The Dane County Arts Council (briefly named Madison Area Performing Arts Association and the Madison Area Arts Association) was organized and incorporated in 1975 as a private, non-profit umbrella organization to coordinate and promote the development of the arts in Madison and the Dane County region. Membership consisted of visual, performing, and literary arts groups; individual artists; businesses; and the general public.
DCAC had three stated goals: (1) to provide information and services for its members and the public; (2) to support and develop arts projects; and (3) “to provide a unified voice for the arts service industry.” Essentially, DCAC provided resource information, referral, and coordinating services for agencies and individuals. DCAC attempted to accomplish these objectives with a number of different publications, programs, and services. It published and distributed a monthly arts events calendar; the Arts Yellow Pages, an annotated directory of arts organizations and resources; and a Directory of Housing for the Arts, which listed space available for artists.
The council also sponsored events such as the “Arts Drop-In,” a cooperative series of programs by member groups; “Sweet Thursday,” a series which allowed experimental and unestablished artists to exhibit their work; children's art workshops; the Monroe Street Merchants Spring Art Show; and “Seven in the Center,” a program featuring performing artists in the Madison Civic Center. DCAC also periodically sponsored workshops on grant writing, public relations, budgeting, and fundraising. Surveys completed by the DCAC included a study of arts organization needs, an economic impact survey, and a poll of unemployed artists.
The DCAC also provided clerical services such as typing, bulk mailing, telephoning, and registrations for member groups through funding from Title IX and Title V grants from the Wisconsin Bureau of Aging. A New Outreach Arts and Handicrafts Program (NOAH) was also sponsored by the Title IX and V grants from the Wisconsin Bureau of Aging. Through this program, senior citizen were employed to direct and offer art projects and programs at centers and nutrition sites. DCAC's Mainstream Arts Project (MAP) was staffed by CETA-funded artists to create and direct visual and performing art projects throughout the county. For example, MAP artists were responsible for the Fantastic Flying Machine contest on the Capitol Square, the First National Bank Sculpture (Madison), and the Dane County Regional Airport mural. Another DCAC program was the Theater Bus Project, which provided transportation to arts events to senior citizens. This project was incorporated and became an independent program in 1979.
The Dane County Arts Council was financed by work programs funded by CETA, Public Service Employment (PSE), the Wisconsin Bureau of Aging, and the Dane County Commission on Aging. Major funding came through grants from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Madison Rotary, the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, the City of Madison, and corporations such as Oscar Mayer, Webcrafters, American Family Insurance, and First Wisconsin National Bank.
In 1980 the board of directors experienced a major change in membership because of internal conflicts as well as management, personnel, and financial difficulties. At the same time, DCAC lacked a sufficiently strong public image to allow it to deal with conflicts between member groups. Because of these problems, the Board of Directors could not readily obtain funding. After a study of objectives, community roles, and effectiveness, the board unanimously agreed on August 25, 1980 to dissolve.
