Governor Mark Gordon and the Wyoming State Museum honored 53 local artists during the 2026 Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition awards reception in Cheyenne. The event featured the presentation of the Juror’s Choice Award to Georgia Rowswell, alongside several Purchase Awards selected by state officials for the Capitol Art Collection. The exhibition, which serves as a tribute to America’s 250th anniversary, includes 62 works selected from nearly 400 submissions that celebrate the state's landscapes and communities.
This annual exhibition is a vital institutional mechanism for the state of Wyoming to document and acquire contemporary regional art. By integrating these works into public offices and the Wyoming State Museum’s permanent collection, the program ensures long-term state patronage for local creators and maintains a historical record of the region's evolving artistic output.