photography

In partnership with the Wyoming Committee of National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio is honored to present the five Wyoming artists who were shortlisted for New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024, a biennial exhibition that shines a light on underrepresented regional artists. Wyoming Women to Watch will be on display through October 19, 2024 at Clay Paper Scissors Gallery & Studio in Cheyenne with a special performance by artist Sarah Ortegon HighWalking during the October 4 Artwalk (performance at 7:30 PM; Artwalk runs from 5-8 PM).

This marks the first time Wyoming is represented in the critically acclaimed international series, thanks to passion of NMWA board member and Wyoming Committee founder Lisa Claudy Fleischman (1958-2023). Under her leadership, a dozen influential women from throughout the state joined forces to fundraise and advocate for Wyoming artists. Unlike a standard group show, this exhibition allows each artist their own space to express their individual process and practice. Selected by Wyoming curator Dr. Tammi Hanawalt, the show honors each artist’s singular voice. NMWA curators ultimately selected Sarah Ortegon HighWalking (Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho), whose work combines painting, beadwork, and performance to retell narratives of modern Indigenous women.

Throughout the selection process, the five artists, along with the committee members, uplifted and celebrated each other. The result of this collaboration and support, Wyoming Women to Watch showcases the work of Sarah Ortegon HighWalking alongside the ephemeral land art of Jennifer Rife (Cheyenne), the undulating ceramic installation of Bronwyn Minton (Jackson), the miniature anthropomorphized insects of Leah Hardy, and the attention to overlooked moments of Katy Ann Fox (Jackson). Together, these five visionary artists present a connection between human interaction with the natural world.

All photos courtesy of Jennifer Rife.

Rendezvous had more submissions than ever before this year! This biennial show, a partnership with Mystery Print Gallery in Pinedale, seeks to show the breadth and quality of artwork being created by Wyoming artists today. We welcome all kinds of artwork, although both galleries have a contemporary bent to their exhibition style. This year’s submissions were some of the best yet. We had a hard time narrowing it down to a reasonable number for the two galleries. This year, Clay Paper Scissors hosted the first half from June 12–July 13, 2024 and the second half from July 18–August 31, 2024. Receptions will be held July 5 and August 2 from 5-8 PM. Mystery Print hosted shows for the same amount of time, although their receptions were held different days.

New this year: we are adding a venue! Rendezvous, 2024 edition, will be at Art 321 in Casper, WY, for the month of September. We are delighted to add a third location where people in the state can see this lovely show, and hope to travel it elsewhere in the future (if you work with a venue that might be interested, please get in touch!). Art321 will feature the entire show in one location, with a reception Thursday, September 5 starting at 5 PM.

Just a few images from this gorgeous show: