Columbus Area Arts Council

Help support the thriving arts culture that Columbus celebrates!

Each year Columbus Area Arts Council produces and supports engaging arts programming in Columbus. Annual community favorites include Biggest Block Party Ever, NeighborFEST and First Fridays for Families. Live on the Plaza is a new event that showcases cutting edge talent such as Black Violin and MarchFourth. You can look forward to more great live performances in 2016!

Public art is a major focus of our organization. We introduced seven temporary sculptures in the downtown area in 2014. These works will stay in the community for two years, at which point they will be replaced with more new work!

Summer in Columbus would not be complete without an iron pour, glassblowing and Rock the Park. We hope to bring all three back for 2016.

We strive to offer high quality arts programming to our community, but we can’t do it without your support. Whether you donated three years ago or three months ago, ask yourself “Have I enjoyed an event or benefited from the work of the Columbus Area Arts Council?” If so, please show your support with an online contribution and help keep the arts alive in Columbus!

Formed in 1972 as the Driftwood Valley Arts Council and renamed Columbus Area Arts Council in 1989, the Arts Council is a public, non-profit corporation supported by private donations, the City of Columbus, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Who We Are  The Columbus Area Arts Council (the Arts Council) is a nonprofit corporation in the heart of Columbus, Indiana. Since 1972, the Arts Council has been a cornerstone for cultural development in our community:

• Partnering with the City of Columbus to ensure that the arts are available to every member of the community
• Building awareness of and advocating for the arts as an integral component for a well-rounded education, an informed workforce, and an engaged citizenry
• Introducing young audiences to live performances
• Bringing high caliber public art to Columbus and fostering the connection between artists and industry
• Using art as a tool for healing through special projects with youth and adults
• Serving as fiscal agent for local arts and cultural entities
• Bringing national and international performers to Columbus
• Partnering with the State of Indiana as a Regional Arts Partner distributing public funds and providing  services to arts and cultural organizations within the nine county area known as Region 9

 
Why We Exist  We enhance the quality of life in the community—stimulating community interest in art, fostering  creation and inquiry throughout Columbus, and leading a vibrant arts culture tied to our unique history.
 
What We Dream  The Arts Council looks forward to a future in which art—in all forms—is a valued part of everyday life in Columbus, and the community expects the unexpected/unforgettable from its art. Specifically:

• The City of Columbus will benefit from the arts as a tool for economic development and use the Arts Council is a key partner in achieving its goals.
• All of Columbus will have access to participate in art
• Artists will not only be a valued part of the community, but they will be a visible part of Columbus through live/work space.
• The Arts Council will continue its history of ensuring that Columbus has a growing portfolio of world-class public art to enjoy, interact and live with.

 
What We Believe  We believe:

• Art is more than the visual arts, more than music, theater, or poetry.
• Art should be all around us, not just in museums and performance halls.
• Art should entertain, inspire and challenge us.
• Anyone can express himself or herself through art.

 
What We Do  The Columbus Area Arts Council enhances the quality of life in the community—stimulating community interest in art, fostering creation throughout Columbus, and leading a vibrant arts environment tied to our unique history.