Ucross Spotlights Artists To Be Featured At The Gala

On August 19, Ucross announces the award-winning artists to be featured at its gala on September 26, including celebrated author and podcast host Anna Sale, painter Roxanne Everett and singer-songwriter Beth McIntosh.

“A Place in Time: The Ucross Gala” will celebrate the residency program’s dedication to fostering the creative spirit of working artists by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, staff support and the experience of the High Plains, while serving as a responsible steward of its historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming.

Alan and Ann Simpson, Courtesy Photo

The Ucross Gala will also honor former Senator Alan Simpson and Ann Simpson with the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership. The award honors and celebrates business leaders, philanthropists and innovators who have forged their own path and had an enduring impact on business, the arts or land stewardship. The Simpsons have a demonstrated history of leadership across these fields, from the Senator’s celebrated service in the U.S. Senate and Wyoming House of Representatives to Mrs. Simpson’s advocacy for arts and mental health.

Anna Sale, podcaster and author, will present guests of honor Senator Alan and Mrs. Ann Simpson with the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership at “A Place in Time: The Ucross Gala.” Photo by Mindy Tucker

The Simpsons will be introduced by Anna Sale, author of “Let’s Talk About Hard Things,” whose podcast “Death, Sex & Money” has been awarded Gracie, Webby and Ambie awards. In a 2014 podcast episode, Sale interviewed Senator and Mrs. Simpson about their serendipitous intervention in a romance with her then-boyfriend, Arthur Middleton. Now married and the parents of two children, Sale and Middleton live in Berkeley, California, and spend summers in Cody, Wyoming. They have grown to be close family friends with the Simpsons.

Roxanne Everett at Ucross during the 2024 Founder’s Day open studio event. Photo courtesy Ucross Foundation

The Ucross Gala will also feature Ucross alumna and Washington State-based contemporary landscape painter Roxanne Everett, who will paint en plein air during the gala. The resulting painting will be up for bid during the evening’s fundraiser auction. In addition to exhibiting her award-winning paintings internationally, Everett has served as a back-country forest ranger, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and retains her Washington State Architectural License.

Beth McIntosh, Jackson Hole-based singer, songwriter and storyteller, is one of several Ucross alumnae performing at “A Place in Time: The Ucross Gala” in September. Photo courtesy Beth McIntosh

In addition, Ucross alumna and musician, poet and storyteller Beth McIntosh of Jackson, Wyoming, will perform during the gala. Winner of a Wyoming Performing Arts Fellowship, she has traveled extensively throughout the state and the nation, performing alongside artists and writers such as Emmylou Harris, Leo Kottke and Terry Tempest Williams, a fellow Ucross alumna.

Heading The Ucross Gala auction is Kevin Doyle, of Jackson, Wyoming. After working for Sotheby’s as vice president in business management for 20 years, Doyle joined Jackson Hole Art Auction as company partner and managing director in 2021. Ucross is pleased to partner with Doyle to highlight exclusive to-be-announced auction items and experiences as the fundraising component of The Ucross Gala.

“It wouldn’t be a Ucross event without the opportunity to experience the work of our alumni artists, live and in-person,” said William Belcher, President and Executive Director. “We are honored that Beth McIntosh and Roxanne Everett have joined the program. And we are thrilled to have Anna Sale and Kevin Doyle participate in the evening’s festivities. These four incredible guests will help us celebrate the power of storytelling, the creative process and the role that Ucross plays in so many artists’ lives.”

Since 1983, Ucross has provided residencies to more than 2,700 writers, visual artists, composers, choreographers and interdisciplinary artists from across the world. Ucross champions artist-alumni via world-class community programming, including events, workshops, publications and exhibitions in the Ucross Art Gallery.

All proceeds raised during the gala will be used to continue this legacy. A select number of tables and tickets are available at ucross.org or by calling 307-737-2291.

For more information contact Ucross Communications Manager
Laura Jean Schneider at ljschneider@ucross.org or call 307.737.2291