Women have played an important role in Wyoming’s history, and a new exhibit at the Wyoming Women’s History House in Laramie is helping showcase it.
The exhibit is called “Material Connections: Wyoming Women in Art” and features the work of eight women artists from across the state. The pieces use various media and techniques, like lithography, paper collage and even discarded containers.
In April, the museum put out a call for proposals throughout the state; Ashley Hope Carlisle, Katie Christensen, Sadie Clarendon, Adrienne Vetter, Colleen Friday, Rocio Gomez Sandoval, Tawni Shuler and Cassidy Post responded.
Post, a Laramie-based mural painter, has painted the wall in the museum's courtyard with the images of Louisa Swain, the first woman in the country to legally cast a vote in a general election, and Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman governor of a U.S. state. With the help of the Wyoming Arts Council and the Laramie Public Art Commission, Post was selected from a nationwide pool of mural candidates.
“It’s my biggest project to date,” Post said. “To have my artwork in such a public area is validating. It was inspired by the historic women in Laramie.”
The museum’s walls are covered with images of the natural world. Some pieces depict historic state figures, like Nell Scott, who appeared ingrained within the nature scenes. Ashley Hope Carlisle’s “Listening Hollows” greets visitors with a poem playing from speakers encased in recycled objects.
“The theme behind it is their connection to being a woman in Wyoming, and also their work reflects what life is like being a woman,” Joanne Mai, the house’s executive director, said. “We see these artists as a way to show a window into their creative interpretation of history and also, in some cases, what’s happening today.”
The pieces also celebrate the women who were first in the nation and first in Wyoming. On December 10, 1869, the Women’s Suffrage Act passed in the Wyoming Legislature, granting women the right to vote and hold public office in the state. This happened nearly 50 years before women in the rest of the nation had the right to vote and almost 20 years before Wyoming became a state. The History House details many of these pioneers through its regular museum exhibits.
Like many women throughout the state’s history, Mai said the artists in “Material Connections” are also pioneers.
“These artists that are part of the exhibit are also leaders in their field,” Mai said. “It’s a neat opportunity to connect the women that we feature in our house on a regular basis and the temporary exhibit we have here for the summer.”
All of the artists are leading workshops where participants can learn their techniques and create their own art. Workshops include paper folding, mini mural painting, quilting and collage making.
Artist Katie Christensen is also the curator of the exhibition. She detailed how the art was made, and explained why this kind of project is important to the community.
“Artwork like this helps people slow down and question their existence in the world,” Christensen said. “Sometimes, being in those in-between spaces is important to finding your purpose. It helps us answer and ask the questions of ‘what's next for us, how are we all connected and where do we go from here?’”
The exhibit is only open until Labor Day weekend. Post’s mural, however, will permanently adorn the building’s entrance wall, reminding visitors of the historic impact Wyoming women have had on the state and the nation.
