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OUR STORY
One of our amazing Art Fest volunteers, 2010
The North Valley Arts Council began in 1986 as a volunteer organization under the name of the Greater
Grand Forks Arts and Humanities Association. In 1991, the organization conducted the first city cultural assessment in the State of North Dakota. The assessment identified the need for a full-service local arts/cultural agency. In 1993, to address this need, the council reorganized under the North Valley Arts Council (NoVAC) and hired an Executive Director and Office Manager. At the same time, NoVAC opened a downtown office at the Empire Theatre. In 2001 it was deemed necessary to separate NoVAC from the Empire Theater and to develop a new Board of Directors. The official split from the Empire Theater occurred in October 2002. NoVAC’s board set a new mission statement and relocated its offices to O’Kelly Hall on the University of North Dakota campus to share office space with the Greater Grand Forks Marketing Services Partnership. In 2004, NoVAC received a two-year grant from the Archibald Bush Foundation to achieve organizational stability. In 2005 NoVAC received a three-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to increase services and maintain organizational stability. With this fund support, NoVAC staff developed professional development programs, networking opportunities, calendaring services, advocacy events, and information resource services. In 2008, NoVAC assumed responsibility for management of the Grand Cities Art Fest.
Now, in 2010 the North Valley Arts Council is stronger than ever. In addition to Art Fest, we are in our fourth year of running the Art and Wine Walk with our partners, the Greater Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau. In the summer of 2010, we began the Mayor's Choice Artist Program and the Brown Bag Lunch series for artists. We work with the city of Grand Forks on the Re-Grant program, which helps fund area arts organizations. We are also going into new territory and holding a Zombie Concert in Town Square on October 2nd, 2010. We also continue to honor artist excellence at the Annual Art Awards and Art Auction.
We are aways look for new and better ways to serve the arts community and Grand Forks as a whole. If you have ideas or would like to get involved, please contact us. Likewise, if you are an artist or arts organization with questions or needs, please contact us.
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