This year I was able to take my students the Wyoming State High School Art Symposium, this is the first time in five years I was able to take my kids.  In the past I was the Congressional Art Award Chairman for the state and had to ask my dear co-workers to my students.  

The Wyoming State Art Symposium, in its 42 year, is the largest of its kind in the United States and takes place at the Casper Events Center.  It’s a three day event for High School students; we take the ninth graders who are in third year art classes up for the day.

The Symposium features 4,000 pieces of student art by 1,500 high school art students from 48 high schools. Every high school in the state sends students and artwork.  No other state dreams of doing what we do.  It’s more like an athletic event, the students can’t put up their artwork until a designated time, and then it’s all out chaos.  Space is first-come, first served. The students are told to find a bright space as close to eye level as possible — but every other art teacher tells their students to do the same.  Just imagine a bunch of teenager, starting the Boston marathon, but in this scenario they are scrambling around the event center clutching artwork.   Then two and half days later it all comes down, in almost the same manner, as a teacher you hope you’re bring everything home with you. 

Students will get to participate in organized art competitions, workshops and demonstrations throughout the weekend.   Also, seniors interview with colleges and compete for scholarships, go to workshops about how to present their portfolios.  There is also a huge banquet for all the students, and a dance.  The kids get many opportunities to meet other students from around the state, and have a great time. 

For the five years I ran the Congressional Art Award for Wyoming, so I was at Symposium for the entire time.  I worked with the Representatives office and the Symposium committee.  I asked three art professionals to be jurors, to pick 25 pieces of two-dimensional artwork, out of the 4000 submitted, and then the Wyoming Representative, with the jurors picked one artwork to go to Washington D.C. to represent the best of Wyoming’s art students. 

Although I missed doing it this year, I was glad not to be away from my son, Vander. 

I am really glad that I am once again amongst the living.  I have just went through five horrible days with stomach flu.  Just before I got sick I loaded a kiln with a glaze load and didn’t open the kiln to see how things turned out.  I have never done that before, I’m usually so excited to see how my pots came out I’m checking the temperature every half an hour so I can open it.  When I finally came out of my fog, I went down to check out my kiln and it was 58 degrees, four days after it went off.   I’m going to try to take pictures tonight, and post them tomorrow.

The reason I’m posting this, is my dear friends Kristy and Justin’s little girl Nora has Rett Syndrome. They are trying to raise money for a cure.  Please donate to http://www.firstgiving.com/du2cteamnora, so one day Nora and all the other little girls can lead a normal life.  

“There are just a handful of disorders that only affect females. Breast cancer is the most prevalent. Rett Syndrome is just as devastating, and affects a potential one in 5,000 girls. Condemned to an entire lifetime of struggles, these girls have been robbed of their ability to speak, walk, crawl, use their hands. They depend on others for every part of their day. Complications include seizures, sudden death in their sleep and scoliosis. Today, there is no cure. But Rett Syndrome is CURABLE! Amidst the mass confusion going on within their central nervous systems, they are smart, strong, and waiting patiently for us to unlock the door to their recovery.” (I copied this from the Dress 2 cure website.)

Rett Syndrome has never allowed Nora to talk or walk, and has taken a lot of purposeful hand use away from her, but she fights it every day.  And she’s still a sweet, little girl even through the struggles she faces each day.

http://www.firstgiving.com/du2cteamnora

Thank You in advance for helping!!!

My very good friend Daren Clary designed this logo for me to stamp on my very Ugly boxes.  I’ve decided to try to reduce my carbon foot by reusing what I can.  I am recycling all my boxes when I ship my pottery.  I really struggled with reusing my boxes, when a customer purchases one of my pots, I want to look professional, and make a good impression when it arrives at it’s new home.  Yes, a brand new box looks prettier, but seconds after the moment of excitement, you probably break it down and throw it away.  

With the help of my husband Todd, and with Daren’s great logo.  I feel much better about sending an Ugly box to my customers.  So now I say, “This box may be ugly, but you know that it’s been reused and to me reducing our carbon foot print is more beautiful than even the nicest packaging!!!

This post is to say thanks to my friend Kris Musto.  She has been  sending the most wonderful packages lately.  It’s so fun getting gifts in the mail!!  Kris made me the beautiful octopus shirt with a bleach pen.  Then I got delicious mo-chi, but already ate that.  It didn’t make the picture. 

Last box came yesterday and it had three of the 500 Series books, 500 Tiles, 500 Animals in Clay, and 500 Cups.  What a treat this week.   

Craft Emergency Relief Fund

SOFA Chicago

Support CERF and craft artist by purchasing a raffle ticket!  One lucky ticket holder will  win the entire collection!