Works Of Wyoming Art Gallery

About the Instructor for our Next Art Class

2012-03-05T15:46:00.002-07:00

This drawing was created by the Amalie Baker using the
technique she will be teaching on March 10.

Our next art class will be held on March 10 from 1 - 3pm. To learn more about the class give WOW a call at 307.742.6574. It is a Portrait Class. $10 registration.

Bio

Amalie Baker is a Wyoming artist who focuses on the portrait. She has a beautiful style that has developed through a process of breaking down shapes and color within the subject. Her paintings are inspired by her many travels as a mural painter.
Amalie’s murals and paintings are internationally and nationally known. Her murals can be found in Trinidad, Tobago, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, South Africa, West Africa, Dominican Republic, and Haiti as well as various locations in the United States including Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Scotts Bluff, and Wisconsin.

Teaching Experience

While Amalie was the executive director, founder and job site manager for Aniimae, a non-profit organization devoted to giving people a voice though the painting of murals, she had many opportunities to teach those around her everything from the basics to the intricacies of mural painting. She has also taught at Eastern Wyoming College and taken on students through private art lessons.

Education

Powell Northwest Wyoming
Associates in Graphic Design
Bethel University
B.F.A. in Fine Art (emphasis Painting and Graphic Design)
B.F.A. in Art History
Minor in Theology

"Creating a Portrait" Fun Art Class!!

2012-03-01T15:34:00.001-07:00

One of Amalie's paintings
in the style we will be learning.

On March 10 from 1-3 pm we will be hosting another life drawing class. This class is in conjunction with our Figure Show. 10$ Registration

About the Class

The objective of this class will be to teach a unique technique for creating a portrait. There are many schools of thought on how to draw or paint. This technique involves building the initial drawing based on building up shape upon shape of light. It requires you to trust your eye with intense observation of light and shadow. Then you add your medium of choice to the initial drawing.

Materials for the Workshop

Please bring the drawing materials you are the most comfortable working with. Ink, watercolor, paints, colored pencils or pen are some possibilities.
Also bring 2 – 3 images to work from. The photo should possess high contrast.

Experience Level

All experience levels welcome.

Works of Wyoming is located on the second floor of the Laramie Plains Civic Center. To get here park on 7th and Garfield and go up the stairs. You can call us at 307.742.6574. To learn more about Amalie, keep a lookout on this blog and on Facebook.

Possible Topics for Your Blog

2012-02-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

There are infinite possibilities and topics to blog about for artists. I picked he first 13 that came to my mind. This list is in no way exhaustive. Click on the links for example posts.

1. Why you create art or why you created a specific work
2. What/who inspires you or artists you love or know and how their work relates to yours
3. Events relevant to your artwork
4. How your art relates to Art history
5. Projects or techniques you would like to try
6. What is currently on your easel, sketches, or a work you just completed

Fiber art by Denise Patton

7. What you do when you have a creative block or lack of motivation (then refer to this post when you have a lack of motivation or creative block)
8. List of favorite blog posts (your blog or blogs you read), supplies, art making tips, tutorials, art pieces, photos, your process
9. A little about you or your home and possibly studio or work space.
10. Create a walkthrough of one body of work or exhibition
11. A blog (or series of posts) could be dedicated to a project, residency or internship or an artist event
12. Your goals
13. Photographs you took over the weekend or on vacation that you want to use in a piece of artwork, for a body of work, or image that inspire you just because

What are some of your favorite blog topics? How can you adapt one of these ideas to fit your blog, artwork or business?

Wyoming Artists on Facebook

2012-02-25T15:05:00.003-07:00

This flag is the image that pops up when your business page receives a new like. It makes those of us who take our social media marketing serious very happy when we see this orange flag. Here are some WOW members who you can make happy by liking their pages!!!

WOW Members with Facebook pages
Bethel Anthony - Bethels Beads
Berry O'Riley - Another Art page
Denise Patton - Wyoming Artists Page
Felicia Follum - Felicia Follum Art + Design
Heather Storey - Facebook Artist page

If you would like help creating a Facebook page or advice on using social media for your artwork feel free to chat with us here at WOW. You can call 397.742.6574 or email WOW@uwyo.edu for more information.

There are more WYO artist below

Select Wyoming Artist who have taken an interest in WOW via Facebook and I would like to thank them for their involvement
Robert Martinez
Suzanne Morlock
Jill Hartley
Sonja Caywood

Go Naked! Go Clothed! Go Figure!

2012-02-22T15:45:00.001-07:00

Our second annual Figure show is coming soon.
We would love for you to RSVP if you are on Facebook.

Just like last year there will be a figure workshop. Stay tuned for more information.

WOW is located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic center.

Annual Works of Wyoming Figure Show Opens this Saturday,February 25th

2012-02-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Barry O'Riley-Artist
High Plains Drifter

2012 Go Naked! Go Clothed! Go Figure! Annual Show

Works of Wyoming annual figure show opens this Saturday with a reception from 4-6pm. It’s a juried show with 12 regional and local Laramie artists. There are Cash prizes for Best of Show and Peoples’ Choice, and a WOW! Membership. Come to the Reception and vote for your choice!

WOW its cold

2012-02-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

Artwork by Suzanne Morlock

WOW it is cold here in Laramie. Did you know that WOW art gallery and gift shop is located in one of the coldest cities in the US. According to the list of America's Coldest Cities on The Daily Beast we are ranked number 7.

Here is what how Laramie, Wyoming scored

Average winter temperature 2009: 19.3 degrees
Coldest day: -27.4 degrees, January 7
Warmest day: 61 degrees, March 30
Days with snow: 33%

Stay warm with some beautiful Wyoming artwork and this recipe for hot chocolate from Better Homes and Gardens (found on one of our member's blogs). Be sure to come join us to see some great artwork, have a conversation, and maybe even drink some hot coco or tea (just ask and we will make some hot water) as well. We are located on the second floor of the Laramie Plains Civic Center, suite 271.

Artist Open Studio at WOW

2012-02-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Open Studios with our Artist in Residence, Denise Patton, will be held every Tuesday night from 4-7pm here at WOW. The Open Studios will offer an opportunity for you to work on your own art with several other local artists. Call 307.742.6574 (WOW) or 307.460.3946 (Denise) for more information.

Photograph your work!

2012-02-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

We still have space left!!!

Barnacles in photographed in WA state by a WOW artist

Photographing your work is a skill that is highly valuable to nearly ever aspect of your art business. Here are some DOs and DON’Ts.

WOW is proud to present an opportunity for you to learn how to take professional quality photographs on a budget. Keeping your budget in mind, we are offering this class at an affordable rate. $20 before your member discount!

Topics covered:
Lighting for Jewelry
Lighting for Small Sculpture
Setups to Maximize Texture
Digital File Management
Existing Light Setups
Post Production Corrections

The Artwork Photography Workshop will be help Saturday, February 25^th from 1 – 3 pm at Works of Wyoming. WOW is located on the second floor of the Laramie Plains Civic Center, Suite 271. Email or call WOW at 307.742.6574

Tracy Wilcox: “Flower Triptic.”

2012-02-13T11:39:00.001-07:00

The UW Libraries Purchase Award went to Tracy Wilcox for her “Flower Triptic.” These lovely flowers were collaged from tissue paper with details from upcycled magazines. They will be on display here at WOW until February 16 and then will be transported and installed in the University of Wyoming Library. Congratulations Tracy!

For more informaiton about the Salon des Refuses, Student Art League, or Works of Wyoming contanct one of the following. WOW can be reached via email or by calling 307.742.6574. Felicia Follum is the current SAL president and WOW intern and can be reached on her Facebook page or through WOW.

Welcome Home by Anne Luben

2012-02-11T11:25:00.001-07:00

Anne Luben’s “Welcome Home” was selected because of its intricate detail and delicate beauty for the Student Art Leage’s cash award. This piece was created using print making, X-acto paper cutting, and sewing techniques.

Anne also has two works up in the Student Juried Show. Visit the UW Art Museums page on Facebook.com for more informaiton.

Come visit this fascinating gallery exhibit. It will be up trough February 17. Works of Wyoming is located on the second floor of the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271. Feel free to call 307.742.6574 or email us for more information regarding the Salon des Refuses or other events.

Prize Buck

2012-02-09T22:59:00.001-07:00

Prize Buck won the WOW membership award at the Salon des Refuses: The Morning After. Congratulations to Gary Schmitt!

Here is what Gary has to say about his work and how growing up in the west has influenced his work.

"Prize Buck is one of many pieces I have created in response to growing up in the old west. With this piece in particular I wanted to recreate the deer mount in a way that people don’t see everyday. Prize Buck is meant to resemble the ideals of western culture while at the same time poking a little fun at it. One thing is for sure, this prize buck looks good mounted over any fireplace."

We and those who have come in to visit us certainly agree that Prize Buck would be the perfect addition to any fireplace.

Croquis Update

2012-02-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Felicia Follum, Untitled Sketch
WOW's Figure Show

Student Art League's Croquis (life drawing) sessions are held Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm in the Visual Arts building room 250. The sessions are $5 for community members, $2 for UW students and $1 for Student Art League members.

If you would like more information, please contact Felicia Follum, SAL President, via Facebook or email WOW@uwyo.edu.

WOW Life Drawing Session

Go Naked, Go Clothed, Go Figure!

2012-02-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

Artwork by Amalie Baker,
a Wyoming Artist

Works of Wyoming is excited to introduce another figure show and we would love to have your work be a part of it. Last year we had a ton of great work featured.

This show will be juried by Doug Russell a University life drawing professor, Anne Brande from Ludwig Photography, and Denise Patton WOW's Artist in Residence.

Art in all media celebrating the human form will be selected...

We are also searching for some graphic design promotional materials.

^{Read more about the past figure show and other life drawing events on our blog.}

Salon des Refuses Opening

2012-02-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Morning After

Student Art League’s 17th annual Salon des Refuses was a huge hit. There were three prizes awarded. Anne Luben’s “Welcome Home” received the SAL cash award, Tracy Wilcox’s “Flower Triptic” was given a Purchase Award by the UW library and Gary Schmitt was awarded a one year WOW membership for “Prize Buck.”
Keep a look out for more information about these three award winning works of art.

There are many more strong pieces for sale in the Salon. Come support local artists and students through viewing and even purchasing a piece. See the entire album on the Facebook page.

The Works of Wyoming art gallery is located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center. Suite 271.

What is the Purpose of Your Blog?

2012-01-29T11:53:00.012-07:00

Artwork by Sonja Caywood

Questions reguarding the purpose of your blog to consider before you start your blog.

1. Do you want your blog to be a part of your website?
2. Do you want your blog to replace your website
3. What are some keywords you would like to use in the text of your blog?
4. What bloging platform do you want to use? Blogger? Wordpress? or something else?
5. How often do you want to post?
6. Who is your target audience?

You do not need to have all of the answers fully worked out before you begin to blog. Just start thinking about these questions.

If you would like blog, social media or other marketing advice be sure to contact WOW via email, Facebook, or come on in. We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Laramie, Wyoming. Suite 271.

The Morning After: Salon des Refuse

2012-01-18T12:57:00.009-07:00

It is time for the 17th Annual Salon Des Refuse hosted by Student Art League. The Salon des Refuse will consist of fabulous artwork created by University of Wyoming art students. It will be located in the Works of Wyoming art gallery in the Laramie Plains Civic Center, Suite 271. The reception will take place the morning of Saturday, January 28 from 10am – noon.

“The Morning After” is the opening event and title for the Salon this year. The annual Salon de Refuse is an event started by the Student Art League and consists of artwork that was not selected for the Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition. The Salon de Refuse was one of the first alternative art exhibitions set up by famous artists such as Manet, Cezanne, and Picasso. These artists were not yet famous in the 1800s and their works were not allowed into the traditional galleries. We invite you to come look for your own Cezanne among this fabulous work.

