Prominently displayed on my living room wall is a large oil painting I commissioned from one of my father's favorite artists.
Connie Robinson captured the view from the hills behind our ranch. Pastures and fields line the foreground leading to my home, and the Big Horn Mountains tower from across the miles.
No matter where I lived over the years, seeing this painting grounded me to family, heritage, and land.
Before the first tourists stepped into Yellowstone, painter Thomas Moran was already capturing its steam and splendor. His work helped convince Congress to preserve the land forever.
Frederic Remington brought the drama of frontier life to canvas, shaping national myths of the cowboy West. Etchings by Hans Kleiber, paintings by Bill Gollings -- each left a legacy that wasn’t just artistic, but cultural. They helped define the image of Wyoming for the world and, in doing so, helped us better understand it for ourselves.
Art in Wyoming didn’t stop at mythmaking. It moved into galleries, classrooms, town squares, and therapy rooms. It became part of how we function as a community, and care for one another
Wyoming’s creative economy adds more than beauty to our surroundings. It adds jobs, income, and momentum.
The arts contribute $1.3 billion each year to our state’s economy. That’s 2.7 percent of our gross domestic product, supporting over 14,000 jobs and generating nearly $1 billion in labor income. Artists are small business owners and innovators.
When they succeed, Wyoming towns do too. And with programs like the Wyoming Innovation Partnership equipping artists with business tools, creativity is becoming an investment in our future, not just a reflection of our past.
In schools across the state, art education is preparing our kids to thrive -- academically, emotionally, and socially. Students involved in the arts attend more often, score higher, and engage more deeply.
They also gain skills every employer wants: creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and resilience. Whether it’s a painting class in Pinedale or a theater production in Torrington, these programs are giving students a reason to show up and a platform to shine.
At places like the C-V Ranch School, art is even more transformative. It builds confidence and connection for students with special needs who may not feel seen in other settings.
In rural states like ours, where mental health care is often hard to access, art therapy is stepping in to help. For veterans, survivors of trauma, or anyone facing emotional challenges, creating art provides a way to express what words can’t. Organizations like ART 321 in Casper are leading the way -- offering statewide programs that reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and promote community healing. It’s not just about making something beautiful. It’s about making sense of pain and finding new ways forward.
From the murals in Lander to kinetic sculptures in Cheyenne to bronze tributes in Sheridan, public art has become part of our landscape. It draws visitors and brings communities together. Projects that feature Native artists and other underrepresented voices ensure that all residents see themselves reflected in the shared space of their towns. That sense of visibility and belonging can’t be measured in dollars, but it matters just the same.
And then there’s the art you might not even call art at first glance.
Leather tooling. Beadwork. Fly tying. Quilting. These are folk traditions that shape Wyoming’s identity. They reflect our land and the stories we carry.
In classrooms and festivals, libraries and powwows, these traditions are being preserved and reimagined. They bridge between generations and between cultures, rooted in place but open to change.
You don’t have to travel far or spend much to experience art in Wyoming. From world-class institutions like the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson or the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, to cooperative galleries, college exhibits, and library displays, there’s something for everyone. In fact, some of the most heartfelt and meaningful art is right in your own community center or hanging on the walls of your local café.
Art is not just for collectors or connoisseurs. It’s for ranchers and welders, teachers and truckers, kids and grandparents. It’s for anyone who’s ever been moved by a photo, a sketch, or a carved wooden figurine. In Wyoming, art is woven into the fabric of our culture and our communities. And whether your taste runs toward bronze cowboys or abstract landscapes, tooled leather belts or painted boots, there’s a place for you in the gallery.
All you need to do is look.
Gail Symons can be reached at gailsymons@mac.com
