Jentel Names New Manager, Strengthening University of Wyoming Arts Partnership
Jentel Artist Residency appointed Mary Leclère as residency manager, taking the post Dec. 2 to oversee daily operations and the resident experience at the Neltje Center. The change matters to Albany County because Jentel, part of Neltje's 2021 estate gift to the University of Wyoming, is a key hub for artists and a bridge to UW students and the statewide creative economy.
Mary Leclère began her role as residency manager at Jentel on Dec. 2, taking charge of operations at the rural Sheridan property that Neltje founded nearly 25 years ago and which became part of her 2021 estate gift to the University of Wyoming. Leclère arrives from the Core Residency Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she supported artists through mentorship, programming, career guidance and stewardship at one of the nation’s leading artist and scholar fellowship programs.
In her new position Leclère will oversee the daily administration of Jentel and manage the month to month resident experience. Her responsibilities include hosting and supporting the creative needs of each group of six artists, writers and composers every month, ensuring Jentel’s signature atmosphere of care and professionalism is maintained, and supporting organizational priorities of the Neltje Center that include helping strengthen the role of creatives throughout the state and the role Jentel plays in supporting UW students in the arts. Six residents a month translates to roughly 72 visiting creatives each year, a sustained flow of talent that contributes to local cultural activity and community engagement.
“Stepping into this role at Jentel is an amazing honor,” Leclère says. “Jentel has a remarkable legacy of giving artists the space both literal and imaginative to work deeply, experiment boldly and reconnect with their own creative rhythms. I look forward to supporting residents in ways that protect that spirit of trust, generosity and openness while building on the strong foundation that already exists.”
Leclère succeeds Lynn Reeves, who has led Jentel since its founding in 2001 and who will retire at the end of this month. Reeves’ long tenure shaped the residency model and the collaborative culture that define Jentel. “We are thrilled to welcome Mary to the Jentel and Neltje Center team,” says Beth Venn, executive director of the Neltje Center. “Her considerable background in arts nonprofits and residency programs brings invaluable expertise to this moment in Jentel’s evolution. With our rich history and Mary’s fresh ideas and new perspectives, we are poised to build on Jentel’s solid foundation and expand what Jentel can offer to artists for years to come.”
As an institution that operates within the framework of an estate gift and university partnership, Jentel’s leadership transition will shape how the residency measures success, engages students and accounts for public and philanthropic resources. For Albany County residents, the appointment signals continuity for a program that draws national talent, supports local cultural life, and connects higher education to the wider creative economy.
