 Ucross announced today its third annual Founder’s Day on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. During that timeframe, the community is invited to tour the artist residency campus, located on a 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming; experience live music played al fresco by members of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra; visit the artists in their studios; explore the new exhibition in the Ucross Art Gallery, Wyoming Women to Watch; and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. The event is free and open to the public.
“Since we launched Founder’s Day in 2022, this event has become one of our favorite moments on the calendar. It celebrates our artists, our residency program, and Raymond Plank’s legacy, and it’s one of the rare instances when the public can get an insider’s look at all that goes on behind-the-scenes at Ucross,” said Ucross President William Belcher. “We hope the community will join us for another fun afternoon on our beautiful ranch with an incredible roster of artists from across North America.” From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the community will be invited to visit the studios of photographer Jeremy Dennis of Southampton, New York; choreographer and performer Mauriah Donegan Kraker of Appleton, Wisconsin; painter Roxanne Everett of Seattle, Washington; visual artist Holly Fay of Saskatchewan, Canada; poet Adam Giannelli of West Lafayette, Indiana; musician Steve Jansen of Albuquerque, New Mexico; poet Tamara J. Madison of Orlando, Florida; visual artist Michael Pribich of New York, New York; and fiction author Alyssa Songsiridej of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As they explore the picturesque campus grounds, visitors will encounter live contemporary and classical music from members of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, including Concertmaster and violinist Megan Karls of Great Falls, Montana; Karls’s husband, singer-songwriter David Raba; and principal harpist Jane Ann Hamman of Casper, Wyoming. At 1 p.m., the Ucross Art Gallery will host a reception celebrating the opening of Wyoming Women to Watch. Created by the Wyoming Committee of National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), this traveling exhibition features the five Wyoming artists who were shortlisted for New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024, a critically acclaimed biennial exhibition at NMWA in Washington, D.C. The artists include Sarah Ortegon HighWalking of the Wind River Reservation, Jennifer Rife of Cheyenne, Ucross alumna Bronwyn Minton of Jackson, Leah Hardy of Laramie, and Katy Ann Fox of Jackson. The five artists will discuss their work at the Ucross Founder’s Day reception, which will also include a black-light jingle dress dance performed by Ortegon HighWalking, the artist selected by NMWA. Throughout the event, visitors may enjoy a picnic on the lawn outside of the Big Red Ranch Complex, with Sheridan-based food truck Pete’s Za onsite, as well as the opportunity to purchase coffee, tea, and Chef Jackie Vitale’s housemade ice cream sandwiches at the Ucross Café. The event recognizes the 102nd anniversary of the late Ucross founder, Raymond Plank. Born on May 29, 1922, Plank grew up on his family farm in Minnesota. He entered Yale University in September 1940 but left just three months later, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserves. During World War II, he piloted B-24 bombers, completed 40 combat missions, and earned numerous commendations. After the war, Plank went on to graduate from Yale; form an accounting and tax service; and eventually co-found and become chairman and CEO of Apache Corporation, which was based in Minneapolis and is now based in Houston, Texas. Plank passed away in November 2018 at age 96. Plank founded Ucross Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in 1981, and the residency program welcomed its first artists in 1983. Over the next 41 years, the program has developed into one of the most respected artist communities in the nation. More than 2,700 visual artists, writers, choreographers, and composers have been to Ucross, benefiting from its uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and meals by a professional chef, as well as the experience of the majestic High Plains. Many alumni have gone on to earn national recognition, including Pulitzer Prizes, MacArthur “Genius” Fellowships, National Book Awards, Tony Awards, Academy Awards and more. Get free tickets to Founder’s Day here. Parking is limited, and carpooling is encouraged. Comments are closed.
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