Neltje: The Collector

View selected works from Neltje’s collection, as well as her own works of art, now at the UW Art Museum.

By Curator Michelle Sunset and Director and Chief Curator Nicole Crawford

If you are plugged into the arts scene in Wyoming, you have probably heard of Neltje (American, 1934–2021), and you may have had the opportunity to visit her expansive home and studio outside of Sheridan. She was an iconic artist, businesswoman and philanthropist. In 2010, Neltje stayed true to her lifelong dedication to supporting the arts by generously donating her home, property and collection to the University of Wyoming. The Banner property now functions as the Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity and the Arts, providing UW students, faculty and creatives with a retreat in the natural beauty of the Bighorns, immersed in the world she crafted. To share a glimpse into Neltje’s life and home, the UW Art Museum is proud to present the exhibition “Neltje: The Collector” in Laramie through Jan. 11, 2025.

Heiress to the Doubleday Publishing fortune, Neltje attended private schools and was raised by nannies in Long Island, N.Y. In 1965, following a divorce, Neltje chose a markedly different path. She relocated with her young children to Banner, Wyo., where she acquired a 440-acre ranch on Lower Piney Creek that featured a modest stone house built in 1899. Over the next five decades, she transformed this property into a working ranch, partly dedicated to preserving historic and land resources.

Neltje’s contributions to Wyoming are widely acknowledged — from restoring the national historical landmark Sheridan Inn to founding the Jentel Artist Residency Program and endowing several programs including the Neltje Blanchan Literary Award through the Wyoming Arts Council. In recognition of her unwavering support for the arts, she received the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award in 2005. Neltje also cultivated her own art career, exploring painting and other materials and often incorporating found objects into her abstract expressionist-inspired works.

An avid art collector, Neltje adorned her Banner home with an array of works amassed during her global travels. She creatively juxtaposed cultural objects with fine artworks and her own abstract paintings, bringing vibrant life to her living spaces. She said, “My whole house is filled with carved moments from faraway places, they take me back. I pass by them in my daily travels in the house.”

“Neltje: The Collector” invites visitors in Laramie to experience Neltje’s distinct vision and to explore her life as a collector through eight vignettes of her personal collections. Each vignette replicates her unique pairings of objects and artworks as seen in accompanying photographs of her home installations. The artworks on view include her vibrant beaded chair from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, a Pablo Picasso pitcher, and paintings by Neltje herself, among other eclectic works.

“Neltje: The Collector” is funded through the generosity of the Lucile Wright Endowment and UW’s Office of the President.