Ucross Receives Grant to Support Residencies for Native American Visual Artists and Writers

The Ucross Foundation announced Wednesday that they’ve been awarded a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support residencies for Native American visual artists and writers.

According to a news release from Ucross, the grant award, which was funded through the NEA’s Artist Communities program, will allow Ucross to expand its successful fellowships for Native American visual artists, now it its third year, to include Native American writers.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said that as Governor, and as a former Ucross Foundation board member, he’d like to congratulate Ucross for securing the funding from the NEA. Ucross President Sharon Dynak said that they are honored to be awarded the grant and that they are especially proud of their work to expand residency opportunities for Native American artists and writers.

The news release states that specifically, the grant funding will support three residencies for Native American writers and/or visual artists in 2020. Each resident will receive uninterrupted time, living accommodations, and studio space on Ucross’s 20,000- acre ranch on the majestic High Plains in northern Wyoming. In addition, each artist will receive a stipend. Participating artists will be encouraged to share their work and participate in public programs, such as workshops, panel discussions, open studio events, and/or readings. Ucross was founded in 1981 by Raymond Plank. It has provided more than 2,200 residencies to some of the world’s most accomplished artists.