Artifact: A Cultural Heritage

The Wyoming State Museum’s traveling exhibit, “Artifact,” will be on display at the Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs from August 15, 2022 through August 15, 2023.

This large collection of Wyoming images by photographer Mike McClure celebrates the enormous diversity of Wyoming's prehistoric and historic landscape. This exhibit was made possible by a grant from the Wyoming Council for the Humanities.

The Wyoming State Museum offers travelling exhibits for rent, free of charge to museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. For rental or exhibit information please contact Carlos Santos, Curator of Exhibits, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For information on the exhibit’s time in Rock Springs, please contact David Tate at the Western Wyoming Community College, at 307-382-1882 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund board will meet Monday, August 29 via Google Meet. This board meeting will focus on a grant modification request, long range planning, and status of new electronic grant process.

The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by approximately 1 p.m. An executive session may be held if necessary.

To participate via the Google Meet option:

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund board meetings are open to the public. The board meeting agenda is available on the WCTF website, www.wyoculturaltrust.com.

Please feel free to contact the WCTF Program Coordinator, Renée Bovée at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 307-777-6312 with any questions.

If you’re looking for an outdoor activity to round out the summer, August is packed full of Guided Hikes at Curt Gowdy State Park! 

August 13 6:00 am

Greet the Dawn with Ranger Laura on Saturday August 13th from 6:00am - 7:00am. Join us for an unforgettable sunrise view along Granite Ridge Trail. The group will meet at the Parking Area directly north of the Causeway at 6:00 am.

August 21 10:00am

Enjoy the last weekend before heading back to school at Curt Gowdy State Park! Sunday August 21st from 10:00am - 11:00am, join Ranger Laura for an educational and fun hike through Finn’s Forest perfect to get the whole family outside on a beautiful summer morning. The group will meet at the Visitor Center Playground at 10:00am.

August 26 6:00pm

Celebrate National Dog Day with your four legged friends at Curt Gowdy! On Friday August 26, bring your pups for a group hike on Stone Temple Circuit from 6:00pm - 7:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to meet others who like to hike with their pets. The group will meet at the Aspen Grove Trailhead Parking Area at 6:00pm.

Our Guided Hikes are a great opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in a friendly, group environment. All ages & experience levels are welcome! Guided Hikes are free events & open to the public, but you have to pay day use or overnight fees to be in Curt Gowdy State Park. 

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or concerns.

Interested in learning basic carpentry skills while benefiting Buffalo Bill State Park and its bluebird and owl population?

The public is invited to the Buffalo Bill State Park shop for a bird nesting box workshop August 16 from 9 a.m. until noon. The boxes will be placed at various locations in the park at a later date and benefit birds such as Bluebirds and Owls. Come help build these fun boxes for the park’s birds.

The Buffalo Bill State Park shop is located at 49 Lakeside Road near Cody, 11 miles up North Fork on US 14-16-20.

Please RSVP by calling park headquarters at 307-587-9227.

Come celebrate the 28^th Anniversary of the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center during Great Dam Day, August 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center along with Buffalo Bill State Park host this year’s event at the Visitor Center located six miles west of Cody on HWY 14/16/20.

In addition to the events planned, there will be different interpretive learning stations located below the visitor center on the old road to Yellowstone below the dam.

Through cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the old dam road is open next to the visitor center one time during the year, allowing the public to walk or ride bicycle to take in the views from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Rides back to the center will be available. 

Fat Racks BBQ will have food available for purchase at the visitor center lot. Also, the Bureau of Land Management will have activities for kids to participate in.

Buffalo Bill Dam was completed in 1910 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Bill Dam was the tallest dam in the world upon completion. Construction began in 1904 and work was dangerous, difficult and tedious.

The completed water storage supplies four irrigation districts encompassing over 93,000 acres of farmland.

Youth and adults alike will find the views and history fascinating. Staff and volunteers will be on-site to answer questions and provide assistance.

The event is open and free to the public. For any questions, please contact the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center General Manager Leslie Slater Wilson, at (307) 527-6076.

The Wyoming State Archives hosts a virtual presentation and Q&A session on, "“Bombing Wyoming: Operation Fu-Go and the First Intercontinental Missile Attacks on the United States, 1944-1945," by historian Dave Marcum.

