News Release
January 8, 2009

Raina Spence to display art inspired by work as UW CES Master Gardener coordinator

Art inspired by Raina Spence’s work as the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service’s state Master Gardener coordinator will be on display Jan. 9-30 in UW’s ASUW Gallery.

The gallery is in the lower level of UW’s Wyoming Union. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The solo show will feature airbrush art of plants and mushrooms native to Wyoming and representative flowers from Wyoming gardens. Spence studied many of these plants during her travels around the state managing the Master Gardener program.

“Virtually all of the artwork was inspired by my time as the Master Gardener coordinator at UW,” Spence says. “Several collections will be shown, including ‘Wyoming Wildflowers,’ ‘In a Wyoming Garden,’ and ‘Wyoming Mountain Mushrooms.’”

As state Master Gardener coordinator, Spence directs approximately 300 volunteers in their efforts to educate citizens of their counties about gardening and landscape issues, including plant and mushroom identification.

Spence has worked in the UW College of Agriculture since 2002, holding positions including plant diagnostician and assistant state Master Gardener program coordinator before her promotion to state coordinator in March 2007.

She began creating airbrush art at the age of 15.

“Throughout my life, art has served both as a creative outlet and a secondary professional endeavor,” Spence said. “This show allowed me to combine both of my professional loves.”

Spence will host a closing reception at the gallery from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.

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Contact: Robert Waggener, Editor
Phone: (307) 766-3571
E-mail: robertw@uwyo.edu

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