Ucross and Houston Ballet announced today the inaugural recipient of the Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross: Jack Wolff of Houston, Texas. In July, Wolff, a choreographer and dancer in company at Houston Ballet, will experience two weeks of uninterrupted time and space at Ucross, the acclaimed artist residency program on a 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming. Wolff will be joined by fellow Houston Ballet dancers Aoi Fujiwara of Osaka, Japan, and Eric Best of Indianapolis, Indiana, with whom he will collaborate on his choreographic project. During his Ucross residency, Wolff hopes to “create and explore movement inspired by events from my own life: modern-day issues within family dynamics, such as infidelity and divorce,” he said. “I will be using Rachmaninoff Piano Suites, which have such drama and have augmented my inspiration for the work. I will be working with one male dancer and one female dancer, who will be asked to explore classical ballet language, gritty contemporary movement, and more. “I’m excited to find the relationship between the dancers, the music, and ideas of familial issues,” Wolff continued. “These modern conflicts have become more common in society, and I find it important to bring representation of such events to the ballet stage.” Wolff joined Houston Ballet as an apprentice in 2018 and is currently a demi soloist after his promotion in winter 2022. Wolff started his training at Precision Dance Academy, Houston METtoos, and Houston Ballet Summer Intensives. In 2015, he moved to New York City to train at American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School on full scholarship. While living in New York, Wolff was awarded Young Arts winner in Tap, represented the JKO School at ABT at Prix de Lausanne, and at 16 years old made his professional debut in Bulgaria as a guest artist with iMEE, a company under the direction of Spencer Gavin Hering and Andrea Dawn Shelley. Since being in the company at Houston Ballet, Wolff has worked with respected choreographers such as Arthur Pita, Justin Peck, Azure Barton, Disha Zhang, and Trey McIntyre. In 2022, Wolff performed in McIntyre’s world premiere of Pretty Things and had his principal role debut as Peter in McIntyre’s Peter Pan. Wolff has also been invited to choreograph for both Houston Ballet II and the Houston Ballet main company. He had his choreographic premiere with his piece PIEL in May 2022. “We look forward to welcoming Jack Wolff, as well as participating dancers Aoi Fujiwara and Eric Best, for the first Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “It has been an honor to work with Lauren Anderson and the Houston Ballet to organize this partnership, which nurtures choreographers and performers by giving them time, free of distractions, in our stunning new dance studio and performance space.”
Awarded annually, the fellowship includes exclusive access to the Lauren Anderson Dance Studio in the Koehler Performing Arts Center, which opened in December 2022 as part of Ucross’s 40th Anniversary. The state-of-the-art studio features large accordion-style doors that open onto a concrete patio, allowing artists to cross between the sprung-floor dance studio and the open air. A green room and second-story observation room are also part of the 2,200 square-foot performing arts center. In addition to the private studio space, the fellowship includes living accommodations for the recipient and all collaborators, meals by a professional chef, staff support, a stipend, and the unparalleled experience of the High Plains on Ucross’s ranch. The fellowship and dance studio are named for Lauren Anderson, the first Black principal ballerina at Houston Ballet. Anderson performed leading roles across the world to great critical acclaim from 1983 to 2006. Today, she conducts master classes and gives lectures for Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement program. Anderson will continue to help select recipients of the residency named in her honor. “Excited doesn't begin to describe it: I am thrilled to announce Jack Wolff as the first fellow in residence at Ucross,” Anderson said. “His creativity and commitment to having art reflect life promises an inspiring fusion of movement and emotion. This residency marks a significant milestone in fostering artistic expression and collaboration between Ucross and Houston Ballet, and I am honored to have my name on this residency." The Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross is fully funded, thanks to a generous donation by Deborah and Edward Koehler and the Raymond Plank Philanthropy Fund (RPPF). That endowed fund gift provides funding for an annual Houston Ballet residency at Ucross in