poetry

The Genoa Cowboy Festival is just starting, and I suspect that’s where Calamity Jane would be spending her birthday. If not there, than maybe up in Virginia City: today marks the first ‘Flashback Friday’ of the year, when all of the museums have free admission. Tonight she could catch some laughs at Carson Comedy in the Nugget or at the Brewery Art Center for First Friday Improv. Saturday she'd likely trade in her six-shooter for a wine glass, because it is Wine Walk Weekend.
FRIDAY:

• ’Drink One for Dane’ Muscular Dystrophy Association Fundraiser at Dutch Bros Coffee
• Genoa Cowboy Festival: A variety of daytime events are FREE at the Cowboy Festival including: Chautauquas, Living History Tours, Musical Performances, Cowboy Poetry, Melodramas, and Historical Reenactments

Artist and painter Paula M. Saponaro presents the final SENarts “Work of Artists” program for 2015 with “RenoScapes,” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at the Nevada Legislative Building in Carson City. Saponaro will share insights of her inspiration for her latest series “NV150 RenoScapes,” a portfolio that honors some of the Biggest Little City’s most iconic images.

Two talented Nevada poets earned special recognition from the Nevada Arts Council through fellowships granted in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts in 2015. Laura Wetherington and Jared Stanley will speak of their work and read poetry during a free program and reception at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at Western Nevada College, Main Gallery, 2201 West College Parkway, Carson City.

Poetry lovers are in for a treat on Thursday, May 7, at Western Nevada College in Carson City. Published poets Laura Wetherington and Jared Stanley are scheduled to read starting at 4 p.m. in WNC’s Main Gallery.

“I don't know how long it's been since WNC had poets read here who have actually published books, but it's been quite a while,” said Douglas Barrett, Ph.D., an English instructor at WNC, is coordinating the event.

Barrett said that Wetherington and Stanley, who teach at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, bring a contemporary style to poetry.

The exhibition “White Pine County Artistry,” with landscape paintings of Dawn Dot Star debuts at the Nevada Arts Council’s LXS Gallery at the Nevada State Legislative Building in Carson City on April 27. The artist specializes in watercolor and pencil depictions of rural Nevada.

Nevada Assemblyman PK O’Neill, District 40, has partnered with Western Nevada College Foundation in an effort to raise funds to continue the Always Lost: A Meditation on War exhibit’s national tour and ongoing maintenance.

Created in 2008 by Western Nevada College faculty and students as a class project to memorialize the costs of war, the exhibit most notably includes the Wall of the Dead comprised of photos and names of the U.S. service members that have fallen during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars since Sept. 11, 2001.

Are you looking for a good time tonight? You’ve come to the right place. Whether it’s live music, comedy, karaoke, swing dancing, or the monthly World Dance Open Floor performance, Carson City has something for everyone. The inaugural Cinderella Father-Daughter Dance is at Carson High School tonight, so grab your favorite princess(es) and enjoy a night of magic.

FRIDAY:

• Capital City Farm Days Celebrates All Things Agriculture at Fuji Park (8am-2pm; free, open to the public)
• Final Day of ’Second Skin’ by artist Sarah Lillegard at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)
• Last Day to get $12 Vouchers for the Reno Aces vs. Albuquerque game Sunday at Mark Twain Elementary School, 2111 Carriage Crest Drive

Friends, relatives and neighbors: Today is your last chance to catch the Youth Theatre Carson City ensemble in the spectacular performance of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' at the Bob Boldrick Theater in the Community Center. The 2 p.m. final performance is a must-see. Congratulations cast. Up next is Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company's "Music Man" which opens May 8. Go here for more information.
SUNDAY:

• Carson City BMX Racing begins at the Pete Livermore (Edmonds) Sports Complex: 1555 Livermore Lane (signups 9am-10am; must be USABMX member)
• 41st Anniversary Nursery-wide Sale at the Greenhouse Garden Center (9am-5:30pm)
• Doodads Emporium Closing Sale at 300 Main St., Silver City (10am-6pm)
• Bingo fundraiser for Meals on Wheels at the Carson City Senior Center (doors 11am, 12:30-4pm; $10, must be 21+)
• Carson City Historical Society Sunday Afternoon Tea at the Foreman-Roberts House: 1207 N. Carson St. (1pm-3pm; $35; to RSVP call DD Spenser 775-741-7897 between 10am-2pm, space limited to 18)

Where to begin? How about with a Slurpee? 7-Eleven is having a ‘bring your own cup’ day and if your vessel fits through a ten inch cut-out hole, then you can fill it up for $1.49. Get creative! Take that slushy treat with you to the kick-off of the Carson City BMX season at the Livermore Sports Complex. Play some games at Nerdvana as they celebrate International Tabletop Day, or enjoy the bounce house, face painting, games and more at the WNC Deaf Fun Day to cap off Deaf Pride Week.

