(Fremont County, WY) – The 2024 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition opens in the Capitol Gallery at the Wyoming State Capitol on Friday, February 9. The Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition is a biennial survey of contemporary Wyoming artists with work selected from an open call. The exhibition is organized by the Wyoming State Museum and Wyoming Arts Council.
Artists in the exhibition will be honored at the public reception and awards ceremony on February 16. Works receiving purchase awards, the Governor’s Choice Award, Juror’s Choice Award, and People’s Choice Award, will be announced during the reception. The exhibition will be on display through August 10.
This year’s exhibit features 50 works by 46 artists. Juror Terri Porta selected the work from over 350 submissions. Terri Porta is a multidisciplinary artist, place-maker, activist, and community advocate for the arts based in Billings, MT. Her work at the intersection of creativity and mental health care led to her selection as the first Artist in Residence for Billings through the Mobilize the Magic City project, which received a National Endowment for the Arts grant.
The Wyoming State Museum purchases several works from the exhibition for its collections. These works are preserved for future generations as a record of the artists working in Wyoming today. Works purchased for the Capitol Art Collection are displayed in public offices of state agencies.
The public can vote for their favorite piece for the People’s Choice Award via the Museum’s Facebook page starting February 9th. All works in the exhibition are also for sale to the public. Beginning on February 9th, purchases can be made through the Wyoming State Museum’s website or in person at the Museum. Purchased works will be available for pickup after the show closes on August 10th.
Artists selected for this year’s show are:
Alistair Dunnington, Laramie; Andrew Call, Laramie; Ashley Quick, Laramie; Barbara Wolf, Cheyenne; Barrie Lynn Bryant, Kirby; Blanche Guernsey, Gillette; Casey Hanson, Evansville; Christine Meytras, Jackson; Connor Liljestrom, Jackson; David McDougall, Dayton; Debra Zelenak, Lander; Denise Hawkins, Cheyenne; Eileen Nistler, Upton; Elizabeth Thurow, Sheridan; Florence Alfano McEwin, Ph.D, Green River; Harry C. Walters, Cheyenne; Jenny Reeves-Johnson, Lander; Jerry Glass, Laramie; Jim Jereb, Laramie; Joan Sowada, Gillette; Jodie Atherton, Laramie; Joseph Cipro, Alpine; Justin Hayward, Casper; Lars Roeder, Laramie; Liz Baldwin, Laramie; Michael Plourde, Buffalo; Michelle Visser, Laramie; Miga Rossetti, Wilson; Mona Monroe, Alta; Rachel Hawkinson, Casper; Rhonda Schmeltzer, Worland; Richard Burke, Douglas; Robert Martinez, Riverton; Robert Vore, Beulah; Rocio Gomez Sandoval, Laramie; Rose Fry, Casper; RoseMarie London, Laramie; Ruin Kenzie, Cheyenne; Sara Willson, Cheyenne; Stephen Mullins, Sheridan; Steve Knox, Cheyenne; Sue Sommers, Pinedale; Susan Durfee, Jackson; Tim Haley, Cheyenne; Von Maul, Cheyenne; W. Lemen Bredehoft, Laramie.
The Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition will be up from February 9 – August 10 at the Capitol Gallery. The Capitol is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A reception will be held on February 16, 2024, from 5-7 p.m. and is open to the public.