perpetuity, strengthening the bond between Ucross, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas, by connecting Ucross to one of the largest and most influential ballet companies in the United States. To elevate the Ucross experience for dancers, choreographers, performers, and collaborative groups, Deborah Koehler, executive director of the RPPF and former Ucross Foundation trustee, also provided a leadership gift to support the construction of the studio and performing arts space in 2022. Ucross Art Gallery announces today the opening of Celebrating Complexities, on view from February 12 through May 17. The exhibition features art by the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists, including Gerald Clarke (Cahuilla Band of Indians) of Anza, California; Savannah LeCornu (Tsimshian, Haida, and Nez Perce) of Bellingham, Washington; Mikayla Patton (Oglala Lakota Nation) of State College, Pennsylvania; and Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Celebrating Complexities showcases the work of four talented artists who work across many different mediums, including photography, sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, beading, quillwork, and basketmaking. Hailing from diverse backgrounds, geographies, and tribal affiliations, they are at different stages in their careers. Each artist explores and celebrates complex ideas in their work, looking at the specific to elucidate the universal. They emphasize their connections to their families, their ancestors, and their communities, presenting an Indigenous worldview that encompasses the past, the present, and the future. They are reclaiming materials and techniques, narratives and identities, and their work tells rich contemporary stories about people and cultures that are vital and thriving. The exhibition is guest curated by Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation) of Portland, Oregon, a recipient of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists in 2018, the first year of the program. “I’m honored to come back now to curate this exhibition of works by these recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists,” Mallory said. “Having the opportunity to study their work closely, to listen to their public talks, to delve deeper into their thinking and motivations has been enriching and gratifying. It makes me appreciate anew what Ucross can provide to Native artists.” Launched in 2018, the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists was designed to support the work of contemporary Native American visual artists at all stages in their professional careers. Each year, two artists are selected and presented with a four-week Ucross residency, which includes uninterrupted time, a private studio, living accommodations, meals prepared by a professional chef, staff support, and the unparalleled experience of the majestic High Plains. The fellowship also includes the opportunity to be featured in an exhibition at the Ucross Art Gallery and a $2,000 award. “I am grateful to Ucross not only for creating the Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists and for the opportunity it affords these artists to advance their themes and careers, but also the opportunity for us, the viewers who see the work, to broaden our own thinking and worldview through their considerations and creations,” Mallory said. Celebrating Complexities is on view at the Ucross Art Gallery, located at 30 Big Red Lane in Clearmont, Wyoming, through May 17. Admission is free. The exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Additional exhibition support is provided by the Arete Design Group and the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The onsite Ucross Café, which offers coffee, tea, and freshly baked pastries by the Ucross artist residency chef, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Friday, May 3, Ucross will present an artist talk at Sheridan College’s Kinnison Hall at 11 a.m. (registration here), as well as an exhibition reception at the Ucross Art Gallery at 6 p.m. (free tickets here). Both events will be free and open to the public. After the exhibition departs the Ucross Art Gallery, Celebrating Complexities will travel to the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, where it will be on view from June 21 to October 6, 2024. For more information, visit ucross.org. This week, Ucross launched its spring session, welcoming its first group of artists-in-residence in 2024. From February through early June, 62 artists — writers, visual artists, composers, choreographers, and interdisciplinary artists — will receive residencies at the renowned program, which is located on a 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming.
