CASPER, Wyo. — Thousands of Wyoming art students showcased pieces Thursday at the annual Wyoming High School Art Symposium, hosted at the Ford Wyoming Center.
Josh Dillinger, a Campbell County arts teacher and the president of the Wyoming Secondary Art Educators Association, said roughly 4,630 works are on display this year.
“Almost every district has at least one school represented here,” he said. “It’s a chance for students and teachers to highlight their best work and share what’s been made for the last nine months of the school year.”
Dillinger added that the symposium saw a drop in participation in the years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, though he said the number of submitted works has been steadily rising back to pre-pandemic levels.
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Art on display includes both 2D and 3D works across a wide range of mediums. Dillinger said each teacher has a different process and criteria for determining what to bring.
Just under a quarter of the pieces are given a blue ribbon by a panel of distinguished artists. From those, the top 25 are singled out and showcased on their own as Congressional Award winners, which will be sent to Rep. Harriet Hageman’s office in D.C. The 3D pieces were similarly given the Art Discovery Award, though Dillinger said those would not be taken to the capital for logistical reasons.
“It’s not a competition per se, but that doesn’t mean the students don’t see it as one,” Dillinger said with a chuckle. “Often, students will ask, ‘Why wasn’t my piece chosen?’ and then they come here and say, ‘Oh, that’s why.’
“Then in the following year, you see the growth and ideation. … This is a big deal for them.”
The symposium also features a silent auction and raffle to benefit art students throughout the state. Workshops throughout the event help the students hone their craft as well.
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Ultimately, Dillinger said, the symposium is proof of the artistic skill throughout the entirety of the Equality State.
“I really think Wyoming’s high school art students stand among the best in the entire country,” he said. “I was talking to my Natrona County counterparts yesterday, and we agreed that the foundational skills of our high school students are on par with many of our peers at collegiate levels.”
The symposium wraps up Friday, and will be open from 9 a.m. to noon.
Editor’s note: This episode was originally published on Oct. 12, 2025.
Two cabins in Jackson, Wyoming are what’s left of a set for a Hollywood western filmed in the area during the 1950s. One of them is five miles north of Jackson in Kelly and the other is under the ownership of History Jackson Hole, a museum in town.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with local researcher Samantha Ford and dives into the history of these cabins, the film in which they were featured and why Jackson was selected as the production site.
If you’re a cinephile or a fan of old movies, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
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Previous episodes are available in the audio player below. Watch previous episodes here.
Season two is coming in 2026. If you have a topic or guest idea for an upcoming episode, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
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CASPER, Wyo. — Here is a list of those who filed for a divorce from Dec. 22 through Dec. 29. All filings are reported to Oil City News by the Natrona County District Court.
The log is not a comprehensive document and may not represent all of the divorces in Natrona County. The report excludes sealed cases and confidential parties.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently announced its plan to move forward in 2026 with developing Feedground Management Action Plans, a key component of the broader Wyoming Elk Feedgrounds Plan.
A release from the Game and Fish Department states that as part of the department’s statewide Chronic Management Plan, the Wyoming Elk Feedgrounds Plan was established to guide the department’s overall and long-term approach to elk management for the 21 feedgrounds across Wyoming. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approved the final draft of the strategy in March 2024, following close to four years of collaborative planning with more than 60 volunteer stakeholders.
The release notes that the development of the individual FMAPs is the next step in the process. The department will be working closely with stakeholders, as well as the public, to address key concerns and priorities.
“Game and Fish remains committed to the management of our state’s feedgrounds in an adaptable manner that utilizes the best science available,” said Game and Fish director Angi Bruce. “Supplemental winter feeding of elk has continued to grow in complexity. These plans will allow us to adjust to current and future conditions in feedground management.”
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Specific FMAPs will be developed for each of the six elk herds, as well as their corresponding feedgrounds in the Jackson and Pinedale regions. They’re intended to be a playbook of strategies guiding feedground management through biological, social, and economic factors. FMAPs are designed to be adaptable as on-the-ground-conditions change and science emerges.
In early 2026, draft FMAP documents will be shared during a series of public meetings. They will be presented to the Game and Fish Commission later in the year.
“The goal of the FMAP process is to ensure our strategies are not only sustainable for our agency, but supported and beneficial to the public,” Bruce said. “This is an important issue that has an impact on our state’s wildlife, business owners and residents in our state. Their buy-in and feedback will be essential to a successful long-term plan for feedground management.”
Times and locations for the public meetings will be announced in January on the Game and Fish website. More information on elk feedgrounds, as well as the Feedground Management Plan, can be found on the Elk Feedgrounds page at the Game and Fish Department’s website.
