Lighting of the Trees Ceremony Thursday Evening

Please join the UW Art Museum for the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony on Thursday evening from 6-8 pm. This is the kick-off event for the Festival of the Trees - an annual event that includes more than 30 holiday trees decorated by members of the community. The Lighting of the Trees Ceremony opens the silent auction bidding on the decorated trees and other holiday decor, including flower arrangements, wreaths, and decorations. Cider, brownies, and lemon bars will be served, and it's also when the public gets to place their vote for the "People's Choice Award" tree. The schedule below outlines the groups and individuals who will be playing live holiday music.

6 pm: Laramie High School String Orchestra
6:30 pm: Laramie Junior High School Concert Orchestra
7 pm: Lia Eggleston and James Wilson
7:30 pm: Linford Elementary Choir

For more information on this or any other public programs, please visit our website or call 307.766.6622.

Festival of Trees Decorating Begins Today

The Art Museum is busy already as community groups and organizations begin decorating their trees for the annual Festival of Trees. Every year, volunteers decorate holiday trees that are auctioned off in support of Art Museum programs and education classes. The silent auction of the trees continues until 2 pm on Saturday during the community celebration, Happy Holidays, Laramie!

Decorating will continue until 5 pm today and extended hours will be available tomorrow, 10 am - 8 pm, for decorating. The completed trees will be on view Thursday evening at the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony from 6-8 pm and will include live music, refreshments, and voting for the popular "People's Choice" tree.

For more information on the Art Museum's community events and public programs, please call 307.766.6622 or visit our website.

Final Monday Evening of Extended Hours

Tonight is the final Monday evening at the Art Museum with extended hours until 9 pm. During the spring and fall semesters, the Art Museum stays open until 9 pm to allow students and faculty additional access, as well as to provide a time for members of the public to visit if they can't make it in during the day.

Next week we will return to our hours of Monday - Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Stay tuned this week as we post information on the upcoming Happy Holidays, Laramie! festivities and the Festival of Trees. For more information about any of our programs or exhibitions, please call 307.766.6622 or visit our website.

Visual Arts Building Update

A view of the new Visual Arts Building with the Centennial Complex to the west. Photo courtesy of Doug Russell.

It's been exciting for Art Museum staff members to watch the construction of the new Visual Arts Building to our east. Progress continues as landscapers were on site this past week to plant tress and sod, situate boulders, and put some finishing touches on the exterior. The construction fences have started coming down along Willett Drive and 22nd Street. The Art Department is scheduled to move into their new facility over the winter break. The Art Museum is anticipating new opportunities for collaboration with faculty and students with their close proximity!

Art Talk and Gallery Walk Through

Donovan Widmer (American, b. 1973), Astrolabe Study 002.1, 2008, sterling silver, brass, copper, glass, 24 x 3 x 3 inches, courtesy of the artist

North Dakota small metals artist Donovan Widmer is in town and will present two public programs at the Art Museum today and tomorrow. When he isn't here at the museum, he will be giving a mini-workshop and student critiques in the art department. See below for more information or call us at 307.766.6622. Both programs are free and open to the public!

Art Talk: This public lecture will be tonight at 7 pm at the Art Museum. Widmer will present a PowerPoint with images of previous and new work, and he will talk about the works on view in his solo exhibition at the Art Museum.

Gallery Walk Through: This will be a more informal walk through Widmer's exhibition, and will be tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10:30 am. Widmer will answer questions and provide insight specifically about the works on view.

Next Week at the Art Museum

Donovan Widmer (American, b. 1973), The Cycle Has Been Completed, 2008, sterling silver, brass, cork, glass, moss, flowers, 5 x 5 x 2-1/2 inches, courtesy of the artist.

We are looking ahead to next week when small metals artist Donovan Widmer will be here to present two public programs, and he will also be meeting with classes and individual students in the Art Department.

Widmer will present an formal Art Talk on Monday, November 14 at 7 pm and a more informal Gallery Walk Through on Tuesday, November 15 at 10:30 am. Both of these programs are free and open to the public and will be held at the Art Museum.

Widmer's work combines traditional metalsmithing techniques with found objects to create highly detailed and intricate work that examines how social and cultural ideas change and evolve. He is an Assistant Professor of Metalsmithing at the University of North Dakota.

For more information on public programs or exhibitions, please visit the Art Museum website or call 307.766.6622.

Last Week to View Silver & Metalwork of the 20th Century

Contemporary UK, Christopher Lawrence’s 

House of Lawrian, Coffee Service (pot only),

1974, London, England, sterling silver, 

8 x 7 ½ inches, lent by Margo Grant Walsh

Silver & Metalwork of the 20th Century: The Margo Grant Walsh Collection closes on Saturday, November 12.  The exhibition features over 185 items of silver and metalwork from this unparalleled private collection.  Works from eight countries span the Arts and Crafts Movement to Scandinavian and contemporary UK designs. 

Walsh began collecting silver on a whim and considers herself a self-educated collector. Today, her collection consists of over 2,000 objects, all of which she collected based on their beauty, functionality, and good design.  With a background in architecture and interior design, she has amassed a globally significant collection.

The Art Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.  Hours on Monday are extended to 9 pm through November.   The Art Museum is housed in the Centennial Complex on the campus of the University of Wyoming at 2111 Willett Ave.  Admission is free to all.

Book Signing Tomorrow

In addition to the Cowboys football game tomorrow and the Art Museum gala, take some time to visit the Art Museum between 9 and 11 am for a book signing with senator Alan Simpson. His new book will be available for sale at the museum, and breakfast refreshments will be served.