“We are honored to support these exceptional artists and their work,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “Our program continues to be a beacon for artists from around the country, and we look forward to providing each of them with open space and uninterrupted time.” Notable Ucross Fellows this session include famed jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington of Woburn, Massachusetts; PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author Alyssa Songsiridej of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; painter Margaret Curtis of Tryon, North Carolina; and performance artist Sharon Mashihi of Brooklyn, New York. Fellowships range from two to six weeks, with a maximum of 10 artists in residence at one time. Ucross Fellows receive a private studio, living accommodations, meals by a professional chef, and the unparalleled experience of the majestic High Plains. The residency is fully funded and includes a stipend to defray expenses. Ucross has two open calls each year. This session’s roster includes general Ucross residents selected from 635 applicants by an independent jury of artists and leaders in the field, as well as the 2024 recipients of the Ucross Fellowships for Native American Visual Artists and Writers. In addition, several artists will join the program through partnerships with esteemed national organizations, including the PEN/Hemingway Award, Rice University Shepherd School of Music, University of Houston, and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. The artists will travel to Ucross from 21 states, as well as Canada and Poland. The Spring 2024 Ucross Fellows are: LITERATURE Brittany Allen; Fiction; Brooklyn, NY Jeffery Allen; Nonfiction; Chicago, IL Judith Baumel; Poetry; Bronx, NY Mahogany Browne; Fiction; Brooklyn, NY Samantha Burns; Fiction; Moscow, ID Joseph Campana; Poetry; Houston, TX Wah-Ming Chang; Fiction; Brooklyn, NY Marissa Chibás; Screenwriting; Los Angeles, CA Alice Crow; Poetry/ Nonfiction; Anchorage, AK Adam Giannelli; Poetry; West Lafayette, IN Coco Harris; Screenwriting; Greenville, SC Ariel Katz; Fiction; Houston, TX Andrea Kleine; Fiction; Craryville, NY Su-Yee Lin; Fiction; Lake Grove, NY Tamara J. Madison; Poetry; Orlando, FL Catharine Murray; Nonfiction; South Portland, ME Yxta Maya Murray; Fiction; Studio City, CA Dominika Prejdova; Fiction; Warsaw, Poland Carina del Valle Schorske; Nonfiction; Brooklyn, NY Alyssa Songsiridej; Fiction; Philadelphia, PA Héctor Tobar; Fiction; Los Angeles, CA Judy Tuwaletstiwa; Fiction; Galisteo, NM Phillip Tuwaletstiwa; Fiction; Galisteo, NM Ethelene Whitmire; Nonfiction; Madison, WI Sherry Wong; Playwriting; Alberta, CAN MUSIC/DANCE/PERFORMANCE Keren Abreu; Music Composition; Brooklyn, NY Saif Alsaegh; Performance Art/Video; Anaheim, CA Lora-Faye Åshuvud; Music Composition; Brooklyn, NY Terri Lyne Carrington; Music Composition; Woburn, MA Steve Jansen; Music Composition; Albuquerque, NM Mauriah Donegan Kraker; Dance; Appleton, WI Soo Jin Lyuh; Music Composition; Los Angeles, CA Sharon Mashihi; Performance Art; Brooklyn, NY Hayden Pedigo; Music Composition; Amarillo, TX Kurt Stallmann; Music Composition; Houston, TX Yuhan Su; Music Composition; Brooklyn, NY Matthew Williams; Dance; Baltimore, MD Aja Burrell Wood; Curator; Boston, MA VISUAL ARTS Jason Brown; Sculpture; Knoxville, TN Jinseok Choi; Mixed Media/Installation; Carson, CA Margaret Curtis; Painting; Tryon, NC Jeremy Dennis; Photography; Southampton, NY Sean Downey; Painting; Fairfield, IA Roxanne Everett; Painting/Mixed Media; Seattle, WA Holly Fay; Drawing; Saskatchewan, CAN Cameron Elizabeth Harvey; Painting; Los Angeles, CA Christopher Paul Jordan; Painting; Tacoma, WA Brad Kahlhamer; Mixed Media/Print/ Draw/Paint/Sculpture; New York, NY Debbi Kenote; Painting; Brooklyn, NY Delvin Lugo; Painting; New York, NY Magnus Maxine; Painting/Sculpture; Pasadena, CA Siobhan McClure; Painting; Los Angeles, CA Michael Pribich; Drawing/Film/Video; New York, NY Cara Romero; Photography; Santa Fe, NM Gail Spaien; Painting; South Portland, ME Steven Yazzie; Painting; Denver, CO INTERDISCIPLINARY Alex Arzt; Interdisciplinary; Oakland, CA Liz Ferrer; Interdisciplinary; Miami, FL James May; Interdisciplinary; New Orleans, LA Paul Outlaw; Interdisciplinary; Los Angeles, CA Joe Seely; Interdisciplinary; Altadena, CA Bow Ty; Interdisciplinary; Miami, FL The public will have an opportunity to explore the studios and work of the final cohort of artists during Ucross Founder’s Day on June 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Since Ucross’s first residencies were awarded in 1983, more than 2,700 artists have received the gift of time and space. Distinguished Fellows include Annie Proulx, Terry Tempest Williams, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Bill Morrison, Theaster Gates, Anthony Hernandez, and Tayari Jones. National Book Award winners Susan Choi, Sigrid Nunez, and Sarah M. Broom have been residents, as have Academy Award and