Brick & Bond Spotlight: ART321

ART321 is on a mission to weave the arts into the heart of Casper’s culture, supporting local artists and expanding access to creative expression. Learn how their work aligns with Brick & Bond’s vision for thriving, dynamic districts.  

The arts are a key ingredient of a vibrant community. Cultivating a healthy arts culture, however, takes vision and long-term investment. Casper has been fortunate enough to have both for just over 100 years in the form of the Casper Artists’ Guild. 

Now known as ART321, it functions as a thriving hub for artists and a catalyst for creativity and community in the heart of the city. Keep reading to discover more about its multi-layered impact and rapidly expanding reach.

Supporting Artists

It starts with a foundation of supporting local artists. An essential element of this is community. Art can be a lonely pursuit, but ART321 fosters relationships between artists that provide mutual support as well as learning opportunities. This is one of the aspects of the organization that attracted Brianna McFarland, who serves as the Creative Development Manager. 

“What I love most about ART321 is the amazing group of people that make up this creative community. I didn’t realize how much I needed that connection until I became part of it. I love learning from other artists and being able to share what I’ve learned from eight years of running an art business.”

In addition to community, ART321 also provides ways for artists to reach a broader market for their work. It has an active gallery space as well as a gift shop featuring local artists. ART321 members can sell their work at an unusually generous 70% commission. 

“We’re deeply committed to making sure artists get paid for their work,” Laura Hunter, Executive Director of ART321, explains. “This year alone, we’ve given back over $50,000 directly into the pockets of local artists.”

Expanding Access

In addition to supporting the artists of today, ART321 is also focused on inspiring the artists of tomorrow. More broadly, they want to provide a venue where anyone can gain experience with creative expression in the visual arts. For Hunter, it’s a passion that’s driven by her own experience. 

“What excites me most about ART321 is that we truly mean it when we say, “Art is for everyone.” I didn’t have access to the arts growing up, so it’s deeply meaningful to me that we’re creating a space where anyone - no matter their background, ability, or experience - can walk in, feel welcome, and explore their creativity.”

In practice, that means offering a variety of classes and workshops for all skill and age levels. It also means making them incredibly affordable. ART321 offers discounted student memberships, and they provided more than 100 scholarships this past year to ensure cost wouldn’t be a barrier to anyone. 

Seeing Growth

The vision behind ART321 is ambitious. They aim to see “A future where our community thrives with abundant creative opportunities, fostering artistic expression, learning, creating, and connecting.” It’s a vision that’s already well underway, according to Hunter.

“We’re in a really exciting period of growth right now. Our classes are consistently at capacity, which is a great problem to have, but it means we’re bursting at the seams! That’s why we’re expanding into our basement to create new studio and classroom space. This project will double the number of people we can impact every day and open the door for even more creative opportunities in our community.”

ART321 has also recently become the Wyoming distributor for Rocky Mountain Clay, an important supplier for artists and school art programs. In addition to adding a more convenient and economical distribution point for state residents, this development underscores the economic impact of the arts. In 2022, the total value of goods and services generated by Wyoming’s arts and culture industries was nearly $3.6 billion. 

An Ideal Partnership

The economic impact illustrates something easy to miss. Art is so much more than something to hang on the wall. By nurturing and supporting the arts community in Casper, ART321 is helping to build social capital that touches the whole area in profound ways. And that’s made working with Brick & Bond a natural fit. 

“We share the same vision for a vibrant, thriving downtown Casper, a place where people can live, work, and play while feeling connected to their community,” explained Hunter. “We both see how arts and culture play a vital role in making that vision come to life.”

To learn more about ART321’s programs and how you can get involved, visit art321.org.