GUIDELINES FOR ARTISTS

Through its residency program, Ucross encourages creative endeavor by providing studio space, living accommodations and time for individuals to concentrate on their work without distraction.

We look forward to your stay at Ucross. Writers, visual, and performance artists-in-residence make up a very small community that relies on the sensitivity and goodwill of its members to make it work. Please read the general information and several rules below that you should consider when making your decision to accept a residency.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE HOURS 
Meet our staff here.  

Our office is located in the Big Red Ranch House, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
Ucross provides transportation to and from Sheridan, Wyoming, and Buffalo, Wyoming. Strict observation of the below schedule is appreciated. 

Arriving by car: Please arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

Arriving by air: Ucross will provide transportation from the Sheridan County Airport (or hotel) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. See Traveling to Ucross sheet for more information. If your travel requires a flight that arrives after 4:00 p.m., you may consider flying in the day before your residency begins, staying overnight in a hotel and Ucross staff will pick you up the following morning. Recommended hotels are listed on our Traveling to Ucross, Wyoming information sheet. You may also contact the Residency Director to see if there are any options for a late pick-up.

Arriving by bus: Transportation from a bus station is be possible. Please contact the Residency Director prior to purchasing a bus ticket.

Hotel pickup: Ucross can pick you up from a hotel in Sheridan or Buffalo. Please contact the Residency Director to plan.

Please notify us of your travel plans a minimum of four weeks prior to your arrival. This will facilitate scheduling and transportation needs. A list of travel information is enclosed on our Traveling to Ucross, Wyoming information sheet.

Arrival at Ucross prior to your scheduled date is not possible. If you encounter a delay while traveling, please contact us as soon as possible at 307-737-2291. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Mountain Time. If it is after office hours, please contact the Residency Director.

Departures: On Friday, your departure day, you must vacate your bedroom and studio by 11:00 a.m. For departures that are scheduled later you may occupy any of the common areas until it is time for your departure.

Departing by air: Ucross will provide transportation to the Sheridan County Airport (or your hotel) between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

Departing by bus: Transportation to the bus station in Buffalo or Sheridan can be arranged. Please contact the Residency Director prior to purchasing a bus ticket.

CHARGES AND PERSONAL EXPENSES
Ucross cannot absorb miscellaneous personal expenses. Because we are isolated, we try to make available services that will enhance your experience at Ucross or help you meet your goals. Please plan ahead and contact the Residency Director prior to your arrival for local sources for supplies, equipment, transportation, and shipping.

Deposit
To reserve your Residency, we require a $50.00 refundable deposit along with the following forms by the specified date on your invitation:
 Confirmation
 Liability/Waiver Forms
 W9

If you cancel your Residency after submitting your deposit and form to Ucross, your deposit will not be refunded. Residents may apply gift shop purchases, postage and shipping fees against this deposit. The balance will be returned after the Foundation has collected all charges. Deposits are returned after the end of your residency session, typically within a month of your departure unless you opt to donate your deposit which helps to support future residencies for artists.

Supplies
We have limited office equipment and minimal tools available for resident use. We provide all linens and towels. Our living spaces and private quarters are fully furnished and equipped. View the full list of equipment and essential gear/supplies provided here.

You may ship supplies ahead of your arrival. Use the Ucross address as listed under the Mail section.

Copies, Printers and Fax 
There are printers available for resident use in all writing studios, composer cabins, the commons area of the visual arts studios, Buck’s Cabin, and the Foundation office. There is no charge for printing.

A copy/scanner machine and fax machine (307-737-2322) are available in the Foundation office. There is no charge for use. 

Wi-Fi Access
Wireless access is available throughout most of the campus, commons areas and studios. Coverage can be spotty at times due to weather and other factors. Login information is supplied in your rooms, studios, and common areas.

Telephones and Messages
In order to preserve a retreat environment, studios and bedrooms are not equipped with telephones. We respectfully request that cell phones be used in a manner that does not disturb others. Phone messages received through our office will be delivered to residents no later than at the end of the business day, unless there is an emergency. 

Transportation
Ucross provides arrival and departure transportation, and, in the event of inclement weather, an a.m. and p.m. trip to and from living quarters and studios. Residents working in the Rock Visual Studios, the Kocur Writing Retreat, Jesse’s Hideout or Jesse’s II (composer cabins) walk a distance of about two-thirds of a mile. Poor weather rarely interrupts this opportunity to be outside.

We offer a trip to town once a week (typically on Fridays) to Sheridan or Buffalo. The Residency Director will post information on the dining room refrigerator. If weather permits, an occasional scenic trip may be provided by a staff member during a session, but residents who hope to see a great deal of the area are encouraged to rent a car or drive their own vehicle. 

Mail
The nearest post office is located 10 miles from Ucross in Clearmont. UPS and FedEx pick up and deliver packages almost daily at the office. There is an ample supply of free recycled shipping material; boxes, envelopes, tape, and bubble wrap in the office. All mail, including UPS and FedEx, should be addressed to the Ucross main office as noted below:

(Your Name)
c/o Ucross Foundation
30 Big Red Lane
Clearmont, WY 82835

Meals
Ucross provides healthy, nutritious meals (lunch and dinner) cooked by our chef. Residents prepare their own meals at breakfast and on weekends. The School House kitchen is amply stocked with prepared food and raw ingredients for cooking. In consideration of the kitchen staff and fellow residents, we require that you clean up after yourself in the kitchen.

