About
Our gallery is home to a variety of original artwork produced by regionally local artists from Wyoming and Montana. We are continually rotating pieces in to replace items that are quickly being sold. Because of the revolving and ever changing products we encourage you to visit regularly.
We represent more than 200 amateur to professional artists in all mediums so we can provide you the opportunity to build your collection.
Not only do we offer gallery space with original artwork, but we also have many special events and art education opportunities designed to connect you with the visual arts in our community.
History
Established in 1964 as a nonprofit originally known as the Cody Country Art League, CodyArts is located in the Visitor’s Center on Sheridan Avenue in downtown Cody, Wyoming. The structure is the original Buffalo Bill Museum and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.
The founding members established the art league in order to promote the artistic endeavor among local artists by encouraging exhibits, displays and sales; fostering art education among artists, and the support of art classes to all artists in the community, which was the heart of the movement.
CodyArts is a culmination of the “impossible dream realized through the benevolence of a progressive community” and particularly by our founding members, which include Mr. & Mrs. Paul Stock, Dr. Harold McCracken, the Nielsen family, Mrs. Doris May and the Coe Family, to name just a few.
Today’s CodyArts is about and dedicated to continuing and furthering their dream.
Mission
Our Vision:
Connect the Visual Arts to Our Community
Our Mission:
We are dedicated to creating an environment for the promotion, appreciation and education in the visual arts.
Our Objectives:
- Provide a physical home for visual art education in Park County and the region
- Identify and recruit new Artist Members
- Identify and recruit new Friends of CodyArts
- Provide education to both amateur and professional artists with a variety of art-based offerings
- Promote and sell original art created by our members
- Promote the visual arts to Park County, the region and beyond
- Encourage community involvement in CodyArts
- Foster our members' involvement in their community
We are a 501c3 non-profit organization pertaining to the visual arts. We are governed by a board of directors and operate with limited staff.
We are dependent upon our membership for the volunteer help necessary to sustain the organization. Funding relies on donations, dues, fees and a percentage of Gallery sales. Operation is guided by the Vision, Mission and Objectives statements laid out by the Board in support of the visual arts.
Facilities:
These consist of a two-room gallery, a separate classroom and a storage area.
The main gallery floor easily supports exhibits of over 150 paintings of varying sizes. In addition, a multitude of other types of artwork are displayed using shelving and reconfigurable panels. Our expanded classroom is 46' x 21' and can easily accommodate classes of 20 or more.
Outreach:
This involves our efforts to bring art to underserved areas by partnering with organizations specializing in those areas.
We exist in an area with a diverse range of demographics and are relatively isolated from the levels of cultural opportunities and support capabilities available in typical large metropolitan communities. We partner with or otherwise assist existing organizations in providing visual art experience when needed.
