willmar area arts council

About Us


Over ten years ago, a group of citizens responded to an incentive from a COM-PAS and Blandin Foundation partnership to build stronger support and appreciation for creative arts in the Willmar area. Along with financial support from the Minnesota Rural Arts Initiative (RAI), the City of Willmar, a development grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council (SMAHC), and membership fees, the Willmar Area Arts Council officially came into existence in the fall of 1997 and became a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity in 1998.

Since its inception, the Willmar Area Arts Council has been a visible advocate for the arts in West Central Minnesota. Besides providing the rotating exhibits in the Willmar Education and Arts Center and administering the Arts in the Schools project for the Willmar Public Schools, it is the force behind three popular events: Studio Hop, Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! and the Small Works Silent Auction.

Studio Hop, in its sixth year, provides the public the opportunity to visit area artists in their studios. This year’s event is scheduled for June 19 and 20 and will feature 11 studios.

In its thirteenth year, Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! is the highlight of the fall arts calendar. This year's festival is set for September 18, and will include artist sales tents, demonstrations, an outdoor stage with live entertainment, children’s and adult’s creative activities, and an emerging artists tent. Plus free coffee all day!

The Small Works Silent Auction provides local artists the opportunity to offer works for exhibit and for sale. Held each November at the Willmar Education and Arts Center, twenty-eight artists offered seventy-six works for sale in 2009.

In addition, the Willmar Area Arts Council provides grants to support local art-related projects. It has helped fund multi-cultural events in the schools, and special events at the Barn Theatre in Willmar, the Little Theatre in New London, the Willmar Public Library, and the West Central Singers. It has recently partnered with the Minnesota Creative Arts and Aging Network (MnCAAN) to find outlets for creative expression for older Minnesotans. The Willmar Area Arts Council's work is supported by memberships, grants from the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council (SMAHC), the Willmar Community Foundation, the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners, Kandiyohi Power Charitable Trust, and the generous support of many local businesses.

The Willmar Area Arts Council is working to provide opportunities for creative expression in our region. You are invited to join us!


Mission Statement
(Revised April 2009)

The Willmar Area Arts Council will promote and support the arts in West Central Minnesota.

Goals of the Willmar Area Arts Council:

  • 1. Provide a structure to facilitate arts initiatives in West Central Minnesota.
  • 2. Facilitate funding opportunities and community financial support for arts organizations and groups.
  • 3. Conduct annual membership recruitment and fund raising efforts.
  • 4. Communicate arts activities via a quarterly printed newsletter and electronic media.
  • 5. Maintain a registry of area artists and arts organizations.
  • 6. Fulfill our collaborative agreement with the Willmar Public Schools to administer the Arts in the Schools program and coordinate exhibits in the Willmar Education and Arts Center gallery.

Willmar Area Arts Council 2010 Board Members

      Susan Mattson, President

      David Korsmo, President-elect

      Bea Ourada, Treasurer

      Janet Olney, Coordinator

      Kristin Allen

      Helen Behrends

      Helaine Bolter

      Violet Dauk

      Ruth Fairchild

      Keith Petersen

      Darrel Schuetze

      Bonnie Smith

      Kay Thompson

      Doug Wilkowske

      

 

 

 




The Willmar Area Arts Council does not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, or physical disability.