A foundation for the arts

Sharon Hawkins, Executive Director for Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts (BCFFA), said she remembers when an artist told her that her artwork was always in black and white, but once she finished her residency at the Artist Camp on the Brush Creek Resort (BCR) property, all the work she produced was in color.

"How can you not be inspired by this beautiful setting," Hawkins said as she made a sweeping gesture with her hands to the scenery around her.

There is an area for a campfire in the middle of the compound that is actually a place for the artists to get together at the end of the day. No one is obligated to socialize, but Hawkins said it happens more often than not.

The Artist Camp features eight artist studios in historic, restored ranch buildings, such as a schoolhouse, and eight individual residences with a separate work space.

Eight residences for eight artists. No more, no less.

The kitchen, library, community room and laundry facility are shared. All meals are provided, which includes a self-prepared breakfast, bagged lunches and family-style dinners.

Although the studios and residences are top notch, the artists come for the beauty of Wyoming. BCFFA living areas for the artist are located in a beautiful setting that guest artists never to want to leave, though often they do. There is much to do nearby with the countless miles of trails to hike, bike, snowshoe or cross-country ski. There is also wildlife that consider the area home. Artists can be treated to the sighting of antelope, deer, elk, moose, foxes and marmots.

Carbon County residents might not consider these animal sightings much to be inspired by. However if you are coming from either coast or an international location, it is not hard to understand these visitors being awestruck by the proximity of so much fauna.

Inspiration is the whole reason BCFFA offers this experience. Hawkins said BCFFA is a non-profit organization offering time and space for artistic exploration to visual artists, writers, musicians and composers from all backgrounds and expertise levels.

The music studio was once a school house. It has been renovated into a rustic, yet extraordinary, building with a Steinway piano in the center of the room. It was made for music, literally.

"The schoolhouse was built in 1898 by Billy Butler and it was called the 'Old Bennet Schoolhouse.' It served as a community building as well, so it was used as a church, and for community dances," Hawkins said giving history on the building, "It was on the Young's property under a huge tree along 203. The White's (owners of BCR) made a deal with the Young family and the building was brought to outside the BRC main complex to serve the BCFFA."

Although the Artist Camp is down the road from the BCR. The artists, during their three week stay, do not interact with the guests. Instead, the group of eight immerse themselves in surrounding beauty of the landscape.

"We bring in 80 to 90 artists a year," Hawkins said. "Each cabin is set up for each artist's genre. We limit it to eight artists on purpose because they usually gravitate towards each other giving each other support and confidence about their work."

The artists are free to structure their own day and activities while on this creative sanctuary. It is up to the individual artist on what they want to glean from their three weeks at the Artist Camp.

Hawkins came to work for the foundation in 2014.

"I was an elementary school teacher in Centennial before I retired and came here," Hawkins stated. "My husband is the general manager of the ranch. He and I moved here in 2009. I taught for a few years, then I came to work here."

Hawkins said she has always loved the arts, but until she came to work for the foundation, she didn't know there were artist retreats.

"Before I came to work here, I did not know anything about artists residencies," Hawkins said. "There are 500 in the United States and 1500 worldwide. There are three in Wyoming. Artists know about them because it is a fantastic place for them to come and work on whatever they are passionate about."

She said artists usually go to http://www.callforentry.org as the portal to learn about BCFFA if they do not go to the BCFFA website. Hawkins said entrants go through an adjudication process. A jury of professionals from the arts and humanities rank residents based on submitted work samples in a competitive selection process for the artist residency programs. Awards are based on juror ranking, submitted proposal and overall application.

"I love the process," Hawkins said. "I look through the applications and see who we have coming."

The resident artists are responsible for all necessary supplies for their work and transportation costs to Laramie. Transportation is provided both to and from the ranch and Laramie Regional Airport on arrival and departure.

Hawkins said usually the weather cooperates, but the Artist Camp is in Wyoming, so there have been delays on occasion.

Hawkins said BCR, over several generations, has served as a home to numerous families that raised livestock. The story of BCR starts back to 1884 when the Sterrett brothers settled the land and built the original homestead.

BCR eventually became a guest ranch that hosted visitors from all over the nation and the world.

In 2008, the ranch was purchased by Bruce White, Chairman and CEO of White Lodging, a respected name in the hotel industry. BCR and BCFFA are the end result of the White family's broad hospitality experience, continuous commitment to philanthropy and love for Western heritage that Carbon County evokes. BCFFA was established in 2011 to create a retreat for artists in a variety of talents.

BCFFA is under the White Family Foundation and not associated with BCR in any manner other than it being nearby.

"Bruce (White) wanted a place where people could make memories when he created Brush Creek," Hawkins said. "Beth (White), who is the founder of this foundation, wanted to give artists the opportunity to be true to their talent. They are both truly wonderful people."

Hawkins said the foundation has an outreach program to the local communities.

"I am an advocate for artists to going into the schools and one of our community outreach programs is to go into the arts, music and English classrooms in Saratoga and Encampment," Hawkins said. "We do that in the winter."

She said having artists come to rural communities and connect with the kids can have amazing results.

"I had an artist come from Romania who told those kids in the classroom how hard it was to come up in that government system and these students had no conception of these times before," Hawkins said. "You could see the inspiration literally in many of these kids eyes and it was great because kids are our best investment."

The artist do go to the Valley communities while in Carbon County. In Encampment, the museum is visited. There is also a tradition of going to a Saratoga restaurant.

"Our last dinner, we always go to Bella's," Hawkins said. "They really enjoy that group experience as they are getting to leave."

Hawkins said a satisfying result she sees is that artists often produce art in three weeks that would have taken them six months.

"It is because the responsibilities of life for many of these artists really erode the time that they have for art and the focus they need to produce incredible work," Hawkins said. "Here, they can focus."

She said the gratitude of the artists as they leave is inspiring to her.

"I love the arts and I love how this foundation helps artists because they really appreciate what we have done here for them," Hawkins concluded. "This foundation has really made something special here in Carbon County."