History of CTAC

As it nears the end of its 31st year, Chisholm Trail Arts Council is in the prime of life. Its programs have matured and are thriving, and its mission is clear: “To provide accessible artistic programs that enhance the quality of life, encourage economic development and educate the people of Stephens County.”

At the same time, CTAC honors its past and a history that has been evolutionary.

After a brief attempt to form an arts council in Duncan in the late 1960s, in 1976 the Duncan Arts and Humanities Council was incorporated. Driving forces behind the group were Lynn Ellis Dean, Harolyn Long and Rev. Phil Wahl, who were the signatories on the original articles of incorporation.

Duncan Arts and Humanities Council is generally acknowledged as the second community arts council incorporated in the state of Oklahoma. During its early years, the DAHC's mission was to expand appreciation of the arts in the Duncan community, and it served a key role as a support group for the Duncan Fall Fest, an extremely popular, multi-genre arts event that existed for two decades.

In 1998, the Duncan Arts and Humanities Council evolved into the Chisholm Trail Arts Council, with a mission to expand its programs and participation throughout Stephens County.

Through its first decade, Duncan Arts and Humanities Council programs and projects were driven and facilitated by board members. But in the 1980s, DAHC centralized its administration by hiring an executive director. Diana Glover was the first salaried executive director, and she was followed by Dianne Stuart. Angela Giddens was executive director when the group reformed as Chisholm Trail Arts Council, and her successors have been Patrick Brown, Stephanie Mitchell and Dan Lowrance, the current ED. During its first 31 years, CTAC has played a vital role in promoting the arts in Duncan and Stephens County, with a variety of programs, presentations and projects.

When the Oklahoma Arts Council began an Arts in Education program in the 1970s, CTAC picked up the ball and ran with it. CTAC's Artists in Residence, Arts Explosion and the now-defunct Children's Theatre Series opened the world of the performing and fine arts to countless young people throughout Stephens County. Every school district in the county regularly participates in the Artists in Residence program, and each summer dozens of area youth participate in Arts Explosion program, some of them attending on scholarships provided by CTAC. CTAC's aggressive involvement in Arts in Education helped draw statewide attention that led to CTAC receiving a Governor's Arts Award for Community Arts Councils.

Through its history, CTAC has partnered with several other organizations to promote the arts, including the Duncan Art Guild, Duncan Little Theatre, the National Honor Society, the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In the 1990s, CTAC partnered with the Duncan Black American History Month organization to support and promote events during Black History Month. That partnership began with a performance by the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe in 1996 and has continued with a performance of the Harlem Gospel Choir in 2006 and CTAC involvement in other Black History Month events. In 1996, CTAC was selected by the Oklahoma Arts Council to make a presentation of its Black American History Month project to the Mid-America Arts Alliance. Also in 1996, CTAC was recognized with a commendation for community service by the City of Duncan, and the group has also been featured in a National Endowment for the Arts publication for its participation in the National ArtCorp Program.

Over the years, CTAC (or DAHC) programming has included:

• The CTAC Film Festival
• Concerts and productions by the Oklahoma City Symphony, Ballet Oklahoma, Lawton Philharmonic, Tulsa Ballet, the Montana Repertory Company and other performance arts groups, as well as the Boar’s Head Dinner and Morality Play.
• Presentations by touring museum exhibits, including a 1997 visit by the Arts Train, a nationwide project of the National Endowment for the Arts
• Promotion of local artists

In addition, the American Music Festival in Duncan was a spin-off idea generated by the Duncan Arts & Humanities Council, while the Chisholm Trail Stampede hosted by the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is a spin-off of a CTAC idea.

At the turn of the 21st century, CTAC absorbed a concert series originally produced by Duncan Community Concerts, and renamed it Live From the Center.

Programming for Live From the Center has blossomed. With season tickets and attendance surging, Live From the Center now presents six concerts between September and April, featuring performances by an eclectic group of artists from around the globe.

International acts have included Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, The Mystical Arts of Tibet and Australian pianist/comedian David Scheel. Programming has ranged from classical (Turtle Island String Quartet and Go For Baroque) to jazz (Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Paul VornHagen Quartet) to improvisational comedy (4 Day Weekend) to "roots" music like blues ("Big G" Jacobson), folk (Rachael Davis), bluegrass (Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband) and red dirt (Jimmy LaFave).

In the 2007-08 season, Live From the Center will take audiences on a journey from classical (The Ahn Trio and guitarist Edgar Cruz) to a capella singing (Marcoux Corner, with “roots“ singer Greg Kylma the opening act) to blues (Janiva Magness) to rock 'n' roll (Leon Russell), and a return performance by the Ailey II dance troupe.

If CTAC has proven anything in its first 31 years, it's that the organization does not stand still. We are continually exploring programs and projects that can keep the arts thriving in the area and enhance the quality of life for residents of Stephens County and beyond.