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Humboldt County, located in California's True North, is home to an extraordinary number and quality of painters, ceramists, writers, musicians, actors, dancers, poets,
and cultural historians.

The Humboldt Arts Council (HAC) was organized in 1966 and incorporated in 1971 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for artists, developing arts education, and making the arts accessible through innovative and multicultural programs. The Council, as Humboldt County’s largest multidisciplinary arts organization, focuses on working in partnership with artists, arts organizations, community groups, and schools to strengthen the arts’ accessibility and impact as aesthetic, personal and social resources. The Council envisions that the importance of art will be evident in all aspects of life in Humboldt County, including homes, schools, businesses, and government. The Council is dedicated to providing leadership in support of the rich heritage of the arts on California’s North Coast, and to bringing this legacy fully into community life.

In 1987, HAC became the State Local Partner for the California Arts Council and the community representative for the California State Summer School for the Arts Program.

In 1996 the Humboldt Arts Council accepted an offer from the City of Eureka to undertake the effort to save the historic 1904 Carnegie Library building, which was destined for demolition. The former Carnegie Library had been a symbol of community pride and local culture for over 100 years. After the successful Carnegie Capital Campaign to raise $1.5 million from the local community, foundations and corporations, the Council began the restoration process in 1999 to convert the historic Carnegie building into a regional art museum and art center. On January 1, 2000 the Humboldt Arts Council and the community celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the Morris Graves Museum of Art for its new “Century of Service” to the community.


Carnegie Library in 1977

Morris Graves Museum of Art Opening, 2000		 The Museum today houses seven galleries including a Courtyard Sculpture Garden, a Museum Store, classroom facilities, an Arts Resource Center and a Performance Rotunda, and each month, Eureka’s Arts Alive! brings an average of 2,500 community members to the Museum to enjoy musical performances and art exhibits.

HAC sponsors these opportunities to appreciate the best of Humboldt County arts and culture:

  • The Palette, an annual feature magazine and resource guide distributed free throughout Humboldt County and on the internet at www.thepalette.com
  • First Saturday Night Arts Alive!, a contemporary cultural tradition bringing artists and the public together monthly in over 60 participating galleries and businesses.
  • Sunday Afternoons at the Morris Graves, a performance by local jazz artists, a talk on some aspect of Jazz history and a jam during which guest musicians are invited to join that Sunday’s performing group.
  • First Thursday Film, designed to provide quality film and open discussion based on PBS Point of View (POV) and Independent Lens programming.  Many of these films are documentaries and deal with issues such as art, music, education, race, gender, politics and MORE!
  • Second Saturday Family Arts Day, activites for youth and families, including performances, hands-on arts projects, & interactive storytellers.
  • Public exhibitions, including the North Coast Open Studios Tour, Images of Water, Art Banks Touring Program in Humboldt County Schools, Young Artists of Humboldt Festival, Junque Arte, and Humboldt Arts Council’s Annual Juried Member Show.

As a private, non-profit California corporation, the Humboldt Arts Council depends on financial support from membership dues, donations and contributions, local program grants and earned income.