The WYO Wins 2019 Governor's Arts Award

Dedicated staff and board members of the WYO Theater are heading to Cheyenne on Feb. 21 to receive a 2019 Governor's Arts Award.

Established in 1982, the Governor's Arts Awards are presented to individuals and organizations based on their long-term commitment to the arts in Wyoming.

"We are very honored to receive this award," said WYO Theater Executive Director Erin Butler. "Our mission at the WYO is to inspire, educate and entertain not only Sheridanites but those in the surrounding region, so it's fantastic to be recognized on a statewide level."

A landmark on Main Street in Sheridan, the WYO Theater was originally built in 1923 as a vaudeville theater that entertained locals with live performances and films before closing its doors in 1982. Its future uncertain, the theater seemed destined to become just another Main Street memory. Faced with the loss of this venerable landmark, the citizens of Sheridan came together to rescue the building.

Community leadership, coupled with the generous gifts of time and money, transformed the theater into an architectural centerpiece and important performing arts and education center in Sheridan County and beyond.

Since reopening in 1989, the WYO has brought countless hours of live entertainment, cultural enrichment, and educational opportunities to the greater Sheridan community.

"We see our Governor's Arts Award as the start of the next chapter in the WYO's story," Butler said.