CHEYENNE, Wyo. — More than a dozen Cheyenne-based groups have received thousands of dollars in funding from an annual state grant program.
The Wyoming Arts Council, a state agency that provides leadership and resources to Wyoming-based art groups and institutions, announced Thursday it is giving 121 organizations across the state a combined total of $966,164 in grant funding for its fiscal year 2025 Community Support Grant. The support grant provides financial support to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or government agencies, according to a news release from the Wyoming Arts Council.
The following Cheyenne-based organizations received grants this year:
- Arts Cheyenne: $10,721
- Boys and Girls Club of Cheyenne: $10,421
- Cheyenne All-City Children’s Chorus: $10,206
- Cheyenne Chamber Singers: $10,252
- Cheyenne Children’s Museum: $7,365
- Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum: $8,636
- Cheyenne Harmony Chorus: $6,423
- Cheyenne Little Theatre Players: $11,192
- Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra: $11,879
- Cheyenne Youth Symphony: $6,166
- Southeast Wyoming Concert Series: $6,594
- Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation: $4,111
- Wyoming Writers, Inc.: $6,937
Award recipients can receive up to $15,000 total from the Community Support Grant program. This amount is split up into two parts: Groups can receive up to $10,000 for project support endeavors as well as a separate $5,000 for learning support activities, according to the council’s news release. For instance, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra received $7,879 in grant awards to support its upcoming 70th season for 2024–25, according to Christine Pelletier, the symphony’s director of communications. Meanwhile, the Wyoming Arts Council gave the orchestra $4,000 for educational outreach.
Arts Cheyenne Executive Director Desirée Brothe told Cap City News her organization is using its grant funds for a variety of services. On the project side, she and her team are allocating the $7,108 they received in project funds to support general staff at the Cheyenne Creativity Center and manage operations for the Cheyenne Arts Celebration in August. Arts Cheyenne also received $3,613 on the education side, which will be utilized to pay art teachers who lead classes at the creativity center, Brothe added.
A panel of communuity members and art partners are responsible for reviewing and recommending which organizations receive grant applications. The Wyoming Arts Council then makes a final determination. The panelists this year were:
- Andrew Schneider (director of operations – Wyoming Arts Alliance)
- Amanda Flosbach (executive director – Teton Music School)
- Ami Vincent (director of Bookmarked Literary Festival)
- Aubrey Edwards (board member for Laramie Public Art Coalition)
- Bailey Patterson (instructor of communication and public speaking at LCCC)
- Barbara McNab (curator of exhibitions – The Brinton Museum)
- Mandie Hines (community organizer for the literary arts)
- Mark Bergman (director of strings and orchestral studies – Sheridan College)
- Philip Moline (ticketing manager at Target Center)
- Stacy Crimmins (president – Platte Valley Arts Council)
- Taylar Stagner (arts community member)
- Tiger Robison (assistant professor, elementary and early childhood music education – University of Wyoming)
A complete list of grants awarded can be viewed in a document below.
Anyone interested in learning more information about the grant program can contact Cashmere Balland, grants and administration manager with the Wyoming Arts Council, at 307-214-7819 or cashmere.balland@wyo.gov.
