Since 1977, the mission of the Mountain Home Arts Council, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, has been to entertain, enrich and educate the community by presenting and promoting varied artistic and cultural activities, a focus which has grown to include the performing, visual and literary arts and humanities. Each season, MHAC offers public performances and workshops from professional artists—it is our great honor to serve active military and veterans given our close proximity to the Mountain Home Air Force Base—and outreach programs to the schools, nursing homes, and other community organizations and underserved groups as well as scholarships and grants to graduating seniors and local artists honing their craft though professional development. Most events, and all outreach programs, are offered free of charge, while the three to four ticketed events are offered at reduced price points through community support, partnerships, and local, state, & federal grants, such as the support of the City of Mountain Home, the Mountain Home community, the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Idaho Community Foundation, the Idaho Humanities Council, a state-based program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Western States Arts Federation.
The MHAC's vision is of a community that embraces and welcomes all art forms, specifically through broad participation in a wide variety of arts, as well as community leaders and decision-makers who recognize the importance of the arts. We visualize the arts as an economic force, leading in community development. The Arts Council, as an active partner, also supports the missions of other community groups, gives youth access to arts and arts education, and provides an atmosphere where artists are welcomed, nurtured, and supported. Through the performing, visual, and literary arts and humanities programming MHAC is able to reach the community as a whole as well as target specific needs and people groups with each activity. The Arts Council is also heavily involved in community development and advocacy through partnerships with the City of Mountain Home, Chamber and its committees, Parks & Rec, The Senior Center, Officer Spouses' Club, Elks, the American Legion, schools and teachers, libraries, the Black History Committee, Euskal Lagunak Basque Association, Elmore County Hispanic Organization, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Elks, local businesses, and many other organizations..
