Hay, Can You Dig It?

The 7th Annual Hay Bale Sculpture Contest, sponsored by the Platte Valley Arts Council (PVAC), concluded on October 31 with the award going to the newest group to enter the annual contest: the Encampment Dirt Diggers Garden Club.

The Annual Hay Bale Sculpture Contest began in 2016, when the PVAC challenged local ranches, businesses and families to get their creative juices flowing and make a “sculpture” with the predominant medium being hay bales. Other aspects could be incorporated such as wood, metal, wire, paint, canvas damns or any other medium the artists could dream up to add to their sculpture. Each year, all hay bale sculptures are constructed near highways to allow Valley residents the chance to drive around and look at the rustic works of art.

Photos of each entry were also posted to the PVAC’s Facebook page to determine the winner, based entirely on popularity. The piece which received the most number of “likes”—not any other reaction—were tallied at the end of the contest. This year’s contest had a total of six entries and, along with the winning Encampment Dirt Diggers Garden Club, included Kelley Cattle Company, Pine Lodge, Town & Country Realty, White Dog Liquors and Young Ranch.

The People’s Choice Award, a traveling trophy created by local artist Sierra Smith, will be presented to the Encampment Dirt Diggers Garden Club on November 16 at 6:30 p.m. during the Platte Valley Art Council’s Annual Meeting and Social. The meeting and social will go from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Grand Encampment Opera House.

Previous winners of the People’s Choice Award include SunnyCup (2022), CSU Bovine Improvement Center (2020 & 2021), Town & Country Realty (2019), TA Ranches (2018) and The Barkhurst Family (2017).

In addition to promoting awareness of all the ranching operations in Encampment, Saratoga & Riverside, the Platte Valley Arts Council hoped to share the creative agricultural minds in our midst. The mission of the Platte Valley Arts Council is to keep art in your everyday life.