The Humboldt Arts Council (HAC) is the official
Humboldt County, California, USA
arts council located in the
Morris Graves Museum of Art (MGMA).
Organized in 1966 and incorporated in 1971 it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for artists, developing arts education, and making the arts accessible through innovative and multicultural programs. The Council, as Humboldt County’s largest multidisciplinary arts organization, focuses on working in partnership with artists, arts organizations, community groups, and schools to strengthen the arts’ accessibility and impact as aesthetic, personal and social resources. The Council envisions that the importance of art will be evident in all aspects of life in Humboldt County, including homes, schools, businesses, and government. The Council is dedicated to providing leadership in support of the rich heritage of the arts on California’s North Coast, and to bringing this legacy fully into community life.
In 1987, HAC became the
State Local Partner for the
California Arts Council
The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento, United States. Its eight council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature. The agency's mission is to advance California through arts, culture and creativit ...
and the community representative for the
California State Summer School for the Arts
The California State Summer School for the Arts, commonly known as CSSSA ("SEE-SUH"), is a rigorous four-week, pre-professional visual and performing arts training program for high school students held each summer at the California Institute of the ...
Program.
In 1996 the Humboldt Arts Council accepted an offer from the
City of Eureka to save the historic 1904
Carnegie Library building, which was destined for demolition. The former
Carnegie Library had been a symbol of community pride and local culture for over 100 years. After the successful Carnegie Capital Campaign to raise $1.5 million from the local community, foundations and corporations, the Council began restoration in 1999 converting the historic Carnegie building into a regional art museum and art center. On January 1, 2000 the Humboldt Arts Council and the community celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the
Morris Graves Museum of Art (MGMA) for its new “Century of Service” to the community.
Morris Graves Museum of Art
The Morris Graves Museum of Art was named after
Morris Graves
Morris Graves (August 28, 1910 – May 5, 2001) was an American painter. He was one of the earliest Modern artists from the Pacific Northwest to achieve national and international acclaim. His style, referred to by some reviewers as Mysticism, ...
, a painter and founder of the Northwest School of Art in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to his death in 2001, he donated a substantial portion of his personal art collection, including some of his own works, and the use of his name to help with creation of the museum. It is located in the refurbished
Eureka Carnegie Library building, which was the first
Carnegie Library completed in California in 1904.
The museum is a member of the
North American Reciprocal Museums The North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) program is an affiliation of arts, historical, and cultural institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and El Salvador which offer reciprocal benefits to qualifying members of other parti ...
program.
See also
*
List of Museums in the North Coast (California)
*
Clarke Historical Museum
The Clarke Historical Museum (formerly the Clarke Memorial Museum) in Eureka, California contains the area's premier collection of California North Coast regional and cultural history. The facility houses a Native American wing, Nealis Hall, whic ...
*
Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum
The Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum is located in Samoa, California, a small town across Humboldt Bay from Eureka. The focus of the museum is the preservation and interpretation of its collection of artifacts, photographs, library archives and materi ...
*
Humboldt County Historical Society
The Humboldt County Historical Society (HCHS) is a regional historical society, primarily focused on the history of Humboldt County, California. Offices, bookstore, collections, and research staff are located in Eureka
Eureka (often abbrevi ...
References
External links
Morris Graves Museum of Art and the Humboldt Arts Council
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Arts councils of California
Eureka, California
Culture of Humboldt County, California
Buildings and structures in Eureka, California
Museums in Humboldt County, California
Art museums and galleries in California
Tourist attractions in Eureka, California
Museums of American art