenter’s channel).
Ray Shaffer, Thermopolis is an area historian and serves on the Hot Springs Pioneer
Association.
Suzanne Samelson, Thermopolis is the chairman of Mainstreet Thermopolis
www.wyolifestyle.com
31