Arts In Our Community
The Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community
The Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community (WACAC) is an alliance of artists, musicians, performers, photographers and writers that came together to bring the arts to the communities surrounding Wyoming, MN, including Forest Lake, Stacy, North Branch, Chisago City and more.
In 2012 this collective of just over a dozen artists began to work towards becoming an established organization. With the desire to create some community projects, we realized the need be a 501c3 corporation (registered non-profit) to enable donations that were tax deductible. This happened in 2014.
A year later enough money was raised and the organization purchased on old church in Wyoming, MN, and established the Hallberg Center for the Arts.
Today, the organization has exhibited the artwork of hundreds of artists across Minnesota and Wisconsin (and as far away as the UK) in solo, duo and collaborative exhibits which open monthly.
The original dozen artists have now grown to about 170 and what started out as a local project has turned regional - all done through volunteers, donations and grants. The art center has no paid staff.
The Main and Cube galleries are now booked with exhibits into January of 2021.
The organization has been turning the lower level (with historic 1930s era tin ceilings) into the Underground Gallery which is reserved to help member artists in need of a show, for school projects and reward volunteer artists with an opportunity to show off their work.
Another project has been the organization’s, “Kids Can Be Artists Too!”
In the fall of 2013, WACAC put its vision to the test. Through monthly meetings at the Nesting Grounds, a local coffee shop, they organized their first real appearance at Wyoming's annual festival, Stagecoach Days. We hoped for a good turnout, knowing we were testing a citizenry’s acceptance of an organization bringing arts into the community.
The artists organized and stretched canvas for kids to paint on. Businesses in the area printed banners and flyers, donated a tent, contributed money for materials and prizes and the event moved forward. The event, "Kids Can Be Artists Too,” was designed to allow young, aspiring artists to experience painting on canvas or throwing ceramic pots on the wheel with area artists.
The event's success exceeded expectations with roughly 130 children (and a few adults) creating works of art on a Friday and Saturday.
One year later, in 2014 at the second annual event, over 200 kids painted. This past year, in 2018, the Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community repeated their event for the 6th time at Wyoming's Stagecoach Days. This time nearly 650 area community members stopped by to create their own original paintings all at no cost, through the generous support of East Central Regional Arts Council and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
The Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community encourages personal growth and discovery, providing mentorship for artists through presentations, performances, displays and exhibitions.
WACAC Mission:
(adopted April 19, 2012)
Our mission is to encourage creative expression, promote networking of local artists of all ages, and champion a learning environment that builds community participation in the arts.
Meet Our Board of Directors