Community Calendar

In celebration of the music and stories of the state, Tales from Wyoming will welcome three local artists to share their experiences. Shawn Hess, J Shogren, and Hillery Lynn will each perform an acoustic set, with stories about their relationship to Wyoming woven in and out of their songs. The Alice Hardie Stevens Center will be ready to welcome you. Ranch Eats food truck is heading over from Cheyenne to offer their fantastic rustic cuisine options and a local pop-up bar will have drinks available to buy. In partnership with Western AF, and thanks to support from Re-Storying the West, ALCES and UW's Department of American Cultural Studies, this is an evening to celebrate the sound of The Cowboy State. Open to anyone and everyone!

Riot Act, Inc. Presents: Salon Sundays
Starting September 21 | Sundays, 5–7 PM | Riot Act Studio @ Center for the Arts

Are you brimming with creative energy? Looking for a welcoming space to develop new work, connect with fellow artists, or just get inspired? Salon is for you.

This weekly gathering is a supportive environment for performers, writers, directors, and all kinds of creatives to share ideas, test material, and build community. Salon includes acting exercises, movement expression, scene study, vulnerability work, and fostering the creative process. Whether you have a project in progress or are simply seeking artistic connection, you’ll find space here to grow and explore.

Reserve your spot at riotactinc.org

Riot Act, Inc. announces the opening of submissions to our New Play Festival playwriting competition. Three one-act plays will be selected for production during our Annual Series of Shorts in September 2026.

Each of the three playwrights whose plays are selected for production will receive an honorarium. The first-place winner will receive $200 and the Marius P. Hanford IV Award. Marius was a longtime stage combat choreographer influential in several theater communities, including Jackson and New York. The second place will receive $100 and third place will be awarded $50.

The contest opens on May 1, 2026 with final entries due by June 20, 2026 and winners will be notified by July 31, 2026.

For more information and registration, email NewPlayFest@riotactinc.org or check our website at https://riotactinc.org/new-play-festival/.

CRITICAL THINKING SYMPOSIUM
There are GOOD questions, and then there are BEAUTIFUL questions. Join the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning for the Critical Thinking Symposium on Monday, May 11, 2026, 9am-2pm in Coe Library, Rm. 506.

Keynote Speaker: Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.

Also featuring Jill Cermele of Drew University, and UW's Meg Van Baalen-Wood, Rick Fisher, Shelby Hutson April Heaney, Catherine Johnson, Martha McCaughey, and Caleb Hazelwood.

Riot Act, Inc. announces the opening of submissions to our New Play Festival playwriting competition. Three one-act plays will be selected for production during our Annual Series of Shorts in September 2026.

Each of the three playwrights whose plays are selected for production will receive an honorarium. The first-place winner will receive $200 and the Marius P. Hanford IV Award. Marius was a longtime stage combat choreographer influential in several theater communities, including Jackson and New York. The second place will receive $100 and third place will be awarded $50.

The contest opens on May 1, 2026 with final entries due by June 20, 2026 and winners will be notified by July 31, 2026.

For more information and registration, email NewPlayFest@riotactinc.org or check our website at https://riotactinc.org/new-play-festival/.

Join us on Tuesday, May 12, in the Museum’s Cook Auditorium for a free screening of an inspiring documentary about the lifelong friendship between wildlife artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster.

The Art of Adventure is an inspiring and deeply human documentary about the extraordinary lifelong friendship between world-renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman and fearless biologist Bristol Foster. Through their epic 1957 journey around the world—armed with a 16mm camera and an artist’s brush—the film opens a vivid window onto a planet once wild and unscarred and a bond formed through curiosity, courage, and love of nature.

At its heart, the film weaves together nature, art, and activism showing how two very different men fought to protect the natural world: one through art, the other through science. Now in their 90’s Bob and Bristol still find sanctuary in nature. Their story is a moving reflection on legacy, mortality, and the wisdom of our elders—and a reminder that humanity and nature are inseparable. The Art of Adventure invites us to listen, to learn, and to embrace life with curiosity, courage, and heart.

Bristol and Bob’s curiosity, courage, and creativity make environmental stewardship feel accessible, exciting—and deeply human. With this spirit top of mind—The Art of Adventure passes the torch to a new generation—showing young people that protecting the planet can begin with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to explore. At a time when both nature and cultural vitality are top of mind their story reminds us of who we are, what we value, and what is still worth protecting.

There will be a Q&A following the screening with the film director, Alison Reid. Artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster will join remotely via Zoom to answer questions.

A live music presentation with exciting Wyoming and Western Songs about, Cowboys, The Oregon Trail, The Transcontinental Railroad, Lewis and Clark, Stories in Traditional Native American Indian Sign Language, Cowboy Poetry and World-Class Yodeling.

​This Wyoming Music Legacy is accompanied by a multi-media presentation of historical paintings and photographs, taking the listener on an amazing journey of Wyoming History and our proud alluring culture of The Wild American West.

"Buffalo Bill" and Dr Jo (Flower of the Prairie) are winners of a Western Music Association Harmony Duo Award.
"Buffalo Bill" is a WMA Male Yodeler Award Winner.

Bill and Jo perform on the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar with superb harmony vocals. This exciting concert length presentation truly tells a story about Wyoming and our proud Western Heritage.

Start Your Own Business! In this workshop, you’ll be guided through a step-by-step framework to help you move forward with clarity - no matter where you’re at in your entrepreneurship journey. Whether you’re exploring an idea, seeking funding, or just curious about the process, this session will provide answers.

- Pros and cons of business ownership.
- Strategies for reaching customers.
- Financing options.
- Resources and expert guidance.

Riot Act, Inc. announces the opening of submissions to our New Play Festival playwriting competition. Three one-act plays will be selected for production during our Annual Series of Shorts in September 2026.

Each of the three playwrights whose plays are selected for production will receive an honorarium. The first-place winner will receive $200 and the Marius P. Hanford IV Award. Marius was a longtime stage combat choreographer influential in several theater communities, including Jackson and New York. The second place will receive $100 and third place will be awarded $50.

The contest opens on May 1, 2026 with final entries due by June 20, 2026 and winners will be notified by July 31, 2026.

For more information and registration, email NewPlayFest@riotactinc.org or check our website at https://riotactinc.org/new-play-festival/.

This one-day in-person workshop will teach you all about the supplies, techniques and tricks to work with professional colored pencil. Create your own works of art; floral, landscape and still life. No need to know how to draw, patterns will be provided. All skill levels welcome. Bring your artwork to life and have lots of fun!