The Wyoming Arts Council has awarded nearly $800,000 in community support grants to 111 non-profit organizations, arts and education programs throughout the state, including seven programs in Park County. The grants are used for projects, services and events scheduled from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

Here in Powell, Plaza Diane Community Center for the Arts received a $5,993 operating and/or project support grant.

Shelby Wetzel, executive director of the Plaza Diane foundation expressed her appreciation of the award.

“Volunteer energy carried the day for Plaza Diane through its early years, but further growth required the addition of paid staff. One of our primary challenges remains generating ongoing revenue to sustain this position. Katie Stensing is Plaza Diane’s paid coordinator. A former elementary art teacher and graphic designer, Katie combines formal education as an artist with organizational skills that serve our community arts center well,” Wetzel wrote on hearing of the grant. 

The community center for the arts brings in revenue from various sources, including paid memberships and donations, events, classes and art sales, rental fees and grants. 

Wetzel said the annual budget is about $40,000 and most of the cost of operation is for staffing. 

“This grant represents 15% of our yearly income. Most grants are awarded for specific projects, so there is added value in this instance because the Wyoming Arts Council recognizes the need for funding to help maintain operations, so that arts organizations can thrive,” Wetzel added.

Plaza Diane is known for stimulating cultural events and opportunities for participation in arts from gallery exhibits, usually of local artists’ work, after school programs for children, adult workshops, the Plaza @ 5 musical performances and a summer art festival. It also puts on the annual ChristmasFest, formerly Country Christmas, and is available as a community gathering spot in the heart of downtown Powell.

Northwest College received a $6,113 operating and/or project support grant plus an $890 arts learning grant, for a total award of $7,003. It went to the music department and will help support the college jazz festival.

By Western Hands in Cody received $6,074 in an operating/project support grant and another $2,546 in an arts learning grant totaling $8,620.

Graham Jackson is the chair of the board of directors for By Western Hands. The organization’s mission is the preservation of western functional art. To that end, it has 45 artisan members who work in many varied mediums, such as carving in bone, antler or wood, leather artists and saddle makers, furniture makers and blacksmiths.

Jackson said By Western Hands had applied for support for its artist-in-residence program, which will operate for 14 weeks throughout the summer and on to the end of September. In this program, artists work in the shop on 12th Street each Thursday and Friday. The work area is in full display so that the public can stop in and watch the artisan work. On Saturdays, the public can take it a step further by signing up for a hands-on workshop where they can come in and with assistance from an artist, make their own piece. For example, this coming Saturday, those taking part in the workshop can make a wooden spoon with John Gallos. 

Jackson was pleased to learn of the grant.

“This is so exciting,” she said. “It will be very beneficial for the artist in residence program. The Wyoming Arts Council is an amazing resource and we are delighted to be a recipient.”

Jackson said the artists are the biggest wheel in the By Western Hands cog.

“There is some incredible work, and it’s so varied,” she said. “This is Western functional art at its best, and it’s breathtaking.”

Other recipients of the grant awards include:

• City of Cody Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities, $4,346 operating and/or project support grant;

• Cody Country Art League, $5,910 operating and/or project support grant; 

• Park County Arts Council, $6,284 operating and/or project support grant and an additional $2,787 in an arts learning grant, for a total award of $9,070;

• and the Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre, $6,152 operating and/or project support grant.

The grants statewide totaled $622,500 in operating/project support grants and $151,000 in art learning grants, for a total of $773,500.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund board awarded $331,044 to 32 projects around the state at its recent grant review meeting. These grants are separate from the Art Council grants and are funded from a different source.

Awards were given to a wide variety of projects, including historic preservation, theater programming, music competitions, public art, arts education, summer music festivals, diversity and access support, community history and museum exhibits. 

In Park County, recipients include the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which was awarded $4,100 to provide Indian education for teachers as part of professional development.

The City of Cody received $2,500 for concerts in the park in 2021 and the Meeteetse Museums district was granted $2,472 to replace a heating system. And the Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre was given $5,000 for the Wild West Spectacular, The Musical. The dance theater was the only Park County entity on both grant lists, receiving $11,152 between the two programs.