Tony winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Emmy Award winner Billy Porter, Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead, and former three-term U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. Learn more about Ucross here. Ucross Foundation is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a total of $91,000 in grants to support its acclaimed artist residency program and gallery from institutions including the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as Ruth Foundation for the Arts, The Ford Family Foundation, and Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced Wednesday that it has approved Ucross for a Grant for Arts Project in the amount of $15,000. This grant will allow Ucross to expand its Fellowships for Native American Visual Artists and Writers to include, for the first time, Native American Performers. The selected artist will receive uninterrupted time, studio space, staff support, meals by a professional chef, and the opportunity to perform their work publicly at a future event. This marks the fifth highly competitive grant Ucross has received from the NEA since its first award from the federal agency in 2020. “The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Ucross, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.” In December, Ruth Foundation for the Arts awarded Ucross with a $50,000 Core Grant for general operating support. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ruth Arts is dedicated to meeting the evolving needs and lived experiences of artists, communities, and arts organizations whose work is anchored by visual arts, performing arts, and arts education. Ruth Arts grantmaking is focused on artist-centric organizations that have deeply influenced creative practices and contributed the national ecosystem of artmaking. Ucross also received $16,000 from The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF) to support residencies for mid-career visual artists from Oregon. TFFF is a nonprofit, private foundation headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon. Ucross and TFFF have partnered since 2013, providing the Ucross experience to more than 30 Oregon-based artists in that time. The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund awarded Ucross with $10,000 to support the next exhibition at the Ucross Art Gallery, Celebrating Complexities, which features work from four recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists. The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund serves the citizens of Wyoming by supporting Wyoming’s culture and heritage through grant funding of innovative projects for the enjoyment, appreciation, promotion, preservation and protection of the state’s arts, cultural, and historic resources. “We’re honored that these inspiring institutions have recognized Ucross’s commitment to building a community for artists over the past 40 years,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “These grants will support our mission to provide artists with time and space to focus on the creative process, as well as share their artwork with our surrounding community.” Learn more about Ucross here. Ucross announced today the addition of two new trustees to its board: property developer Armand Brachman of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and gallery owner Gerald Peters of Jackson, Wyoming, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“We are honored to welcome Armand Brachman and Gerald Peters to the Board of Trustees,” said Ucross Chair Jim Nelson. “Both have demonstrated leadership in their respective fields and bring decades of business acumen to Ucross, along with a dedication to our mission, which will be vital to our continued success.” Brachman discovered Ucross through his wife, Mary Brachman, whose father, Victor Stein, was a founding board member in 1981. Brachman is a respected developer and supporter of housing programs who served as co-managing partner of Dominium, an affordable housing development and management company, until 2018. Since he joined the team in 1979, Dominium grew into a major housing development company. Through this work, Brachman also established extensive experience working with federal, state, and local housing programs. Today, as a board member and partner, Brachman remains actively engaged in the major strategic initiatives and investment decisions for Dominium. Brachman is also a founding member of Drake Bank in St. Paul, Minnesota, and continues to serve on the board of directors. For 20 years, he oversaw the credit decisions at the bank and has helped grow the bank to a financially successful institution. He has also been involved in several other entrepreneurial businesses, helping to mentor younger partners. Peters has acclaimed art galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and New York, New York. He opened the first location in Santa Fe during the early 1970s, presenting a diverse range of stylistic