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.

It's a Tie!

KP Endsley's tree, "William 'Bill' Hysong Memorial Tree 2010 - Tickled Pink."

This year's People's Choice Award is a tie! The votes were tallied after last night's Tree Lighting Ceremony where people voted on their favorite holiday tree in the Festival of Trees. The tie came down to Governor and Mrs. Dave Freudenthal's tree, "Forever West" and KP Endsley's tree, "William 'Bill' Hysong Memorial Tree 2010 - Tickled Pink." Congratulations to both!

There was a great turnout at last night's event, which included musical performances throughout the evening. The festivities continue tomorrow during Happy Holidays, Laramie! between 10:30 am and 3 pm. This annual community event is free and open to the public. Be sure to stop by for a visit with Santa Claus, holiday musical performances, or to bid on one of the many beautifully decorated holiday trees!

Join us Tonight for the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony

Join us tonight at the Art Museum for the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony! This event will be between 6 and 8 pm and is free and open to the public. There are 30 decorated trees this year in the Festival of Trees, each on decorated by a community group or organization. In addition to the trees, there are 9 pedestal items, including holiday decorations and wreathes, also donated by members of the community. All of these items are up for auction, which kicks off tonight and runs until Saturday, December 4th, when it closes at 2:30 pm. All proceeds from the auction will benefit museum programs.

The Lighting of the Trees Ceremony and Reception will feature musical performances to get you in the holiday spirit! Brownies, punch, and hot cider will also be available. This night of festivities is a great way to preview the trees, be the first to place a bid, and to vote for the People's Choice Award. Begun last year and only open to voting tonight, this fun award is a great way for the community to acknowledge the tree that they like the best!

Please join us tonight for an evening of artwork, music, and holiday cheer!

For more information, please call 307.766.6622.

This Week at the Art Museum

Kick off the holiday season at the Art Museum! This week we will be counting down to the annual community celebration, Happy Holidays, Laramie! on Saturday, December 4th, from 10:30 am to 3 pm. This year will include cookies, visits with Santa Claus, musical performances by community and school groups, and an exhibition of Laramie and Albany County children's artwork.

The Festival of Trees begins tomorrow, when the different groups of volunteer decorators will select their tree and begin decorating! The Lighting of the Trees Ceremony is Thursday evening from 6 to 8 pm. This is also when the silent auction begins and visitors will have the chance to place the beginning bids! The auction will close at 2:30 pm on Saturday, during Happy Holidays, Laramie!

Also on Saturday, the Museum Store will have a special Kids' Store, with gifts available for under $5. The Museum Store has also received new holiday merchandise this week, so be sure to stop by and take care of your holiday shopping!

All events are free and open to the public. For more information about these events, please call 307.766.6622. We hope you will start the holiday season with us at the Art Museum!

Thanksgiving Hours at the Art Museum

The Art Museum will have different hours this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be closed Thursday - Sunday, but will re-open on Monday, November 29th. Preparations will continue for the 18th Annual Festival of Trees and Silent Auction. Decorating is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 30th. Tuesday also marks the opening of the Laramie and Albany County Children's Art exhibition.

Festivities culminate next Saturday, December 4th with the community celebration Happy Holidays, Laramie! This day of music, cookies, artwork, and Santa Claus is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

Enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving! We hope you will visit us tomorrow and next week to celebrate the holidays!

Decorators Still Needed for the Annual Festival of Trees

The Art Museum's annual holiday celebration is just around the corner! The 18th Annual Festival of Trees and Silent Auction will conclude on Saturday, December 4th, along with the community holiday celebration of art and music, Happy Holidays, Laramie! The festivities begin at 10:30 am and conclude at 3 pm. Events include visits with Santa Claus, musical performances by school and community groups, and the ever popular Festival of Trees Silent Auction. There is also the annual exhibition of Albany County schoolchildren's art, which will remain on view through December 23rd.

The Festival of Trees kicks off on Tuesday, November 30th, when registered community and school groups, individuals, and businesses select their tree from the assortment of 30 and begin to decorate! There are still trees available, so if you or someone you know is interested in decorating a tree, please contact the museum at 307.766.3477.

Decorating will continue on Wednesday, December 1st, and Thursday, December 2nd, culminating in the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony and reception on Thursday evening from 6-8 pm. Thursday night is also when the silent auction opens, and visitors will have the chance to cast a vote for their favorite tree.

All events are free and open to the public. Tree decorations and the decorator's time is donated, with all of the proceeds going toward Art Museum programming. If you would like more information on how you can participate in the festivities, or are interested in decorating a tree this year, please call 307.766.3477.

Happy Holidays, Laramie!