The Salon will be open from January 28 – February 17. Student Art League will present a $100 cash award to one artist and Works of Wyoming has donated a membership for a second artist award.

Better Blogs

2012-01-17T10:08:00.002-07:00

Blogs can serve a variety of purposes for artists and art businesses. They can be used to lead people to a website, portfolio, gallery or ETSY shop. They can also replace a website or a photo gallery and of course blogs are excellent for networking. There are more uses for a blog to the general business world.

Western Landscape Painting by Jill Hartley

Blog SEO
Blogs are great for being found on a search engine such as google. There are ways to increase the likely hood that your blog will be found. A major aspect of increasing traffic is referred to as Search Engine Optimization or SEO. Some simple SEO tips include post often, use text and specific words relevant to your work, and use images. Search engines like new content and posting often allows more opportunities for Google to find you. Search engines see the text that you use. If you are a landscape artist in Wyoming you can use word such as western, landscape, paintings and Wyoming several times in a post. You do want to switch these words up from post to post. Using photos allows you to be found in image searches, but also encourages people to read your blog.

Link Link Link
Placing links to your website and portfolio is wise. Links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other social media sites you have can also benefit your art business. This will show people that you want them to go to your website, portfolio or ETSY shop. If they like your blog, they may want to see more work.

Getting your Work Seen
It is important to get traffic to your site or store and you should place calls to action along with links to any sites or images that you want people to find; however, if people do not visit your other pages (especially right away) it is not a huge problem. The ultimate goal of you blog should be exposure to your work. It is fine if people stay on your blog and read about your work rather than go to your other sites. Many businesses rely on people finding their websites, however, I would argue that the first step for an artist is getting people to see your work and a blog should do that. If people are interested they will view your other pages.

Patience
It is unlikely that you will have instant results. You will need to be patient. Post consistently and as often as possible. Short quality posts will pay off.

WOW is located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center. Visit us for more information about blogging.

As you may have noticed Social Media Marketing Tuesday/Thursday is coming to an end. There will still be posts on this topic, but they will be spread out to meet the suggestions of our readers. Thanks for your input!

Reasons to Start Blogging

2012-01-15T11:25:00.014-07:00

Beadwork by Bethel's Beadwork

There are many reasons to start a blog. I picked some of the best specific to artists. Here are some more posts focusing on marketing your artwork through a blog.

1. Expose your work to the public
2. Practice Writing about your work
3. Share photos
4. Engage with artists and possibly clients
5. It can be a lot of fun

What are your reasons for starting a blog? What are some concerns you have?

If you would like more advice on blogging, social media or marketing your art in general, contact wow via email, Facebook or stop in. We are located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Laramie, Wyoming.

Best Social Media Sites for my Personal Blog/Website from 2011

2012-01-12T18:22:00.002-07:00

Image from Felicia Follum's blog

Since I am an artist beginning my professional career, it is relevant to share what social media sites created the most traffic to my art blog and website as well as which sites created the most interest in my work.

Facebook definitely took to lead in social media that led to my artwork being brought up in real life conversations as well as people inquiring about purchasing work. I made a couple deals using Facebook in the past couple months.

Spike upon increase in Piterest
use. There aresome other high
points as well but I can not
attribute them to anything specific.

Pinterest is another high scoring player in this game. This bookmarking site is fairly new but has proven to be an amazing resource leading people to my blog. It was the one of the top recruiters for the months of October, November and December (I didn’t even use it in October). This buzz was generated virally. Pinterest is a bit more difficult to track your work on, but it is great when you can. I have began investing more time in this site. Pinterst is also perfect for artists. I can talk more about why in another post. With my increase of pinterest use on Jan 4 and 5 directed back to my website, you can see that the views have spiked as well.

Networking with other blogs has been a significant benefit as well. On the flip side I have learned a lot about how to do this properly. Again, this is probably best for another post.

Digg did well considering I have only been on the site twice in the past year.

Twitter is difficult to measure. I have read that it is difficult to track links from Twitter and they tend to be skewed. However, I am not too terribly concerned with this since I recently began investing more time in the site.

LinkedIn is the site that I use the most but also generated the fewest leads. LinkedIn is great for those of you who desire to pursue photography or graphic design jobs rather than exposing people to your artwork.

Google=154, Facebook=77, Pinterest=72, other blogs=69, Digg=13

In addition to these social media sites, people also found me through Google.com, and other blogs.

How did you find your favorite blog or artist website? What is it? What social networking sites have you embraced?

17th Annual Salon des Refuse

2012-01-11T09:58:00.002-07:00

The 17^th annual Salon des Refuse will be hosted by the Student Art League of the University of Wyoming at the Works of Wyoming Art Gallery. The opening and awards ceremony will take place on the morning of January 28, the Saturday after the 37^th annual Student Juried Show reception.

There will be cash awards for select artists as well as hot chocolate and pastries served from 10am-noon. The Salon will be up from the 28th of January until February 17 (10am-6pm). WOW is located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center.

The second annual 2012 Railway Art Show and Sale is back!

2012-01-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Railway Art Show and Sale is an art exhibition “designed to develop a collection of artwork that represents the history of railways and how they helped build our nation into the society it is today.” The jurors for the exhibition are Mike Pannell, Mike Beeman, and Gordon Horton.

Important Dates
March 12 – Last day digital images and entry form will be received in the Museum office.
Week of March 19 – Decisions will be mailed by Cheyenne Depot Museum.
April 13 – Lat day for delivery of accepted work. Deliver work to121 W. 15th Street #300, Cheyenne, WY 82001 between the hours of 9am – 4pm.
May 18 – Awards reception at 7 pm.
May 19 to July 29 – Exhibition at the Cheyenne Depot Museum.

Awards
1st place - $1,500
2nd place - $1,000
3rd place - $750

For more information and prospectus visit www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org.

Walking Between Different Worlds

2012-01-04T17:34:00.001-07:00

Native artist Robert Martinez will be the featured artist at the Cavalryman Supper Club

Laramie, WY – “Having grown up on the Wind River Reservation as a part of many different cultures; Northern Arapaho, Chicano, and Anglo; their differences and similarities have shaped the ideas and the subject matter of my paintings”, says Wyoming artist Robert Martinez.

In the continuing tradition of highlighting a Wyoming artist each month, The Cavalryman Supper Club or as it’s also known The Cav at Fort Sanders, is combining the love of great food with great artwork.

Dianna Strannigan, Marketing Director of The Cav states that showing artwork in our venue definitely gives each artist an increase in public exposure. “When I first saw Roberts work, I fell in love with his
attention to detail and the vivid palette he uses. The perfect compliment to seeing artwork of this quality is to see it while sampling great food, Dianna Strannigan said.

Combining a blend of classical painting techniques and contemporary media, Martinez uses the airbrush to begin his work then moves to more traditional oil brush work. This creates a mixed media piece that combines the old and new in many ways on different levels. “Because of my past I’m continually walking in between worlds, using the new and old, being classical yet contemporary, blending one and then another” said Martinez.

There will be a reception for Robert Martinez at the Cavalryman Supper Club, 4425 South 3rd St. Laramie, WY on Thursday, January 5, 2012 between 5 and 7 PM. A select compliment of wines will beoffered for sampling in addition to appetizers and exotic cheeses from around the world.

To make a supper reservation please call (307) 745-5551.

Help! Social Media Marketing

2012-01-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Big Face - Wheatpaste by Austen Williams a Wyoming artist

If developing a marketing strategy is on your New Years resolution list, and Social Media Marketing help is what you need, you have come to the right place...

Many people are unfamiliar with the current trends in social media and how social media can be used for marketing. Social media is something that can be used very effectively for marketing, selling, and promoting your artwork. There are certainly some tricks to use your time more efficiently as well as some detrimental mistakes that can be avoided while using social media to promote your business.

One of Works of Wyoming’s new services being offered is helping artists with their social media marketing. These services can include but are not limited to help setting up Facebook, Squidoo pages, a basic website, YouTube, ETSY, Twitter, a blog and more. These sites and several others have proven to be extremely viable options for artists wanting to make and sell their work. They are also wonderful at getting your work into the community. In addition we will be offering Search Engine Optimization (SEO) help for ETSY, Facebook and your blog or website. If you have a specific interest please let us know and we will see what we can do. If you are unsure, we can set up a campaign that fits your goals, available time and experience level.

We have discussed the creation of workshops, however, as a member you can currently take advantage of this service for free. We can discuss your specific needs for your social media section of your marketing strategy. Please let us know if you are interested in social media help. If you would like to set up an appointment, please contact me (Felicia Follum) at WOW via Facebook. See my personal Social Media Campaign here.

WOW's Contact Info

Be sure to follow our blog for weekly Social Media Marketing Tips and “like” our Facebook page for some Facebook marketing tips as well, sales and events in the gallery and gift shop, and other basic updates.

WOW blog

Facebook Business Page

You can reach WOW at 605.742.6574 or vial email.

My Social Media Portfolio

Facebook Artist Page

Art + Design Blog

Webly.com Website - I am using my current website like a Flavors.me website.

In addition to Cargo Collective (my portfolio), Weebly, and Flavors.me, I am familiar with several more website editors (some specifically for artist) for a variety of price ranges and experience levels. Feel free to set up an appointment for you social media marketing help today.

Visit Austen's blog to see more of his artwork.

This Year's Best Posts

2011-12-31T11:28:00.024-07:00

Works of Wyoming is prod of their blog this past year. Here are 11 of your favorite posts (based on your views comments and impressions) from the past year.

All about scarves
Affordable Art for the Holidays
DIY Beauy Tips
Plarn
Facebook Lists
Rated M for Mature Artists
Student Art League at WOW
Online Sales Venues
Facebook Efficiency
Why Have a Facebook Page?
4th Day of Christmas (Put a Bird on It)

Holiday Countdown: Upcycled New Year

2011-12-25T10:01:00.003-07:00

Storage box covered in magazine.
You could use wrapping paper
to create a festive version
of this project.

We all have our New Years resolutions and if yours relates to waste less, avoiding consumerism as much as possble, crafting with the kids, or creating some fun home decorations, here are some great projects for you. Now that the holiday season is coming to an end and we have a ton of leftover wrapping paper and cards it is time to use them a second time. Here are some of the best ways I found to upcycle the remnants of Christmas before you throw them out.

Christmas cards

Cards upcycled into jewelry
Make thank you or other holiday cards by cutting the old cards up
Cut out images from Christmas cards and use them to make cards similar to those in this video. There are a plethora of tutorials on how to make cards on YouTube. Cut outs from old cards will work just as well as prepared store bought sayings and images.

Another video from YouTube

You could also...

Make some ornaments for next year or for winter. A simple way to accomplish this task is by using the cutouts, like you would in the tutorials above. Just cut a hole through the top and thread a string through.

Create gift tags using the same cut out pieces.

Design your own scrapbook cutouts - I did this for our wedding album. I cut off borders and cut out images. and used them to create frames for photos and backgrounds for text.

Create a 3-d star

Wrapping Paper Upcycling ideas

Use it to wrap candles that can be purchased at a dollar store.

Create your own gift bows

Thin paper is perfect for origami.

Shred to create easter hay or packaging for gift baskets and gift bags

Recover your lampshades.

Scrapbooking paper

Colorful paper also makes great book covers (it could be turned inside out as well).

use like you would magazine (or newspaper) and create any of these projects from an earlier post in our Holiday Countdown.

