History of the Scottsdale Cultural Council		Print This Page Email This Page

Scottsdale and its citizens have a long history of participation and leadership in the arts. In 1988, responsibility for managing the City's arts and cultural activities was placed under the management of the Scottsdale Cultural Council, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

The simplest explanation of the Scottsdale Cultural Council;s function is that it "presents" art -- and does it through the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, the Scottsdale Public Art program and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art .

Today, the Scottsdale Cultural Council is the largest non-profit arts organization in the state of Arizona, with a 2003-04 budget of $9.2 million.

The Scottsdale Cultural Council's success is grounded in the deep roots of support and participation in the arts that is the hallmark of this community. And the organization is nurtured by many partnerships -- starting with our audiences and visitors -- and extending with special appreciation to the citizens of the community, the City of Scottsdale, the breadth of Arizona's diverse arts organizations with whom the Cultural Council partners, to its many members, donors, sponsors and volunteers and, especially, the many people who put forth the time, effort, vision and resources to establish the great history upon which the Scottsdale Cultural Council's work is based.

Scottsdale Public Art

The Scottsdale Public Art Program invites residents and visitors to explore our city's Public Art Collection. Located throughout the city, sculpture and integrated artworks can be found in parks, libraries, along our roadways, in public buildings and other public places. The Program was established in 1985 and is dedicated to enhancing urban spaces by commissioning art that creates a sense of place and improves the built environment.

Scottsdale has a long history of dedication and commitment to the arts. Some of the city's first settlers were artists, craftsmen, architects, art collectors, educators, and others who believed that art should be part of the fabric of the community. The municipal art collection was formally established in 1967 and now includes more than 1,600 objects.

In the early 1970s the city commissioned artist Louise Nevelson to create a signature work for Scottsdale. Nevelson's Windows to the West , funded in part by gifts from area residents, received one of the National Endowment for the Arts' first "Art in Public Places" grants. Prior to the establishment of the public art program, Scottsdale 's art collection grew as a direct result of the efforts and generosity of local citizens. School children united to fund a sculptural water fountain near city hall; the historical society and others collected donations to commission George Ann Tognoni's beloved Yearlings sculpture. The dedication, foresight and vision of local citizens provided a rich legacy of art for present and future generations.

In 1985 Scottsdale further strengthened the presence of arts in the community by adopting a percent-for-arts ordinance. More than fifty public artworks have been commissioned through the program including the large-scale bas relief along the Pima Freeway by Carolyn Braaksma; the "fish wall" on Goldwater Boulevard by Kevin Berry; Robert Indiana's famous iconic Love sculpture outside the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and, at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art [SMoCA], Knight Rise"skyspace" by internationally celebrated earth and light artist James Turrell. Scottsdale 's Public Art program has won numerous local and national awards and honors.

Scottsdale Center for the Arts

A key element in a downtown re-development project, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts opened in October, 1975. This 82,500 square foot facility contains an 838 seat theater, a 136 seat cinema, conference room and 15,000 square feet of exhibition space and was managed by the staff of the City of Scottsdale.

In preparation for the Center's opening, a non-profit organization, the Scottsdale Arts Center Association (SACA), was established in 1974 to develop private support for the Center. SACA provided program under-writing, membership, fund-raising, and volunteer support. An outgrowth of SACA, the Men's League was founded in 1978 to support the Center primarily through fund-raising for capital improvements.

By 1985, the administrative, programming and fund raising roles and responsibilities of the City, SACA, the Fine Arts Commission, and the Men's League were overlapping and confused. Also, many other cities in the area were developing plans for creating cultural programs and facilities.

The City of Scottsdale, under the leadership of Mayor Herb Drinkwater, determined that an evaluation of the status of the arts was necessary in order to develop a long-term plan aimed at maintaining Scottsdale's leadership position in the arts community. In 1985, Bailey Consulting Associates was hired to prepare a Cultural Master Plan. The City Council then appointed a Citizen Task Force to transform the Bailey Plan into a specific set of recommendations.

