Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives to Meet in June

The Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation facilitates several outdoor recreation collaboratives convened throughout the state by Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails.

These initiatives bring together local community members, recreation stakeholders, businesses, conservation groups, federal and state agencies, and elected officials to identify and prioritize opportunities for the growth and enhancement of outdoor recreation.

Dates, times, locations, and call-in information are as follows:

·  Northeast Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (NEWORC - Campbell, Crook, and Weston counties) - June 7 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location Campbell County Public Library, 2101 S 4-J Rd, Gillette, WY 82718. Join virtually at meet.google.com/eie-zaqq-iqg or dial:(US) +1 601-844-2655 (PIN: 737888429)

·  Natrona County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (NCORC) - June 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location Platte River Trails At The Tate Pumphouse, 1775 W 1st St, Casper, WY 82604. Join virtually at meet.google.com/gib-tcsf-fev or dial: ‪(US) +1 423-712-0318 (PIN: 104152056)

·  Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (BBORC - Hot Springs, Washakie, and Bighorn counties) - June 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location Hot Springs County Library, 344 Arapahoe St, Thermopolis, WY 82443. Join virtually at meet.google.com/kvz-tbbt-azxor dial (US) +1 218-321-0723 (PIN: 176404218)

·  Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (PCORC) - June 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location Gestalt Studios @ The Polar Plant Cafe Art, Coffee, Food and Friends, 440 W Park St, Powell, WY 82435. Join virtually at meet.google.com/zfu-xgpr-qyg or dial (US) +1 347-384-7390 (PIN: 760718683)

Members of the public are welcome to attend collaborative meetings in-person or virtually. There will be a designated time for public comment near the end of each meeting.

Meetings for Wind River Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (WRORC), Sweetwater County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (SCORC) and Great Divide Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (GDORC) will be held the following month; details will be announced at a later date.

Established by recommendation of the 2017 Governor’s Outdoor Recreation Task Force, the Office of Outdoor Recreation aims to diversify Wyoming’s economy by expanding, enhancing, and promoting responsible recreational opportunities through collaboration, outreach, and coordination with stakeholders, landowners, private industry, and public officials. 

Learn more about the Office and future community collaboratives by following us on social media or visiting www.wyorec.com.

The second annual Dino Day is back at the Wyoming State Museum on June 4.

Part of the museum’s monthly Family Day program, Dino Day will be a high-energy, outdoor and indoor opportunity for local families to satisfy their child’s obsession with dinosaurs. 

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, the State Museum and its grounds will be transformed into a dino-themed wonderland. Kids can meet real paleontologists and learn why they study the prehistoric past.

A “Field of Dinos” with poles reaching toward the sky will show just how big (and small) some of the most famous dinosaurs were. Kids can also crawl through a “Tunnel Through Time,” imagining they are living in the time of dinosaurs. 

Partners from the University of Wyoming Geological Museum will bring real fossils that families can help prepare, and the University of Wyoming Conservatory will be showing off the beautiful plant life that would have surrounded dinosaurs millions of years ago. 

Like all Wyoming State Museum Family Days, this event is for all ages and will feature crafts, games, and activities that bring attendees closer to the museum’s collections. Registration is free. Families can find the registration link at wyomuseum.wyo.gov/familydays or they can register by phone at 307-630-2573.

Family Days are generously sponsored by SCHEELS in Johnstown, CO. Thanks to their support, these events are always free and open to everyone! Each month features crafts, games and activities, story time, as well as visiting partners from the Rocky Mountain region. 

 The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave. in Cheyenne. 

Please call 307-630-2573 for more information. Family Day fans can follow the museum’s Facebook and Instagram accounts to stay in the know about upcoming events: @wyomingstatemuseum.

For the seventh year, Wyoming State Parks is partnering with state and federal partners in celebration of a program instituted in 2016 during the National Park Service’s 100th year anniversary. As part of this effort, Wyo Parks will sponsor and promote “Every Kid in a Park”.

The “Every Kid in a Park” program provides every 4th grader nationwide the opportunity to obtain a pass that grants the student and their family free admission to more than 2,000 federally managed lands including national parks, monuments, forests, wildlife refuges and more.

Fourth graders, as well as parents and educators, can get passes by visiting the program’s website at: www.everykidoutdoors.gov

As a complement to the federal program, Wyo Parks will honor the “Every Kid in a Park” passes through August 31. Passes are good for free entrance/day use at any Wyoming state parks, historic sites, or recreation areas. 

For more information, contact Wyo Parks Headquarters at 307-777-6323.

UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TEAM PRESENTS MODELING THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE 1889 WYOMING CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

The representatives from National Endowment for the Humanities Quill project at the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University will be presenting on, “Modeling the Negotiations Of The 1889 Wyoming Constitutional Convention," on Thursday, May 19, at 4 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum classroom, located at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

This free public event is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Utah Valley University, and the Wyoming State Archives.

The Quill Project, developed at Oxford's Pembroke College, digitizes records of constitutional conventions into the Project's proprietary software platform. It focuses on what constitutional drafters said and wrote, as well as their political agendas, policy issues, and the arguments that accompanied them. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, students at Utah Valley University have modeled three western state constitutional conventions: Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. With the Quill work on Wyoming having been completed, the research team of Scott Paul, Joseph Andersen-Stanley, Cashlyn English, Ethan Bassett, and Daniel Little will discuss how the Quill Project works, the history of the Wyoming convention and how certain passages of the Wyoming constitution came to be. Time will be reserved for a questions and answers session.

Scott Paul is the Director of the Center for Constitutional Studies. He started working at the Center for Constitutional Studies in the summer of 2018, but he has been involved with the Center since its inception more than a decade ago. Previously, Scott directed operations and strategy for UVU’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations. He came to UVU from Brigham Young University where he received a Juris Doctorate. His legal studies centered on domestic and global religious liberty issues. He oversees the partnership with the Quill Project at Pembroke College, Oxford University. Scott is also responsible for CCS fundraising and is the Project Director of the Center's NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grant to study western state constitutions.

Joseph Andersen-Stanley graduated from Utah Valley University in Spring 2022. He got his Bachelor of Science in Political Science with an emphasis in American Government, with minors in Constitutional Studies and Philosophy. He is one of the team leads over the National Endowment for the Humanities project at the Center for Constitutional Studies, and has been working on the Quill Project since Spring 2019. He plans to attend graduate school and receive a PhD in Political Science. Joseph is also an award-winning musician and enjoys writing music in his free time.

Cashlyn English is a senior at Utah Valley University. She will graduate in Spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, with minors in Political Science and Constitutional Studies. She is the other team lead over the National Endowment for the Humanities project at the Center for Constitutional Studies, and has been working on the Quill project since Spring 2021. Alongside her work and studies she is a collegiate athlete on the Utah Valley University Rodeo Team where she competes in Breakaway Roping, Team Roping and Barrel Racing.

Ethan Bassett graduated from Utah Valley University in Fall 2021 majoring in political science with an emphasis in public law and political philosophy and a minor in constitutional studies. He is the Quill Project Lead at Utah Valley University's Center for Constitutional Studies where he is studying the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention.  Bassett works in Utah state politics where he manages a state senatorial campaign and volunteers in political party leadership where he is a campaign strategist and parliamentarian.

Daniel Little graduated summa cum laude from Utah Valley University in December of 2021. He majored in political science with an emphasis in public law and political philosophy and minored in constitutional studies. Daniel worked on the Quill Project under the NEH grant which funded research into Wyoming and Idaho from Spring 2020 to Fall 2021. He is involved in state politics as a campaign manager for two Utah state representatives and is looking forward to beginning law school in the fall of 2023.

Those unable to attend this event in-person may also participate in the live stream on the Archive’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WyomingStateArchives). A recording will be available on the WSA YouTube channel the week following the talk.

The Wyoming State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long-term administrative, legal, and historical value. These records document the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming Government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to the understanding of the state’s history.

For further information, contact Sara Davis, State Archivist, at 307-777-8691 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Wyoming State Archives is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you require special assistance, please contact the Wyoming State Archives at 307-777-7826.

State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission to Meet

Wyoming Arts Council to hold quarterly board meeting and public reception May 23-24, 2022 in Thayne

Please join Governor Gordon, the Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) Board, and the Star Valley Arts Council for a public reception on Monday, May 23 from 4-5:30 p.m. The reception will be at the Afton Civic Center (150 Washington St, Afton, WY 83110). Come meet the WAC board and staff for conversation about arts and culture in Wyoming. There will be live entertainment and refreshments will be served.

The Wyoming Arts Council board will hold its next quarterly meeting May 23-24 at Thayne City Hall. Beginning at 9:30 a.m. on May 23, the board will convene to hear reports, plan for upcoming events, get updates on current Arts Council initiatives and review grant panel recommendations for the FY23 Community Support Grant. An executive session may be called if necessary. 

The board invites individuals and organizational representatives to attend any part of the meeting to observe the board process. The board will be available to hear public comments on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and this will be the only time when the public can comment on the grant review process. Users may join the meeting by calling in using this number: ‪(US) +1 470-485-9974‬ PIN: ‪107 055 598‬# or join us in person.  All participants will be put in silent mode except during public comment. The meeting continues from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. on May 24.

