Welcome to The Arts Council: one name for two historic and innovative buildings.

The mission of the Arts Council is to nurture and strengthen the artistic, cultural, and educational quality of the community and surrounding area. We are dedicated to raising arts awareness in the region through our community art programming and venues.

Formed in 1994, The Arts Council is currently comprised of two historic buildings: The Kemp and The Forum. Through extensive capital campaigns and broad community support, we have renovated and restored each of these buildings to return them to their former glory and re-purpose each to create viable arts and cultural centers for generations to come. The buildings are official Texas historical and Wichita Falls landmarks.

The Kemp (1300 Lamar Street) was built in 1917 as a public library. In 1998 the dilapidated building was leased to the Arts Council and currently the building and grounds house 5 gallery exhibit spaces, three classrooms and an auditorium.

The Forum (2120 Speedway Avenue) began in 1927 as the home of The Woman’s Forum, a women’s social and philanthropic organization. In 2010 the aging building was deeded to the Arts Council. Currently known as “The Forum”, the building helps support the Arts Council’s Performance Arts programming and provides over 12000 square feet of room rental.

Guests, patrons and students from across Texas and Oklahoma come to The Kemp and The Forum to enjoy live entertainment and performances, local and national visual arts exhibitions, and outstanding arts education classes. Both facilities are available to rent, whether for an elegant outdoor wedding, a stand-out theater performance, or an all-day corporate meeting. Our wide range of facilities across both campuses offer multiple rental options for every vision and budget.

The Arts Council is proud to have served the greater Wichita Falls community for over 25 years. In that time, we’ve grown to encompass the heart of arts education in Wichita Falls. Looking forward, our mission is to expand our current platform for visual and performance arts while increasing educational outreach to the community.