40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA TO FEATURE PERFORMANCES BY KATE SCHUTT, SARAH SAMPLE

Ucross has announced that its 40th Anniversary Gala, set for Wednesday, September 27, will feature performances by former artists-in-residence Kate Schutt of New York, New York, and Sarah Sample of Sheridan, Wyoming.
 
The Ucross alumni will give a songwriters in the round-style performance and share how the residency program impacted their creative process.
 
“I came to Ucross for a music residency,” Sample said. “I was gifted protected time and space. I was gifted respect and resources. I was given the opportunity to connect with other artists of different fields, all the time surrounded by a gorgeous Wyoming landscape.”
 
“Ucross is a wonder,” agreed Schutt, a three-time Ucross alumna who also serves as a trustee. “The setting, the spaces, the intimate scale of the residency with only 10 residents at a time, and the exquisite care taken in the most unobtrusive ways by the entire staff, from the chef to the maintenance crew, to make sure that our needs as artists are met — all of this is truly remarkable….
 
“Every single detail is thought of. There simply is no other artist residency that is more conducive to deep, creative focus. This place changes you and changes your work in the most spectacular and surprising ways.”
 
The Ucross 40th Anniversary Gala is a fundraising dinner that will support the nonprofit organization’s mission to foster the creative spirit of working artists, serve as responsible stewards of its historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming, and promote an appreciation of the creative process through community programs with alumni artists. All funds raised through table sales, ticket sales, the live auction, or donations in lieu of attending will help the artist residency program remain a meaningful and relevant resource for artists, the community and the state of Wyoming.
 
The gala will begin in the Ucross Art Gallery, carry through to the newly constructed Koehler Performing Arts Center and Lauren Anderson Dance Studio and continue outside to a heated tent and on the patio overlooking the Bighorn Mountains.
 
During the event, Ucross will present Gov. Mark Gordon and First Lady Jennie Gordon with its Outstanding Patrons of the Arts Award for their generosity and commitment to the arts in Wyoming. The Gordons will be welcomed to the stage by best-selling author Craig Johnson, a longtime Ucross neighbor. Founding Trustee and longtime Chairman Jim Nelson will also be honored with the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership for his vision and unwavering support for Ucross.
 
Since its residency program began in 1983, Ucross has developed into one of the most respected artist communities in the nation. More than 2,600 visual artists, writers, choreographers and composers have been to Ucross, benefiting from its uninterrupted time and studio space, as well as the experience of the majestic High Plains. Distinguished fellows include Annie Proulx, Colson Whitehead, Terry Tempest Williams, Billy Porter, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Ann Patchett, Sigrid Nunez, Ricky Ian Gordon, Bill Morrison, Theaster Gates, Joy Harjo, Anthony Hernandez, and Tayari Jones.
 
The Ucross Art Gallery is located at 30 Big Red Lane in Ucross, Wyoming. Tickets and more information about the Ucross 40th Anniversary Gala are available here.