How It Began
HSACA was founded in 2013 at the suggestion of local philanthropists Dorothy Morris and the late Don Munro. In 2014, independent artists and arts organizations began meeting quarterly to share ideas and plan. That same year they staged a test run of a citywide arts celebration, the "zero year" of Arts & The Park.
It worked. The passion of those artists and organizations, with support from the National Park, the City of Hot Springs, and Visit Hot Springs, turned a one-year experiment into an annual tradition.
What We Do
Arts & The Park: Our annual spring celebration of the arts across Hot Springs. Studio tours, an outdoor arts festival, hands-on workshops, poetry readings, live music, theatre, and Art Moves, a free outdoor installation on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail.
Gallery Walk: The first Friday tradition since 1989. We promote and support it alongside the galleries that make it happen.
Artist Network Meetings: Quarterly gatherings for artists, venues, organizations, and partners to connect and collaborate.
Arts Calendar and Directory: Free listings for local artists, galleries, and arts organizations, so the community can find them.
Gala: POP: Our annual fundraising evening each November.
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We showcase arts and culture across every available platform — elevating local artists, driving event attendance, and telling the story of our arts community and why Hot Springs leads as a cultural destination.
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We champion the community and economic value of the arts, building relationships with city, state, and national partners who recognize what a strong creative sector means for a city's identity and economic health.
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We provide resources and opportunities that help artists and organizations grow, optimizing the capacity of Hot Springs' creative community so that talent translates into sustainable livelihoods.
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We connect people, partners, and experiences — bringing residents, visitors, artists, and organizations into meaningful relationship with one another and with the culture that defines this place.
Future Forward
In 2022, HSACA established an endowment to help ensure ongoing support of our mission. To learn how to give directly or through the endowment, contact Kat Daniels, Executive Director, at (501) 681-3209 or hsaca@hotspringsarts.org.
Our funders
Arts & The Park events are made possible in part by a grant from the Department of Arkansas Heritage, funded by the 1/8 cent conservation tax, Amendment 75.
The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts support the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance in part. Local support comes from Oaklawn Resort & Racing, Regions Bank, Garland County Community Foundation, and the Dorothy and Walter Morris Leadership Fund.
Our Leadership
HSACA is guided by a board of area artists, arts organizations, and arts supporters.
Board of Directors
Martha Jane Murray, Board Chair
Mary Zunick, Vice-Board Chair
Tiffany Rogers, Secretary
JoAnn Mangione, Treasurer
Ashley Campbell
Tina Barker
Justina Hudgens
Dawn Cattaneo
Kim Everhart
Amanda Mitchell
Mechele McNary
Allyson Pittman Gattin
Rick Ramsay
Gianna Wurzl
Staff
Kat Daniels, Executive Director
Advisory Board
Dorothy Morris
Linda Palmer
Robert Zunick
Gary Simmons
Kate Schaffer