SUNDANCE INSTITUTE, UCROSS FOUNDATION REDESIGN 2020 ARTIST RESIDENCYSeven fellows participate in a cross-disciplinary program reimagined for the next wave of storytellersUCROSS, WY (February 6, 2020): Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for independent artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive, and Ucross, a prestigious artist residency program and creative laboratory for the arts, and have announced seven fellows participating in the 21st annual Sundance Institute Artist Residency at Ucross in Wyoming, currently taking place February 3–21, 2020. This year, the retreat was renamed (formerly the Sundance Institute Playwrights & Composers Retreat) to reflect its cross-disciplinary structure.
After more than two decades of success, the Residency will continue to provide the transformative benefits of uninterrupted time for creative work. This year’s participants experience a fresh energy that mirrors the changing landscape of contemporary storytelling – one that is increasingly fluid and cross-genre. Fellows enjoy blocks of solo creative time to create, augmented with organic conversations where they can reflect on process. While Sundance Institute has curated several artists who identify theatre as their primary discipline, for the first time, the group of selected fellows represents a multidisciplinary range of artistic work. As always, the Residency remains dedicated to uninhibited creativity, professional growth and peer mentorship. “The refreshed format of this year’s Residency is deeply timely,” said Sundance Institute Theatre Program’s interim Director, Christopher Hibma. “We’re grateful for the Ucross team’s collaboration in devising innovative and exciting ways to support artists in responsive and evolving ways, to best reflect how they’re pushing the boundaries of form across disciplines.” “We are excited about this year’s newly configured Sundance Institute Artist Residency at Ucross,” said Ucross President Sharon Dynak. “Connecting artists of varying disciplines has long been an invaluable part of the Ucross vision. We are honored to support this extraordinary group of artists with the gift of time and space for creative work at our inspiring location on the High Plains of Wyoming.” The retreat is one of 25 residency Labs the Sundance Institute hosts each year for independent artists in theatre, film, new media, and episodic content. This particular long-tested retreat in Wyoming is made possible through a partnership with Ucross. More than 90 artists have benefitted from the partnership between Ucross and Sundance in the last 20 years, including Billy Porter, Hannah Gadsby, Michael R. Jackson, Charlayne Woodard, Jeanine Tesori, Doug Wright, Annie Baker, Adam Guettel, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and Tanya Saracho. The 2020 Sundance Institute Artist Residency at Ucross Foundation fellows are: David Adjmi, Haley Anderson, Gene Back, Aziza Barnes, Charlotte Brathwaite, Karim Douaidy, and Raqi Syed. Read the full press release Read the Lab Book UCROSS TO RECEIVE $30,000 GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS TO SUPPORT RESIDENCIES FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERSThe funds will support three residencies in 2020 and expand Ucross’s fellowship for Native American visual artists to include Native American writersUCROSS, WY (January 15, 2020): Ucross, a prestigious artist residency program and creative laboratory for the arts, today announced that it has been awarded $30,000 from the NEA’s Art Works program to support residencies for Native American visual artists and writers.
The grant award, which was funded through the NEA’s Artist Communities program, will allow Ucross to expand its successful fellowships for Native American visual artists, now in its third year, to include Native American writers. “As Governor and a former board member of the Ucross Foundation, I’d like to congratulate Ucross for securing this funding from the NEA,” said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. “It’s well-deserved recognition. I’ve heard over and over from artists whose masterpieces were inspired by their time at Ucross and its historic Wyoming ranch, which has become a leading artist-in-residence program in the country—Ucross is a special place." According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation; the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life. Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through its Artist Communities program, the NEA is committed to providing assistance to artist communities for projects that encourage and nurture the development of individual artists and foster and inspire their creative processes. Since this funding field was created in 2009, the NEA has granted more than $4.4 million to artist residency programs around the country. This is Ucross’s first NEA Art Works grant award. “We are honored to be awarded this grant,” said Ucross President Sharon Dynak. “We’re especially proud of our work to expand residency opportunities for Native American artists and writers. NEA’s support is a boost of confidence in this initiative, as well as recognition from the NEA that our residency program is exceptional.” Specifically, the grant funding will support three residencies for Native American writers and/or visual artists in 2020. Each resident will receive uninterrupted time, living accommodations, and studio space on Ucross's 20,000-acre ranch on the majestic High Plains in northern Wyoming. In addition, each artist will receive a stipend. Participating artists will be encouraged to share their work and participate in public programs, such as workshops, panel discussions, open studio events, and/or readings. “The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects such as Ucross’s fellowships for Native American artists and writers.” Ucross was founded in 1981 by Raymond Plank. It has provided more than 2,200 residencies to some of the world’s most accomplished artists. Located in northeastern Wyoming at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, the artist residency program is situated on a historic 20,000-acre ranch at the confluence of three creeks in Ucross, population 25. Its connection to the land, its vast open spaces, and its view of the contemporary American west have proven to be inspirational and uniquely generative for artists. Ucross has been home to 10 Pulitzer Prize winners, eight MacArthur “genius” grantees, seven Tony Award winners, nine National Book Award winners, and two Academy Award winners. Through its residencies, partnerships, and support of emerging artists, it continues to have an impact on the cultural dialogue of the country and the world. Alumni include Billy Porter, Colson Whitehead, Yaa Gyasi, Annie Proulx, Terry Tempest Williams, Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Ricky Ian Gordon, and Adam Guettel. For more information on projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news. |
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Photo credits: Board and staff photos courtesy of William Coupon; additional website images courtesy of Martirene Alcantara, Trine Bumiller, Jennifer Garza-Cuen, Bill Megalos, and Neerja Kothari: video on homepage courtesy of Bill Megalos.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Ucross Foundation acknowledges with respect that it is situated on the aboriginal land of several Indigenous communities, including the Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota nations. Indigenous people continue to live in this area and practice their teachings and lifeways. Today, this region remains an important place for many Indigenous peoples. As a Wyoming institution, we recognize and respect this historical context and are working to build reciprocal relationships with the Native nations on whose lands we are situated. In partial fulfillment of that commitment, Ucross established a Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists in 2017, which will expand to include Native American writers in 2021.
Ucross Foundation acknowledges with respect that it is situated on the aboriginal land of several Indigenous communities, including the Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota nations. Indigenous people continue to live in this area and practice their teachings and lifeways. Today, this region remains an important place for many Indigenous peoples. As a Wyoming institution, we recognize and respect this historical context and are working to build reciprocal relationships with the Native nations on whose lands we are situated. In partial fulfillment of that commitment, Ucross established a Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists in 2017, which will expand to include Native American writers in 2021.