Where Art Meets the High Plains: Discovering the Creative Spirit of Ucross

On a historic Wyoming ranch beneath the Bighorn Mountains, artists from around the world are given something increasingly difficult to find: uninterrupted time. For visitors, Ucross offers an opportunity to experience contemporary art, local history, peaceful landscapes and a growing calendar of community events.

Many people travel through the intersection of Highways 14 and 16 without realizing what is happening just beyond the entrance to Ucross Foundation.

Behind the red gate and beneath towering cottonwood trees, writers are developing stories, composers are creating music, painters are filling canvases and choreographers are exploring movement. Some have traveled across the country or around the world to work quietly on a 20,000-acre ranch at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains.

“Ucross Foundation’s grounds are magical, in short,” said Caitlin Addlesperger, President and Executive Director of Ucross Foundation.

Addlesperger joined Ucross in 2020 as Communications Manager. She later became Director of External Relations and Deputy Director before stepping into her current leadership role in January 2025. As president and executive director of Ucross Foundation, Addlesperger shared how the organization protects the creative process while inviting the public to experience its history, landscape and artistic mission.

Photo courtesy of the Ucross Foundation.

Giving Artists the Gift of Time

Ucross was established by Raymond Plank in 1981, and its artist residency program began welcoming artists in 1983. Since then, more than 3,000 people have participated in Ucross residencies.

The list includes visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, filmmakers, performers and interdisciplinary artists. Acclaimed works developed in part at Ucross include Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love and Adam Guettel’s musical The Light in the Piazza.

The organization’s mission is to foster the creative spirit of working artists by providing uninterrupted time, private studio space, living accommodations, meals and the experience of Wyoming’s High Plains.

At any given time, as many as 10 artists may be living and working at Ucross. Residencies generally last between two and six weeks, and there is no charge to the artists who are selected.

That protected time is central to the experience.

Inside each studio, artists find a small reminder of the boundaries Ucross maintains on their behalf: No one will interrupt them unless the building is on fire. In return, artists are asked not to interrupt anyone else working in a studio.

“We really do protect their time and space,” Addlesperger said.

Ucross does not require artists to produce a completed project or submit a progress report.

“We’re not worried about the product,” Addlesperger explained. “We’re there to support their process.”

Solitude Without Isolation

Although artists receive privacy, they are not completely isolated.

A typical day might begin with house-made granola and yogurt before an artist walks to a private studio for several hours of focused work. Lunch, prepared by the Ucross culinary team, is quietly delivered to the studio door without a knock.

At 6 p.m., the artists gather for dinner.

Around the table, a novelist may sit beside a painter, composer or choreographer. Their conversations can be lighthearted and humorous, or thoughtful and deeply personal. Addlesperger said those relationships frequently become an important part of the residency.

Artists working in different disciplines discover that they often share similar challenges, questions and hopes. They find inspiration not only in the landscape and solitude, but also in one another.

“It’s just really a joy,” Addlesperger said. “It’s really fun to see how everyone connects as a cohort.”

The Ucross residency program is designed around that balance: long periods of private concentration followed by opportunities for community and creative exchange.

A Place the Public Can Experience

The artists’ residential areas remain private during most of the year, but Ucross has several spaces that are free and open to visitors.

The recently renovated Big Red Ranch House, originally constructed in 1882, offers a glimpse into the property’s history. The building once served as the home of a ranch manager and now houses offices for members of the residency staff.

Walking through the ranch house, visitors can experience the atmosphere of an earlier period in Wyoming ranching while learning about the contemporary mission unfolding across the property.

A short walk away, the historic Big Red Barn has been transformed into the Ucross Art Gallery. The contrast is part of the experience: Visitors move from a ranch house rooted in the 1800s into a contemporary gallery displaying work by artists from throughout the country.

The gallery presents three exhibitions each year and is open free of charge Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. An onsite café serves espresso drinks, pastries and seasonal treats prepared by the artist residency program’s chef.

The current exhibition, In Company, brings together 14 artists and examines the relationships that shape creative work. Seven former Ucross artists-in-residence were invited to exhibit alongside artists who have influenced their creative processes.

