Laramie Jubilee Days® 2024
Laramie Public Art partnered with Laramie Jubilee Days® to present local artists’ artwork on light pole banners! Learn more about each work below. The artwork was selected through an open call; members of the community and Laramie Jubilee Days representatives selected the work. Each artist submitted an already completed artwork along with a statement about the artwork’s connection to Laramie or the festival.
Artist: Rose Gardner
Ombre in Snow
This is a piece designed to give the viewer a brief reminder of the Snowy Range, the beautiful scenery we are blessed to see daily. I chose to add hues of red, navy blue, and violet to represent a variety of elements: the red and navy blue reflect, not only in our state and country’s flag, but also in the Indian Paintbrush, the red breasted robins we see every spring, and the navy blue we see in our crystal sky, shades in our mountain granite, and our wildflowers. Lastly the violet we see in lupine and lilacs but it also is a color that be a reflection for loss and we are community that has suffered deep loss and finding new and create ways to honor our history and past.
Artist: Shayna Oosthuysen
Rediscover the Nautilus
The Nautilus in Vedauwoo is an iconic, beautiful, and very accessible point of the Laramie region for both climbing, hiking, running, and pure enjoyment. My hope for this would be to inspire our community and visitors during Jubilee Days to rediscover their sense of wonder and awe of the beautiful nature that came be sometimes right under their nose. To smell the wildflowers, gaze in the beauty of Laramie’s geological history, to stop to appreciate the detail and colors of the lichen, or to simply enjoy the extravagant sunrises of the Vedauwoo skyline. Life or summers can be so busy, and we all need to stop from the hustle, and simple be, maybe even rediscovering our sense the wonder in The Nautilus.
Artist: Eric Henderson
Rescue Ready
Jerry Norton, PRCA Bullfighter, was "Rescue Ready" for Laramie Jubilee Days most popular Rodeo event, bullriding! The world famous Mr. T Xtreme Bullriding performance and all the bullriding sections of the Laramie Jubilee Days PRCA Rodeos were Jerry Norton's stage! Wyoming’s Hometown Celebration of Statehood hosts the greatest of Western Celebrations in a small town, big time tradition, done right every eight seconds.
Artist: Carly Valenti
Wyoming Wildflowers
This piece was inspired by the wildflowers of Wyoming - Laramie boasts diverse wildflower species that thrive in its unique climate and elevation. These flowers symbolize resilience and adaptability, mirroring the spirit of Laramie's residents.
Artist: Michelle Visser
Springtime on the Greenbelt
Springtime in Laramie signals the beginning of an evening ritual for me—riding my bike along the Greenbelt in the evenings. The sound that accompanies me is that of the Red Wing Blackbird. Its trill is heard even if I can't catch a glimpse of the bird, but it signifies the change of season that we are anticipating as we shake off the long winter.
Artist: Eleanor Verley
Snowy Range
This watercolor depicts a spring day at the foothills of the Snowy Range a must see for any Laramie resident or visitor
Artist: Tara Pappas
Full Moon Ride
This piece was created specifically to both be a tribute to Jubilee Days festivities, and a celebration of the beauty of wonder of Laramie. In this piece, the girl is lassoing the moon as both a connection to Jubilee Days and a symbol of the strength of women in our community and the rich history associated with that strength. The landscape is painted on a foundation of a topographic map of Laramie. Atop the landscape sits several cairns, or balanced piles of rocks, as both a tribute to Vedauwoo and a representation of Laramie standing as a pathway for students and families from all over the world.
Artist: Melonie Jones
Freedom
This abstract realism painting of a horse head is a mixed media piece created using acrylic washes, alcohol inks, oil glazes, and oil opaques. The horse head proportions are a little off, but that’s what I like about it – the “freedom” of the abstract process and the acceptance of imperfections! It also represents the freedom and lightness of all the different people who embody the "cowboy culture" of Laramie and Albany County.
Artist: Allison Wagg
Fluffy Cow
The Fluffy Cow was created with a verity of bright, metallic, acrylic colors. Bison are a keystone species that help create habitats for the Great Plains by foraging, aerating soil, aiding in plant growth and are a symbol of life and abundance bringing forth a healthy and balanced ecosystem. Please do not pet the Fluffy Cow!
Artist: Allison Pluda
Let ‘er Buck
The rodeo is one of the main defining events of Laramie Jubilee Days. Seeing the bucking broncs is an iconic scene of the festival.
Artist: Sara Trask
Tea Time on the Plains
The Laramie downtime and the region in general were the inspiration for this piece. Our little raccoon is anything but ordinary. She enjoys the finer things that Laramie has to offer all while immersing herself into the rich resources that the region possesses. She hosts tea time with her little cowboy companion as they share secrets of their experiences in the gem city of the plains.
Artist: Rachel Smiley
Earth Born
Laramie comes alive in the summer as the winter’s chill melts away and is replaced by wild flowers. For many of us, celebrating Laramie is synonymous with celebrating the magnificent outdoor spaces that surround our city. Vedauwoo – derived from an Arapaho word meaning ‘earth born’ – is a rocky sanctuary central to our community.
