A couple of years back, a woman who was visiting Jackson Hole for the first time declared to me: "How can you live here? There's no culture!" My eyes widened, my blood boiled at her audacity, but I counted to 10 before rattling off the names of the local theater groups, several art galleries, music festivals and live music venues before taking a very deep breath and saving the best for last: "Jackson Hole has The Center for the Arts!"
Who knew that the relatively small town of Jackson would be home to a vibrant arts and cultural facility? Jackson Hole isn’t just cowboys, world-class skiing and hiking and two national parks! The Center for the Arts endeavors to make the arts accessible to anyone who desires to experience art of various kinds, such as concerts, art exhibits and fairs, theater and dance productions as well as film festivals, and more.
Meet the Center for the Arts
Located just a few blocks off Town Square, the nonprofit Center for the Arts boasts a 78,000-square-foot campus and should be a must-visit spot during your trip to the Tetons.
The Center for the Arts has been named the nation’s top small arts community.
The Center opened in 2007 and is home to 21 independent nonprofit organizations that are essential to the cultural vibrancy of its campus and the community as a (w)hole. Some of the nonprofits residing at the Center are Jackson Hole Public Art, the Art Association of Jackson Hole, Off Square Theatre, Dancers’ Workshop, Jackson Hole Community Band, Central Wyoming College/Jackson campus, Jackson Hole KHOL community radio, Jackson Hole Writers, Teton Music School, and Wyoming PBS’s satellite office.
The Center hosts year-round events such as the Annual Holiday Bazaar, the Art Association of Jackson Hole's summer art festivals, concerts—both indoor and outdoor on the Center’s sprawling yard—with local and nationally acclaimed musicians and the famous Grand Teton Music Festival musicians, art installations, the Metropolitan Opera in HD and various film festivals as well as the aforementioned theatrical productions.
The facility is also home to Jackson’s only art supply store, serving the locally established artist community, visiting artists and budding creatives.
The cherry on top is a recent honor: The Center for the Arts has been named the nation’s top small arts community according to the SMU DataArts 2023 Arts Vibrancy Index that identifies the 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the U.S. through an analysis of the level of supply, demand and government support for the arts in more than 900 communities across the country.
Check out the Center’s calendar before your visit and put one of its events on your itinerary.
Location: 265 S Cache Street (walking distance from Town Square); 307- 734-8956; jhcenterforthearts.org
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