Kearney Area Arts Council

The mission of the Kearney Area Arts Council is to expand the arts in the community, to increase diversity in the arts, to promote artists and their work & to develop activities that encourage the community to practice and appreciate the arts. For 50 years, KAAC has promoted the arts in our community through free summer concerts in the park, scholarships for art students, art related activities for families, art opportunities for all children and funding for local arts events.

The formation of the Kearney Area Arts Council (KAAC) in 1975 began a long-standing tradition of promotion and encouragement of the arts in Kearney. Through their inclusive nature, KAAC's programs have strengthened and improved the social culture of the city and region. Concrete proof of this lies in the growing attendance and participation in KAAC's events. As momentum has built, they have become a source of pride for the city. KAAC, through cooperation with other arts programs, has helped unify the arts community and the people in the area through service year-round.

KAAC's flagship program is the Summer Concert series at Harmon Park's historic Sonotorium. There, during a typical eight-concert season (nine this year, due to demand, the people of Kearney and the surrounding area attend free concerts on Sunday evenings. Local food trucks provide a meal or snack for the 400-600 concert attendees. The Boy Scouts offer water and popcorn, a long-standing tradition whose proceeds help fund camps for the boys. Through it all this positive, wholesome, family activity provides a way for musician

Testimonials

"My hat is off to all of you on the Council who work so hard to provide a place like this for musicians to share and entertain. Kearney is unique and blessed to have the facilities and caring people to make the concerts happen. We know because as musicians we hear it all the time from event staff at other communities who put on concerts like these. No one in out-state Nebraska does it better. I say a collective thank you from every musician who ever got a chance to play for you all." - Terry Sinnard: Singer/Bass player in Code Blue, Blackberry Winter, Blue Plate Special