Artist: Sienna Hawk
Peck of a Good Time
Downtown Laramie really blossoms during Jubilee Days. There's music, dancing, food, and, of course, the carnival. Not every downtown gets to have a Ferris wheel put up, and it gives you some pretty neat views of the town. This year will be my third Jubilee Days, and I'm looking forward to grabbing a corndog and romping around the festivities. I only wish I could bring my chickens along for a ride on the Ferris wheel...
Artist: Rene Williams
Happy Jack
Happy Jack is an example of everyday life and experiences in Laramie,Wyoming. Driving through town or on one of our many scenic roads, wildlife, mountain and prairie views, big skies and beautiful horses are always found. This photograph was taken while driving along Happy Jack Road. I had to turn around to attempt to capture the beauty of this horse standing facing the wind with the storms brewing in the clouds beyond. The contrast of the sky, rocks and horse were too incredible not to try and save.
Artist: DeeDee Duplessis
Colors of Laramie
The image is based on a photo of the iconic pedestrian bridge over the rail tracks. It has been stylized and colors of the surrounding landscape have been applied: the light green of sage, the light brown of dried prairie grass, the reddish brown of rocks, the near-white of clouds, and the blue of the summer sky.
Artist: Kathleen Milks
Summer in the Snowy Range
A view of the peaks in the Snowy Range taken from the Lakes Trail with the state flower, Indian Paintbrush, in the foreground. This is the view so many visiting the area come to see.
Artist: Killian Lemons
The rodeo takes the race
My favorite part (and the part I always remember the most) of Jubilee days is the bed races! There’s always some sort of exciting chaos going on during them or something wacky. I decided to combine that with another major part of Jubilee days, the rodeo!
Artist: Alexis Zaharas
In the Saddle
This design is based off the Jubilee Days rodeo, one I witnessed for the first time ever last July! I love to see more women competing in rodeo, not only limited to barrel racing and where they can compete against men in professional rodeos.
Artist: Meg Thompson Stanton
t's a map of Albany County I made for our group art project "We Live Here" that is up at the public library. The project addresses the question people driving through often ask: "Who Lives Here?" Each location numbered corresponds to a story in the project about living here from a local county resident. If selected, I can adjust the map to fit the format better and remove the story numbers. The map visually shows the communities, highways, and geographic landmarks of our county.
Artist: Carmen Nottage
Swallowtail at Vedauwoo
As an artist and a lifelong Laramie resident, I feel a strong connection to our beautiful landscapes throughout Wyoming and feel privileged to have grown up in such amazing environments. In my work as a painter and printmaker, I like to capture texture and detail of the outdoor world and creatures that live within it. Gum printing is an important process to me because it is a tactile process that is at times unpredictable, variable imperfections are common and something I love about it is a “static” look and feel that makes the image feel aged. To me this artwork is a celebration of the quiet and simple moments that are easily missed and a reminder to take a moment to enjoy these opportunities. Wyoming is more than prairies and sagebrush and in these vast awe-inspiring landscapes there are little surprises of life and beauty tucked away. I feel lucky to live a short drive in any direction to beautiful outdoor spaces and in my work, I hope to highlight and share moments I have found.
Artist: Conor Mullen
‘Til the Birds are Barkin’
A tribute to late night jubilation and the friends you make along the way.
Artist: Erin Abraham
Medicine Bow Moon
This tapestry depicts the full moon during a summer sunset over the Medicine Bow range, celebrating both the magnificent sunsets we have in Laramie and the natural beauty of the topography of our region.
Artist: Sandy Keller
Laramie Sunset
The Downtown Laramie walking bridge offers a much beloved view of the downtown area. This painting shows it in a vibrant pink reminiscent of a brilliant sunset.
Artist: Amanda Pittman
Jackrabbit
A leaping jackrabbit is framed by native Wyoming wildflowers. These mysterious creatures can be seen darting among the sagebrush on the prairie, especially at Pilot Hill area above Laramie. This piece celebrates the great diversity and beauty of the high elevation prairie steppe ecosystems we are so fortunate to be a part of.
Artist: Michelle Weschler
Ebb and Flow
Jubilee Days and the summer in Laramie hold special places in my heart. One of my first dates with my partner was at Jubilee Days, and I always enjoy the vibrancy of it. I tried to capture the vibrancy of not only the event, but the life that summer brings to all the region’s unique areas, and the connection between the people to those natural resources. I was inspired by risograph printing and wanted to mimic that style to capture the colorfulness and playfulness of summer. I also wanted to include a few native species, hence the bighorn sheep and sandhill crane.
Artist: Ryan Goeken
Paintbrush Quartet
Wyoming is home to 16 species of paintbrush flowers, ranging in color from purple, red, pink, orange, yellow, and white (the bright red Wyoming paintbrush being the state flower). The bouquet in this painting includes 4 of those species - giant red, Wyoming, yellow, and sulphur (from top to bottom). These 4 species can be found in the Laramie Range and Snowy Range near Laramie, and are usually flowering during Jubilee Days. Paintbrush are hemiparasites, receiving a portion of their nutrients from other plants. Some of these plants are included in this painting too, including big sagebrush and buffalograss, along with mountain bluebells, which are often found growing in the shadow of sagebrush. Therefore, this painting serves as not only a beautiful bouquet, but a representation of the unique ecosystems of the Laramie Valley and its surrounding mountains.