Ucross Gala 2026 Draws Large Crowd

On September 24, more than 200 artists and patrons joined Ucross Foundation to celebrate the nationally acclaimed artist residency program with a gala that raised more than $400,000 for the nonprofit organization. Held in the heart of the historic ranch in northern Wyoming, the evening honored Naoma Tate of Cody, Wyoming, with Ucross’s Outstanding Patron of the Arts Award.

“The Ucross Gala was a magical evening,” said Ucross President and Executive Director Caitlin Addlesperger. “We were deeply honored to celebrate Naoma ’s leadership, generosity and unwavering commitment to the arts. Every gift we received will be poured back into the support of working artists.”

The Ucross Gala began with a cocktail reception in the Ucross Art Gallery and Koehler Performing Arts Center, including individualized watercolor portraits by Jennie Lou Art as a gift for guests. A curated silent auction featured the work of artists from across the West, including Ucross Fellows Wendy Bredehoft of Laramie, Wyoming; David Brock of Sheridan, Wyoming; Sandra Harris of Hardin, Montana; Adrianna Hinds of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Martin
John Garhart of Powell, Wyoming; Susan Moldenhauer of Laramie, Wyoming; Sue Sommers of Pinedale, Wyoming; and Mark Spragg of Red Lodge, Montana, as well as Theodore Waddell, who splits his time between Idaho and Montana.

Stationed on the lawn throughout the reception, Ucross Fellow Tracy Stuckey of Fort Collins, Colorado, completed the painting “Drugstore Cowboy,” which was later auctioned off in support of Ucross. The main program was held in a heated tent on the Big Red Lawn.

As guests enjoyed a seasonal dinner by Basil & Bloom , they discovered the impact of the Ucross mission. After remarks from Addlesperger, Ucross Fellow Jesse Blake Rundle of Boise, Idaho, gave a performance featuring music composed during his residency earlier this year. Next, a lively auction and paddle raise, conducted by auctioneer Chris Ward, helped the nonprofit exceed its goal.

Finally, the evening culminated in the awards ceremony honoring Naoma Tate with the Outstanding Patron of the Arts Award.

“You would be hard pressed to find anyone who cares more about the arts than Naoma Tate,” said sculptor Gary Staab, who introduced Tate. “She lives and breathes the culture of the West and the art inspired by it. Her support is a handshake across time.”

Tate has a longstanding history of arts patronage, exemplified earlier this year, when she took the lead in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History celebration of the American bison. Thanks to Tate’s generous gift, Staab created three larger-than-life bronze bison statues, which now permanently flank the museum’s entrance on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

A tireless leader, Tate serves on the Ucross Board of Trustees, as well as on the boards of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. She is also on the National Board of the Smithsonian, Smithsonian Natural History Museum Gemology Board, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, Leakey Foundation and Berkeley Geochronology Center.

Tate is a proud member of the Utah and Wyoming Westerners, the Utah Daughters of the Pioneers, Daughters of the American Revolution and American Friends of the Louvre.

Prior recipients of the Ucross Outstanding Patron of the Arts Awards include Governor Mark and First Lady Jennie Gordon , Mike and Francesca Hammer and Jesse and Cathy Marion.

More information about Ucross is available at ucross.org

Photos of courtesy of Emi Whiting, Ucross.