The Arts & Humanities | Trapper Creek Workshop & Lecture Series (AH|TC) is a first-of-its-kind forum in rural Wyoming. AH|TC’s mission is to offer inspired artistic and educational gatherings that explore beyond the casual and ordinary: scholarly exchange, forward-thinking ideas, lively and tough discussion, and hands-on practical application in the Greater Big Horn Basin. Artists and scholars from all disciplines and subjects around the world are invited to create imaginative, engaging, and productive experiences based on their expertise, in workshop or lecture format, or both.
The Arts & Humanities | Trapper Creek Workshop & Lecture Series is a program of Big Horn County Citizens for Economic Development, a recipient of Wyoming Humanities’ Culture Grows General Operating Support Grant. The Big Horn County Citizens for Economic Development is a small grass roots board that currently has 12 members and four officers, with a goal to enhance the prosperity and quality of life for all residents of Big Horn County.
AH|TC is operated by Barb Fiedler, who manages the communications, advertising, record keeping, artist/scholar logistics, event coordination, and outreach. A big lift for one woman, but a big impact for the community of Shell, Wyoming. A wildly popular program, that had been on repeat for AH|TC, is Digital Storytelling: Capturing Oral Histories and Production by Four-time Emmy-winning TV Producer Jesse W. Green. The class is intimate and informal with plenty of Q&A. While he is not included in our 2026 season, we hope to welcome him again soon.
One of the most popular events over the last two years was Dr. Erik Kvale’s Two million Years of Geologic Calamity in the Shell Valley. Dr. Kvale is a consummate field scientist and teacher. His roadside stops are exciting and full of information, loads of questions, and engagement.
Bringing Together People and Place in Working and Public Lands in the Greater Big Horn Basin panel discussion was challenging but was widely attended. The afternoon started with a few talks from noted speakers, and then the group gathered in a circle for an intimate Q&A session. We brought together locals, interested next generation residents, ranchers, a former Game Warden, and business owners. Also attending was the Dean of the Natural Resources College at UC Berkeley.
Wherever you are in Wyoming, you’ll want to find yourself in Shell for at least one of their upcoming workshops or lectures. The 2026 AH|TC lineup is:
March 14: Private guided tour with BBCW Plains Indian Museum Curator Hunter Old Elk
May 16-16: The Art of Mending: Japanese Boro Stitching and Sashiko with textile historian and artist Carol Ziogas
June 6: Birding in the Shell Valley with BBCW Draper Natural History Museum Curator Corey Anco and Wyoming Audubon’s CJ Grimes
June 19: Impacts of Chronic Wasting Disease in the Wind River and Greater Big Horn Basin with Tucker Russel (we hope to keep a conservation event each year)
July 18: Skulls, Bones, and Big Horn Buttes: Sketching the Iconic Images of the West with returning artist Diane Fiedler
August 22: Artisan Cookies: Creating Memorable Iced Cookies and Joy with local cookie artist Karen Hayes
September 12: Two million Years of Geologic Calamity in the Shell Valley with Dr. Erik Kvale – back by popular demand!
You can register for any of the events above at https://www.ahtc-wy.org/ and be sure to follow The Arts & Humanities | Trapper Creek Workshop & Lecture Series on Facebook.
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