The exhibition includes paintings, photographs, sculptures and installations alongside literature, music and film. In Company will remain on display through December 19.

Photo courtesy of the Ucross Foundation.

Caitlin’s Suggested Ucross Visit

For someone visiting Ucross for the first time, Addlesperger recommends allowing several hours rather than making a quick stop.

Her suggested experience begins by driving beneath the cottonwoods along Big Red Lane and visiting the historic ranch house. Visitors can meet members of the Ucross team, learn about the organization and view the rotating artwork displayed throughout the building.

From there, she recommends walking to the Ucross Art Gallery, spending time with the current exhibition and stopping at the café for coffee and one of the chef’s pastries or seasonal treats.

The next stop is The Park at Ucross.

Visitors can bring a picnic, sit beneath the trees and look toward the surrounding hills and Bighorn Mountains. The public park includes two memorial flower gardens, benches and a small interdenominational chapel designed to provide a place for silence, reflection and contemplation. Admission to the park is free.

Addlesperger encourages visitors to slow down while they are there.

Rather than simply seeing the buildings, she wants people to consider what the landscape might offer an artist who has stepped away from a busy life to concentrate on meaningful work.

Photo courtesy of the Ucross Foundation.

Upcoming Ucross Events

Ucross is offering several opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the arts, the ranch and the surrounding community during the remainder of 2026.

Collective Arts Festival

Saturday, August 8, at 2 p.m. — Whitney Commons in Sheridan

Ucross is joining other members of the Bighorn Arts Collective for a free, family-friendly afternoon at Whitney Commons. The festival will include live music by The Imaginaries, artist demonstrations, a storybook garden, art activities for children and adults, artisan booths, food trucks and a beer garden.

Confluences Sound Hike Series

Tuesday, August 18; Tuesday, September 15; and Tuesday, October 13, at 9 a.m. — Ucross Ranch

Ucross staff will lead visitors along a private ranch trail as different areas activate recordings from the Confluences sound experience.

Each hike will last less than two hours and is considered intermediate because of hills, uneven ground and longer grass. Participants should wear long pants and hiking shoes and bring water, sun protection, insect repellent and headphones when possible.

The hikes are free, but advance registration is required.

Yoga in The Park at Ucross

Saturday, August 22, at 10 a.m. — The Park at Ucross

Instructor Tressa Lawrence will lead an hour-long yoga class designed for all experience levels. The class will allow participants to practice in the peaceful landscape of The Park at Ucross.

The $10 registration fee includes the guided class, a complimentary beverage from the Ucross Café and entry into a drawing for a Ucross tote.

Ucross Gala 2026

Thursday, September 24, at 5 p.m. — Ucross Foundation

The biennial Wyoming gala will celebrate the Ucross artist residency program and honor Naoma Tate with the Outstanding Patron of the Arts Award.

The evening will feature a cocktail reception, seasonal dinner, performances by former Ucross artists-in-residence and a live auction offering travel packages, experiences and other items. Proceeds will directly support the nonprofit foundation and its mission.

Reservations will be accepted through September 14 or until the event sells out.

Ucross Community Christmas Celebration

Friday, December 11, at 4 p.m. — Raymond Plank Center

The annual Christmas celebration will include live music, refreshments, children’s crafts, caroling and fireworks. Best-selling Wyoming author Craig Johnson will return for a fireside reading.

Additional details will be announced as the event approaches.

An Invitation to Slow Down

Ucross has an international impact, but it remains deeply connected to northern Wyoming.

It is a place where globally recognized artists are able to work without distraction. It is also a place where local residents can explore contemporary art, walk through Wyoming history, enjoy a cup of coffee, attend a community event or simply sit quietly beneath the trees.

The public may not see everything happening inside the artists’ studios—and that is intentional. But visitors can experience the same landscape, spaciousness and stillness that have inspired thousands of artists.

For Addlesperger, that experience begins with one simple invitation: Come see it.

Visit the official Ucross Foundation events page for registration information, schedule updates and additional event details.