Ucross To Host Artist Talk and Reception

On Monday, March 31, 2025, Ucross announced that the public is invited to a day of events celebrating its current exhibition, “The Language of the Land,” on Friday, April 18, featuring two free programs with the artists and curator behind the show. The day will begin with an artist and curator talk at 11 a.m. at Kinnison Hall at Sheridan College. RSVP here

That evening, guests are welcome to attend a public reception at 6 p.m. at the Ucross Art Gallery, located at 30 Big Red Lane in Clearmont. RSVP here

“The Language of the Land” features work by the 2024 recipients of the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Artists. Steven J. Yazzie, a multidisciplinary artist of Diné, Pueblo of Laguna and European ancestry based in Denver, explores themes of identity, memory and perception of place. Jeremy Dennis, a fine art photographer and member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation from Southampton, N.Y., creates visually striking narratives that examine Indigenous identity and cultural preservation. Danielle Shandiin Emerson, a fiction writer and poet of Diné heritage from Shiprock, N.M., uses poetry and mixed media to explore intergenerational connection, resilience and healing.

The exhibition is curated by Sean Chandler (Aaniiih), a former Ucross artist-in-residence and the president of Aaniiih Nakoda College on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. Through photography, poetry and mixed media,”The Language of the Land”; explores the profound relationship between land, identity and storytelling.

“Steven, Jeremy and Danielle all conveyed, with their own unique voices, how the land speaks to them,” Chandler said. “These are places familiar to them; they are familiar to all of us. The spiritual connection to these places is not lost to them, for they were born there; we all were.”

“The Language of the Land” will remain on view at the Ucross Art Gallery through May 10. Admission to the exhibition and April 18 events is free and open to the public.

These programs are supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Arts Council, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature.

Both events on April 18 are free and open to the public; however, attendees are asked to RSVP in advance. For more details and to RSVP, visit tinyurl.com/25n6xuws for the artist talk and tinyurl.com/bddhc9w3 for the gallery reception.

The gallery reception will feature refreshments prepared by our resident chef, Jackie Vitale, with a special menu inspired by the cultural heritage of each exhibiting artist.

For more information about the exhibition, events or the Ucross Fellowship for Native American Artists, visit www.ucross.org.

For more information contact Rani Robison, Ucross Communications Manager rrobison@ucross.org | mobile: 801.505.8562