In addition to identifying general priorities in arts programming and facilities development, this Scottsdale Cultural Master Plan Task Force recommended the creation of a private, non-profit corporation to provide cultural management services to the City. In addition, the task force advised that a professional consultant be hired to design the work plan needed to achieve their recommendations.

After accepting the task force's report in October 1986, the City contracted The Wolf Organization to assist with the implementation of the cultural plan. Dr. Thomas Wolf submitted reports in December 1986 and March 1987 which specifically outlined a transition process necessary to bring what would become the Scottsdale Cultural Council into being.

The City Council adopted the Wolf Transition Plan, and in mid-February 1987, requested that Robert H. Karatz, Jim Bruner, Eugene Davis (deceased), Nancy Schamadan and Joe Sparks form the initial Board of Directors, and incorporate as a non-profit organization as described in the Wolf and Citizen Task Force reports. The City adopted the Wolf timeline for the transition, which allowed for the process to be completed by June 30, 1988.

Scottsdale Cultural Council

In June of 1987, the committee was incorporated as the Cultural Council of Scottsdale (this name was later changed to Scottsdale Cultural Council ). The Cultural Council contracted a search firm to recruit a President and Chief Executive Officer. Frank Jacobson was hired in August and began work in September.

Between the fall of 1987 and June 1988, the Cultural Council defined its mission and goals by drafting a five-year cultural master plan. This plan was a result of the first project undertaken by the staff of the Scottsdale Cultural Council: a Cultural Needs Assessment.

The Assessment focused on the needs identified by various community groups in terms of programs, access to the arts and artist interaction -- and served as the initial blueprint for the many partnerships the Cultural Council has established throughout its decade of community service.

One of the key accomplishments of the transition year was the merger of the Scottsdale Arts Center Association (SACA) with the Scottsdale Cultural Council. The merger produced three major assets: more than 1,200 donors and members; the national touring exhibition Frank Lloyd Wright: In the Realm of Ideas; and the strengthening of Scottsdale's volunteer leadership in the arts.

After negotiating a five-year master agreement with the City in June 1988, the Cultural Council began its first year of programming on July 1, 1988. In June 1993, the City Council approved a new ten-year master agreement with the Cultural Council that includes two additional five-year options.

Annually, the Scottsdale City Council is called upon to review and accept the City's financial participation agreement with the Scottsdale Cultural Council which, for the 2003-04 year, totaled $2.78 million.

Beginning in 1988, the Scottsdale Cultural Council has routinely updated its five-year Master Plan -- a strategic planning document that articulates the current structure, programs, mission and vision of the Scottsdale Cultural Council.

Scottsdale Arts Festival

In 1971, a group of Scottsdale citizens created the first-ever Scottsdale Arts Festival -- then a month-long celebration, held at various locations, that included performances by local dance and music groups, exhibitions by Arizona craftsmen and of Native American Arts, a juried show by the Scottsdale Artists League, and tours of fine artists' and crafts artists' studios.

Today, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts produces the Scottsdale Arts Festival, which attracts more than 185 artists and craftsmen and upwards of 40,000 visitors to enjoy a uniquely Scottsdale Spring celebration on the Scottsdale Civic Center.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

International in scope, the mission of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is to affect its community through the collection, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of works of modern and contemporary art, architecture and design.

Among the goals of the institution are: to establish a nationally-recognized institution that significantly advances Scottsdale's tradition of national leadership in the arts; to more than triple the museum exhibition space by expanding programming into the new Gerard L. Cafesjian Pavilion, directly adjacent to the Scottsdale Center for the Arts building and to offer enhanced educational resources for all members of the community, through exhibitions, scholarship, publications, educational tours, programs, lectures and workshops.

In a continuation of the innovative partnership between the City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Cultural Council, the Pavilion was purchased and is owned by the City of Scottsdale. Monies for its renovation and ongoing management are the responsibility of the Scottsdale Cultural Council.

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art officially opened on February 14, 1999 and was accredited by the American Association of Museums in March 1999.