UW Art Students Work to be Featured in Downtown Laramie

This weekend is the public’s chance to see award-winning work in downtown Laramie from University of Wyoming Department of Visual Arts students.

The Laramie Public Art Coalition and the Laramie Area Visitor Center recently announced winners of their video shorts competition, and all four honorees are current students or graduates of the department.

First place went to “Self-Defined” by Sydney Edwards, of Laramie, a UW graduate, while runner-up was “Liminal” by senior Brooke Michael, of Colorado Springs, Colo. Alumnus Robert Bryans, of Casper and Lander, was third with “Pasque Flower.” Honorable mention went to “Bunny” by senior Nicole Nicklas, of Jackson, and a second entry from Edwards titled “Cyclical.” The contest was for existing video shorts with the theme “Projecting: Place” and was open to all Albany County residents.

The videos will be projected in downtown Laramie onto the Clure Brothers north wall in the Laramie Area Visitor Center office parking lot from 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2. The public opening will be Thursday, Feb. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the site.

The project will be housed in TOPO-X, a collaborative mobile observation, projection and outreach project housed in a teardrop trailer. It was developed as an interdisciplinary project among Brandon Gellis, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Visual Arts; J.J. Shinker, an associate professor in the Department of Geography; and Meg Thompson Stanton, artist and coordinator of the Laramie Public Art Coalition.

The project was designed to help build bridges between UW and Albany County communities, for art and science exploration, and a means to bring exciting visual art to communities.

The Laramie Public Art Coalition’s mission is to enhance the unique cultural and visual vibrancy of Laramie and Albany County in a manner that encourages participation from citizens and visitors. The Laramie Area Visitor Center’s mission is to obtain national and international recognition for Albany County; to showcase the area as a multiseasonal destination having endless possibilities; and to realize full visitor potential.