SATURDAY:

• EAA Sierra Chapter #403 Young Eagle Flights (open to ages 8-17; registration 8am at the Airport Terminal Building, orientation 8:30am; free) Coffee and Donuts (8am-12pm, all welcome) at 2500 E. College Pkwy
• Gigantic Sale to benefit local charities at St Paul's Lutheran: 1201 N. Saliman (8am-1:30pm; fill a bag $3 starts at 12pm)
• Spring Craft and Vendor Faire at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church: 1837 Mountain St. (9am-3pm, free)

Artist and painter Paula M. Saponaro presents the final SENarts “Work of Artists” program for 2015 with “RenoScapes,” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at the Nevada Legislative Building in Carson City. Saponaro will share insights of her inspiration for her latest series “NV150 RenoScapes,” a portfolio that honors some of the Biggest Little City’s most iconic images.

National Library Week will kick-off Sunday, April 12, 2 p.m., at the Carson City Library with a performance by “Primal Mates." This program has been described as “a delightful meeting of music and poetry ranging from Shakespeare to Kerouac.”

Take a walk with the Visitor’s Bureau as they help kick-off National Public Health Week. Meet at the new visitors’ center next to the Nevada State Museum at noon for a short walk to an undisclosed location. For more downtown walk options, check out the health walk series tab on the Visit Carson City app.

MONDAY:

• Carson School District Spring Break
• Tartan Day at the Legislature
• Customer Appreciation Month: free small iced coffee today at Dunkin Donuts
• OPENING DAY: ‘The Observation and Conclusion’ by artist Joseph Watson at the LXS Gallery in the Legislature Building

This event runs in conjunction with National Library Week (April 12-April 18); an annual celebration sponsored by the Friends of the Carson City Library.

Don't forget my author book signing event will be held during the wine walk in Carson City. It will be at Comma Coffee 312 S. Carson Street, 1 to 5 p.m. during the Downtown Carson City Wine Walk, April 4, 2015

Generational Gifts: The Legacy Of Evelyn Marie: My grandmother left a legacy when she passed from this life. In a folder containing hundreds of her unpublished poems I discovered a treasure. Her poems told of her dreams and disappointments, her love and loss, and her resilience in an era of economic depression and world war.

At 100 years old, Hilman Tobey fashions stone into American Indian art in a form he learned late in life. In a quietly reflective video, Tobey shows an apprentice how his pieces take shape and inspiration for use in traditional ceremonies. A Nevada Arts Council grant helped create “Pipe Makers of the Great Basin.” The film premiered in February and is now online at nac.nevadaculture.org under Nevada Stories.

A Multi-faith invocation will launch “Earth Day” celebrations in Reno on April 26. Religious statesman Rajan Zed will direct this special multi-faith invocation; which will include Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Native American and Baha’i prayers focused on healthier environment and respecting the nature of the planet we live on.

This over 20-years old annual all-day (10 am to 6 pm) free event in Reno’s about 40-acres Idlewild Park is expected to attract over 20,000 people from all over the region in Nevada and nearby California.

A bright spot on the second floor brings life and color to the Nevada Legislative Building in celebration of Youth Art Month. Created by children of all ages during the Arts for All Nevada workshops earlier this year, the works show how, students, some with special needs, express creativity and talents with multi-media on paper.

The sixth annual Genoa Cowboy Festival will be held April 30 to May 2 in the Town of Genoa, Nev. Previous Cowboy Festivals have attracted thousands of visitors to the picturesque community located in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Genoa, widely recognized as Nevada’s oldest town, is a short 45-minute drive south from Reno and in close proximity to South Lake Tahoe.

