For nearly 50 years, the Kearney Area Arts Council has promoted the arts in our community through free summer concerts in the park, scholarships for art students and funding for local arts events.
From its inception the mission and goal of the Kearney Area Arts Council has been to: “Expand the arts in the community.” In the infancy of KAAC, Kearney was dependent of the organization to foster and promote arts activities in the community. There was no Symphony, Art Museum, local, live theater was sporadic, even arts venues were not commonplace. KAAC brought these and many more activities to the Kearney
Community and as time and interest progressed, dedicated and hardworking members in the community brought The Kearney Area Symphony Orchestra, The Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney Community Theatre and Crane River Theatre into being. Numerous other Arts related organizations have been developed such as Art in the Park, Dance Studios, large arena productions and outdoor amphitheaters.
The addition of physical locations such as the Merryman Center for the Performing Arts. The Viaero Events Center, Kearney Community Theatre, The Cope Amphitheater at Yanney Heritage Park, The World Theatre, The Frank House Museum and smaller concert stages are all part of the vision and goals of a community that has embraced the arts in many forms for decades.
KAAC continues to serve the community in a small but vital role in keeping the arts alive and broadly supported. The community of Kearney has been truly fortunate to
have been a catalyst for the Arts in many disciplines in outstate Nebraska.
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 and to develop activities that encourage the community to practice and appreciate the arts.
If you are a local art enthusiast or art-loving business who would like to see more art made available in your community, please consider donating to the Kearney Area Arts Council. The Kearney Area Arts Council is a not-for-profit, largely volunteer organization. Our sole interest is in enriching our community through the arts. As a donor, please know that it is your support, which enables these programs to exist. Without your generosity, these programs could not take place.
The Kearney Area Arts Council is funded by the State of Nebraska, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, which is a unique partnership among the State of Nebraska and private contributors.
