The University of Wyoming Art Museum is gearing up for the holiday season with its second annual ‘Tis the Season event. The museum is set to transform into a winter wonderland for three days of festive programs, open to both the university community and the general public.
The festivities kick off on Wednesday, Dec. 13, with the “Finals Week Winter Wind Down” from 6-9 p.m. Designed as a stress-buster for students facing exams, the museum invites UW students to participate in food and art-making activities in the museum classroom. Students can engage in ornament felting, screen printing, and iron-on collages on tote bags or T-shirts. For those without blank items, tote bags can be purchased for $5 each at the event.
The following day, on Dec. 14, the museum opens its doors for the “Community Celebration of Lights” from 4-7 p.m. This public event features the creation of paper and metal lanterns under the guidance of the museum’s teaching artists. The Wyoming Film Gallery will be transformed into a winter-themed shadow puppet theater, with an open mic night for youth performers taking place in the Resource Room. The Snowy Range Academy choir will take the stage at 5 p.m., followed by a guided gallery tour at 6 p.m.
The grand finale, the “Community Winter Celebration,” will be held on Dec. 16 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. This event is open to the public and offers a range of activities. Teaching artists will showcase the art of snow dyeing, allowing attendees to dye their socks. Participants can also contribute to a winter wonderland mosaic on the museum’s lobby windows and create take-home winter lanterns from paper and metal. For the younger audience, Relative Theatrics will host winter-themed storytelling sessions for children.
Throughout the three-day celebration, the museum aims to engage not only the university community but also the wider local, state, national, and global communities. The ‘Tis the Season event is an opportunity for people of all ages to come together and celebrate the winter season through art and community spirit.
For more information about the event, interested individuals can contact Will Bowling, the education and public programs coordinator at the UW Art Museum, at (307) 766-3496 or via email at wbowling@uwyo.edu.
Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 E. Willett Drive in Laramie, the UW Art Museum is open from Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission to the museum is free, providing an accessible opportunity for everyone to experience and enjoy the diverse visual culture on display.
