Through its Museum as Classroom approach, the University of Wyoming Art Museum places art at the center of learning for all ages, supports the academic mission of the University, assists in preparing our future workforce with essential skills, and enhances the cultural life of Wyoming’s citizens and visitors.
UWAM is excited to be collaborating with the Microbestiary, a grant-funded art and science outreach project at UW that engages the public in microbiology through art, to host artwork created during the inaugural Microbestiary Artist Residency (MAR). This exhibition is a collective exploration of the in/visible forces and organisms that shape the world we know. Microbes live around us and within us—our interactions with them are a matter of life and death. Yet, regarding issues such as biodiversity, public awareness centers very heavily on species that are visible to the naked eye. Through these artistic responses to the field of microbiological research, we are highlighting the charismatic world that these creatures inhabit.
To commemorate the University of Wyoming Art Museum’s 50th anniversary since its humble beginnings as a corkboard in the Fine Arts Department, the museum presents an exhibition exploring its place in the American West, a region imbued with the emotional subtexts of freedom, independence, and wilderness. The museum re-presents “traditional” narratives to highlight Indigenous voices, place landscapes in historical perspective, and examine the history of collecting the art of the American West. Using the permanent collection, guest curator Robert Martinez collaborated with Art Museum curators to develop an exhibition that he says, “challenges the visitor to change their mindset and note whose perspective is missing. Whose story is not being told and why.”
Oronzo Gasparo’s (Italian-American, 1903-1969) art is fantasy and so was he; his subject matter, often mundane, is transformed into something of myth through vibrant colors and a refined “primitivism.” An Italian immigrant who worked primarily in New York City, Gasparo was a well-known figure in the Greenwich Village scene of the 1920s through 1960s. His drawings and paintings are captivating, playful, and complex in his layering of simple patterns. Explore these works displayed with narrative details discovered in the artist’s archives to uncover Gasparo’s travels, his lovers and friends, his vendettas, and his triumphs.
Looking for the perfect background for your desktop? Immerse yourself in works of
art from the UW Art Museums collection!
Reminder: UW Art Museum images are copyrighted and are offered here for personal use
only.
There is no admission fee for the art museum. We are free for visitors of all ages.
Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Upcoming Closures:
• Winter Break, Dec. 23 - Jan. 2
Regular hours will resume Jan. 6
