Wyoming Governor's Show Purchase Award

Wyoming Arts Council

February 9 at 3:15pm ·

Purchase Award winners for the 2016 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition and Sale have been selected and will receive their awards during the show’s reception Thursday, Feb. 11.

The reception will take place from 5-7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. The show will be on display until March 5.
This year’s four purchase award winning artists include: Martin Hagen, of Jackson, for his bronze “Good Mule;” Dan Hayward , of Laramie, for his photograph “True Spanish Mustang Mare as the Sun Rises;” Joy Keown, of Laramie, for her painting “Dark Eyes;” and Valerie Seaberg, of Jackson, for her mixed media composition “Boot Spur Horse Hair Vessel with Buffalo Nickel.”
“Abu –‘Father’ in Most Semitic Languages,” a painting by Cheyenne’s Rachel Ondrak received the Governor’s Choice Award.

Valparaiso, Chile

On January 31st we arrived at port in Valparaiso and disembarked the ship for the last time.  We took a day tour with transport to the airport in Santiago.  We especially enjoyed the Fonck Archeology Museum and their collection of Easter Island artifacts.  In the Casablanca Valley we visited Puro Caballo with a demonstration of Chilean horsemanship.  Our overnight flight was uneventful and the most dangerous part of the trip was probably the ride home from DIA in a snowstorm.We were pleasantly surprised to have an Antarctica Expedition team aboard the ship.  On sea days, these folks gave PowerPoint presentations where we learned about the research, wildlife, history, and more.  Expedition member Cory led the birding each morning at sea, with a Royal Albatross sighting on our last sea day.  We made many new friends and enjoyed every moment of the journey.

Castro, Isla Chiloe, Chile

Visited UNESCO World Heritage sites on the Island of Chiloe, three different churches, and also a museum where we learned about the life of the people here.  One of the most interesting parts of the tour were the palacitos, wooden houses built on stilts along the Gamboa River. The folks harvest shellfish and clams when the tide is low, and go fishing when the tide is high.  Yesterday we visited Puerto Chacobuco, Chile where we hiked a trail to a waterfall on a nature preserve, enjoying the beauty of the perennial rainforest.

Punts Arenas, Chile

Another early morning with an excursion to Magdalena Island Penguin Reserve where we saw thousands of Magellan Penguins with their downy young.  These penguins make burrows in the ground for their nesting, and we thought this quite appropriate because the wind was so strong it was difficult to walk!  There were also Kelp Gulls nesting here with their young, and hundreds of South American Terns.  The Penguins were entertaining to watch as the fed their young or waddled to shore to swim or fish.  One was especially so as he pulled on a man's trousers with his beak. Most of the time the Penguins completely ignored their human admirers, but who knows what that penguin was attempting to do?

Ushuaia, Argentina

Early start this morning, took the End of the World Train to Tierra del Fuego National Park, visiting Ensenada Bay.  Upon returning, we walked along the harbor at Ushuaia and enjoyed the scenery and waterfowl.  In the afternoon, there was scenic cruising on the Beagle Channel with the snow covered peaks of the Andes Mountains.  The numerous peaks, waterfalls and glaciers make it the most spectacular mountain scenery ever.

Cape Horn, Argentina

Arrived at Cape Horn, the southern-most tip of South America after another rough passage over the Drake.  Going outside we soon learned the meaning of the Roaring Forties.  The weather did not seem to bother the many albatross though.  We are scheduled to arrive at Ushuia, Argentina tomorrow.

Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica

An overcast grey day at Palmer Archipelago where we had visitors to the Vaandam from the Palmer Research Station.  These folks told us about the research being conducted in the Antarctic as well as the logistics of life there.  We cruised the Le Maire Straight enjoying spectacular vistas.  In the morning it was comfortable enough be outside, but the visibility became poor and there were snow flurries by mid-afternoon.  The folks from Palmer Research Station left the ship at one PM.  We will not soon forget the sight of those two small boats passing a giant iceberg as they entered the bay on their way back to the station.  The white landscape and grey-blue ocean framed the folks aboard, who looked like small red dots.  It is difficult to imagine the life they must lead in such an isolated and inhospitable frozen landscape.