Holiday Countdown: Wyoming Artists

2011-12-24T15:27:00.018-07:00

For our second to last post of the Holiday Countdown,
I wanted to share some beautiful holiday season inspired artwork created by Wyoming artists.

Christmas Cardinal painted by Wyoming artist Mike Beeman.

All of the artists below are WOW members and more of their work can be seen via the links in the sidebar.

Penguins in Hand Knitted Sweaters print by Kim Harris
Kim Harris has more winter themed artwork for sale on her ETSY store (link above), Full Frog Moon.
She has ornaments and prints featuring animals and people enjoying the winter.
They are perfect for this holiday and winter season, and we all know winter in Laramie will not be over for some time.

Sugar and Cream set by Deborah Britt

There is nothing better than a hot drink, a warm blanket and a movie with friends and family.
This set is the perfect accessory to be placed next to your coffee and tea.
Deborah has a large selection of practical pottery and ceramics that can be seen on her website (link to the right)

If you would like to become a member or have your work featured on this blog let us know. You can contact us on Facebook, this blog, give us a call at 307.742.6574, or send us an email. You can also get more information on the Works of Wyoming website.

Holiday Countdown: Lets Rock!

2011-12-23T14:25:00.011-07:00

Its about that time (Christmas time) and I wanted to share some holiday and Christmas music with you. There is a large amount of Christmas and other holiday music everywhere I go this time of year. I absolutely love it. I thought it would be fun to help you find some fun music for this holiday season.

Below are a some of the songs from the album X Christmas, a compilation of various Christmas songs performed by a variety of artists. If you like the music you can purchase the album on Amazon or listen to some of the songs on YouTube. Most of the songs are rock, but not all.

Most people who grew up around Taco Johns are familiar with this Spanish song.
Feliz Navidad by the David Crowder band

Do You Hear What I hear - Seventh Day Slumber

Carol of the Bells by August Burns Red.

Warning this next song is pretty emotional. I have cried...
FM Static - Christmas Shoes

I realize that not everyone is a fan of rock music but I did want to offer something unique. If you would like to personalize your music to your specific tastes look into Pandora. You can select a musician or song and it will find songs that are similar. You can then "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" a specific song to help it find music you do like. Pandora Radio also offerers some excellent holiday stations including classical and indie rock Christmas stations.

If you are still searching for Christmas gifts and other ideas to help create the environment you desire, come look at our holiday ornaments and decorative ideas. If you are a musician or other artist come in to talk about possible performances during openings and other ways we could potentially help you develop your art career. We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271. You can also find us on Facebook.

Holiday Countdown: Shop Local

2011-12-22T13:11:00.050-07:00

Found on Teenormous.com

It has been wonderful to see the number of individuals that came into our gallery because they wanted to shop local. One man was excited that he only needed to find gifts from two more people (and he did found them at WOW) and all his other gifts were purchased in Laramie.

To this man and the rest who have stopped in, I would like to thank you for supporting us local artists by purchasing our work rather than the standard decor found at one of those hip chain stores, or the large stores that sell everything, with work created overseas. This is not a political post but rather a post about how you can continue to shop locally throughout out the year, if you so choose, without putting a dent in your wallet.

Necklaces made by one of our artists.

Matching earrings also available.

Artist Made Greeting Cards

WOW has a plethora of unique cards. These cards consist of photographs, paintings, colored pencil works and more. No one will receive another card just like the one you will purchase here (there are some sets, so just don't send two cards to the same person and you should still be good). Currently the majority of the cards are competitively priced. Some are as low as $2.50 and you can purchase a pack of 20 for $25.

Save Time and Money with WOW!

One of my favorite tips for saving time and money is purchasing several cards at once. This way when mothers day, or Nana's birthday rolls around you are not in a rush to go to Mall Wart and buy the first, or second card, you see. This not only saves time, but a line on your to do list when you are already swamped as well.

You get a beautiful print when you
purchase this statement piece.

Gift Basket

This can be done with birthday and housewarming gifts as well. I love to create gift baskets on a budget. My one rule is to always have something handmade or a little bit more expensive and combine it with some items that are more cost efficient. At WOW you can find all price ranges, but we are also an excellent resource for the handmade gift.

Personal Style

I use this same trick with my wardrobe as well. I have several staple pieces such as nice jeans and tank tops that I pair with statement pieces such as jackets, jewelry and accessories. WOW has accessories and jewelry that will make excellent staple pieces.

As you may have noticed...

Another statement piece
for your Cowboy fan.

There are ways to support local artists and businesses wile still following your budget. We are not the only small/local business located in Laramie. Laramie Main Street is a source for great local shops. Coal Creek Coffee has some excellent loose leaf teas for sale, that will go wonderfully with a hand thrown tea pot and tea cups. How else can WOW help you with your gift giving? What are your tricks to giving gifts on a budget? Let us know below!

These are just a few of the ways that you can support local artists, craftspeople, and artisans through supporting WOW. If you would like more information about our artists, gift shop or gallery stop by or give us a call. We are located in suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and our phone number is 307.742.6574. See the links in the right side bar to contact individual artist.

Thanks again! Our artists appreciate your support!

LINK DEC 17 Holiday Countdown: DIY Decor

2011-12-21T08:39:00.040-07:00

It is always fun to redecorate your home and there is not a better time than during the winter. And there is not a better place in Laramie to go for handcrafted artwork, design, a home decorations, created by local artists. There are a couple DIY home decor examples as well as some perfect gift ideas below.

Concentric Circles from Mid Century Modern. This could be combined with the CD wall art or cardboard tube project. (LINKS TO POSTS) WOW used a variation of this using picture frames. I took some frames from our storage room and placed a mini mirror in the center. They are located in our gift shop, which has a plethora of home decorating ideas, arts and crafts.

Here is DIY display project from Your Marketing BFF (could be used for storage ideas) similar to what we are doing at the gift shop in WOW.

Another DIY idea comes from one of our WOW member's who blogs. Upcycled magazine boxes.

If you are interested in any of these projects set up an appointment and we can help you get started. If you prefer to purchase decorations rather than make them WOW is the perfect place to come for your Affordable Art for the Holidays (click the link to see some of the work currently in the gallery and gift shop). We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271.

SMM Holiday Countdown: Go Viral

2011-12-20T07:26:00.042-07:00

This image is part of an infographic fro Mashable.com

What does "Going Viral" Mean?
Something is said to have gone viral when it becomes extremely popular very quickly. Some would argue that for something to have truly gone viral, it must enter into peoples real lives. Going viral is a desire for many who produce web content. It provides exposure for small (and large) businesses.

How Can My Campaign go Viral?
It is not as simple as we may wish. Not every campaign can go viral.
The best advice I can offer is what not to do.
1. A video that is long, boring, or low quality (unless there is some catchy factor) will not go viral.
2. A video created by an unlucky person (I think a certain amount of luck is required) will not go viral, unless you capitalize on your unluckiness.
3. A project that only has one outlet or medium will be limited. Not utilizing many resources will hurt your chances of going viral.

There are some more tips below from those who are experts on this specific topic.

Social Times shares seven tips for going viral in this excellent post.

Check out this beautiful infographic from Mashable featuring more tips for how to go viral.

If you would like help with some of the basic resources (number 3) such as Facebook, Twitter, blogging, website design, You Tube and more be sure stop by or call WOW. We are located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and our phone number is 307.742.6574.

Holiday Countdown: Project Websites

2011-12-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Are you an artist, craftsperson, or simply someone looking for some fun crafty projects, gift ideas, or projects for the little ones? Here are some wonderful websites to search for upcycling, crafting, and creative project ideas. Be sure to look for these pages (and similar pages) on Facebook and add them to your "art list." Learn more about Facebook lists here.

Craft Gossip - Facebook
Crafting a Green World
Recycle This
ThreadBanger - Facebook
Etsy - Facebook
Pinterest - You can post to Facebook and/or Twitter via Pinterest

Connecting with these sites can offer some excellent networking opportunities. What are some sites you have learned from? Post them below! If you would like to get involved in the local emerging artist, artisan, and small art business communities here in Laramie (and greater Wyoming) be sure to stop by WOW. We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in suite 271. Our phone number is 307.742.6574 or feel free to email us.

Holiday Countdown: His and Her Gift Ideas

2011-12-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

Cut steel wall hangings by Dan Roberts
make and excellent gift.

It can often be a challenge to come up with gift ideas. Here are some Christmas and/or holiday gift ideas for your significant other. Many of them would work for a best friend, family member, or acquaintance whose name you drew for a white elephant party.

Coupon book - Coupons are simple to make even if you don't have any fancy graphics programs. Cut an 8.5x11 piece of nice paper in to 4ths ot 5ths and print or draw your coupons. Some coupon ideas could be free hug, free kiss, movie or game night, or homemade supper of your choice on me.

Personal Note - hidden notes are always a great surprise to wake up to.

12 Days of Christmas (or insert chosen holiday here) - decide on 12 gifts and give one to your sweety each of the 12 days leading up to the holiday of choice. Here is website that shows the significance behind the Christian meaning of the song.

Candy or other sweets especially homemade treats always make great gifts for the holiday season.
Chocolate Kisses - These could be used along with the coupon book and each candy could redeem a kiss (or a hug if you give hugs).
You can also use candy instead of packaging peanuts.

Gift baskets are fun and very personal. You could combine one or several of these ideas with a gift basket. Gift baskets are great for most friends and family.

Remember mixed tapes? It wasn't long ago that this was the gift to give your date. Now it would clearly be a Mixed CD. You can dig though your music collection and pick songs that had significance behind them. This is a great gift for girls or guys.

A blanket, movie, and popcorn (or hot chocolate) make a great gift for nearly anyone living through a cold winter (like those here in Larmaie, Wyoming).

One summer when I worked at a church camp, I had a ton of fun creating scavenger hunts for my coworkers (who were friends). One wanted a car so it ended with a toy car. A variation on this would be to create a board game and there is a space that results in the gift.

Finally for those of you who are not crafty you can always come in to visit us here at Works of Wyoming. We are located in suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center on the corner of 7th and Garfield in Laramie, WY. Our phone number is 307.742.6574 give us a call or send an email.

What are some of the best gifts you have given or received?

Holiday Countdown: Old CDs

2011-12-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

After this holiday season WOW is looking for more jewelry in our gift shop. It selling like mad. If you try this idea, be sure to bring your work on in for us to see.

Super easy necklace made from an old CD

If you have old X-Box games, CDs or scratched DVDs in storage and are looking for something to do with them, here is an excellent project idea. Old games do not sell for much these days and once a disk is scratched they do little good. Upcyleing may be the perfect solution to taking care of this type of clutter.

Lamp created from old CDs

Mirror from CDs - I actually did this in highschool and it worked quite well as a decorative piece. The one in the video is a functional storage solution. I would be careful about the lack of protection. The one I created in high school was simply for decoration.

If you are looking for more creative ideas be sure to stop by our Affordable Art for the Holidays sale or come talk to our staff and artist. We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in suite 271. You can also contact us via Facebook.

Holiday Countdown: Framed

2011-12-16T08:01:00.001-07:00

I was at one of my good friend's new apartment yesterday and was really excited about her picture frames. Here are some DIY frames, so that I can be envious of yours too. In this post I will share a variety of techniques for creating cute picture frames for yourself, friends, and family this holiday season.

Cardboard Tube Picture Frames
Whether it is paper towels, toilet paper or food packaging, we have all thrown these guys away. Next time you have one to toss, think about this fantastic photo frame made from cardboard tubes. For all you fine and emerging artists out there, this project could be used to creatively display photographs of your work and be given as a gift as well. This marketing trick (subliminal imaging) can be given as a beautiful gift your friends, family, and even collectors will love.

