| Visit | Exhibitions | Education | Collections | Get Involved | About Us | Events
The National Advisory Board of the University of Wyoming Art Museum invites you to dust off your boots and kick up your heels at A Hat Ball, our benefit Gala to be held May 18, 2024, at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, in Laramie, Wyoming.
Take a look at last year's Gala.
Our 2024 Gala theme mirrors an iconic sculpture, Cowgirl Hat Ball, that introduces The New West, a major exhibition celebrating our place in the West, and the 50th anniversary of the UW Art Museum, featuring artworks from the permanent collection.
This fundraising event provides essential support for the museum’s programs, which serve Wyoming’s communities, teachers, faculty, students, and visitors. Over 50% of the UW Art Museum’s annual operating budget comes from private donations, including Gala proceeds. In addition to high-quality exhibitions and a growing collection, the museum’s education programs increase critical and independent thinking skills, promote collaboration, and contribute to student preparedness in our global society.
Terry Maker’s Cowgirl Hat Ball, composed of 500 straw hats, stands both as a celebration of Western culture and a challenge to gendered assumptions. Maker, a Texas-born artist based in Colorado, is known for her use of deconstructed and reconstructed materials, discarded objects, and a playful manipulation of scale. The Cowgirl Hat Ball is currently on display in the University of Wyoming Art Museum's rotunda as part of the The New West exhibition.
Borbay, celebrated painter and location artist, will perform a live painting at the Gala. The live painting will feature the iconic neon sign from the Thunderbird Lodge in Laramie, WY. Following the performance, the painting will be available for bidding during the live auction.
The Munsick Boys Band will play in the Grand Ballroom. The Dayton-based Munsick family has performed their unique style of country music all over the world and was recently recognized for their contributions to Wyoming culture with a Governor's Arts Award.
Sing Hat Company will be offering custom hats for purchase with a live auction item, proceeds benefiting UWAM. Started by founder/owner Christy Sing Robertson, SHC crafts heirloom-quality beaver felt hats and offers fine Guatemalan palm leaf hats. Schedule your fitting ahead of time here!
Wyoming Whiskey will provide craft whiskey cocktails and tastings, giving guests an opportunity to experience a unique flavor that can only be found in the rugged landscapes of Wyoming.
Image:
Terry Maker (American, b. 1953), Cowgirl Hat Ball, 2019, wood with straw cowgirl hats, 10 feet diameter, courtesy of the artist