On The Road: Part 1!

We are only four days in to our two-week trip and have already visited several amazing residencies and driven over 1,200 miles! Check out what we’ve been up to so far and the first three residencies we visited in Wyoming and Montana:

We hit the road on Thursday, leaving from Alicia’s home in Paonia, Colorado.

After a long drive to Wyoming, we spent the night in Lander and then made our way up to Hyattville, for our first residency, Ranchlands:

This residency feels like quintessential Wyoming: It takes place on a working cattle ranch. You live in a canvas wall tent and work in a beautiful barn converted into studios. In between these spaces lie fields dotted with horses, buttes covered in pinyon & juniper, and a snaking & clear river. The artist is welcome to help with ranch work or just hole up in their studio. For part of the week, guests come from around the world to ride horses and the artists eat and interact with them each day. We loved visiting this beautiful property and hearing about the conservation efforts being made by the ranching family who works within all facets of the property and its projects.

After Ranchlands, our next stop was conveniently and serendipitously down the road , a residency that is part of the Wyoming State Park program.

We were able to stop along the way to camp at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site, one of the state parks that participates in hosting artists each summer. And it was perfect timing as current artist-in-residence, Alexandra Hansen, was several days into her 5-day residency. At a creekside campsite along a sandstone rock face, Alexandra set up her easel to work on oil and watercolor paintings and interact with visitors. The WY State Park AIR program is open to interdisciplinary Wyoming artists and offers a free short residency, a stipend, a culminating public event, and the opportunity to explore Wyoming’s rich and diverse landscape. During our visit we hopped in the creek several times, admired the prehistoric petroglyphs and had a great time chatting with Alexandra!

After our first night of camping, we made our way west to drive through Yellowstone National Park — making stops to dip into the Yellowstone Lake, walk amongst the geysers, and catch glimpses of the bison!

Our day ends with driving to our next residency, Taft-Nicholson Center and what a drive it was!

Just beyond the western border of Yellowstone, is the expansive and protected land of Centennial Valley along the Continental Divide. Here you’ll find Taft-Nicholson Center, an extension of the University of Utah’s College of Humanities housed in a remote former town that served as a stop on an old stagecoach line. Taft-Nicholson center serves as a bridge between art, science and humanities to engage in environmental topics and interdisciplinary collaborations. Artists-in-residence are invited during the summer for 2-6 weeks, and receive studio and living space in this unique, diverse ecosystem.

We still have a week and a half left and 11 residencies total to visit so stay tuned for more updates!

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Warmly,

Carolina & Alicia