Local artists on display

The 2024 Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition opens in the Capitol Gallery at the Wyoming State Capitol on Friday, Feb. 9 with artwork from two area artists.

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 Feb. 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 Aug. 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. 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 Feb. 9. All works in the exhibition are also for sale to the public. Beginning on Feb. 9, 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 Aug. 10. 

Area artists selected for the show are Rhonda Schmeltzer of Worland (third time, selected in 2020 and 2022) and Barrie Lynn Bryant of Kirby.

Schmeltzer said, "This is the third time for me to have a piece accept into the Governor's art show. This piece that was accepted this year is called 'Stone Ranch Stage Station.'  The focal point of the piece is a composite montage picture of a sunrise and the Stone Ranch Stage Station which is one of the last stone stage stations still in existence. It sits approximately 15-20 miles west of Casper on highway going to Shoshoni." 

Bryant said this is also his third time having artwork in the show. This year he said he is "lucky" enough to have two pieces in the show.

"The work I am exhibiting is from my current documentary coverage at the Arapaho Ranch Field Station in Hot Springs County," Bryant said.

The first title is "Northern Arapaho Ranch: Lost Portrait." Bryant said that within a week of starting his new work out at the Ranch he discovered an abandoned structure that had abandoned personal stuff in it. The portrait he used in his art piece, along with other family pics were buried in the rubble. He hung the portrait on a section of wall and made the exposure. Then he moved it around and made more exposures.

"This one turned out to be the best for me. The image is a more personal fine art type work than a newsworthy documentary image," Bryant said.

The second title is "Northern Arapaho Ranch: Tim Two Hearts." Bryant made the portrait on Oct. 17, 2023, at the main ranch headquarters by the big barn.

"This was almost my last exposure of the day. Tim has been working there for three years. He calls this his dream job. Tim was helping the cowboys sort cows in the corrals while they were preparing for a late season branding. They have 4,200 head of cattle out there on that 450,000-acre ranch. It's a huge property and job. Most of the photographs I made of Tim were candid of him working, but when he jumped up on this fence I had to ask him to take off his sunglasses and look at me. Bingo! It's one of my all-time favorite portraits."

Bryant added, "This is my third time being in the exhibition. I remember when Wyoming did not have a Governor's show like this, and Colorado and Utah had them. I sent a note card to Governor [Jim] Geringer asking about exhibiting art in the Governor's Mansion. Not long after that, Governor Geringer announced the inaugural show. I was juried into it with two sheep and wool industry photographs - one of Kirk Toman's sheep and the other was of J.R. Broadbent sheep. The state purchased the Broadbent image for their permanent collection.

"I participated in the 2020 show with my Moon Setting over the Hernandez's photograph I took here in Kirby. The State Museum purchased it for their permanent collection as well. In fact, it has been hanging on permanent display in the State Museum Barrett Building for quite some time."

The Governor's Capitol Art Exhibition will be up from Feb. 9 – Aug. 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 Feb. 16, 2024, from 5-7 p.m. and is open to the public.

NWC CONTEST

Bryant will also have photographs on display at Northwest College as part of the second annual Northwest College Photo Contest.

The opening reception and awards presentation was scheduled for Tuesday.

The NWC Photo Contest Exhibit will be open in SinClair Gallery from 7 p.m. on February 6 through March 22.