Wyoming Arts Council

Wyoming State Museum receives NEA grant for "Art of the Hunt" project


National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced today that the Wyoming State Museum, an agency in the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The State Museum is recommended for a $45,000 grant to support “Art of the Hunt: Wyoming Traditions.”

The Wyoming State Museum is partnering with the Wyoming Arts Council and the University of Wyoming American Studies Program on the “Art of the Hunt: Wyoming Traditions” project, which will showcase hunting and fishing traditions as manifested in stories, crafts, and rituals and will be celebrated through a museum exhibit, catalog, and web site.  All artists featured in the exhibit live and work in Wyoming, making hand crafted items that are used by hunters and anglers, but that are also works of art.  These artists are often not well known by the traditional arts community in Wyoming.

Arts Council Manager Rita Basom is excited to see these Folk and Traditional artists featured in an exhibit.  “We are so proud of the work these Wyoming artists create, and want to make this work available to the public, Basom said.   Hunting and fishing are such strong traditions in Wyoming, and we believe that this exhibit will help people to understand how the arts fit into those traditions.”

Basom noted that the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will help to advertise the exhibit throughout the state, and that many other Wyoming organizations and individuals are supporting the project through private donations, which will match the Art Works grant funding.

Acting  NEA Chairman Shigekawa said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”

Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts.  The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding.   Of those applications, 895 are recommended for grants for a total of $ 23.4 million.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.

For more information on “Art of the Hunt,” contact Annie Hatch at anne.hatch@wyo.gov, or by calling  307-777-7742.


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