Below are recent grants made to Arts and Culture organizations through the Foundation's competitive grantmaking program. To view current trends and projects as reported by Arts and Culture organizations, visit the Arts and Culture Field Notes page.
Art Association
Peter von Tiesenhausen Artist Residency
$3,000
Teton County continues to struggle with the balance between the health of the environment and our encroaching population growth. Peter von Tiesenhausen's work reflects these struggles. Environmental installations have become a huge draw across the world, with Peter at the forefront of this medium. His work is often dramatic and temporary in nature, addressing themes of transformation and transience. The work will be the first site-specific large installation in the Art Association's 43-year history and be inspired by our Jackson Hole surroundings. A grant from the Community Foundation will allow over 2,500 people to visit the installation, including local artists and teachers.
(2008)
Grand Teton Music Festival
Tune Up!
$4,920 (2006); $5,000 (2007); $4,500 (2008)
The Teton County School District employs only two in-school music educators for 400 Middle and High School band and orchestra students. These students learn to play their instruments in classes of up to 75-100 other students. Learning to play an instrument in a class that large, without supplemental private instruction, leads students to become frustrated and eventually lose their motivation to continue studying. The Tune-UP! program provides an opportunity for the School District to augment its staff with qualified music teachers. These instructors teach private and semi-private lessons and allow students to take full advantage of the benefits gained when learning to play a musical instrument - not only in the area of music education, but also on a larger scale of child and adolescent development. A grant from the Community Foundation will bring six music instructors and a Tune-UP! Program Administrator into the Jackson Hole Middle and High Schools for the 2007-2008 school year. This grant will represent the third year the Community Foundation has supported this program. (2006-2008)
Jackson Hole Chorale
The Jackson Hole Chorale Spring Music Festival 2008
$2,000
Because Wyoming is large and Jackson is relatively isolated, it is difficult to meet with other choral groups to compare programs. Giving members of the choral community a chance to talk with, sing with, and learn from other singing groups across the state would create an opportunity for local singers to explore new and creative ways to utilize their talents. In May of 2008, the Jackson Hole Chorale will expand its regular spring concert in order to bring together six community choral groups from communities across Wyoming to meet and discuss choral programs and to perform a free, live concert at Walk Hall in Teton Village. These groups are comprised of singers from high schools, junior colleges and community chorales across the state. A grant from the Community Foundation will underwrite the expenses incurred by the addition of this collaborative program, bringing together 150 voices and Wyoming's most talented amateur musicians. (2008)
Jackson Hole Film Institute
Movies on the Mountain
$2,500
The Jackson Hole Film Institute provides a special community program, Movies on the Mountain. This free program is held each Sunday evening in August at the base of Snow King Resort. The Film Institute finds that during the summer, evening entertainment options that are free, appeal to a broad segment of the population, are centrally located, and are easily accessible and appropriate for audiences of all ages are not readily available. Centrally located in the town of Jackson, Movies on the Mountain provides entertainment for audiences of all ages. (2007)
Jackson Hole Music Experience
2007-8 Community Education Programs
$4,000
The Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival uses its strong connections in the wildlife film industry to provide community outreach and education programming for local students. The Wildlife Film staff believe that in order to accommodate the wide variety of student learning styles, it is essential to supplement traditional educational opportunities with creative, multidisciplinary approaches. In response, this project will provide special school programs to augment the standard classroom curriculum as well as other programs specifically target underserved groups within the community. (2007)
Jackson Hole Writers Conference
2008 Jackson Hole Writers Conference
$2,500
The Jackson Hole Writers Conference provide literary programs in our community. The Writer’s Conference staff finds that our valley is rich in opportunities for exposure to community members in the arts of all genres, except for literature. Funding will support the production of a premier annual writers conference, as well as other literary activities for the community outside the scope of the conference. This project will include activities to empower local teachers to offer educational opportunities to young people that will awaken a love of literature and writing. (2007)
Off Square Theatre Company
2008 Theatre and Education
$10,000
Theatre education provides a powerful outlet for children and adults, as they gain confidence in the value of their ideas and the power of their imaginations. Not only does participation in arts correlate to increased scholastic achievement, but arts also increase the ability of students to become self-motivated, work efficiently, and develop a sense of inquisitiveness. The arts also provide an invaluable outlet for children who are struggling academically or socially. A grant from the Community Foundation will provide theatre education for 300 students of all ages, keeping educational programs affordable to members of the community from all economic strata. (2008)
2007 Theatre and Education
$6,000
Off Square Theatre Company enriches our lives with community theatre and education. The Off Square staff believe that theatre engages the minds of adults and children and sparks dialogue around issues and transcends barriers that separate individuals and communities. The theatre season from July through December includes four plays and three musicals for a total of 75 performances reaching over 8,000 individuals. The educational program includes four summer camps, youth after school classes, holiday camp, adult acting and singing, stage combat master class, school-time performances, school residencies and internships. This grant will partially support six months of the 2007 Season of Theatre and Education. (2007)
