Diane Sellers
Board president
Our Origin Story:
Founder, Carolee Bowen, started The Arts Inc. (formerly Young Musicians, Inc.) in 1995. With no budget, Carolee and a few enthusiastic music teachers banded together to bring professional artists into the community. Their goal was to create special educational opportunities for their music students. Momentum grew as more community arts enthusiasts joined in the effort.
Under the name Young Musicians, Inc, the organization incorporated in 1998 and became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The organization now does business as The Arts Inc. of Southwest Wyoming. The Arts Inc. presents a variety of events – educational, entertaining, and always inspirational.
The Arts Inc. is completely organized and operated by the local community members. The Arts Inc. serves Uinta County, a population of about 20,000 people. Our outreach includes the entire Southwestern region of Wyoming.
Approximately 8,000 people attend The Arts Inc. events per year. Approximately half of the attendees are children and youth. Events are held at local schools, in downtown buildings, or venues owned by the City of Evanston.
Carolee Bowen
Founder
1995
Year Founded
8,000+
Attendees per Year
150+
Classes per Year
25+
Workshops per Year
Our events & programs:
The Bowen Young Musician’s Festival is our original founding event. The festival is held annually on the last Saturday in March and is a solo & ensemble competition.
Participants (school age and adults) also attend educational music workshops conducted by visiting artists. Outstanding students are showcased in an Honors Concert at the end of the festival.
In 2020, we began the transitioning the acquisition of the Evanston Bluegrass Festival!
This event was started by Bluegrass Evanston a decade ago. Over the next two years, the Arts Inc. will fully integrating this wonderful event into our permanent roster.
Originally held in June, the festival is being moved to late summer. The Bluegrass Festival features entertainment and education about Bluegrass musical styles and culture.
Our signature event, *Ceili at the Roundhouse Celtic Festival, is the 3rd weekend of March. The Festival is held at Evanston’s beautiful Historic Roundhouse & Railyards Complex.
Come for a weekend of entertainment, education, and a whole lot of fun. Learn about Celtic music & cultures, shop our many vendors, listen to incredible music & dance a jig or two!
Presented in partnership with the City of Evanston, Ceili at the Roundhouse provides a perfect tourist event.
*Ceili – pronounced kay-lee
Music, Arts, & Theatre Camp (MAT Camp), a summer enrichment program, is held in annually in July.
This week long event offers 150+ classes per day in world music, instrumental ensembles, technique, voice, theatre, dance, piano, technology, art, and more. MAT Camp is held at Evanston High School and taught by a visiting staff of 50+ members.
MAT Camp has become a much anticipated summer event. With families eagerly waiting for registration to open in April. Classes are offered for children (as young as 3), youth, and adults! So, it truly is a family event!
The week culminates with a professional concert and student playing sessions.
The Concert Series runs January through May and consists of 5-6 professional ensemble performances. The Arts Inc. also partners with other local organizations to present additional concerts/performances under the Concert Series umbrella.
Performances are generally held at Davis Middle School and occasionally other Evanston & Uinta County locations.
The Concert Series’s educational component is our Specialists in the Schools project.
Performance groups featured in the Concert series present educational outreach the day of their evening event. Specialists in the Schools partners with Uinta County School District #1 to bring this artistic outreach to the school and other area organizations.