Circuit board Frames - These upcycled frames are fun to make, cost effective, and could be sold in our next Affordable Art for the Holiday sale (if you still need some side projects).

Holiday Countdown: Facebook Marketing

2011-12-15T14:12:00.074-07:00

Pagemodo is a great way to get a custom Welcome tab for your Facebook page. It is simple too. Login, using your Facebook account, and follow the directions. Pagemodo is free for one page per Facebook user. (This is why the samples come from my personal art page, Felicia Follum Art + Design, rather than WOW's page.) Social Stage is another option for those of you wanting to create websites on your Facebook business page. I have played around with it a bit and may use it for WOW's Facebook page n the near future.

Some ways to prepare for pagemodo (if you want to come into WOW for a lesson, this is what you will need to have )
1. Have photographs of your work, or you and your work. The images should be jpg, png, or gif files. You will want both portrait and landscape (mostly landscape) images, but you will have a chance to crop them to fit in the template as well. Screen shots work perfectly.
2. Prepare a paragraph of text. If you have a website or blog you can use the same text. See why in a post about online marketing consistency.
3. Know that you can only have one free page for profile. Example Anthony has one Facebook personal page and three business or organization pages that he updates. He must pick just one for pagemodo’s free version.

One concern that arises with FB Welcome pages is whether you want to require a like before someone can see page content. It will probably increase likes to require liking the page. If the goal is quality likes, it does not seem beneficial. One of my Top 5 Reasons for Artists to have a FB Page that is lost when requiring likes is that the page is no longer public to those who do not use Facebook.

Now instead of having a page that opens to your wall you can have a facebook Welcome page that looks like this….

A Facebook bonus: Here is a webinar addressing some of the recent Facebook changes. If you have questions or would like more info about some of the most significant changes stop by WOW located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center and ask for more info or send us an email.

Post links to your Facebook pages with welcome tabs below or share a link on our Facebook wall (There is a good chance your page will either be added as an example to this post or featured in another post).

MORE Holiday Countdown: Personalized Gifts

2011-12-14T01:11:00.008-07:00

Create this mini album and fill it with photographs. This technique could also make for some excellent art books. (Check out these other art book techniques that could be used for mini albums).

If you enjoy this process and art be sure to enter some hand made artist books in one of our juried shows.

If you are not much of a crafter or artist, come in to visit and support local emerging artists. We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in suite 721.

Holiday Countdown: Advent

2011-12-13T09:20:00.005-07:00

Here is an Advent calendar from CHOW. It features 25 recipes that will be ready just in time for Christmas. You can't see them until that day actually gets here. Sorry, it does not allow cheating. Another great advent calendar idea that comes from Craft Gossip is made up of 25 gifts. This could also be made into 12 days (or another significant number for the holiday of choice) of gifts.

Holiday Countdown: For Him

2011-12-12T08:57:00.033-07:00

Guys! This post is for you. I know that many of the previously posted projects lean toward the feminine half of the population, so here is a project for those of you who like to work with you hands but don't want to make clothing and lip gloss. Ladies, these projects will also make great gifts for the men in your life. I think I might be making the backpacking light for my husband (and I).

DIY Backpacking Light

Another great backpacking gift is a couple backpacking meals. Although this gift may work better for an event in the spring or summer, such as a graduation, or birthday, there is no reason not the make them in the winter and store these dehydrated recipes for your first camping trip.

Personally, I love to make gift baskets. For my husbands graduation I gave him the ingredients to make smores, wrapped in a camping towel with a waterproof camping bag and a bear bell (My husband has given this to his older brother as well). If you are not fans of camping you could always give an inferno stove along with the chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Guys this is a great gift for a special friend, and could score you major points if you go on a date to roast the smores in a park somewhere. Create some great dried fruit (apple slices dipped in lemon juice, honey, and water (1/3 of each) and cinnamon (to taste) is my favorite recipe.

Here is a wonderful screen printing tutorial from ThreadBanger.

I will finish this "gift ideas and projects for men" post off with a block printing tutorial, also from ThreadBanger.

Guys, what are some of your favorite projects to work on? Ladies, any advice for what to give the men in our lives this holiday season?

Holiday Countdown: Online Sales Venues

2011-12-11T15:41:00.005-07:00

Featured Work on ETSY. More about the piece.

14 days left until the holidays!

As you may know will are posting 25 days of holiday gifts for the holiday season, DIY ideas, decorations, and creative projects for you, your family, and friends. The projects will include upcyled, craft, art, and other projects from our artists, clients and some other excellent online resources.

I will start this series with an introduction to some great social media sites dedicated to selling your work. These four sites should be considered as a part of your online marketing plan. In fact many of the projects in the series of posts could be made in your free time and sold on these sites.

ETSY is a wonderful site to sell handmade work and vintage items. Artwork, crafts and craft supplies are all featured on the site. Several Wyoming artists have work on ETSY. It only cost 20 cents per item listed for three months on ETSY.

ArtFire is another online resource for selling and purchasing work. There is a $12 monthly fee for the pro account as well as a free option and a 30 day pro account free trial when you sign up.

FineArtAmerica is another great venue for selling art. There are many forums, contests, and groups you can join. Fine Art America is free. Fine Art America seems like a great way to meet other artists through their groups and forums.

WholesaleCrafts offers opportunities for our wholesale artist. This site accepts members based on their applications. They also offer opportunities to show in two wholesale craft fairs in the US.

All four of these sites work well for artists and crafters alike. My advice would be to see which fits your budget and time as well as your work. If you would like someone to sit down and research these and other options with you, don't hesitate to contact Works of Wyoming via email or call 307.742.6574.

What are some other online sales sites that you use? Post them below!

Holiday Countdown: Wish List

2011-12-10T14:05:00.003-07:00

Are you still working on your wish list for this Christmas season? Are you still trying to find out what to purchase for the artists or creatives in your family? Here are a couple possible solutions to your dilemma.

1. A WOW membership includes marketing tips and advice, a free 2 hour business consultation, free social media marketing advice, waived application fee for all of WOW’s exhibitions 10% off in the gift shop and gallery and more.

One of our many painting by WOW member Jeanie Schlump.

2. I saw the Intous 4 Tablet and was amazed. This would be perfect for any artist or techie who enjoys working on the computer.
3. Alyson B Stanfield’s book I'd Rather be in the Studio makes an excellent gift for any artist who is looking to make it in the art field (of course WOW’s member ship will also help). This book addresses the business and marketing aspects of being an artist. Be sure to follow WOW’s blog for more art business and marketing tips.

And of course, if you are still searching, you should certainly come into the gallery and gift shop here at WOW. We have a plethora of excellent ideas for family and friends this Christmas/Holiday season. We are located in Suite 271 of the Laramie Plains Civic Center.

Holiday Countdown: Stay Warm

2011-12-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Wyoming winters can get cold, do in addition to the beauty tips posted yesterday, I would like to share some DIY projects that will help to keep you warn this holiday season. These projects include homemade hot chocolate, a scoody, mittens, poncho, hat, and hand warmers made from a couple old sweatshirts, and a shrug.

Here is a hot chocolate recipe I made for friends and family last year.

Make youself your very own scoodie (scoodie = scarf + hoodie) and arm warmers from an old sweatshirt.
This TreadBanger video will show you more.

Hat, Mittens, and Poncho from ThreadBanger

Another vide from ThreadBanger on how to create a shrug and skirt.

Holiday Countdown: Holiday Marketing Tips

2011-12-08T14:00:00.030-07:00

My personal list of DOs and DON'Ts

Painting by Heather Storey, currently in our Affordable
Art for the Holidays sale.

DO post relevant information on your social media sites

DO donate a percent of the profit

DO create a Christmas or holiday logo

DO feature a special holiday line or work

DO take notes on what works and does not work for next year

DO stay organized

DON'T spam and push the sales of your product

DON'T ignore your regular routine

DON'T focus on quantity over quality

DON'T let clutter get the best of you

Remember these tips can carry throughout your entire marketing plan. You can post on your blog and then post a link to your blog and Facebook business page. If you have a Facebook business page (and here are several reasons why you should have a Facebook business page in addition to your personal page) feel free to share posts with your personal page. You don't even need to try and sell, people will enjoy it more if you don't pester them.

Here are five more tips from Retail Online Integration and 60 tips for Halloween through Christmas from BlueGlass.com.

Holiday Countdown: Newspapers

2011-12-07T15:21:00.006-07:00

19 days left until the holidays.

If you are looking for a fun and creative way to upcycle some of your old newspapers, here are some great crafty project ideas.

Handbags from uncommongoods.com

From my research about upcylcing old newspapers I have found three main ways to turn them into projects. The three ways I have found are rolling them into tubes, taking the tubes and making coils, and creating yarn. If you are less crafty and more practical, you could also consider creating planters.

Some projects you can make from newspaper coils include trash cans, bags, bowls and doormats.

In this tutorial you can see how to make newspaper yarn as well.

If you would like to lead or participate in a crafty workshop at WOW, please let us know what you are interested in and we will try our best to help you set something up. Feel free to email or Facebook us.

Holiday Countdown: DIY Beauty

2011-12-06T14:14:00.015-07:00

Living in Laramie, Wyoming, it is always a challenge to keep your skin, hair and lips taken care of in the dry winters. I thought I could help by posting some DIY solutions, that I am sure will help you stay beautiful and keep healthy this winter. Some of these projects could be placed in re-sealable containers and given as gifts or sold in the annual Affordable Art for the Holidays sale (if you want to start planning your booth for next year). However I will start with one of the most important beauty tips out there. It is also significant in your artwork.

Confidence and Art Marketing

I know that this is not a traditional beauty tip but it will help people gravitate toward you and your artwork. If you are confident in yourself, others will notice. The same is true for your artwork. If you are confident in your work, others will be as well. Take care of yourself because your love yourself and take care in creating your work because you care about it. Confidence will help you and your art career in a variety of areas. From marketing, where you need to put yourself out there in the big world, to pricing work, where you need to keep prices that will support your business and stand confidently behind those prices. This winter season, be sure to make you and your art a priority. In addition to confidence taking care of your body is one way to radiate confidence and here are three more projects that can help.

Lip Gloss

This site has a variety of lip gloss recipes. Flavors include chocolate, candy and cranberry.

Here is a great video tutorial for some great lip balms…These would probably go over well at the next Affordable Arts show.

Here is a ThreadBanger tutorial on YouTube

Video with another three recipies

Scar Removal
DIY Facial from the Secret Life of a Bio Nerd. Did you know that you can use lemon, cucumber juice and tea tree oil and mix it with non-scented lotion to help with breakouts? It also helps remove scars. Find out more in the video below.

Moisturizer
Below is a great tutorial for hair and skin moisturizers for those of us with dry, thick, or coarse hair and dry skin. Some other great tricks for keeping your hair healthy in the winter includes wearing a head scarf or protective styles. You can find a ton of videos about taking care of dry, coarse or curly hair on YouTube by searching terms such as "natural hair" and "protective hairstyles for winter."

What are your favorite beauty secrets for the winter? How has confidence played a role in your art business?

Holiday Countdown: Snow Dyeing

2011-12-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Who here (in Wyoming) loves snow? For those of you who do, this project will be perfect and for those of you who are not big fans of the fluffy white stuff (known as the s-word in my house as a child), this project will show you the true beauty that snow can help you produce.

Bloom Bake and Create features this process on her blog. To learn more check out her two post series.
Snow Dyeing Part 1
Snow Dyeing Part 2

This is one project I have not a chance to try yet. Let me know how it works and post images of your projects. Any tips or tricks you learned? What is your favorite method to dye fabrics? And what do you do with the fabric once it has been dyed?

