This event, hosted annually at President’s Park near the White House, celebrates the holiday season by showcasing student's artistic talent with ornaments displayed on each of 56 trees representing each U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia as part of the Pathway of Peace.
The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony dates back to 1923. Over the years, the ceremony has featured performances, special appearances, and stunning ornaments crafted by students to reflect the unique identity of their state.
Student artists from NCHS poured their creativity and dedication into designing ornaments that beautifully capture the spirit and culture of Wyoming. Their work reflects themes of natural beauty, state history, and community pride, exceptionally representing the Cowboy State. Students create their designs on an ornament template, which is then scanned and printed on large ceramic ornaments displayed on the Wyoming tree. Along the pathway, viewers are enchanted by the ornaments brilliantly displayed on the additional trees. To view all the state ornaments, visit https://www.thenationaltree.org/ornaments/.
For this year’s ceremony, NCHS junior Phebe Zeller’s incredible artwork was chosen to represent Wyoming by being displayed on the National Christmas Tree. “I was excited to hear that my ornament was chosen for the national tree!” shared Phebe. “I chose to draw different areas from around Wyoming that are important to me and other people who come and visit."
A few student participants shared their reflections and inspiration for their artwork:
- CJ Syverson’s ornament depicted Indian Paintbrush flowers - “I see Indian Paintbrush out at Alcova a lot, so I drew them with a watery background because that is just Wyoming to me. The water and the rocks and the flowers represent how Wyoming is really beautiful.”
- Alissa Miller’s ornament depicted the rainbow trout - “I feel like a lot of people, when they think of Wyoming, they think of our plains and going hunting and hiking and things like that. Through Casper, we have the North Platte River and it is always fun to go fishing over there. I feel like not as many people enjoy fishing as they do hunting, so I wanted to do the trout because fishing is something that I really love.”
- Miranda VanTassel's ornament depicted the Wyoming sagebrush - “There is such a big cultural aspect around sagebrush through Wyoming’s history with Native Americans but also Wyoming has so much abundance of sagebrush. It is such a big part of the nature around us. I mean, you go up to the mountain and just smell sage. It is a big part of the nature in Wyoming.”
The recognition is a testament to the exceptional talent of the students and staff of the NCHS art department. Under the guidance of their skilled and dedicated teachers, these students have honed their artistic skills, embraced their creativity, and demonstrated the power of art to connect and inspire. “We are so proud of our student artists and the art department,” said NCHS Principal Wilson. “Their passion and hard work have not only brought this incredible opportunity to our school but have also highlighted the beauty of Wyoming on a national stage.”
Congratulations to the talented artists and educators at Natrona County High School for this remarkable achievement!
Natrona County High School is committed to preparing responsible and life-long learners who value themselves, contribute to society, and succeed in a changing world.