Ucross Artists Reception Draws Good Crowd

On Friday, May 3, the Ucross Art Gallery held a reception for the artists whose work is featured in the current exhibition “Celebrating Complexities,” featuring art by the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Visual Artists.

The exhibition was guest curated by Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation) of Portland, Oregon. Mallory was the second Native American Artist to be choose for the residency, and she was one of the first Native American Artists to display their artwork her at Ucross. She told us why she choose the artists for the exhibition.

Savannah LeCornu (Tsimshian, Haida, and Nez Perce) of Bellingham, Washington said she was here at Ucross for around two weeks in 2022, and she said Ucross was her first residency, and she really didn’t know what to expect. She said one of the best parts were the friends she made while she was here. She also talked about her artwork on display.

Artist Gerald Clarke Jr., (Cahuilla Band of Indians) of Anza, California, was a resident at Ucross during spring 2023, talked about Ucross and his art prints at the show. He said he has been doing artwork for 30 years.

Mikayla Patton (Oglala Lakota Nation) of State College, Pennsylvania, was a resident at Ucross for about a month in 2022.

Her artwork incorporated porcupine quills that she found from a road killed porcupine near Ucross, and she added that quill work is traditional decorations in the Lakota tribe.

Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) of Santa Fe, New Mexico was unable to attend the reception.

A large crowd attended the event, and resident chef Jackie Vitale created the refreshments for the reception.

The exhibit in Ucross closes in Ucross on May 17, but the exhibit will be at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, from June 21 – October 6.

The Ucross Art Gallery Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Ucross Cafe, located inside the art gallery, is open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.