Holiday Countdown: On the 4th Day of Christmas

2011-12-04T14:33:00.026-07:00

On the 4th day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Four caling birds...

Sadly, I will not be posting four calling birds, but rather three images of bird artwork and a hilarious video featuring birds and some fun bohemian artsy types. This artwork is currently in the store and was created by local Wyoming artists.

Put a Bird on It and A Free Craft Fair.
The video is from the Portlandia series on YouTube. This specific episode comments of the current bohemian fashion statement of placing birds on almost everything. I had the opportunity to attend Last Thursday in Portland, Oregon last summer, and was shown these videos to prepare me for what I would see. (see my experience from last summer). Even if you have never traveled to Portland, you are sure to get a kick our of this series. If you are looking for an excellent event for artisan and craft venders and happen to be in Oregon on the last thursday of any month, be sure to look for Alberta street. It is free to set up and free to walk around.

Laramie's AAH Show and More Birds
If you don't get a chance to visit Oregon for Last Thursday this holiday season, be sure to check out the Affordable Arts for the Holidays sale here at WOW...It's arguably the next best thing. You get to support local artists, be around other artists, and if you are lucky take home some of this beautiful artwork with a bird on it.

Open Hours and Contact
We are open Mondays from 1 - 5 pm, Tuesdays - Fridays from 1 - 6 pm, and Saturdays in Decemeber from 1 - 4 pm
We are located on the second floor of the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271.

Feel free to contact us via email or Facebook or call 307.742.6574.

Holiday Countdowns: Plarn

2011-12-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Plarn, or plastic yarn, is a wonderful alternative to traditional yarn. It is simple to make, all you need to do is cut plastic bags into strips and connect them together. There are some wonderful tutorials on YouTube.

One of many plarn making tutorials.

You can use plarn for most knitting patterns. The main challenge is that the material does not stretch the same as yarn (or even T-shirt yarn). If you stretch the plarn while creating your project, it will probably rip. Here are some wonderful plarn project ideas.
Plarn Purse
Plarn water bottle carrier
Plarn shopping bag
Plarn bracelet

Like always, if you have questions be sure to contact WOW. We would love to chat more about this and other projects.

Holiday Countdown: Scarves

2011-12-02T17:36:00.012-07:00

24 Days left....

Nothing beats the perfect scarf during Wyoming winters so I thought I would share some tutorials on how to make and tie scarfs for the second day of the Holiday Countdown.

This DIY T-shirt scarf tutorial is my favorite (and I have seen many and even created one myself). Some others I have made.

A scoody would be perfect for this holiday season. If you want to make me one, I will be at WOW.

A circle scarf...

Now that you have several scarves, lets look at some ways to jazz them up a bit. Here are 25 ways to tie a scarf in 5 minutes

Now that you know how to tie and make scarves, be sure to stop the gallery to buy and/or to sell some beautiful scarves. We currently have several t-shirt scarves as well as some knitted beauties. If you would like to attend an upcycled scarf making workshop, be sure to contact the gallery. Email us, find us on Facebook or call at 307.742.6574.

We are open from 1 - 5 Monday - Friday and 1 - 4 on Saturdays. Satuday December 3, we will open at 10 am. Be sure to stop by Suite 271 in the Laramie Plains Civic Center.

Holiday Countdown: Our Tree

2011-12-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

For the holiday season we will be posting 25 days of holiday gifts, DIY ideas, decorations, and creative projects for you, your family, and friends. The projects will include upcyled, craft, art, and other projects from our artists, clients and some other excellent online resources.

I figured I would get you started with a project that WOW has been working on for the past couple days. Gayle and our intern, along with our intern's family had a great time decorating the tree for the 18th Annual Festival of Trees and Silent Auction here in Laramie. The auction and lighting ceremony will be held tonight from 6 - 8 pm at the UW Art Museum. All proceeds will benefit the museum.

The tree titled Plains to Mountains was decorated using handmade holiday ornaments. The two recipes were cinnamon dough ornaments from MarhaStewart.com borax ornaments using pipe cleaners and sagebrush from Food.com.

Affordable Art for the Holidays

2011-11-30T14:36:00.005-07:00

WOW's annual Affordable Art show is a wonderful family shopping day activity. The open house will be the same time as the Civic Center Bazaar, Saturday, December 3 from 10am - 4pm. The show is a blast and there is a huge variety of work. This years show includes ceramics and glass work, upcycled projects, paintings, personalized drawings, scarves, jewelry, hats and dyed silk.

The artists are all from Wyoming, so it is an excellent opportunity to support local artists.

Artists in the show...

Jeanie Schlump

Diana Kopalos

Dan Roberts Metal Art

Dona Fleming

Bianca Allemani

Cat Martin

Cathy Carr-Lundfelt

Kimberly Harris

Rosemary Bratton

Yekaterina Minaicheva

Pat Butera

Janice Bray

Robert Martinez

Crystal Lawrence

Bren Lieske

Ginny Madsen

Jon Madsen

Sandra Guzzo

Bill and Marsha Abbott

Marilee Manalo

Carlos Mellizo

Heather Storey

Joy Keown

Barry O'Riley

Jerry Glass

Felicia Follum

Alberto Alcantara

Lisa Edwards

As you can see there is a plethora of work and all of it is $100 or under. Links to our member's sites can be found in the sidebar. Be sure to stop by. We are open Monday - Friday from 1 - 5 and Saturdays in December from 1 - 4.

Affordable Art for the Holidays

2011-11-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

Once again Works of Wyoming will be having their annual Affordable Art for the Holidays event. This event focuses on artwork that makes great Christmas gifts and is all priced under $100. Get much of your holiday shopping done in one stop. The gallery will be open during the Civic Center Holiday Bazaar on Saturday December 3 and there will be an open house with discounts on select work on December 16.

Final Call Black Friday Sale at WOW

2011-11-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Works of Wyoming is open!!

We are currently offering handcrafted gifts. All work will be at least 20% off and all gallery art will be on sale up to 60% off. The work in the gallery will be up for one day only and will feature some artists new to WOW, so come and see who else is creating work.

We are open until 5pm today.

WOW Ranked #2 on Laramie Live

2011-11-21T11:26:00.006-07:00

Works of Wyoming ranked number 2 in Kari's Top 5 Best Black Friday Sales in Laramie!!! Go WOW!!!

Be sure to come in between 9 and 5 to score some amazing deals on local artwork and spread the word to all of your friends.

We are located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center in Suite 271.

Black Friday at WOW

2011-11-18T15:51:00.002-07:00

Works of Wyoming will be open this Black Friday!!

We will be offering handmade gifts, artwork, jewelry, soaps, and more with excellent sales. All work will be at least 20% off and select gallery artists will have work up to 60% off. The work will be up for one day only, so be sure to stop by to see what local artists are creating.

Finish your Christmas shopping this Black Friday at WOW.

We will be open from 9am until 5pm.

Create Lists on FB

2011-11-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

When using your personal page, it is likely that there is more going on than what you can actually follow. To organize who you follow, you can create what is called a list. If you look at the image, Art under Favorites is my art list. I have all of the art pages I follow and friends who are working artists in my art list.

The number across from
Art tells me that I have one new
art announcement since
I last checked the list.***

Here's How
1. If you go to the bottom of the left toolbar, there should be a section that says lists. Click this link to your lists (the words "Lists" and "More" should both get you to a listing of your lists).

2. Once all of your lists pop up there will be a link at the top right of the page that says "Create a List." Click this button. A box asking you to name your list will pop up. I named my list “Art.”

3. On the top right there will be a “Manage list” tab. Select it and go down to “Add/Remove Friends.” From here you can select friends. There is another tab on the top left of this box. This tab will allow you to select pages as well.

Congratulations your have finished you Art list on Facebook.

To use this list, you can go back to the bottom of the left toolbar. Click on lists, click the pencil image to the left of your list and select “add to favorites.” Your list will now appear just below your profile image, events, and pages (since you already have an art page as discussed in 5 Reasons Artist Should Have a Facebook Page) on your home page (where your personal feed is displayed).

Come set up your social media marketing consultation today! Members, you get two hours or free (or two lessons which could be a bit longer if you are not familiar with Facebook).

***This is my personal page and I don't add people I don't know. If you want to like my art page (Felicia Follum art and Design), go for it. You can also contact me via WOW's Facebook page.

Who Should You Be Following on FB?

2011-11-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Pages on my art list.

We all know that there a lot of people and pages out there on Facebook. This post will address who to follow more closely and which pages to like (one a page is liked you are following them). In a future post we will discuss how to organize those that you are following, so it is simple to find what you care about and weed out the informaiton that is less relevant to your life and/or arts career.

Of course you should follow and like these WOW artists with FB pages.

Barry O’Riley
Bethels Beadwork
Denise’s Wyoming Artists
Felicia Follum Art + Design
Western Landscape
and WOW.

But who else should you be following on Facebook? You can search FB for artists you like as well as museums, galleries, or government organizations. You can also follow pages that inspire your work. If you like art history, you could find an art historian to follow. Of course if there are some friends that you have who are really inspiring or tend to offer wisdom filled inspiration via their FB pages, by all means follow them. Keep in mind you can create lists (I will show you how to create a list next week) for your BFFs and fun people as well, they do not all need to be on your art list. I think I have around 5 friends and have around 100 pages on my art list.

Here are some of the pages I follow.

TED - TED Talks provide wonderful inspiration for me while I am creating artwork.
Graphic Competitions
MoMA
InLiquid
An Art Historian - Afro Art Nerd actually went to the University of Wyoming.
Works of Wyoming (You can contact us here, if you have any questions, comments or concerns)

As mentioned above, in our next post I will show you how to organize all of these pages you are now following. This will keep them from getting lost in conversations about what your brother’s ex-girlfriend had for breakfast or what your best friend from elementary school said to her cousin yesterday. There is a simple way to log on and check your important pages in less than 10 minuets and avoid all of the unimportant drivel. Stay tuned!

Three tips for Facebook Efficiency

2011-11-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Now that we have discussed some good reasons to have a Facebook page for your artwork, let's also look at some ways to make your new Facebook page more effective. Facebook pages are unique in that even though they can function as a website, they are more likely to be viewed from a fans news stream. This means that once someone has liked your page, they may seldom return, but rather view your page from their own Facebook home page. Knowing this will allow us to alter the way that we manage our own Facebook pages.

Win Ratz
Fired enamel on copper

Frequency > Quantity
Frequency is one of the best ways that we can utilize our Facebook pages. The more often we post, the more people will see our wall content from their news feeds. One way to post more often is to post less. If you have 10 images for an album, you upload one or two a day. This gives you content for 5 - 10 posts rather than one. Keep in mind that you don't want to post garbage, you want to post information that your fans care about not spam. Spam will only get you unliked.

Interaction
Something that Facebook offers, which a standard website does not is the ability to interact. A post about your new work may get a like or two, but a post asking viewers to tell you which of your new images is their favorite may get people to actually look at your work. You can also create polls and invite your personal friends to participate. Are there others ways to create a call to action on Facebook?

Variety is the Spice of Life
Everyone viewing your Facebook page is unique and will respond differently to different types of posts. Some people may be interested in following your blog, videos, quotes, or a new photo album. I like videos a lot, but my mother-in-law seems to like quotes. Knowing this should encourage us to post a variety on our page walls to encourage more people to interact.

There are many more tips and practices that can be implemented in your administration of Facebook pages. What are some tricks that have worked or not worked for you?

Write About Your Work

2011-11-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

It is important to always be writing about our work. It will help us, as artists, to communicate about our work as well as exercise our creativity. For many creatives journaling is a common practice. For others it is something we force ourselves to practice. Either way it never hurts to have some ideas to write about. Here are a couple prompts for when you do not know what to write about your work.

