Though Wyoming is known for its rural landscapes and cowboy character, its capital, Cheyenne – named for the Native American people of the Great Plains – is culturally diverse and heavily populated. We examine ten must-visit galleries Wyoming’s largest city.
Located down a residential street in Cheyenne, Artful Hand Gallery occupies the ground floor of the home of artists Dave and Georgia Roswell. In addition to a changing display of artworks, the couple hosts various events at the gallery throughout the year including drawing, paper making and other creative workshops that bring members of the community together to interact with art. Artful Hand Gallery is also the home of Rawhide jewelry.
At first inspection, the Paramount Café appears to be a simple venue serving a variety of specialty coffees, teas, and pastries. However, those who venture to the back of the shop discover a quaint exhibition space showing locally produced artwork. Displays change monthly and dedicate full displays to the work of individual artists. In addition to art exhibitions, the café provides further support for the arts by holding open mic nights for musicians, poets and performers.
The Manitou Gallery opened in 1975 and has nearly 40 years of experience in dealing with both up and coming and established contemporary artists. Wide open spaces provide an ideal space for Manitou’s year-round, rotating exhibition program. Live openings on the first Friday of every month, which often feature music, artist talks and lectures, facilitate opportunities for the general public to interact with and learn about art with paintings, sculptures, prints, glass and fine jewely all on display.
A studio space for resident artists and a gallery with constantly changing exhibitions, the Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio is a unique space that allows for the presentation of all forms of art to the public. The gallery rotates its exhibitions so as to provide as many artists with an outlet as possible.
Wyoming Arts Council Gallery opened in 1990 with the goal of championing excellence in the Wyoming art scene and providing funding, space and opportunities for art within the community to grow and flourish. Situated in the historic Kendrick Building, built around 1916, the gallery has various themed exhibitions throughout the year that showcase and cultivate the best of what the state has to offer in terms of arts and literature. Admission to the gallery is free.
Since 2001, Deselms Fine Art has operated out of a stylish building that dates to around 1880, originally built to house the Union Pacific Railway’s doctor. The commercial gallery exhibits all manner of art from sculpture and pottery to painting, and houses the largest selection of original artwork in Cheyenne. Deselms also offers an art consultancy service along with custom framing for those who do purchase a piece.
Established in 1949, the Cheyenne Artists Guild is Wyoming’s oldest, continuously operating artists association, and as such it has helped promote the artwork of the local community for many generations. The guild, with a membership of over 100 people, holds a number of shows and competitions each year, many which recognize extraordinary talent with ribbons or prizes, the most recent of which attracted entries from all over the country. The non-profit organization boasts their own gallery to showcase all of this work, making it a hub of creativity within the community.
Art Cornet Co-Op is a collective of artists that strives to bring about an awareness of regional art with a gallery that shows the works of each of its members. An ideology that promotes interaction between different art forms means that original artwork, photography, jewellery, crafts and fossils can all be found at the Co-op along with classes and sessions that help engage the community with art. Studio space is also available for budding artists to hire and the large storefront windows provide a grand view into the artistic world of Cheyenne.
Part of the Laramie County Community College, The Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery hosts exhibitions by students studying at the college, established international artists and up and coming regional artists all year-round. Attached to the Fine Arts building of the college, the gallery is free to the public and is a vital resource for the students and local art scene in order to get their work exhibited and acknowledged. With specific shows held throughout the academic year, interactive sculptures, paintings and other pieces of artwork all take a place within the confines of the gallery.
Iron Sharpens Iron produces and displays artisan pieces of both practical objects and sculptures made in iron. Gallery owner Nick Bradley, who works repairing freight trains on the Union Pacific Railway, combines his practical welding knowledge and his artistic passions to recycle, reuse and creatively repurpose pieces of scrap metal. A display space for this creative metalwork and a member of Art, Dine & Design (which provides art tours around Cheyenne) Iron Sharpens Iron shows the best in metal sculpture in the region.
