THE UCROSS CHAPEL
The interdenominational Ucross Chapel opened to the public on July 1, 2011, and it has since become a beloved landmark in the area. Its architectural design was inspired by The Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, a church that Ucross Founder Raymond Plank had visited and admired. (It is said to be the most photographed church In New Zealand.) The Chapel was dedicated by Father Michael Flecky, a Ucross artist and Jesuit who teaches art at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
The chapel's design is a tribute of respect to the Church of the Good Shepherd, as well as a reflection of the historic working Ucross ranch—a beautiful new structure made of useful old materials. Most of the stones on the Chapel’s exterior came from homesteads in the Great Falls area of Montana dating back to the 1800s. (The stonework was done by Bob Hruza of Dayton, Wyoming, who also did the masonry for the Ucross visual art studios, a composer's studio, and the magnificent fireplace in the Raymond Plank Center.) The pews were sourced from a historic church in Buffalo, and all of the wood in the Chapel is reclaimed, including the hand-hewn timbers used for the walls, the rafters, and the ridge beam.
Glass artist Nancie Furnish, owner of Goose Creek Art Glass in Sheridan, created the stained glass window that graces the Chapel, a design inspired by Raymond Plank’s lifelong commitment to trees and the natural beauty of Wyoming. The chapel itself was designed by Jeff Robertson of Billings, with construction led by Michael Plank, who oversaw the construction of nearly every Ucross facility, including the historic Big Red complex.
The interdenominational Ucross Chapel opened to the public on July 1, 2011, and it has since become a beloved landmark in the area. Its architectural design was inspired by The Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, a church that Ucross Founder Raymond Plank had visited and admired. (It is said to be the most photographed church In New Zealand.) The Chapel was dedicated by Father Michael Flecky, a Ucross artist and Jesuit who teaches art at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
The chapel's design is a tribute of respect to the Church of the Good Shepherd, as well as a reflection of the historic working Ucross ranch—a beautiful new structure made of useful old materials. Most of the stones on the Chapel’s exterior came from homesteads in the Great Falls area of Montana dating back to the 1800s. (The stonework was done by Bob Hruza of Dayton, Wyoming, who also did the masonry for the Ucross visual art studios, a composer's studio, and the magnificent fireplace in the Raymond Plank Center.) The pews were sourced from a historic church in Buffalo, and all of the wood in the Chapel is reclaimed, including the hand-hewn timbers used for the walls, the rafters, and the ridge beam.
Glass artist Nancie Furnish, owner of Goose Creek Art Glass in Sheridan, created the stained glass window that graces the Chapel, a design inspired by Raymond Plank’s lifelong commitment to trees and the natural beauty of Wyoming. The chapel itself was designed by Jeff Robertson of Billings, with construction led by Michael Plank, who oversaw the construction of nearly every Ucross facility, including the historic Big Red complex.