The mission of the Wyoming Arts Council is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Wyoming by providing resources to sustain, promote and cultivate the arts.

For a detailed agenda and more information, please contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742.

Piatigorsky Foundation Announces Second Wyoming Spring Tour

The Wyoming Arts Council (WAC), in partnership with The Piatigorsky Foundation is hosting another tour of Wyoming this spring. The tour features tenor Kelly Burns and pianist Nicholas Shaneyfelt. The duo will travel throughout Wyoming May 16-20, hosting free public concerts and school outreach programs. 

The Piatigorsky Foundation works to bring the joy of live classical music to communities throughout the country. The Wyoming tour is made possible by the generous support of the Muriel & Seymour Thickman Family Charitable Trust in Sheridan. The WAC works in partnership with the Piatigorsky Foundation to book the tours each year.

The schedule for the tour is as follows:

• Monday, May 16, Young at Heart Senior Center, Rock Springs (senior center show only), 11:30 a.m.; Western Wyoming Community College Theater, Rock Springs, 7 p.m. (free and open to the public)

• Tuesday, May 17, Rendezvous Elementary, Riverton (school show only); Sublette County Library Lovatt Room, Pinedale, 7 p.m. (free and open to the public)

• Thursday, May 19, Shoshoni Senior Center, Shoshoni, 4 p.m. (free and open to the public)

• Friday, May 20, Big Piney High School and Middle School, Big PIney (school show only)
  .

Tenor Kelly W. Burns is an active performer of opera, musical theater, recital and concert works throughout North America in vocal repertoire spanning over 400 years. He has sung with opera companies and orchestras such as the Chautauqua Opera, Opera Roanoke, Memphis Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Little Orchestra Society of New York, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Chamber Opera, Opera Project Columbus, and the Oxford Shakespeare Festival. Among his stage credits are roles from Mozart's ”Don Giovanni,” ”Così fan tutte,” and ”The Magic Flute,” Donizetti's ”The Elixir of Love,” Sondheim's ”Sweeney Todd” and ”A Little Night Music,” and Rodgers & Hammerstein's ”Carousel.” From the concert repertoire, Kelly has performed tenor solos in Handel's ”Messiah,” Bach's “Magnificat,” Mozart's ”Requiem,” Beethoven's ”Symphony No. 9,” and Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” Kelly’s recital repertoire includes songs and chamber works in numerous languages from all over the world, and his interest in new music led to World and American Premiers of works by several living composers. Kelly makes his home in Fargo, North Dakota where he is a member of the faculty of the North Dakota State University Challey School of Music. He teaches voice and diction and is also director of NDSU Opera. Kelly is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).

Pianist Nicholas Shaneyfelt is Assistant Professor of Music in Collaborative Piano at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  He completed his doctoral studies in the Collaborative Piano studio of Martin Katz at the University of Michigan.  Prior to Michigan, he served as Staff Accompanist for the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with regular involvements at the Northampton Community Music Center.  In the 2016-17 academic year, he accompanied Luther College’s Nordic Choir, including rehearsals of Bach's B minor Mass, and has accompanied the Chamber Choir and Chorale at UMass under the direction of Tony Thornton, the UMass Conducting Institute, the South Hadley Chorale, and regional honor choirs and choral societies in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine. Dr. Shaneyfelt is co-director of the International Music Festival of the Adriatic, a summer festival for instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers in Duino, Italy.  He has also music directed at Belvoir Terrace in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.  Originally from Knightstown, Indiana, Dr. Shaneyfelt received Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Music degree from UMass with a dual focus in Solo and Collaborative Piano.  At UMass, he was the recipient of the 2011 Eugenie May Piano Award.  While at Notre Dame, he was the winner of the university’s concerto competition.  His piano trio, “The Nora Trio,” was the first Notre Dame chamber ensemble to be selected as a finalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.  

For more information, contact Amara Fehring with the WAC at 307-630-3918 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Caption: Tenor Kelly Burns (left) and pianist Nicholas Shaneyfelt (right)

Quebec01 Historic Site to Begin Summer Schedule

The Quebec01 State Historic Site will begin its summer schedule on May 17th until further notice. The site will run seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first tour down to the capsule will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. daily; with the last tour of the capsule starting at 4:30 p.m. daily. Reservations are not required, but can be made if desired by calling the site directly at: 307-422-3425.

For questions, comments, or concerns, contact Site Superintendent Alexis Pratt at 307-777-7878.