If you need something to write in, here are some handmade
journals, crafted by our artists. Come pick one up!

1. Make a list of words. Some ideas for lists include tools you use and why, media you like to work with, work that inspires you, media/techniques you would like to try, colors, emotions, or reasons you create work. These lists can be thought out or completely random.

2. Free Write. Write for 5 minutes. It does not need to be perfect. Don't think. Just write. You could select any word from the list above and expand on it. Some other free write topics could include why you create work, your process, your inspiration, or your future goals.

3. Write about someone else's work. This is a task that was assigned in professional development class I attended a while back. Writing about other work helps us to relax and not be so hard on our selves. It also tends to help us work through and develop our artistic vocabulary. If you are looking for art to write about we would love to have you write about a work in the gallery or gift shop. You could even be a guest blogger for us and write about one of our artists.

What do you write or journal about in regard to your art? Do you practice writing regularly? If not, why? If you do, how has it improved your overall art practice.

Marketing Tip: Alternative Art Venues

2011-11-01T12:06:00.001-06:00

Barry O'Riley "Gaia"

One important factor about being a successful artist is finding ways to get our work out into the community. Of course there are high scale art galleries that a select few can get into, but there are many other opportunities outside of a traditional gallery or museum. One term for places such as these is an alternative art venue. Some alternative art venues include but are not limited to restaurants, hair salons, coffee shops, vacant business windows and other small businesses.

1. Coffee Shops - Coal Creek Coffee Company and The Grounds in Laramie both display local artists work.

2. Farmers Markets - Farmers markets often have specific requirements and fees but some do enjoy having artists and crafts people.

3. The street - This is not for everyone, but some artists enjoy going to a downtown area in a large city to create and sell work. Last Thursday in Portland is a perfect example. I went this past summer, made a couple sales, and still have people contacting me who met someone who saw me there.

4. Laramie Main street - Organizations such as Laramie Main Street will often times hang photographs in empty store front windows.

5. Arts guilds or clubs - Artist organizations have relationships with businesses that lease, sell or hang work. Laramie Art Guild blog

6. Restaurants - There are a variety of restaurants that want changing artwork created by locals. Sweet Melissa's is one example in Laramie.
7. Apartments or rooms - Motel rooms can be rented for one night shows. A loft could also be rented by a group of artists for a month long show. University of Wyoming students have been known to have successful one night house shows.
8. WOW - Your very own WOW gallery can even be considered an alternative venue. Although Works of Wyoming is a not-for-profit gallery space, WOW's atmosphere is a little different than that of a more traditional gallery space. During an interview with WOW member Barry O'Riley, he was asked how Works of Wyoming had helped him and his response included that "WOW has provided an open and liberal, alternative gallery space for his work."

What are some other alternative spaces that you can share?

Photographing your work

2011-10-27T15:29:00.003-06:00

A good photograph of Incarceration
by Felicia Follum.

Most artist have had to, or wanted to, photograph their work at some point in their career. Photographing your work is essential for any form of social media marketing, grant proposals, or submissions to a show. For those of us who have not chosen photography as our desired field, presenting photos of our work may pose some difficulties. Below are some simple steps to improving the photographs that will represent you and your artwork. Following these simple steps can help you avoid immediate rejection from a show, exhibition or grant funding.

Here is what you can do to avoid rejection based on bad images...
1. Do photograph two-Dimensional work against a solid black background. A neutral gray or white background can also work, but a black sheet is often a good choice.
2. Do photograph three-Dimensional work in a light box or on a curved wall (designed for photographing work). You can also use boxes on a table covered in black sheets. Make sure the background is also covered.
3. Do color correct your images. If there is white on the piece, there should be white in the submitted photo.
4. When, allowed do submit detail images of your work. This will allow the judges to see how much time you put into your work.
5. Do use a tripod or something to stabilize the camera.
6. Do follow all specific directions on the submission form.

A bad photograph of Incarceration

Here are some mistakes you don't want to make
Don’ts**
1. Don’t photograph your work with a busy background.
2. Don’t photograph work on your sofa, or in your home.
3. Don’t submit blurry images.
4. Don’t submit images with inaccurate color.
5. Don’t ignore directions regarding file size and file type, number of images per work, or total number of images allowed.

Tips for digital work
1. Use screen shots when applicable. The default for screen shots is often a png file making them perfect for posting images on your artist Facebook page and some websites.
2. Pay special attention to file size, dpi, and other settings that are specified in directions.

ETSY also has some great tips.
Time saving tips from ETSY

**Installations, time or space specific artwork, some conceptual works, and performance art may be exceptions. If you make an exception, there should be a reason. Even with a strong reason it could be a risk to do some of the don'ts. Come into WOW or ask other artists what they think.

If all else fails, set up a time to visit with a WOW staff about photographing your work. In all reality you don't have to wait until you have a problem, just come on in. You can contact us directly though our Facebook page or email.

Write White Write and Write Some More

2011-10-23T12:36:00.001-06:00

Variety of art journals in our gift shop and gallery.

This podcast is an interview with Alyson B. Stanfield, A.K.A. The Art Biz Coach. She discusses some extremely important steps to becoming a professional artist. Her four tips are devote yourself completely to a studio practice, create an online emailing list, connect with other artists, and start writing about your work and never stop.

This last post is a response to "writing about your work." As artists, we probably think about artist statements when we think about writing. Though artist statements are a significant aspect of the writing that an artist is expected to produce, we can practice writing about our work in other mediums as well. In addition to journaling, a blog or various social media platforms including Facebook.com, Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, PitchEngine.com, Pinterest.com, LinkedIn.com, YouTube.com, Twitter.com and even personal websites provide perfect opportunities to write about your work.

Some of WOW's artist social media links
Bethel's Beadwork on Facebook
Deise Patton on LinkedIn
Felicia Follum Design on Facebook
Hannah McNamee's Website (We have more member websites in the right hand sidebar)
Laramie Art Guild Blog - This site has work from several of our members

If you only plan to use one of these, go with Facebook see why in Top 5 Reasons Artists Should Have a Facebook Page. A blog and website are other top options as well (some would argue for these over Facebook).

The ArtBizblog.com addresses the four topics a bit more.

See the other parts of our Professional Artist Podcast Series using the links below
Part 1 Devotion to you Work
Part 2 Email Lists
Part 3 Networking

Post links to your writing below. If you would like your work and writing about your work to be featured on WOW's blog or Facebook page, be sure to comment below or let us know on Facebook.

Marketing Tip: Consistency

2011-10-20T02:08:00.000-06:00

As an artist you must brand yourself and this branding should be consistent throughout your business cards, brochures, application packets and your web presence.

One simple way to achieve this consistency on a budget is to use the same fonts among platforms (Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Another strategy to help Google know that your various social media sites are all you is by using the same first few lines in your "about me" section of each.

Website

Blog

Facebook

All three pages (my blog, Facebook, and website) use the same font and have the same basic description about me.

How have you utilized social media marketing?

If you have some pages you would like to show up in our blog as sample,

be sure to send them our way.

If you would like help or feedback, you can contact WOW by email, or on Facebook.

These services are free for members.

Networking

2011-10-18T12:26:00.001-06:00

University of Wyoming Student Art League show Opening at WOW

You can find other artists on Twitter, Facebook or Blogs or you could plan an artist meet-up by posting a flyer in a coffee shop or on Facebook.

To see future events at WOW check out our Events page on Facebook (You do not need a Facebook account to view our events).

Stanfield's post about Connecting with other artists offers some more hints and tips.

See other pats of the Professional Artist Podcast series.
Part 1 Devotion
Part 2 Email Lists
Part 4 Write about Your Work

Be sure to contact Works of Wyoming for more information on professional development for artists.

E-Mail lists

2011-10-15T12:16:00.003-06:00

Stamps created by Cynthia Norcross Willson

This podcast is an interview with Alyson B. Stanfield, A.K.A. The Art Biz Coach. She discusses some extremely important steps to becoming a professional artist. Her four tips are devote yourself completely to a studio practice, create an online emailing list, connect with other artists, and start writing about your work and never stop. I have already discussed Stanfield's first tip and I will address the other topics in each of my next three posts.

This post is about creating an online emailing list. An online emailing list is significant when it comes to building a community focused on your work. This can also be done through online marketing tools such as Facebook, Twitter, a blog, a forum or a website.

Tips to remember

A free platform for mailing lists is MailChimp.com.
ConstantContact.com has a monthly rate option.

Make sure everyone on you list requested to be on the list and know the anti-spam laws. MailChimp will help you with this part.

Use the Blind Carbon Copy tab instead of the Carbon Copy or To options. This is out of respect for those on your list.

The Art Biz Coach discusses this in more detail in her blog post.

See the other parts of this series
Part 1- Devotion
Part 3 - Networking
Part 4 - Writing about Your Work

Contact WOW to learn more about email lists and professional development for your arts career.

Word Processors vrs. Text Editors

2011-10-13T14:57:00.000-06:00

Before. See the blue and purple?

For our first Social Media Marketing Tip, I will share something that I just spent over two hours fixing in Blogger. My mistake is completely avoidable, but easy to make.

Tip: Word and Text Edit (on a Mac) are word processors not text editors (despite the name). This means that you should never copy and paste directly into the Compose screen on your blogger window. Always copy and paste into the Edit HTML screen.

What will happen if you accidentally do make this mistake? If you do copy and paste into the compose screen, the links will all appear bright purple and blue and there will seeming be no way to fix them. This may not happen right away, but when you change your layout or blogger changes, the blue links will likely surface and trust me, it is no fun to fix.

Why does this happen? Text editors are programs designed for editing text in a code format. As I mentioned above these programs are word processors, meaning they add their own formatting, in a code that is not HTML. When you try to use them as a text editor, what is called “junk HTML” or “crap code,” will show up. This is bad and can cause all sorts of problems later on.

Two and a half hours later.

If you happen to make this mistake, here is the blog post that I referenced to fix the problem. (Using the !important code did not work and I had to go though all my posts to find the problem.)

If you would like help setting up a blog or a Facebook page contact WOW by email, phone, or on Facebook. These services are free for members.

What other questions do you have? Post them below or comment on Facebook.

Social Media Marketing Tip Tuesday/Thursday

2011-10-11T15:39:00.000-06:00

The polls are showing that people want social media marketing help. Fortunately social media marketing is something that I (Felicia) have been researching for a while, so I have decided to start Social Medial Tip Tuesday/Thursday. I will be posting a Social Media Marketing tip to our blog every week on either Tuesday or Thursday, maybe both.

I will be writing these posts as Felicia on behalf of the gallery and will probably use my social media sites as references. If you would like your site featured on here, please do let me know, via Facebook (WOW page or my art page) or contact the gallery by email, WOW@uwyo.edu. I would love to promote other local artists as often as possible.

Stay tuned for the first tip!!

Are there any specific questions you would like for me to try and answer? Post them below or send them to one of the above contacts.

Devotion

2011-10-10T11:55:00.002-06:00

Interactive book created by Sylvia Fonfara.

Part 1 of this series will focus on "devoting yourself to a studio practice." This tip is more for those artists who weren’t forced into the studio practice and competition through art school. Every artist needs to mature in their field and be prepared to compete. This means not making excuses and often times making sacrifices.

Let's first look at this competition and how making excuses will not help you succeed. My car didn’t start, my alarm didn’t go off, or I was sick are all reasonable excuses but none of them will get you the job or help you meet a new client. This is not saying that you don't need to take care of yourself, or that your personal life is not important. You do, and it is. However, a professional artist will often times be less successful if they leave out the professional aspect.

