Hundreds Flock to Second Annual Collective Arts Festival

On Saturday, August 9, the Northern Wyoming’s arts scene lit up Sheridan as hundreds poured into Whitney Commons Park for the second annual Collective Arts Festival, a community celebration of the arts across music, crafts, theatre, and literature.

Damn Tall Buildings, a renowned Brooklyn band, headlined the free event. The trio closed the main stage in the evening and led a popular workshop earlier in the afternoon.

Caitlin Addlesperger, President and executive director of the Ucross Foundation, talked about the Festival.

The main stage was alive throughout the day, with performances from local groups Crown Summer (James Craft, Emmett Craft, and Kellen Medill), Sheridan County Youth Choir (fourth through eighth graders), La Sirene (Anastasia Harbour and Taylor Phillips), Oliver Jr. (cast of the WYO PLAY production), Barbara Smith (Wyoming Poet Laureate) and Dinosaur Rock Musical (sneak peek of the WYO Play original).

In the dedicated demo tent, the Collective Arts Festival hosted a full slate of workshops, including ceramics with Will Lopez of Sheridan, a poetry workshop with Barbara Smith, a music workshop with the performers in Damn Tall Buildings and a paint-and-sip class with the Paint Post.

Collective Arts Festival Team: Jill Benson, Grace Cannon, Erin Butler, Caitlin-Addlesperger, Kendra Heimbuck and Kathryn Stevens

Throughout the event, attendees roamed the Artisan Village, where dozens of regional creators showcased their work around the Whitney Commons loop. The onsite Storybook Garden brought children’s stories to life in partnership with the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library. And, in the heart of the park, children of all ages created their own works of art in the Creation Station and adjacent Sidewalk Mural.

Among visits to workshops, performances, artisans, and crafts, attendees savored flavors from a lineup of local food and drink favorites, including Kona Ice, Colombian Guy Coffeevan, Pete’s Za, Fatbacks Southern BBQ and Last Chance.

Collective Arts Festival was presented by the Bighorn Arts Collective, a new nonprofit organization committed to enriching the arts and growing the creative economy in Sheridan County and across the region. Through meaningful collaboration with the community’s art entities and artists, Bighorn Arts Collective seeks to leverage the impact of all endeavors, ensuring that the arts thrive and remain an integral part of the community’s identity.

Addlesperger added,

Bighorn Arts Collective is composed of leading arts organizations in Sheridan County, including The Brinton Museum, Neltje Center, SAGE Community Arts, Sheridan Public Arts Committee, Ucross Foundation, the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center and WYO PLAY.

In addition to the Bighorn Arts Collective, the festival was supported by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, as well as the Homer A. & Mildred S. Scott Foundation. Water bottles were donated by Water Products & Solutions.

The next Collective Arts Festival is set for August 8, 2026. To learn more or get involved, visit https://www.bighornartscollective.org/

Photos courtesy of Caitlin Addlesperger