The Nicolaysen Art Museum History

Our History... The Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center’s history begins in 1967, when Casper’s Mary Durham along with a group of friends hosted the first art show in a little white house that still stands at the corner of “A” and Park streets. In 1972, the newly renamed Central Wyoming Art Museum found the room it needed in a former bus station on Rancho Road. This 7,000 square foot building provided more exhibit space as well as rooms for classes and other educational programs.
The Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center, known throughout the region as the NIC, has occupied its current 25,000 square foot location at 400 East Collins since 1990, when an extensive renovation of the 1924 Mountain States Power Company building was completed.

	The Nic is a full service institution that offers programs to the city of Casper and to the state of Wyoming. The Nicolaysen serves a diverse audience and is a primary center for contemporary artists in the Rocky Mountain Region. In addition to exhibitions, education is the primary focus of this institution.