Visiting Artist Kikut to Participate in UW Art Museum Events This Week

The University of Wyoming Art Museum will host visiting artist Patrick Kikut for an exhibition-closing reception, exhibition-related presentations and an artmaking workshop Thursday through Saturday, March 26-28.

On Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Kikut will be present for a film screening of “A River Out of Time,” followed by a panel conversation with the artist and Jessica Flock, of the Pedal House in Laramie; Jason Robison, of UW’s College of Law; and Thomas Minckley, of the Department of Geology and Geophysics. The event will take place at the Art Museum and is free and open to the public.

On Friday at noon, Kikut will host a lunchtime conversation in the museum galleries, offering visitors an opportunity to engage directly with his work in “Sympoiesis: Co-Creating Sense of Place,” and learn more about his creative process. Guests are welcome to bring a sack lunch to the museum to enjoy after the talk and continue the conversation. This event is free and open to the public.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., Kikut will lead a hands-on field drawing workshop inspired by themes from his work in “Sympoiesis: Co-Creating Sense of Place.” Participants will join Kikut in stepping outside the Centennial Complex to explore methods of creating perspective in the field and returning to the museum studio to create iterative images of their field sketches. Registration is required; go here for more information and to register.

Kikut’s artwork is rooted in his deep connection to the landscapes of the American West and his commitment to exploring them. In 2019, Kikut served as the lead artist for the Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition, which launched from Green River May 24 -- exactly 150 years after explorer John Wesley Powell began his historic journey down the Colorado River.

Historically, images of the American West were created to document and verify the existence of landscapes, resources and vistas. Today, such imagery continues to shape how these places are understood. Kikut’s landscapes -- developed through sustained engagement with the environment and collaboration with fellow expedition members -- reflect this process of collective creation, an act of making with rather than making alone.

The UW Art Museum exhibits, preserves and interprets visual culture from around the world to engage academic, local, state, national and global communities. The museum is located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 E. Willett Drive on the UW campus. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday hours are extended to 7 p.m. Admission is free.