Contact: Mark Brammer, 307-777-8021

The Wyoming State Museum has made the decision to postpone the Awards Reception for the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition that was scheduled to be held on the evening of April 24. 

Given the growing concerns regarding COVID-19, the Museum in following with the recommendations put forth by the Governor’s Office believes it is best that this event is held at a later date. 

The Museum remains committed to supporting Wyoming artists, but we need to prioritize the health and safety of everyone involved by adhering to Governor Gordon’s recommendations for social distancing.

In place of this in-person event, and acknowledging that preventative measures for COVID-19 will inevitably impact foot-traffic through the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition, the Museum will be utilizing online media to promote participating artists.

Artists and their works will be featured on the Museum’s social media platforms. Additionally, the Museum’s website will host a page from which visitors will be able to directly purchase works of art from the exhibition. 

The Wyoming Arts Council is sensitive to the inherent economic challenges that are rising in relation to the current CDC recommendations for social distancing. In response to this ever-evolving situation, The Wyoming Arts Council announces a $500 grant for individual artists based in Wyoming who have lost income due to COVID-19. 

 Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis in the order in which they are submitted until grant funds are expended. Artists who have lost a significant portion of their income due to COVID-19 related closures are encouraged to apply. All applicants will be required to show some proof of this income loss. 

“Artists across the state are sharing their work with the community in some of the most creative ways during these times of isolation. Folks everywhere are turning to the arts for comfort, solace, and entertainment now more than ever. The Wyoming Arts Council believes that artists must be able to maintain their livelihood during this time in order to continue to create and contribute to the creative economy in our state and this is one way in which that livelihood can be maintained” said Michael Lange, Wyoming Arts Council Executive Director.

The application was designed to be as simple as possible in order to get money into the hands of artists as quickly as possible. For full eligibility details and to apply visit: https://forms.gle/CPjpEif4adh7jsaY9 

For more information, please visit the Wyoming Arts Council website or contact Taylor Craig at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 307-274-6673.

This morning at 10 a.m. MST, Treefort Music Fest announced that the upcoming festival will be postponed. The ninth annual Treefort Music Fest will now take place Sept. 23-27, 2020 in downtown Boise. 

Festival organizers have been monitoring Coronavirus (COVID-19) and have been in constant contact with the City of Boise and Central District Health in this rapidly changing environment. With support from these entities, it was determined that postponing the festival is the best option for the far-reaching Treefort community and the individuals and organizations that support Treefort Music Fest.  

The Wyoming Arts Council will continue their partnership with Treefort by hosting the Wyoming Showcase at the festival in September. Details on the specifics of the showcase will be announced in the coming months. For more information on Treefort Music Fest, this decision, ticket refunds, and more please visit https://www.treefortmusicfest.com/.

For additional information about the Wyoming Showcase, please contact Taylor Craig, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or 307-274-6673.

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, all Wyoming State Park overnight camping facilities, cabins, yurts, group sites/shelters, shower houses, some non-essential restrooms and playgrounds are closed until further notice.

All parks currently remain open for day-use outdoor recreation activities including trailheads, hiking/biking trails, boat ramps, fishing access, essential restrooms, individual picnic areas/tables.

While we believe in the physical and mental health benefits our open spaces provide, we are seeing a growing influx of campers flocking to our state parks due to National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and surrounding state campground closures.

This leads to increased concerns regarding our ability to maintain a healthy environment for our consumers and staff.

It is hoped by keeping our state parks open for day-use activities we are able to balance the public’s desire for outdoor recreation with the health and safety needs of our constituents and staff. 

Visitors can still enjoy Wyoming’s state parks while recreating alone or with family and maintaining the prescribed six feet social distances, gathering in groups less than 10 and following CDC recommended hygiene practices.

Do you want to make history?  You already are!  The Wyoming State Archives and State Museum, the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center (AHC), and Wyoming State Historical Society are working together to encourage you to consider how you would tell future historians about your experiences and memories of this unusual time.

Do you keep a journal or a blog?  Have you created your own mask for making essential trips outdoors? Are you creating artworks or craft projects to commemorate or pass the time?  Are you talking on Facebook or Instagram with your friends about how this pandemic has affected your life?  Preserving those memories are all ways that you can remember this time for yourself – and give future historians clues about how we coped, how we communicated – and how we memed.

If you’re writing down your thoughts, please consider donating a copy to the State Archives or the AHC.  If you prefer to reflect on social media, use the hashtag #Covid19WY so we can pull together all the tweets and posts later. That includes Instagram photos of empty streets or teddy bears in windows.  If you’ve used your crafting skills to make PPE masks, signs, or documented your feelings visually, the State Museum is interested in hearing from you, and you may see those objects someday in an exhibit about the challenges of life in 2020.

Why is it important to preserve these memories and experiences now? Partly because it is fresh in our minds, and partly because we don’t want Wyoming’s story and the lessons we learn through this crisis to go untold. You may be reading stories about the Influenza Pandemic of 1918.  Historians learned about this devastating time through personal stories and photographs, as well as official accounts and newspaper articles of the time.  Letters, diaries, photos, and artifacts speak volumes about the courage, fear, and community support that people experienced. 

The Wyoming State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long term administrative, legal, and historical value documenting the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming’s government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to an understanding of the state’s history.  The Wyoming State Museum’s mission is to serve as an educational, historical, and cultural institution, whose goal is to collect, preserve, and interpret artifacts that reflect the human and natural history of Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West.

For more information or to offer items, please contact Kathy Marquis, State Archivist at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Jennifer Alexander, Wyoming State Museum Collections at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or Sara Davis, University Archivist at the AHC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  To send your digital memories directly to the State Archives, visit our website, wyoachives.org and click on the COVID19 donations link.