We believe access to and engagement with the arts is a fundamental right and that the arts are an essential cornerstone to a healthy democracy. Our goal is to serve the people of Independence and Monmouth, Oregon, and the surrounding area by offering a broad range of opportunities for all community members to enjoy and participate in the visual, literary, and performing arts.
Ash Creek Arts Center was founded in December 2013. We began offering classes and workshops to our community in January 2014 starting with our popular Saturday Family Art Classes, which we still offer on the second weekend each month. We have expanded our offerings to include free and low-cost classes in the visual, literary, and performing arts for adults and children throughout the year.
We’ve been operating as an all-volunteer organization from the start. In the summer of 2017 we were able to hire our first paid staff to help serve our community with a generous grant by the Oregon Cultural Trust. We are able to complete our mission through grants such as this and others we receive, as well as our members, donations, and the generosity of our volunteers and community.
ACAC works cooperatively with many other agencies and organizations, including the cities of Monmouth and Independence, Western Oregon University, Central School District, the Independence Public Library, local community access television station WIMPEG, and the nonprofit organization Partnerships in Community Living. ACAC is registered as a nonprofit organization with the State of Oregon, and is a federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