and aesthetic movements as well as historic periods. In 1976, Peters began working with Georgia O’Keeffe, representing the artist until her death in 1986. Peters expanded the gallery’s presence to New York in the 1990s, continuing to build the breadth and range of the gallery’s program, bringing forward a comprehensive sculpture department to show in tandem with two-dimensional works. For years, Peters also has been partnered with the Jackson Hole Art Auction, one of the premier art events in the country, to feature wildlife, sporting, figurative, landscape, and Western art. “We look forward to working with Armand and Gerald as Ucross moves into the next chapter as a celebrated national artist residency program and regional arts institution,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “Armand’s expertise will be critical as we envision a facilities plan for our campus, and Gerald’s background will be essential as we continue to develop the renovated Ucross Art Gallery and our new dance studio.” In addition to Brachman and Peters, the Ucross board comprises Jim Nelson, chair, of Big Horn, Wyoming; Susan Miller, vice president, of Sheridan, Wyoming; Charlie Hart, secretary, of Big Horn, Wyoming; Tracy Boyle of Sheridan, Wyoming; Kim Cannon of Big Horn, Wyoming; Chad Deaton of Jackson, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas; Steve Farris of Ucross, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas; Jesse Marion of Houston, Texas; Anne Pendergast of Big Horn, Wyoming; Roger Plank of Ucross, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas; Kate Schutt of New York, New York; and Scott Manning Stevens of Syracuse, New York. Learn more about Ucross here. Ucross has had a remarkable year. We provided uninterrupted time to more than 140 artists, served as a responsible steward of our 20,000-acre ranch, and expanded access to the arts to our community. Throughout it all, we celebrated our anniversary, fostered the creative spirit, honored our past, and prepared for the future, most notably by entering the final stage of our $5 million comprehensive 40th Anniversary Campaign.
Thanks to our commitment to artists and the creative process, Ucross has become one of the most sought-after and relevant residency programs. And your support has made this all possible. We hope that you will consider including Ucross in your year-end giving and help us conclude our 40th Anniversary Campaign with a flourish. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on individual donations to support each artist's residency, which costs approximately $12,000. Your tax-deductible gift will also help us serve as a cultural resource for our local and national communities by supporting free access to exceptional exhibitions, performances, artist workshops, author talks, and other programs. Every donation, at any amount, counts toward our 40th Anniversary. Every gift matters. Help us ring in the next 40 years. Thank you. We wish you and yours a very Happy New Year! The last artist dinner of 2023 with, from left: Bean Gilsdorf, Tracey Cockrell, Jane Wong, Ann Carlson, Mary Ellen Strom, Jacob Hochard, Axl Kumar Tamang, Keri Ataumbi, and Matthew Aquilone
Ucross Fellow Justin Torres received the prestigious National Book Award for Fiction for his novel Blackouts during the 74th NBA Ceremony & Benefit Dinner in New York City Wednesday evening. The event was hosted by LeVar Burton and featured special guest Oprah Winfrey. Blackouts, published October 10, explores a conversation between a dying man and the young friend he educates. The book is “about storytelling — its legacies, dangers, delights, and potential for change — and a bold exploration of form, art, and love,” according to Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers. “Justin Torres’s Blackouts uses fiction to see through the inventions of history and narrative. A marvel of creative imagination, it draws on testimony, photographs, illustrations, and a range of influences as it insists that we look long and steadily at what we have inherited and what we have made — a world full of ghostly shadows and flashing moments of truth.” As an emerging writer at age 28, Torres was awarded a one-month fellowship at Ucross, the acclaimed artist residency program in northern Wyoming, in 2008. He lived and worked in the historic Depot, which was once the Burlington Northern train depot in nearby Clearmont. The building was relocated to Ucross in the 1990s to house writer studios and bedrooms. During his uninterrupted time at Ucross, Torres worked on his debut novel, We the Animals, which was released in 2011 to wide acclaim. The novel won the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, was translated into 15 languages, and was adapted into a feature film. “You have increased the value of my life,” Torres wrote to Ucross staff after his residency. Torres went on to be named a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” in 2012, a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, and a Cullman Center Fellow at the New York Public Library. