Wyoming: Declaration of Imagination

Paintbrush Dreams, by Steve Knox (mixed media on teabags), is part of the Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition. Photo courtesy of Wyoming Arts Council

To honor America’s 250th anniversary, of the state of Wyoming’s Semiquincentennial Commission has adopted the slogan, “Declaration of Imagination,” and has incorporated the arts into many of its activities. The Wyoming Arts Council is a leading partner in facilitating projects and events that use the arts and creativity to highlight Wyoming’s people and cultures and their roles in American history. In addition to celebrating the 250th in Wyoming, these programs offer the opportunity for the arts council to collaborate with many other branches of state government.

State Park Residencies: The Wyoming Arts Council and Wyoming State Parks are supporting a statewide program to place 36 artists in residencies at nine state parks during summer and fall 2026. Artists will work in multiple disciplines: visual arts, performing arts, folk and traditional arts, and creative writing. Each residency will culminate in a public program focusing on one of the state’s semiquincentennial themes:

Honoring our past: commemorating Wyoming’s history, places, and people
Examining our present: reflecting on Wyoming’s role in contemporary America
Imagining our future: envisioning Wyoming’s leadership in America’s future

Veterans In Focus: As part of the state’s Wyoming 250 initiative, the Wyoming Arts Council, Wyoming Department of State Parks and Historic Sites and Wyoming State Archives are partnering on a project to gather and exhibit portraits and oral histories of Wyoming veterans. The Veterans in Focus project creates an opportunity for veterans to share stories about their military experiences and lives in Wyoming. Each session includes professional portrait photography to preserve the legacies of Wyoming’s military community. The Arts Council is coordinating the photography component of the project.

Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition: The Wyoming Arts Council supported the Wyoming State Museum in presenting a juried visual arts exhibition that showcases the talents of Wyoming artists. Running from February through August 2026 in the state capitol, the exhibition honors America’s 250th anniversary by showcasing 62 works from 53 Wyoming artists exploring Wyoming landscapes, history and culture. Awards for Governor’s Choice, Juror’s Choice and People’s Choice have been given, and selected pieces are being acquired for the state’s permanent collection.

Commemorative Song Competition: The Arts Council partnered with the Wyoming Singer-Songwriter Competition to commission a new song that celebrates Wyoming heritage as well as the nation’s 250th. The winning artist will perform the song at events across Wyoming in 2026, including the 4th of July celebration in Cheyenne.

Reflecting America—Past, Present and Future: Each fall, the Arts Council sponsors the Wyoming High School State Art Symposium, produced by the Wyoming Secondary Art Educators Association. In 2026, the symposium will feature an America 250 category of student artworks that showcase how Wyoming’s past and America’s history are affecting Wyoming youth today. Select winning pieces will then be exhibited at the state capitol in Cheyenne.

Archaeology Awareness Month Poster: Each September, the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (WSHPO) promotes Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month to raise awareness about the importance of protecting Wyoming’s archaeological heritage. Museum-quality posters are commissioned each year. WSHPO is collaborating with the Wyoming Arts Council to do a special call for entries for a 250th-themed poster for 2026. The poster will explore, through art, how the lifeways of Wyoming’s Indigenous tribes connected to horses and how human relationships with horses have shaped both Western and American heritage.

For further information about the arts in our nation’s semiquincentennial, see more state arts agency examples or visit the National Endowment for the Arts website.