Stroll to the music Friday

ArtStroll musicians will be featured at the Second Friday ArtStroll, Jan 8, 5-8 p.m. along with refreshments, “make it and take it” heart necklace and demonstrations.

Host business Broadway Bygones will feature musical artists Michael Wright and Jacky Wright and friends. Michael decided to get into music after he woke up from knee surgery and Jacky said the surgeon told her to tell him that he needed to stop playing volleyball.  “I needed another diversion”, says Michael. So around 6 years ago Michael started playing the upright stringed bass at the Bluegrass Academy, organized by Joan and Zieb Stetler.  “The first night we played songs together and actually made music. No scales, theory lectures, technique exercises… we played music”. That was the hook for Michael.

Jacky started learning guitar in 2010 with the hope of being able to play some tunes around the camp fire. It quickly became a passion and despite having no plans to sing she was soon singing. Jacky began by playing during the monthly jams and getting together with friends. She has even been known to sing a solo occasionally. Jacky says with a smile, “I am hoping that one day I will find those B chords on my guitar”.

Stepheny Butcher will be playing the guitar and singing.  Butcher is the daughter of Glenda Ramsey, a well-known musician in Hot Springs County. Music has always been a huge part of her life. She has loved singing since she was little. A classically trained violinist and fiddler, she started playing at the age of eight. In middle school she played in a steel drum band in Billings, Mont. In her 20s she moved to Jacksonville, Fla. where she began to play the guitar and to write Christian music. She was in a few bands, and has recorded a couple of CDs. In the past few years Butcher learned to play the piano. She loves to lead worship at churches, and will play her music whenever and wherever God allows.

Another featured musician is Harold Hutson. Hutson was born and raised in Colorado to a musical family. After retiring and moving to Thermopolis, he pursued his music, which includes bluegrass, jazz, blues and gospel. He sings, plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. Hutson and his wife, Becky, can also be seen playing during the music jams.

Rick Phipps and Shawn McWilliams are familiar faces to the stroll.

The featured artist for January’s ArtStroll is Gayle Phipps. Gayle was born in Connecticut and drew pictures constantly as a child. Art was her favorite subject in school. After taking John Gnagy Art Lessons as a youth, she took one year of art at the University of Connecticut. Marriage and children took over as her focus with little time to draw. A few years ago she decided to get back into her art and again began to take classes. Working mostly in pastels, Phipps recently branched out into water soluble oils.

Linda Simpson is a jewelry maker and loves to share her craft with others. She will be doing demonstrations during the Second Friday ArtStroll, including wiring weaving using different gauges of silver wire or sometimes colored wire wrapped and woven around a stone or bead in a complementing way.

Special out-of-town guests are Kelli A. and Timothy T. Wesaw of Fort Washakie. Kelli A. Wesaw works in fused glass to create three-dimensional objects. Kelli is also one of the artists who is offering the ArtStroll Art Activity. This month’s strollers will be painting a heart necklace during the make it and take it activity.

Timothy T. Wesaw works in free-form silver works, or what he calls “Crude style.” “I’ve been working in the Crude style for about a year,” he said, “and I really enjoy working with precious metals.” He often combines rough silver with precious stones, which he polishes, cuts and makes into cabochons. “Most of the stones come from the Wind River Mountains, but if it’s something like emeralds, then I have to special order those.”

Other artists along the stroll path include Lindsay Hensley, Andrea Linn, Joyce Fletcher and Jane Oldridge will be demonstrating textiles. Jewel Siever will be showing her jewelry at the ArtStroll.

Be sure to pick up a map at one of the businesses. Drop off your map at Broadway Bygones at the end of Friday night’s stroll to enter to win certificates and door prizes given by the artists and businesses.

The ArtStroll is sponsored by Smoking Waters Art Guild, Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation, Wyoming Arts Council, Hot Springs Travel & Tourism and Main Street Thermopolis.