In addition to not making excuses, a professional artist must also make sacrifices the same as any other businessperson. In the beginning, you may need to make sacrifices, in your vacations, and family time, or in your budget. Not everyone is willing to do this and that is fine. Professional artist make art because they have to, not just for fun. Not everyone wants to be in the studio 8 – 12 hours a day. "Is this a hobby (which is often more enjoyable)" or are you willing to make the sacrifices to be a professional?

“It is hard work to be an artist!”

The Coach's Post with more hints on how to devote yourself to the studio practice.

See the other 3 posts
Part 2 Email Lists
Part 3 Networking
Part 4 Write about Your Work

If you are devoted to your artwork, come on in to or email Works of Wyoming for some tips and information about how to advance your art career.

Book Making Tutorials

2011-10-07T16:20:00.000-06:00

Our books arts show was such a success and in response I would like to present
4 great book tutorials…

Squash Book

Explosion Box

Meander Book

Flag Books (Part 2)

The great thing about book arts is that you can use or any other form you choose and they can be tailored to your specific concept. Post links to some of your books below. We would love to see them.

If you are interested in book making be sure to keep up with us on Facebook and this blog. We are in the planning process for a paper making workshop. Some of these book projects may make an appearance in workshop form as well. If you would like a one-on-one lesson with one of our artists, come visit or give us a call at 307.766.3085 and we can help set you up with private lesson.

What are some ways that you can alter the books in these videos?

Croquis

2011-10-04T17:32:00.000-06:00

Felicia Follum, Untitled Sketch
WOW's Figure Show

Student Art League's Croquis (life drawing) sessions are held Thursday evenings from 7-9pm in the Fine Arts building room 226. The sessions are $5 for community members, $2 for UW students and $1 for Student Art League members.

If you would like more information, please contact Felicia Follum, SAL President, via Facebook or email WOW@uwyo.edu.

WOW Life Drawing Session

October Promo: Brown and Gold

2011-10-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

Go Pokes!

Does your family love football?

Do you have friends that play sports for UW?

If you can answer yes to either or these, or if you are a fan yourself,

we have the deal for you!

All things Brown and Gold or with Cowboy Joe logo 20% off for the month of October.

Let's support our Cowboys!

20% off speacial

2011-09-29T04:51:00.000-06:00

Like us on Facebook or find a friend to follow our blog and receive %20 off one item in the gift shop or gallery. If you already like us on Facebook, invite a friend and let us know when they have liked the page.

FABulous Women

2011-09-25T03:05:00.000-06:00

Call for Artists: The theme for this years FABulous Women show is “Fire Within.” Submissions are due October 3^rd. For more information, contact the gallery at 742.6574 or stop by.

The opening reception will be 6-8pm on October 7th and the show will be up through November 21st.

Thanks to those of you who have already submitted....It looks like there will be some FABulous work!

Snow White Sessions

2011-09-24T12:42:00.000-06:00

Call for Artists:

On December 3rd, 2011 Ballet 7220, will perform the Brothers Grimm version of Snow White at the Laramie Plains Civic Center. Works of Wyoming, in partnership with the Laramie Dance Center, is inviting artists to attend rehearsals to document the making of Snow White through whatever media they choose.

Selected works created in response to these sessions will be displayed in the gallery beginning December 3. Artists are invited to apply for the opportunity to sit in on ballet practices and enter this show. Applications are due September 26 (This date may be pushed back, if space permits).

The cost for unlimited practices (at least two sessions will be held per week October 3rd though November 28th) is $15 for members, $10 for students and $25 for non-members.

Drop-ins are also welcome. $7 for members, $5 for students and $10 for non-members.

All work may be submitted to be in the show. Submissions due November 21st. The opening with selected works will be held December 10th.

Contact the gallery at 742.6574 or stop by for more details.

Top 5 Reasons Artists Should Have a Facebook Page

2011-09-17T16:17:00.000-06:00

While Facebook is not for every artist, I would like to address some of the reasons that a Facebook business page can be a wonderful venue for marketing your work. Here are the five most important reasons to consider creating a business page on Facebook.

1. The numbers. 250 million people use Facebook.

2. People do not need a Facebook account to view you business page. This means that potential customers can access your work even if they don't have a Facebook account. In effect, a Facebook business page can act as a website, a blog, and a forum for members and non-member to view and talk about your work. You can also use Facebook for events and email.

3. Facebook ranks high on Google.com. A Facebook page will likely come up toward the top of a search for your name.

4. Facebook is user friendly and if you already have a personal profile page on Facebook, you are halfway to creating a business page.

5. Facebook integrates with a variety of other social media marketing tools. You can link Facebook to your blog, Twitter, YouTube, Etsy, your phone text messages and more.

Does this all sound a bit overwhelming? If so, you can set up a time to come meet with a WOW staff member to help you set up a Facebook page. We can also help you to implement some best practices and the other social media marketing tools listed above. Best of all this service if FREE for WOW members. If you are feeling inspired and would like to jump in on your own the ArtBizBlog shows you how to create your own business Facebook page.

Check out some of our members' Facebook Pages

Bethels Beadwork
Felicia Follum Art and Design
Jill Hartley Paintings

Book Arts Video

2011-09-13T14:43:00.000-06:00

The opening for the Book Arts show was a success. If you did not make it to the opening, our hours are 11-5pm Monday - Friday. Thursday we will be open until 6pm. Here is a preview of the show.

Enjoy!

Laramie Art This Week

2011-09-06T16:24:00.000-06:00

Art Events this Week

Wednesday, September 7
   Compositions: Poetry in oil -  6 - 8pm. Art reception and show by Hillary Havlik, a University of Wyoming student.

Thursday, September 8
   Book Arts Opening and Reception - 6 - 8pm. Works of Wyoming is proud to present the opening for its first Book Arts show. Be sure to join us for a light snack and beautiful books made by Wyoming Artists. The opening will be held Thursday, September 8, from 6pm – 8pm and the work will be up through September 29th.
   Downtown Fashion Show - Downtown Laramie is excited to celebrate Fashions Night Laramie - an event to support downtown retailers. Participating merchants throughout downtown will host special events in their stores between 6:00 pm - 9 pm on Thursday, September 8th. Shoppers are encouraged to attend in fashionable attire. Please come out and support this event September 8th! If you have any questions about this event please contact Eileen Byrd, Byrd’s Paradise, at 742-2973 for more information. WOW Member Bethel Anthony and WOW Friend, Susan Soderberg will be showing their work at Byrd’s Paradise!
   Art Talk with Margo Grant Walsh - 7pm. An artists lecture hosted by the University of Wyoming Art Museum. Margo Grant Walsh is the collector behind "Silver and Metalwork of the 20th Century.

Friday, September 9
University of Wyoming Art Museum
   Gallery Walk Through with Margo Grant Walsh - 4:30pm
   Opening Reception for Fall Exhibitions - 6 - 8pm. Come celebrate the opening of our fall exhibitions. They include "Talismans of Protection from Chosŏn Korea: Antique Locks, Latches, and Key Charms," "Donovan Widmer: Small Metals," "300 Years of British Silver," "Silver & Metalwork of the 20th Century: The Margo Grant Walsh Collection" and "The West of Eliot Porter: Images of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah."

Book Arts Show

2011-09-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

Works of Wyoming is proud to present the opening for its first Book Arts show. Be sure to join us for a light snack and beautiful books made by Wyoming Artists. The opening will be held Thursday, September 8, from 6pm – 8pm and the work will be up through September 29th.

This event will be a great opportunity to network with other local artists and meet some of the new staff members here at WOW.

Artist Books Show at Works of Wyoming in Laramie Plains Civic Center

2011-07-27T17:01:00.001-06:00

Artist Books Call for Entries at Works of Wyoming!

Call for Entries Deadline is August 11th

Wyoming artists are invited to submit images for jurying for an artist books show at Works of Wyoming at Laramie Plains Civic Center. Deadline for submission is August 11th, 2011. Call 307-742-6574 to get a prospectus and application e-mailed to you.

The show will open September 8th with a reception from 6:00-8:00pm. It promises to be an interesting show considering all of the definitions.

Center for Book Arts founder Richard Minsky’s definition is our guide for the show.

“In Book Art the container works with the content. The materials are tactile and often relate to the metaphor of the text. In some cases there is no written text. The book is then a purely visual, totemic or iconographic work, in which the image, structure and materials are the content. The physical presence of a book, its feeling and smell, its weight, the process of moving through its pages or unfolding it speak to our deepest inner sensibilities. The very form speaks of knowledge preserved and communicated. It represents our ability to build on complex ideas which survive millennia beyond the cultures which created them.”

Rated M for Mature Artists Show

2011-06-09T15:22:00.000-06:00

Join us Thursday, June 30th, 5:30-7:30 pm at Works of Wyoming gallery for the opening of our Rated M for Mature Artists show. This show features a variety of work fromWyoming artists at least 60 years of age. Art includes everything from quilts to photos to glasswork. There will be snacks and entertainment as well and it is also a Laramie Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Event.

2011-06-09T15:13:00.000-06:00

Illuminations - Past, Present and Future

Scapegoat by Ray Jordan

A variety of art by Barry O'Riley, Ray Jordan and Jim Jereb is on display at Works of Wyoming until June 24th. Stop by the gallery located in the Laramie Plains Civic Center (710 E Garfield, Ste 271) to view the artwork during our hours we are regularly open: Monday-Friday, 1:00-5:00pm.

Wyoming Arts: Judges announced for 2011 Wyoming Arts Council visual arts fellowship competition

2011-05-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship Excellent Event!

Wyoming Arts: Judges announced for 2011 Wyoming Arts Council visual arts fellowship competition.

Sculptor Joshua Wiener from Louisville, CO, Mark Klett Landscape Photographer out of Tempe, Arizona, and Nancy Bowen, Mixed Media Artist from Brooklyn, will all be here in Laramie to judge the Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship Applications. It's a great opportunity to get together with accomplished artists to hear about public art process, welcome new ideas in landscape photography, and see how the pros compete for arts projects. Not to mention a free lunch and getting to know the Wyoming Arts Council staff. They are all really helpful and knowledgeable about opportunities for funding, for shows, and of course for professional development for artists. You've gotta come join us! It'll be fun to meet everybody.

Kathy Palochak

2011-05-12T10:54:00.000-06:00

Kathy Palochak, Pendant, "Amazonia"

Congratulations Kathy Palochak! She won the laptop at the Wind River Business Conference and Native American Business Expo. Kathy is a long-time accomplished jeweler in the Rawlins, Wyoming area who wants to do everything she can to continue to build her woman-owned business and be more responsive to her clients.
So Kathy came away with alot more tools to do her beautful work than she went to the Expo with. Just goes to show, to win, you have to sign up!

A statewide business conference hosted by the Central Wyoming College in Riverton, WY, on May 4, 2011, held a drawing for the laptop at the conclusion of the business conference.

Kathy said, “I wasn’t sure it was my name that was called. I was flabbergasted, tripping over my tongue, hoping I didn’t trip over my feet or drop the computer. I was just so stunned!”

The business conference had three different tracks that addressed the needs of small businesses: General Business, Government Contracting and Artisan. Each track taught ways of expanding markets in both traditional and innovative venues, including digital marketing and social media. The laptop computer was chosen with the goals presented in the conference in mind, with 500 GB of storage, Windows 7 operating system and HD graphics support.

She intends to use the computer to implement many of the ideas presented at the conference, with emphasis on digital presentation and social media. Although she has had a website for many years, she felt it was necessary to include other media such as Facebook, Etsy, Blogger and Flickr to be integrated as well.

