History of ARTS Obispo

The local arts community came together in December 1980 to found the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council (SLOCAC) as a private, nonprofit group to be the local partner of the California Arts Council.

The initial work of the Arts Council consisted of canvassing the cultural needs of the community. Public meetings were held and SLOCAC met with boards of directors of 25 arts organizations and with at least 75 individual artists and patrons in an attempt to assess their needs and discuss the Council’s identity. Those established needs became the core of SLOCAC’s mission and goals. The Arts Council published this information in its Cultural Arts Plan, which helped to alert the County to the emerging role of the newly formed SLO County Arts Council.

By 1983, the non-profit group had acquired an office and become a membership organization to enlarge its funding base in the community. Programs and services were quickly expanded and the Arts Council became recognized as the umbrella organization that supports and promotes all the arts in San Luis Obispo County, targeting the needs of the culturally under-served.

In 1993 the second Cultural Arts Plan was completed and became the basis of a solid strategic plan for the Arts Council that focused on programs such as Beyond the Boundaries, a celebration of abilities, and SMARTS, social mentoring and the arts program, that met individual and community needs.

Over the years SLOCAC has maintained strong support from their community and continued financial backing from the County of SLO, especially important since the State of California withdrew funding from local arts councils for 5 long years, from 2002 until 2007.

In 2006 SLOCAC adopted a logo name, ARTS Obispo, to eliminate a common confusion between the SLO Arts Council and the SLO Art Center (now known as the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art). The organization also opened ARTS Space Obispo in July of 2006 that is used for performances, visual art exhibitions, poetry readings and meetings.