Happy Holidays, Laramie! is a community celebration held every year at the UW Art Museum. Join us tomorrow, Saturday, December 5 from 10:30 am - 4 pm for a day full of live music, refreshments, holiday trees decorated by folks from the Laramie community, Santa Claus, and even a holiday store especially for kids! All events are free and open to the public.

The schedule of musical performances is as follows:

Performing in the Gallery:

10:30 am
Beitel Bulldog Choir and Beitel Chime Choirs

11:00 am
Indian Paintbrush Choir

11:30 am
Slade Elementary School Choir

Noon
String Academy of Wyoming

12:30 pm
United Presbyterian Church Bell Choir

1:00 pm
Snowy Range Academy Chorus and Orchestra

1:30 pm
Lorene Sims' Piano Students

2:00 pm
St. Laurence School

2:30 pm
UW Saxophone Quartet

3:00 pm
Laramie Community Band

Performing in the Lobby:

10:30 am
Gloria Orr-Weiss' Piano Students

11:00 am
High Plains Sinfonia

11:30 am

Dee Moody, Cheryl Hemphill, and Marilyn Sprinkle's Piano Students

Noon
Alla Latchininsky's Piano Students

12:30 pm
Elena Berlinsky's Piano Students

1:00 pm
Elena Berlinsky and Nancy Shaw's Piano Students

1:30 pm
Cindy Peterson's Piano Students

2:00 pm
Laramie Junior High Concert Orchestra

2:30 pm
Spring Creek Singers


Santa Claus will be downstairs in the Centennial Complex Restaurant, along with cookies from Home Bakery and orange drink from McDonalds.

The Kids' Store can be found upstairs, just inside the entrance.

Congratulations to KP Endsley who won the People's Choice Award at last night's Tree Lighting Ceremony for her tree, "The William 'Bill' Hysong Memorial Tree 2009."

Stop by tomorrow to see her tree, and many others. There is a silent auction to purchase any of the trees on display. The auction ends at 2:30 pm.

The exhibition of children's art created by kids in Laramie will be on view tomorrow as well, and will remain on exhibition through December 23.

For more information, call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622.

Lighting of the Trees Ceremony TONIGHT!

Kicking off the annual Festival of Trees and Happy Holidays, Laramie! event, the Lighting of the Trees Ceremony will be held tonight from 6-8 pm at the Art Museum. Stop by the museum to see over 30 decorated trees lit up, and to place advance bids on the trees at the silent auction. Also included at tonight's event will be live music, refreshments, and the first chance to see the exhibition of artwork by local Laramie children.

The Festival of Trees and Happy Holidays, Laramie! will continue on Saturday with musical performances throughout the day, cookies from Home Bakery, Santa Claus and the conclusion of the silent auction.

All of these events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622.

Happy Holidays, Laramie! and Festival of Trees

The 17th Annual Festival of Trees and Silent Auction will be held in conjunction with Happy Holidays, Laramie! at the UW Art Museum this Saturday, December 5 from 10:30 am - 4 pm. This community celebration features musical performances, including a grand finale by the Laramie Community Band, an exhibition of artwork by Albany County school children, art-making activities, refreshments, balloon animals, a Holiday Children's Store, and a visit with Santa Claus!

If you have signed up to decorate a tree, the decorating schedule is below:
Tuesday, December 1: 1-5 pm
Wednesday, December 2: 10 am - 8 pm
Thursday, December 3: 10 am - 2 pm

The silent auction begins Thursday evening when you can place advance bids on the trees at the Lighting of the Trees ceremony from 6-8 pm. Bidding will close at 2:30 pm on Saturday during Happy Holidays, Laramie!

The Festival of Trees and Happy Holidays, Laramie! are sponsored by First Interstate Bank and funded in part by Donna Emery, Advantage Real Estate, Laramie Ford, UniWyo Federal Credit Union, First National Bank, Applebees, McDonalds, and Home Bakery. A special thanks to all of you for making this event possible!

The Albany County Student Art Exhibition opens on Thursday, December 3 and continues through Tuesday, December 23.

For more information about any of these activities, call the Art Museum at 307.766.6622.

Museum Hours for Thanksgiving Week

A school group explores the sculpture Doolin Doolin by Ursula von Rydingsvard on the Art Museum's sculpture terrace back in May.

Photo courtesy of the Art Museum.

The UW Art Museum will be open during it's regular hours Monday - Wednesday of this week (Mon: 10 am - 9 pm, Tues-Wed: 10 am - 5 pm). The Museum will then be closed the remainder of the week, Thursday - Saturday, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Things pick back up in full swing the following week, the first week of December, with Festival of the Trees Decorating, followed by the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, December 3, 6-8 pm. Happy Holidays, Laramie! and the Festival of Trees with silent auction continues all day Saturday, December 5, 10:30 am - 4 pm, complete with a visit from Santa Claus and an exhibition of Laramie children's art. For more information about these free events, call the Art Museum at 307-766-6622.