Jamie Waugh selected for public art display
The Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC) announced Saratoga native Jamie Waugh as one of six artists selected to create a piece of art as part of the nonprofit’s public art display project. Waugh has a background in fine arts with work that reflects the harsh terrain, bitter elements, and the undisciplined inhabitants one encounters on the backroads of southern Wyoming.
Waugh will paint an 8 by 30 foot mural on the side of the Sage Motel in Saratoga. It will feature a cowboy’s torso and arms leaning against a barbed wire fence with an old hat hanging further along the fence line.
“My painting will be heavy in a theme we are all well versed in,” Waugh said. “The dedicated inhabitants of the Platte Valley who maintain the slow, hardworking lifestyle we all cherish and strive to protect.”
Waugh’s mural will also be a nod to the late Chuck Larsen,incorporating a line of his cowboy poetry in the negative space.
“My goal is to create an extremely detailed foreground, while maintaining a simple and vast negative space in the background, mimicking many residents daily lives,” Waugh said.
When complete, Waugh’s mural will be an addition to the Platte Valley’s public art collection.
Public Art Funding
PVAC will compensate Waugh and other artists for their talents and the material needed to execute and install the piece of art. Funding forthe public art displays comes from grants, business partners, and donations. Funding for the public art displays comes from grants, business partners, and donations. The Platte Valley Public Art Project is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, the Wyoming Community Foundation, the Carbon County Visitors Council, and the Wyoming Business Council - Rural Development. Bridge Street Bargains in Saratoga also supports the project with a $5,000 grant.
PVAC has identified several locations for the public art displays considering ease of physical access by the public, the willingness ofproperty owners to partner with PVAC for maintenance needs, and the relevanceof the artwork to the location.
Once the artists complete their pieces, PVAC will host a Grand Reveal Event at 11am on September 3. A presentation and lunch will be held atthe Platte Valley Community Center from 1-4pm. The artists will be available at their pieces to answer questions from the public.
PVAC will also launch a new website that will highlight the new public art pieces, existing murals, and other public art in the Platte Valley. Photos, descriptions, artist information, and a map indicating locations will be included. The website will be promoted through the Saratoga - Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, restaurants and motels, and other public locations. PVAC plans to make the website live by the end of the month.
Those interested in supporting the Public Art Project can contribute here.
About Platte Valley Arts Council
The Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC) is a membership-based nonprofit, incorporated in May 1993 to foster awareness and participation in any form of the arts to develop a vibrant and cohesive community. PVAC demonstrates that art can be a partof our everyday lives.
