State of Wyoming - Wyoming Arts Council

**What Does the Wyoming Arts Council Do?** The Wyoming Arts Council helps bring creativity to life in every corner of the state. Through grants, partnerships, and special programs, we support projects of all sizes – helping communities grow and thrive. The Wyoming Arts Council helps bring creativity to life in every corner of the state. Brinton Museum Public support for the arts facilitates access to programs that strengthen the fabric of communities, help local and state economies to flourish, improve education outcomes, contribute to good health, and preserve cultural traditions. **About the Wyoming Arts Council** Each year, the Wyoming Arts Council (WAC) awards nearly 150 grants and fellowships, serving every county and reaching more than one million people across the state. This includes approximately 1.1 million adults, 200,000 youth, and 10,000 artists who benefit from arts funding in their communities. From local murals and school arts programs to community theater productions, WAC-supported projects help make Wyoming a vibrant place to live, work, and create. The Arts Council is funded by a combination of State of Wyoming General Funds, National Endowment for the Arts federal funds, endowments, private donations, and revenue generated through sponsorships and registration for events like the annual Governor’s Arts Awards. **History and Governance** Established in 1967 during the administration of Governor Stanley Hathaway, the Wyoming Arts Council was created under state statute to support and promote the arts statewide. In 1989, a government reorganization placed the Council within the Department of Commerce. It was later moved to the Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources, where it operates today within the Division of Cultural Resources. For more than two decades, the WAC was headquartered in the historic Kendrick Building in downtown Cheyenne. In 2015, it relocated to the Barrett Building, home to the Wyoming State Museum. The Wyoming Arts Council’s operations and governance are defined by state statutes 9-2-901 through 9-2-904, and program-specific guidelines such as 16-6-801 through 16-6-805 for Works of Art in Public Buildings. **Mission** The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to champion, sustain, and cultivate community through the arts. **Vision** The Wyoming Arts Council envisions a Wyoming where the arts are a driving force in the social, economic, educational, and everyday life of its citizens.