History & Mission

As the 47-year-old County Arts Council, ArtsinStark is devoted to creating smarter kids, new jobs, and a healthier community by funding arts programs. We own and operate the Cultural Center for the Arts, which will be 50 years old in 2020. It is home to 4 of our 7 major arts organizations: Canton Museum of Art, Players Guild Theatre, Canton Ballet, and Voices of Canton.  To prepare for our 50th birthday, we are developing a plan for the 100-acre neighborhood around us which we are calling “North Market.” We conduct an annual arts campaign each spring to help support our arts programs. The seven largest arts organizations in Stark County, Ohio receive the largest portion of the funds raised via operating grants to promote the arts. Grants are also provided to non-profit organizations and artists to do good work in the community through the arts. In addition, ArtsinStark raises money for the arts through the Annual Arts Campaign. In May 2017 we raised $1.65 million. We are the only united arts fund drive in the United States to ever make goal for 12 years in a row. (And we’ve increased private sector giving by 85%.) These include arts integration programs, urban revitalization and public arts programs, and community-wide events that celebrate the arts.