The conference was sponsored by: Central Bank and Trust, Central Wyoming College, Chem Trade, Encana, First Interstate Bank, National Endowment for the Arts, Tribal Employment Rights Office, University of Wyoming, USDA Rural Development, Wells Fargo, Wind River Casino,Wind River Development Fund, Works of Wyoming, Wyoming Arts Council,Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming Community Foundation,Wyoming Entrepreneur,Wyoming Small Business Administration

Deb Stern, Laramie Artist and Small Business Woman, takes advantage of WOWs Marketing Services

2011-04-26T12:17:00.000-06:00

Tea Bag Holders from Deb Stern Pottery in Laramie, Wyoming

I interviewed Deb Stern, small business woman and owner of Deb Stern Pottery, about her experience with Chuck, our Works Of Wyoming Marketing Services Coordinator. She took advantage of his many years of award-winning expertise to help her art business. Here is what she said.

"I decided to make the phone call to schedule the two-hour, free consultation with the marketing consultant as I had been thinking of what I could do to increase my sales. The economy has made a definite difference in sales of my work and I felt I needed to do something more active on my end to stir things up. The announcement for this service came at a perfect time.

I was impressed with the flow of ideas from the consultant and felt he really did listen to me and what my business is about. (I was even more impressed when I saw his own work on his website and the adeptness portrayed on the computer!) I believe he/we came up with some really good starting ideas and feel that in the next few months, we will be working in that direction. I hope to follow through with "assignments" given to me and will schedule a meeting in the near future to follow up on our initial ideas. This was not an immediate "fix-it" action but a process in creating. I am very pleased with the results of that first meeting."

University of Wyoming Student Art League at Works of Wyoming

2011-04-19T14:18:00.000-06:00

University of Wyoming Student Art League Members
at Works of Wyoming Professional Development Center for Artists

SAL at WOW

The University of Wyoming Student Art League (SAL) was excited to have their annual show held at the WOW Professsional Development Center for Artists, a project of Wyoming Women's Business Center. There were ten UW students represented in the show. Artists showed works in watercolor, acrylic, oil painting, charcoal, graphic design, ink and wash, photography, mixed media, and ceramics. Secret Techniques, the University of Wyoming break dance crew, and a group of ballet dancers performed a dance they had choreographed.

Beth Cochran, SAL President, presented donations of kids art supplies from a SAL event and a “Thank You” card from SAL. Throughout the school year SAL takes a small group of students to Santa Fe, New Mexico to visit with galleries and working artists. We had lunch at artist Kevin Sloan's studio this past trip. SAL also takes a larger group of students to the Denver Art Museum. The group has held events like The Art Gear Swap, and collected donations for WOW.

SAL and WOW are looking forward to working together in the future. For more information on The Student Art League click here.

Good News about Wyoming Womens Business Ownership

2011-04-08T11:43:00.000-06:00

Fun News! Our own Andrea Presse,http://www.wyomingwomen.org/ who helps our clients get loans and training for small business ventures was featured on Channel 5 http://www.kgwn.tv/Global/story.asp?S=14391675 in Cheyenne. She spread the good news about the growth and health of women owned businesses here in Wyoming. Gail Watford, http://www.gailwatford.com/ an artist with Works of Wyoming worksofwyoming.org was featured as well. She shared the benefits of having her own art business. The benefits of owning your own business are many. It is a creative process, you design your own product or service according to your talents and vision. You can set your own schedule according to your customer needs and the service you provide. At Wyoming Women's Business Center we help determine what type of business skills or marketing might help give you greater ability to support yourself financially and spiritually.

Visit an Accomplished Western Artist in the Tetons of Wyoming

2011-04-08T11:15:00.000-06:00

Joanne Hennes
Plein Air Painting Below the Tetons

I talked to Joanne Hennes http://www.joannehennes.com/ the other day. We had a visitor in the Works of Wyoming Gallery who wanted to know more about her technique so I gave her a call. Joanne lives in a beautiful area near Teton National Park http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm and shared details of her life in art. What a life it is! It is full of joy and passion, you can just tell when she speaks to you. She is an extraordinarily accomplished artist and businesswoman, and a vibrant personality. She started out in theater and scenic art. I could definitely see how that experience led to the grand scale of the scenes she paints of the Tetons and the surrounding Wyoming landscape. She spends a lot of time out in nature. She loves music and has sung with a choir. She enjoys visiting about a wide range of subjects. Their studio is open to the public. Next time you’re near the Tetons go visit the studio, and have a wonderful time.

"The Crossing"
30x50 Oil on Canvas

Triangle X horses crossing the Buffalo river.

University of Wyoming Student Art League to be Showcased at WOW!

2011-04-05T15:21:00.000-06:00

Our next show will feature a variety of art from UW Students.

Please join us at Works of Wyoming for the opening April 15th, 6-8pm.

Save the Dates! Upcycled Fashion at WOW!

2011-03-31T10:47:00.000-06:00

"Mannequin" by Barry Riley

There is quite a bit happening at Works of Wyoming. We are going to be hosting the Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship judging on May 20-21st. There will be opportunities to meet the judges, maybe have your work reviewed and discussed, and hear about the renewed Artist Image Registry program from Mike Shay. We are setting the activities associated with the Fabulous Women show. It opens June 17th. Get your images in by June 3rd. It will include the Drab to Fab fashion show! Upcycle your old stuff, any old stuff, into haute couture, high fashion, wearable art. Art about, by, and for women will be shown in our gallery.

Life Drawing Class at Works of Wyoming

2011-03-30T16:28:00.000-06:00

Students Jimmy McGuire, (above-left and Denise Patton-below) at work in the Works of Wyoming classroom with instructor Mack Brislawn

Laramie artists comment on the Figure Show at WOW

2011-03-17T13:56:00.000-06:00

Wine Social by Jerry Glass

The Branding Iron, University of Wyoming's newspaper, featured the "Go Naked! Go Clothed! Go Figure! art display on view at Works of Wyoming gallery. The show is on view until April 1. Be sure and check it out. Works of Wyoming is a project of Wyoming Womens Business Center.

Deborah Britt, a new Wyoming Artist Roster Artist

2011-03-17T10:26:00.000-06:00

Stamped Box
Deborah Britt

Deborah Britt, a Works Of Wyoming Member and an artist with items in the gift shop, just got accepted as a Wyoming Arts Council Roster artist! Good going, Deborah!

Artist, Musician, and Photographer Jimmy McGuire

2011-03-17T09:56:00.000-06:00

Artist, Photographer, Musician, Jimmy McGuire has just been added to the Works of Wyoming member website list. Jimmy is always looking for a jam session and a chance to play any number of instruments to rock and roll. He is drawn to portrait photography of stage performers, sports events, artists, and loves to photograph fellow artists and musicians to capture their passion as they do what they do.

Agriculture and Art for a Healthy Forest

2011-03-15T13:27:00.000-06:00

Works of Wyoming will be presenting a new artist, Leroy Jons, in our gift store in a couple of weeks. Check him out. Mr Jons has been a part of the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) organization for many years. One of their initiatives is to partner with small businesses to find ways to harvest the beetle killed pine that has devastated our Rocky Mountain forests. The beetle-killed pine trees are obvious as you drive through the Medicine Bow National Forest west of Laramie. Leroy decided to do his part as an artist to upcycle and sustain our beautiful forests on a small but creative scale. He will be a really fun and energetic addition to our online store. He is using that pine to make old west style birdhouses and market them. We are fortunate to have some of his one-of-a-kind pieces. Once again, health and art meet. In this case, using diseased pine for art helps encourage a new and healthy forest.

Training in Figure Drawing

2011-03-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

At Works of Wyoming, here in Laramie at the Laramie Plains Civic Center, there will be a figure drawing workshop in conjunction with the Go Clothed! Go Naked! Go Figure! Show which runs through April 4th. Mack Brislawn will be teaching a three hour “Introduction to Classical Life Drawing” class. It is very affordable and includes supplies. All for $20! Join us! Register at Works of Wyoming, a project of Wyoming Women’s Business Center. (Art: Felicia Follum)

Lifelong learning for artists

2011-03-14T13:35:00.000-06:00

Do your work! Learning is the work! A client called in to ask about our microloan program here at Wyoming Women’s Business Center. I am always impressed by our prospective clients’ interest in learning new things on how to achieve their goals for success. They all begin with imagining success. They are learners at heart, I believe. Every tidbit of information is food for growth. Growth is on my mind. Spring may be coming, evidenced by no more minus teens and colder temperatures, and with it, our eagerness to jump on our bikes and ride the bike paths around town. It's warmer more often. I am thinking about planting an art installation in a forlorn piece of property nearby. Or at the very least, throwing some old potatoes out there to continue sprouting that have been sitting in the pantry too long. It is all due to our physiological memory of earth’s cycle of rejuvenation. Living and planting, and making things come alive and grow.

Yes, springtime is coming soon, (it just has to, please) to Laramie, and shedding our coats, we make ourselves ready for rejuvenation and stepping out of internal reflection. Works of Wyoming, is a project of Wyoming Women’s Business Center and a marketplace and studio space for artisans and craftspeople offering business and specialized training. We are hosting “Go Naked! Go Clothed! Go Figure!” to celebrate the human figure and the artists inclination throughout human history, to use the human figure as a symbol for change, and for growth and for learning new things.

More info on history of figurative art

Felicia Follum art

2011-03-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

When I see this picture a scene comes immediately to mind. It does what a picture is supposed to do. It tells a complete story!

With this single image, Felicia Follum, member artist of Works of Wyoming starts this blogger longing for spring. There was somebody walking a dog through this frame seconds ago. Now flowers are sprouting and the sun is shining. It is quiet now, but it was an exciting place only moments ago, and will soon be again. Nice!

Healthy=Profitable

2011-03-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

This blog about health and art and business was inspired by a trip to Ecuador and a lasting memory. One afternoon before heading out to start a month-long trek, we visited a high mountain village on market day. I came upon a small plaza near the center of town. This plaza was filled with a small mountain of wool socks and old wool clothing. Aside from thinking, “ Oh, so this is where lost socks go” it appeared that these socks and old clothes were awaiting being cleaned and processed and reborn into being recycled into all sorts of new other things. Baskets, blankets, other clothing, new yarn, for example. Upcycling =healthy business practice. It is an offshoot of the baby boomer trend toward simplifying our lifes. Simplifying our lives leads to Sustainability. Rural communities re-use and barter and distribute locally, and have always done so. But we are adept at reaching out and being creative with resources. I think about a family in the Platte Valley near Saratoga, Wyoming, who lease a portion of their property for grazing and who built a windbreak out of old tires, for their small herd of cattle. They collect old cars and sell the parts via the web. They are weavers and gardeners, use at least two alternative fuels and solar power, and are extremely successful, vibrant, small businesspeople. Their business is truly a very diverse and creative enterprise. It is also sustainable for their grandchildren, who are slowly taking the reins to keep the enterprises fresh and lively.

To stay current on how to support those Wyomingites wanting to start or sustain small businesses, representatives from the Wyoming Womens Business Center and Small Business Innovation Research program went to the Gro-Biz conference this past week of February 21st. Our representatives heard L. Hunter Lovins, President and founder of Natural Capital Solutions, speak about sustainability as an intergral component of profitability and her work consulting with all sizes of businesses. They came back excited about sustainability concepts and the emphasis on that concept as an avenue for small business profitability. I get excited about sustainability concepts and practices as avenues toward healthy business practice that extends to healthy practices for owners, owners' families, and owners' customers. In short, all of us who grew up with Earth Day, and with a renewal of conversation about whole food and conservation of resources, which includes adaptive re-use. Economic development for rural communities, like those all over Wyoming, can implement sustainable practices to help your business evolve and stay competitive and stay healthy for your families, your customers, and your community. Healthy=profitable.