Madison Area Arts Council Papers
Scope and Contents
The Madison Area Arts Council (MAAC) records date from 1964 to 2014 and are held in 11 boxes. The records are arranged in five series: Finances (1964-1997), Correspondence(1968-2013), Event Publicity (1967-2014), Publications (1968-2010), General Information (1967-2011), and Visiting Artists (1974-2012).
The Finances series (1964-1997) includes annual treasurer’s reports, cash flow reports from board meetings, budget sheets for MAAC events, tax forms, and MAAC account deposit records. It also includes a record of sales from the MAAC-owned art gallery.
The Correspondence series (1968-2013) includes publicity mail from outside organizations received by MAAC, correspondence with grant foundations and donors to fund events, and correspondence with visiting artists participating in partnerships with MAAC.
The Event Publicity series (1967-2014) includes advertisements, newspaper clippings, photographs, posters, and paste-ups that publicized MAAC community events.
The Publications series (1968-2010) includes arts council newsletters, magazines, theatre performance scripts, and arts council management publications.
The General Information series (1967-2011) includes general board meeting reports, future event plans, revisions to organization bylaws, grant contracts, records of organization donors, and MAAC board membership documents.
The Visiting Artists series (1974-2012) includes background information and contracts signed by artists who partnered with MAAC. This series also contains advertisements for events featuring these artists like theatre and dance performances and art galleries.
Dates
- 1964 - 2014
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to research, and no special permissions are necessary to access its materials. Researchers requiring extended access to the collection are asked to contact the archivist to make arrangements.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user.
Biographical / Historical
The Madison Area Arts Council (MAAC) was founded in 1964 originally under the name of Community College Arts Association (CCAA). Initially, the organization specifically supported the artistic endeavors of students from elementary to collegiate levels. CCAA
was renamed in 1992 to MAAC to better reflect its mission of promoting and enhancing the arts in Madison and the surrounding communities. Today, MAAC is respected as the oldest arts council in South Dakota.
Throughout their 60-year existence, MAAC has partnered with many artists, musicians, dance groups, and performing arts groups to promote cultural knowledge in their patrons. In addition, MAAC has focused on establishing events aimed at fostering a stronger sense of community and acceptance among Madison residents. To fund these opportunities, MAAC has relied on grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the South Dakota Arts Council (SDAC) as well as community donors through their annual contributor’s campaign.
After extensive renovations, MAAC opened the Old Firehouse Gallery in 1988, their first art gallery and community arts center. It was located in downtown Madison at the former local firehouse. Before its closure in the late 1990s, the gallery featured diverse artists from the Midwest and beyond and held MAAC art classes and other programming. In 2009, MAAC opened the Brickhouse gallery to replace the Old Firehouse Gallery which remains open today.
In May of 2024, MAAC held their 60-year anniversary celebration to commemorate the impact of the organization’s efforts on community-building and arts exposure. Members of the council say they hope to continue MAAC’s legacy and grow arts literacy in the next generation.
Extent
11.92 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Dakota State University Archives Repository