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Granta, Tin House, and The Washington Post. He lives in Los Angeles and teaches at UCLA. “Justin is a phenomenal writer. We are proud to count him among our esteemed alumni,” said Ucross President and Executive Director William Belcher. “We are thrilled that his latest work, Blackouts, has been recognized with the National Book Award, and we are honored that Ucross played a role in his artistic path.” Ucross counts 10 National Book Award winners among its acclaimed alumni. Learn more about the residency program, which is accepting applications for its Fall 2024 session, here. Ucross celebrated its 40th anniversary as an artist residency program at The Revaire in Houston, Texas, on November 2 with a gala and benefit that brought together the city’s arts and energy leaders. The evening, which included a performance by the Alley Theatre’s Susan Koozin and an awards ceremony honoring Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott D. Sheffield, raised more than $800,000 for the nonprofit organization. The link between arts and energy stemmed from Raymond Plank, the co-founder and longtime CEO of Apache Corporation, one of the nation’s largest independent oil and gas companies. A prominent business leader, Plank was also a philanthropist and an appreciator of the arts. He founded Ucross on a historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming in 1981 and welcomed the first artists-in-residence in 1983. Over the next four decades, Ucross developed into one of the most respected artist communities in the nation and has supported more than 2,600 artists, including Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony Award winners, National Book Award winners, and Academy Award winners, among many others. “Ucross is dedicated to fostering the creative spirit and honoring the creative process, without limits, expectations, or obligations,” said Ucross President William Belcher during the gala, inviting the 215-plus guests to imagine each fellow’s experience. “As an artist, your time is your own, to dedicate to the creative process, for the next two, four, or six weeks: uninterrupted time in the most beautiful land, with a chef who delivers lunch to your studio’s doorstep so you don’t have to stop working, and a staff dedicated to supporting your artistic vision. “This is why we’re here, and this is what we must sustain for future generations of artists and those who believe in the power of art and the creative spirit.” A celebration of the creative spirit, the Houston Gala & Benefit featured Ucross alumni spanning disciplines. Koozin and a band from the Alley Theatre performed “Lightning Strikes” from the musical Cowboy Bob, co-written by award-winning playwright and Ucross alumna Molly Beach Murphy. The evening also featured performances by acclaimed singer-songwriters and Ucross alumnae Kate Schutt of New York, New York, and Sarah Sample of Sheridan, Wyoming. Ucross alumnus Seth Tummins of Waverly, Tennessee, created an oil painting live throughout the evening, which was purchased by a guest at the live auction. In addition, Ucross’s Houston partners, including the Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, University of Houston's Creative Writing Program, and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, were represented at the event, along with energy leaders from Pioneer Natural Resources, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Apache, among others. After Plank passed away on November 8, 2018, Ucross created the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership to honor and celebrate business leaders, philanthropists, and innovators who have forged their own path and had an enduring impact on business, the arts, or land stewardship. The first recipient was Rex Tillerson, the former US Secretary of State and Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, at a Houston benefit in 2019. Longtime Ucross Chairman Jim Nelson received the 2021 award, and Scott D. Sheffield was the 2023 honoree. “We are thrilled to honor Scott Sheffield with the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership,” said Ucross Trustee Steve Farris, former Chairman and CEO of Apache. “He serves as CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, the company he helped found in 1997 and grew into the second-largest crude producer in Texas. With his foresight and perseverance, Scott exhibits the same visionary leadership that Raymond Plank demonstrated when he founded the impactful organizations of Apache and Ucross.” Learn more about Ucross here. Ucross, the acclaimed artist residency program, announced today that the 11th annual Community Christmas Celebration will be held at the Raymond Plank Center on Saturday, December 16, beginning at 4 p.m. sharp. The family-friendly festivities are open to the public, with free tickets available here.
