Arts Cheyenne

"Creating a vibrant community through the arts."

Author: Desiree Brothe

  • Arts Cheyenne Awarded Grant from National Endowment for the Arts for Local Public Art Development

    The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) today announced that Arts Cheyenne will receive a $100,000 grant to support the organization and help develop a community-based kinetic public art project.  The NEA award to Arts Cheyenne was part of a competitive grant application process to distribute American Rescue Plan funds to arts and culture organizations across the country.  Arts Cheyenne was among five other Wyoming-based grant recipients.

    Arts Cheyenne will use the funds to support a new kinetic public art project called Wind, Water, and Light, a three-year initiative to bring movable, interactive, wind and environmental-based art to Cheyenne and Laramie County.  The project will sponsor up to six temporary kinetic art installations this summer in the West Edge section of downtown Cheyenne.

    “We’re thrilled to receive this award to support the organization and public art development in Cheyenne,” said Mike Morris, Arts Cheyenne Board President.  “These NEA/ARPA funds are designed to improve community arts & culture infrastructure.  The grant support will help us launch this kinetic public art project to help make Cheyenne and Laramie County a center for wind-based art,” he added.

    The first year of the Wind, Water, and Light project initiates a public art loan program in the community so that public art creators can temporarily install and increase local awareness of kinetic art.  In future years, the Wind, Water, and Light project will sponsor permanent kinetic art installations in Cheyenne and Laramie County locations.

  • Laramie County Library System Honored with the Compassion-In-Action Award

    The Laramie County Library System was honored with the Compassion-In-Action Award from Compassionate Cheyenne in a small ceremony at the Library. The award, which seeks to recognize organizations or individuals who are helping foster compassion throughout the community, acknowledged the Library’s efforts to welcome and support residents of the Laramie County community. The award extends to all library facilities including the libraries in Cheyenne, Burns, Pine Bluffs, and the Bookmobile.

    Ed Boenisch nominated the library in January of 2019 and Beth Howard, a member of the Compassionate Cheyenne working group, presented the award. Howard read from Boenisch’s nomination, stating, “The Library, like many others in the country, has consistently opened its doors to the homeless and those in need of support. The Board of Directors and the Executive Director and all employees have committed to this compassionate service and have made it a priority through staff training. Without this long-term commitment, those in our community who find themselves on the margins would not have these comprehensive services, caring and support.”

    Boenisch’s nomination cited the library’s modern computer lab, which provides access to the Internet for individuals from all walks of life; it’s warm, welcoming, and accessible building that provides a safe place during the cold winter and hot summer months; and an abundance of library resources available for free to those in the community. Howard went on to recognize the library’s efforts in serving the community during the COVID-19 crisis by providing contactless pick up of library items and by safely reopening its building.

    Executive Director Carey Hartmann, an Arts Cheyenne Board Member, accepted the award certificate along with a $100 donation from the Sunrise Rotary Club, with funds provided by RBC Wealth Management. Hartmann said that the award was extremely meaningful for Laramie County Library System and stated, “all employees at the library care deeply about the people that we serve.” She continued that to have the library’s efforts acknowledged during these difficult times provided great meaning for the organization.

  • Wyoming Arts Council Accepting Nominations for 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards

    The Wyoming Arts Council is accepting nominations for the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards.

    Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize excellence in the arts and outstanding service to the arts in Wyoming. These awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a lifelong patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 25 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.

    Full nomination criteria can be found here.  For questions please contact Brittany at brittany.perez@wyo.gov or 307-214-2701.

  • Paint Slingers Event Coming July 18-19

    Wyoming’s original street art festival featuring the Paint Slingers is slated to be even bigger this year with several locations around downtown Cheyenne to be painted.   On July 18-19, artists from Cheyenne and the Front Range will be covering downtown in color. The hub will be at West Edge Collective, 707 W. Lincolnway, and there’ll be food trucks and live music in their parking lot. Additionally, steamroller linoleum printing going on at the same time will be quite a spectacle!  Don’t miss it!

    Hours for the event are Saturday, July 18th, 10 am-10 pm and Sunday, July 19th, 10 am-2:00 pm

  • Arts Cheyenne Receives CARES Act Funding

    The Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, has distributed COVID-19 support grants to 45 arts organizations across Wyoming.  Arts Cheyenne was one of the recipients of this CARES Act support.  Other Cheyenne organizations receiving CARES Act funding included Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, Cheyenne Little Theatre Players Inc., Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Reformation Dance Company, and the Wyoming Music Educators Association.

    The purpose of the CARES Act funding for arts organizations is to preserve jobs and stabilize organizations. Funds are distributed as a one-time grant to provide administrative and operational support to arts organizations that have suffered substantial financial or personnel losses as a result of COVID-19.

    Recipients of these funds may be asked by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Wyoming Humanities Council or the Wyoming Arts Alliance to participate in conversations and data collection about how COVID-19 is impacting cultural organizations in Wyoming. The Wyoming Arts Council is committed to providing ongoing support to arts organizations and individual artists across the state as disruptions from COVID-19 continue.

  • Arts Cheyenne To Present Public Art Plans

    Arts Cheyenne wants to raise the community’s public art identity to the next level.

    The community arts organization will announce a set of new public art initiatives during a reception at the new Cheyenne Airport Terminal, Friday, September 12th at 5:30 pm. The public is invited to the reception and presentation to hear about the specifics. The reception will also feature food, beverages, music and art creation activities sponsored by Cheyenne Makers and Creatives.

    According to Arts Cheyenne Board President Desiree Brothe, the organization has plans to elevate Cheyenne’s unique public art persona.

    “We already have so many great public art assets . . the big art boots, murals, bronzes, utility box wraps and exciting low-cost cultural events that make art accessible to everyone,” commented Brothe. “Arts Cheyenne feels that a great community takes a mindful approach to its culture. We’re going to propel that cultural planning for Cheyenne and Laramie County.”

    The public art reception is part of a new Arts Cheyenne initiative called Cheyenne Arts Celebrations which recognizes and assists existing community cultural events. Next week’s Celebration activities include an expanded Cheyenne Artwalk on Thursday, September 12 from 4-9 pm, the Friday, September 13th reception at the new Airport Terminal, and a partnership with the Laramie County Library for its Local Author Day event on Saturday, September 14 from 10 am – 4 pm.