Lunch is prepared by the Ucross chef, Monday through Friday, and will be left at your studio door between noon and 12:30 p.m. 

A freshly prepared buffet-style dinner is served at the School House, Monday through Friday, at 6:00 p.m. While attendance is not required, promptness is greatly appreciated if you plan on joining fellow residents. Please give the chef ample notice if you will not need a lunch or attend dinner. Residents as a group are responsible for clean-up after dinner. 

Please note dietary restrictions on your Confirmation Form. Meals are prepared for a group and are planned to accommodate vegetarians and most food restrictions. We cannot accommodate individual meal requests. Every effort is made to ensure food safety. Please note that food is prepared in a communal kitchen that is used by the chef and other residents. Before accepting our residency offer, we encourage those with food allergies or intolerances to contact the Residency Director if you have any concerns. 

Alcohol and snack foods (chips, crackers, candy, soda, etc.) are not provided. Bring those with you or plan to get them on one of the weekly town trips.

The chef’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday - Friday. While the School House kitchen is never officially closed to residents, we request that residents make brief visits to the kitchen during the chef’s working hours. All studio spaces have access to common area kitchens, which are available 24 hours a day. All common areas have ample supplies of coffee, tea, and water, and include refrigerators and microwaves.

For more details on the food guidelines, please click here.

Room and Studio Maintenance
Ucross makes every effort to maintain its facilities in excellent condition at all times. Throughout our spring and fall session, ongoing daily maintenance is required to keep the grounds in order. Late spring and early fall residents should know to expect the sounds of lawn mowing and watering. Understanding that their work could cause disruptions, the maintenance staff will do their best to accommodate your work schedule if you ask them to come back at a later time. Please reach out to the Residency Director to arrange.

We will make every attempt to ensure that your studio meets your needs. Studios and bedrooms are pre-assigned and requests to switch these spaces cannot be accommodated. Private studios (visual, writing, and dance) are not cleaned during your residency, but supplies are at hand for you to use. All bedrooms, living areas, and composer cabins are cleaned on a weekly basis. Bathrooms (shared), in shared living and studio commons areas, are cleaned daily. The cleaning schedule will be shared during the on-site orientation and posted in the School House.

Laundry
Laundry facilities are available and located in the School House, Depot, Jesse’s Hideout and Jesse’s II. Ucross provides laundry detergent and unscented dryer sheets at no charge. We ask that you do not use the laundry facilities in the School House Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Depot Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  when they are in use by Housekeeping.

Smoking/Vaping
Smoking/vaping is not permitted in any of our buildings or on the screened porch at the School House. When smoking outdoors, ashcans are located outside all resident buildings and should be used exclusively. Burning candles and incense is prohibited.

Pets 
Ucross policy prohibits residents bringing their pets during their stay. No animals are permitted in residency buildings at any time.

Visitors
The residency program exists solely for working individuals who have been accepted through the selection process or through our partnerships. We do not extend overnight hospitality to non-residents including friends, family members, or others. There are no exceptions. The Residency Director can recommend hotels in the area if you expect visitors or if your arrival and/or departure involve traveling companions.

Orientation
All incoming residents are required to attend a one-hour orientation session given the day after your arrival. We will provide you with further details about the daily ins and outs of Ucross, access to trailheads and hiking paths, and answer any questions you may have about your time in residence.

Community Engagement
If you wish to engage with our larger community through our close connection with Sheridan College, please tick the box on your Confirmation Form. We will then share your information with the faculty at the college for their review and potential pairing with classes. With many factors at play, we cannot confirm that you will be scheduled but if there is an opening, we will contact you to ensure you are still interested and connect you with the interested instructor(s). 

Open Studios & Readings on Campus
You may wish to share your work within your Ucross community. If so, connect with your fellow residents, dinner is a great time to do so, and organize an event based on the groups interest level. The staff can provide you with projectors, screens/monitors, and speakers. You are not required to participate in the sharing of your work and attendance by fellow residents/staff is always optional. Please let the Residency Director know a few days in advance if you would like staff to be invited.

Code of Conduct
Ucross is committed to allowing all fellows to experience their residency free of harassment, discrimination, sexism, and threatening or disrespectful behavior. We reserve the right, without notice or refund of any related costs, to terminate the residency of those who engage in such conduct.

If you are involved in or witness something that violates this Code of Conduct, please notify someone on our staff, and we will work swiftly and discreetly to take appropriate action. 
Residents must uphold general standards of courtesy, decorum, and decency. 

The staff will observe a privacy policy and will not enter your studio without being invited. We ask residents to do the same and respect the privacy of others.

For all social networking, such as blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., or public posts of any sort, we request that you do not post names, photos or quotes of your fellow residents or Ucross staff without first requesting permission.  

The use of illegal drugs or the abuse of alcohol is prohibited on Ucross property. Firearms are not permitted. You are encouraged to report any problems to the Ucross Residency Director or President.

Disruptive behavior of any kind that adversely affects the residency environment will lead to immediate termination of your residency. 

Covid Protocol
Aiming to keep our artists and staff safe and healthy, Ucross follows the current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Please view our protocol here.

WELCOME TO THE UCROSS FAMILY
You are now part of the large and growing dynamic community of Ucross alumni. A group of independent artists, writers, and performers from around the world with whom we hope to create lifelong connections.

Please send your current news to [email protected], so we can share with our alumni community through our newsletter at ucross.org.

During your time in residence, please feel free to share images of Ucross and your experience here by emailing photos to [email protected] or tagging us on social media. Follow us here.

Updated November 15, 2023