Need a laugh? Foolish fun is on the way.

Gather your team, grab your cameras, and dig out your props and wigs—it’s almost showtime! Fool’s 48 registration closes Thursday, March 27 at 11pm. Meet us at the event kickoff Friday at 5:30pm.

For those not in the know, every year close to April Fool's Day the VCA launches the Fool's 48 Short Film Project, during which participating teams spend 48 *foolish* hours writing, shooting, and editing a 4–7 minute movie. We then celebrate their work with a public showcase of the films the following Monday. This year's showcase is on March 31.

Want in on the action? Just make sure you have at least one team member who is a resident of Vermillion (USD students count!) and all filming is done in Clay County.

Showcase tickets go on sale March 28 at coyotetwin.com.

Wine & Watercolor Painting Session

Join us for a watercolor session with guest artist Phyllis Packard. Registration includes supplies and (of course!) a glass of wine.* All experience levels welcome.

Fiber artist Phyllis Packard is this month's artist on exhibit in the Coyote Gallery. Her landscape-inspired weavings and felted pieces are often based on watercolor sketches. She also pioneered the technique of enhancing and blending weavings with watercolor paints.

Registration includes two sheets of watercolor paper, a set of paints, three brushes, and a glass of wine. Those with their own supplies are welcome to bring them. This session is hosted by Davida Art Company and Vermillion Cultural Association.

*Nonalcoholic beverage may be substituted. 

As painter and weaver whose career spans sixty years, Phyllis Packard is inspired by the land, water, and sky of the prairie and South Dakota, particularly the idyllic view of the Missouri River valley she has out her home workshop windows. Her landscapes are produced through watercolor weaving, traditional tapestry weave, and needle felting.

Packard’s weavings are made from vibrantly dyed wool and silk fibers that blend and bleed into captivating impressions of the Missouri River’s seasons and prairie skies. The fresh 3D tapestries bounce to life, while the wispy needle felts whisk you into a escapist moment. The exhibit is a splash of color perfect for welcoming spring.

My Missouri River Valley will be on display in the Coyote Gallery at 12 E. Main, Vermillion, until April 28.

We did it, friends! Thanks to all your votes, Verm has been named this year's Best Small Town Art Scene! You can check out USA Today’s full top 10 list and then read the Argus Leader’s “How Vermillion Became the Best Small Town Art Scene in the US.” The Volante at USD also printed a piece on the win. And before poll closed this year, Plain Talk helped rally votes with a great article on why Verm is coolest.

Photo by Aaron Packard