Marcum’s presentation is August 11, at 7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum classroom, located at 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. This will be a live, in-person event with an option for participating virtually.

For those not able to attend in-person, registration to attend the event online is through Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3zVilXp. This free public event is part of the Archives’ monthly second Thursdays evening speaker series.

On November 3, 1944, Japan released the first of over 9,000 fusen bakudan, or balloon bombs, into the Pacific jet stream towards North America. Each balloon carried four incendiary devices and one thirty-pound high-explosive bomb. The operation, called Fu-Go, was developed as a way of retaliating for the Doolittle Raid of 1942. Though unguided, the Japanese hoped the missiles would be able to generate forest fires, destroy precious military resources, distract the United States, and terrorize the American people.

It is estimated that approximately 1,000 balloons made it to North America. At least 13 of the balloons, possibly more, made it to Wyoming. One made it as far as the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan.

Marcum is retired from careers in the United States Air Force and 30 years as a political science instructor at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. Marcum’s extensive research has led to two recent articles published in the Annals of Wyoming on Wyoming’s aviation history (and more to come!) and the happy task of sharing his findings with local audiences. He dedicates his writings and talks to Mel Duncan, flight engineer, historian, and former colleague of Marcum’s who died in 2007.

The WSA Speaker Series hosts talks at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Upcoming topics include Chinese Communities in Western Wyoming with Dr. Dudley Gardner on September 8th, with others scheduled throughout the year. To view upcoming events, check out the Wyoming State Archives events calendar at https://wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/about-archives/events. A recording of this talk will be available on the WSA YouTube channel the week following the talk.

The Wyoming State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long-term administrative, legal, and historical value. These records document the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming Government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to the understanding of the state’s history.

For more information, contact Sara Davis, Wyoming State Archivist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the WSA at 307-777-7826.

The Wyoming State Archives is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you require special assistance, please contact the Wyoming State Archives at 307-777-7826.

Wyoming Arts Council to hold quarterly board meeting Aug. 8 - 9, 2022 in Clearmont 

The Wyoming Arts Council board will hold its next quarterly meeting Aug. 8 - 9 at Ucross Foundation, Raymond Plank Center (30 Big Red Ln, Clearmont, WY 82835).

Beginning at 1 p.m. on Aug. 8., the board will convene to hear reports, plan for upcoming events, tour local arts and cultural organizations, and get updates on current Arts Council initiatives. An executive session may be called if necessary. 

The board invites individuals and organizational representatives to attend any part of the meeting to observe the board process. The board will be available to hear public comments on Monday at 1:30 p.m. 

For a detailed agenda and more information, please contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742.

Artists for Dia de los Muertos Sought

The Wyoming Arts Council, the Wyoming State Museum, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, and Cheyenne Depot Museum have initiated a call for local artists to create original artwork for the 2022 community Día de los Muertos celebrations. Submissions are due on August 7 at 11:59 PM. Work must be completed by September 26, 2022.

The citywide Día de los Muertos events seek to share the cultural significance of this holiday and provide welcoming spaces for people to celebrate publicly. The host organizations are actively working to increase the authenticity and educational value of the events. The first major step is inviting local artists to create authentic artwork that will be used for event posters, social media ads, and other promotional materials.

Artists of all mediums are encouraged to apply. However, the winning artist must create a work of art that will work well for print and digital advertising. If an artist creates a 3D work of art, the piece will need to be portrayed in 2D so that it will meet marketing needs. One selected artist will receive $750 to create a final work. Once the piece is created, the State Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Depot Museum will utilize their inhouse design professionals to create a regional marketing campaign featuring the work. 

The Día de los Muertos celebrations are family-friendly and inclusive of all people. Artwork must be appropriate for children. We encourage artists to reflect on their own cultural and traditional connections to Día de los Muertos when creating their artwork. Artists should consider the following goals when creating their proposal:

• Represent the cultural significance of Día de los Muertos in a visually compelling way

• Appeal to multigenerational families and people of all ages

• Represent the diversity of people, places, and cultures who traditionally celebrate this holiday

Please call 307-630-2573 if you have any questions regarding your eligibility or if you need a paper application.