BAC HISTORY
Branson Arts Council, Inc.
History/Experience/Involvement
The Branson arts Council, Inc. has been serving the community since 1965 when it was known as the Taney Arts Council. The council evolved through the years and was known for several years as the City of Branson Arts Council with a board and administrator but no general membership by the community. Building on past experience, the Branson Arts Council, Inc. was formed with a non-profit status from the State of Missouri, Federal 501 c (3) status and was opened to community membership on April 19, 1993.
The BAC provides competent, creative arts leadership to our community stressing listening and active response to need in the arts identified by the community. The BAC sets and fulfills long and short-range goals i the arts, serves as a receptor and catalyst of arts and cultural ideas, and provides arts programming and resources to the community. The BAC meets the challenge of responsible, innovative, and aesthetic enhancement in community art and evaluates all programs provided to insure quality art and cultural offerings.
The well balanced scope of artistic services and presentation provided yearly by the BAC supports, maintains and broadens the lives of individuals in our community with special emphasis placed on reaching young people of the community. The delivery of this provision of arts and cultural leadership in Branson is accomplished by the BAC through the BAC Executive Director, monthly input from the Board of Directors elected from the community to represent the general community in arts/cultural guidance and through a strong BAC membership volunteer force.
The stability and professionalism of the council equips it to deliver the provision of arts and culture to the community by providing quality arts programming for children of the community at a nominal fee. For adults/seniors, if not free, very minimally priced arts programming is available. This arts/cultural provision is accomplished with yearly financial assistance from the City of Branson and the Missouri Arts Council; otherwise the community would be under served in the arts. As Branson grows rapidly in all aspects as a community, the BAC role is validated by its prompt response to the community art needs, dialogue for future arts planning, maintenance of traditional artistic/cultural activities, and significant experiences in the fine arts on a local basis which in turn enhances community quality of life, as well as bring Branson recognition at local, state and national levels for community vision in the arts.