Creative holiday gifts at the Nic

Original art, handmade jewelry, classes and free museum admission – the Nicolaysen offers these and many more unique and artistic gifts for the holiday season. Our gift shop is a great place to start, though you can find gift options throughout the museum. The perfect present may be a museum membership or class, and most of the art in the NIC’s exhibitions is available for sale. In a season of giving, shopping at the NIC also supports the museum and often local artists.

Gifts galore

You can start checking off your gift list or complete your own seasonal décor in the NIC’s gift shop. Many items are created by local and regional artists, including pottery, music CDs, handmade glass home goods, books and more.

There’s no admission charge to browse the store, which is open during museum hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The museum will be closed from Dec. 24 through Jan. 3).

Christmas trees throughout the shop showcase a variety of ornaments for sale, from festive birdhouses to vintage-style glass or felted woodland critters in fancy outfits.

A new batch of artist Nancy Sharps’ ever-popular clay animal ornaments is selling out fast. Sharps sculpts various creatures, like moose, deer, horses and even trout, with dangling fins.

Check the shop walls for original paintings and prints by several well-known Wyoming artists.  The shop also features books by local authors and artists, toys for children and pottery.

We offer a wide selection of cards celebrating the season, featuring Wyoming landscapes and themes. Our sparkling array of jewelry offers something for just about any style. You can even choose one-of-a-kind pieces by Wyoming artists made from rawhide, tractor parts or polished Sweetwater agate.  

For art enthusiasts of all ages
If starting or adding to an art collection is on your gift list, you’re in luck. Most of the pieces on exhibition in the museum are for sale.

You can stop by the gift shop or front desk for more information about which pieces are available, their prices and when they can be picked up.  You can read about all of our current exhibitions at thenic.org.

A museum membership for an individual, couple or family is a great way to treat art enthusiasts in your life. All memberships include free admission to the museum for a year and discounts for classes and gift shop items. The memberships include access to the museum’s Doran & Nancy Discovery Center, where kids can play and create with their families.  Anyone who signs up for a new or renewed membership will receive a hardbound copy of “A View From Center Street” by Mark Junge while supplies last. The book tells the story of photographer Tom Carrigen and is packed with his photographs spanning decades of Casper’s history from the early 1920s.  

The upper-level Nic memberships include membership to the North American Reciprocal Museum Association, which gives free or member admission to hundreds of other participating museums and cultural centers across North America. (Learn more at https://narmassociation.org/). You can find out more about Nicolaysen Art Museum membership options and purchase them in person at the museum front desk, online at https://thenic.org/membership/, or by phone at 307-235-5247.

An art class at the NIC is a fun gift for kids and gives them a chance to learn as they create their own works of art. For ages 2-5, we offer Preschool Picassos on Wednesdays or Thursdays and Art Play on the first Saturday monthly. For 1st- through 5th-graders, there’s Art Club on second Saturdays. Art Studio on the first Saturday monthly is for grades 6-10. We also have Wednesday classes for homeschooled students in kindergarten through 8th grade.  You can register for classes at the museum or call us at 307-235-5247. More details are under the “Learn” tab on our website.

Sometimes the best gift can be an experience, like an afternoon at the museum. For a loved one who may want nothing more than to spend time together, the museum offers a beautiful space to enjoy art and spark inspiration and conversation.

Take a relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle of the season at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, and you may even wrap up all your holiday shopping.