Craig Johnson, bestselling author and a longtime Ucross neighbor, will give a special fireplace reading of the new Christmas-themed short story featuring his celebrated character, Sheriff Walt Longmire. The evening also will feature a special performance by a former Ucross artist-in-residence, to be revealed, as well as caroling by the Buffalo High School Balladiers, crafts for children and festive refreshments. The festivities will culminate in cannon fire by Ucross neighbor Joe Reed, launching a spectacular fireworks display by Bruce Burns. The festivities will be underscored by thousands of Christmas lights in the trees across The Park at Ucross, strung by Powder River Energy Corporation and Ucross staff. “The Christmas celebration is one of our most beloved traditions, and it’s one way that we give back to our community,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “The evening is a joyful blend of artists, students, families, neighbors, and community members, all in the beautiful setting of Ucross, Wyoming. It’s the perfect way to close out our 40th anniversary year.” In the spirit of Christmas, guests are invited to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items for families in need. After the event, Ucross will distribute the donated items to community food pantries in Sheridan, Buffalo and Clearmont. Named for the nonprofit organization’s founder, the Raymond Plank Center is located at the intersection of Highways 14 and 16 East in Ucross. For directions, click here. For free tickets, click here, or call 307-737-2291. UCROSS TO HOST HOUSTON GALA & BENEFIT HONORING SCOTT D. SHEFFIELD WITH RAYMOND PLANK AWARD10/10/2023
The benefit, celebrating the artist residency program’s 40th Anniversary, will also include remarks by former Secretary of State and Exxon Chairman and CEO Rex TillersonUcross, a renowned artist residency program, has announced the Houston Gala & Benefit, to be held November 2 in Houston, Texas. The event will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the nonprofit organization and honor the legacy of its founder, the late Raymond Plank — World War II bomber pilot, business leader, philanthropist, and co-founder and longtime CEO of Apache Corporation — through the presentation of the 2023 Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership to Scott D. Sheffield, CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources. Sheffield will be introduced by former US Secretary of State and Chairman and CEO of Exxon Rex Tillerson, who was the inaugural recipient of the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership at a Ucross benefit in Houston in 2019. Plank’s legendary independence, business acumen, entrepreneurial vision, and generosity inspired, empowered, and supported generations of artists and business leaders to boldly pursue their own visions. The Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership was designed to honor and celebrate business leaders, philanthropists, and innovators who have forged their own path and had an enduring impact on business, the arts, or land stewardship. “Nothing exemplifies Scott’s visionary leadership more than his foresight and commitment to unlocking the enormous potential of the Permian Basin Region, which provides the United States and the world with much-needed energy,” said Ucross Trustee Steve Farris of Boerne, Texas, former Chairman and CEO of Apache. “We are thrilled to honor Scott Sheffield for his innovative leadership and contributions to the oil and gas industry,” agreed Ucross Trustee Roger Plank of Houston, Texas, Founder and Chairman of Apex International Energy, former President and CCO of Apache Corporation, and son of Raymond Plank. “My father would be pleased to see his legacy live on and celebrated in this way.” Roger and his wife, Connie Plank, will co-chair the Houston Gala & Benefit with Steve and Vicki Farris. Raymond Plank founded Ucross Foundation to foster the creative spirit by providing artists with uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains, while serving as responsible stewards of its historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming. Since welcoming its first artists in 1983, Ucross has developed into one of the most respected artist communities in the nation and supported more than 2,600 artists, including Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony Award winners, National Book Award winners, and Academy Award winners, among dozens of additional acclaimed visual artists, writers, composers, and choreographers. The Houston Gala & Benefit, to be held at The Revaire in Houston, will transport attendees to Ucross’s stunning ranch overlooking the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming. Ucross alumnus Seth Tummins of Waverly, Tennessee, will create an oil painting live throughout the evening. The festivities will feature performances by Ucross alumna Kate Schutt of New York, New York; Ucross alumna Sarah Sample of Sheridan, Wyoming; and Alley Theatre performer Susan Koozin of Houston, Texas. Ucross partners with the Alley, as well as the Houston Ballet, the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program, and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, among other national organizations. “Having worked alongside Raymond Plank for over 50 years, I was able to observe firsthand not only his strategic vision, but also his commitment to giving back to organizations such as Ucross, the Fund For Teachers, the Plank Stewardship Initiative, and others,” said Jim Nelson, Ucross chairman and founding trustee. “It is an honor for me to welcome so many friends, donors, and partners to celebrate Raymond’s vision of Ucross 40 years ago and commit to supporting our next 40 years.” More information about the Houston Gala & Benefit is available here. |