Welcome to the WyAA Arts Alliance web site.

We have placed the contents of our Advocacy page on the WyAA home page as it contains pertinent and pressing advocacy issues and information to assist you in spreading support for the fine and performing arts, particularly in the upcoming Legislative session.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!

WyAA continues to work to amend the Hathaway Success Curriculum to include a Fine and Performing Arts requirement. During the 2011 legislative session, a version of this bill showed much promise of being passed. We continue to need your support with this effort and encourage you to review the information below in preparation for this session and this Hathaway Success Curriculum revision.

A bill modifying the Hathaway Success Curriculum was filed on January 15, 2013. It was filed in the House of Representatives and assigned number HB0177. We have attached a copy here for your information. The provisions are as follows:

For the Honor or Performance scholarship, the bill adds the requirement of either 2 years of Fine & Performing Arts OR Career-Technical Education (in addition to Foreign Languages) in grades 9-12.

For the Opportunity and Provisional scholarships, the bill provides for choice between 2 years of Foreign Language (one year in grades 9-12) OR Fine and Performing Arts OR Career-Technical Education (in grades 9-12).

The bill was sponsored by the following legislators:

Representative Krone, Cody
Representative Burkhart, Rawlins
Representative Greene, Laramie
Representative Northrup, Powell
Representative Petroff, Jackson
Representative Throne, Cheyenne
Senator Coe, Cody
Senator Rothfuss, Laramie

We will put out updates to the status of this bill as we become aware of them, but interested people may also track the bill at: http://legisweb.state.wy.us/lsoweb/session/SessionHome.aspx. Click on 2013 Bill Tracking Information and look for HB0177.

We encourage anyone that wishes to express their support of this bill to their legislators to do so now. Please start with your Representatives as the bill starts in the House and could be changed by the time it appears before the Senate.

Please note that legislators are using a new email system this session that is uniform ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). It is still best to check the listing on the legislators site above as some use their full name, others do not, and a few have numbers in them.

If you support adding the Fine and Performing Arts to the Success Curriculum, please contact YOUR legislators to express your views (particularly those educators serving on the 2011 Education Committee). Refer to the legislature web site http://legisweb.state.wy.us for the most current contact information for your legislators, a list of the new Education Committee members, and a draft of the bill being considered.

To learn more about the value of the arts in student's educations. please view the Instructions and Talking Points, the Presentation document, and any of the advocacy information below to learn more about this effort and how you can help.

Instructions and talking points for the Hathaway Amendment

SMARTS Facts

Fine and Perfoming Arts Presentation to ED Committee

Advocacy Tools

Download our Art SmARTS Powerpoint: Click here for the PDF

Watch the video from Natrona County High School:

Arts Advocacy Concerns

If you have questions, if you would like to use these tools for your own group or in your community, or if you would like to be more actively involved in the effort, please feel free to contact Steve Schrepferman, Co-President of the Wyoming Arts Alliance at 307-899-6693.