Performing Arts Fellowship 2025

The Wyoming Arts Council's Performing Arts Fellowship program aims to recognize and support artistic excellence in the fields of Music and Theatre/Dance. These fellowships are unrestricted awards of merit, providing $5,000 to individual artists. The program's core mission aligns with honoring outstanding artistic contributions and fostering the growth of the performing arts within Wyoming. While specific foundation mission alignment details are not explicitly stated, the program inherently supports the broader goal of enriching the state's cultural landscape by empowering its artists. The target beneficiaries of this program are individual performing artists residing in Wyoming, specifically those engaged in Music or Theatre/Dance. The eligibility criteria emphasize US citizenship or legal resident status, state residency for a specified period, and age requirements (at least 18 years old). The program is designed to support established or emerging artists who are not currently full-time students in art-related degrees, nor affiliated with the Wyoming Arts Council or Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. The impact goal is to provide direct financial support to these artists, allowing them to further their craft, innovate, and contribute to the artistic vitality of their communities. The program prioritizes excellence in the artist's field, as evidenced by appropriate media samples and artist statements. Fellows are selected based on merit, with the objective of recognizing high-quality artistic work. The focus is on individual artists in Music and Theatre/Dance, allowing them to apply in only one category. This singular focus ensures that the evaluation process is specialized and targeted to specific artistic disciplines. The unrestricted nature of the award empowers artists to utilize the funds in ways that best support their individual artistic development and projects. Expected outcomes include enhanced artistic output from the fellows, increased recognition for Wyoming artists, and a strengthened performing arts community within the state. Measurable results could include the number of applications received, the number of fellowships awarded, and anecdotal evidence of how the unrestricted funds were utilized by the recipients to advance their careers or projects. While the document does not explicitly detail the foundation's strategic priorities or a theory of change, the program implicitly operates on the theory that direct financial support to meritorious artists leads to greater artistic innovation, production, and cultural enrichment for the state of Wyoming.