If you have the kind of luck that brings rain as soon as you wash your car, please drive over to Squeaky’s Car Wash at the corner of Highway 50 E and Lompa Lane. It’s their opening weekend and they are offering free car washes and raising funds for the Carson City Community Counseling Center.

If you consider yourself adventurous, then the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in Virginia City is for you. It’s not nicknamed the Testicle Festival for nothing! If you need some liquid courage, take part in the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade heads down C Street at noon.

Gardnerville artist Sonia Carlson hosts a free Chinese Calligraphy workshop at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19 as part of the Nevada Arts Council’s “Work of Artists” series at the Nevada Legislative Building in Carson City.

The event runs until 5 p.m. in Room 3100. All “Work of Artists” presentations are free and open to the public.
Growing up in Zhangzhou, China, Carlson learned calligraphy in school and folk dances from her family.

International author and poet L.E. Hart will be at the Browsers Corner Book Store Thursday, March 19th, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. His new book, “You’re There, I’m Here” is a collection of over 100 poems describing a love story.

Join us for a wonderful evening while Mr. Hart shares his story of putting the book together and reads some of his favorite poems from the book. Books will be available for purchase and to be signed by the author. Mr. Hart will compose a special poem for one lucky member of the audience.

There’s a good chance that you are viewing this on a phone. I think that Alexander Graham Bell would be blown away with how far his invention had come in the 139 years since he first said ‘Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you’. Today is the birthday of the first telephone call."

The athletics program at Western Nevada College is facing drastic cuts. A group is forming to seek ways to fundraise and keep our Wildcats in the game. Head over to the Legislature Building this morning at 10 a.m.; you’re looking for room 2149.

All Carson High School seniors will be visiting the Nevada State Legislature during one of their government classes these next two weeks. This is a memorable and relevant experience for our senior class and a key component of their civics education. The field trip will be contained within the government class period.

The Mile High Jazz Band with vocalist Cindee LeVal will be joined by nine poets and readers for "Open Windows," a lively evening of big-band jazz music and poetry.

The event will be on Tuesday, March 10, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, across the street from the state legislature building in Carson City. Admission is $5 general and free for age 18 and under.

Carson City native Michelle Lassaline is featured in a special SENarts event at the Nevada Legislature from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24. Lassaline invites the public to meet and interact with some of her fanciful characters, including the Highland Cow, Pashmina Goat, Mountain Bluebird, and Wild Burro. Her presentation is part of “The Work of Artists,” a series of programs scheduled throughout the legislative session. Admission is free.

The words of great poets come to life on stage across the state as more than 3,100 high school-aged students compete to represent their county at the 10th Annual Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Finals at the Siena Hotel in Reno on March 14, 2015 from noon to 3 p.m.

First things first. Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, so I’m reminding you to make reservations for your favorite restaurant if you haven’t already. Check out the Carson Mall’s Craft Fair and Gift Sale or any of Carson City’s great shops like Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, Evergreen Gene’s, Morley’s Books, the Artisan Store at the Brewery Arts Center or Purple Avocado for something special for that special someone.

Sarah Lillegard works in what she calls second skin. The Reno artist featured in the latest show at the Office eXhibition Series Gallery works in fabrics that explore group identity, belonging and symbols, in garments sometimes called clan jackets.

The attire is said to communicate meaning, cultural legacies and myths. The OXS exhibit “Second Skin” is free at the Nevada Arts Council, 716 N. Carson St., in Carson City, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 17. Lillegard will discuss her work at a public reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, with an artist talk at 6:15.

“Pine Spirit” by Sande Rowan comes to the Legislative eXhibition Series Gallery Feb. 2 Working with Native American basket makers in the Southwest, Sande Rowan learned coiling techniques she incorporated into her own style as a professional basket maker. Her “Rainbow Spiral” pine needle basket is among her works featured in “Pine Spirit” at the Legislative eXhibition Series Gallery Feb. 2-20 in the Nevada Legislative Building.

It's "big-band jazz times three" when the Mile High Jazz Band, Carson High Jazz Band, and Carson Middle School Jazz Band present the 12th annual combined concert, the Mile High-Carson High Jazz Extravaganza..

The Extravaganza is Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, 7 p.m., in the Bob Boldrick Theater at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street. The event is sponsored by the Mile High Jazz Band Association and the Carson City Band Association as a benefit for Carson High instrumental music programs.