About Us
To foster the arts in our communities.
The goals of HPAC is two-fold: we organize our own programs and events, and we collaborate with community organizations that believe the arts are essential in both the Hastings and Prescott communities.
Our Story
HPAC was originally founded in 2008 when a group of citizens decided that the arts were important in the life of our communities. HPAC introduced events and programs for all types of artists and audiences in our communities. It built the arts in our communities for over ten years!
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HPAC helped to organize the River Valley Band. This community concert band practices weekly and performs throughout the year. Our partnership with the Prescott community led to the establishment of the Orange Dragon Art Gallery. Each week, a group of seniors meets at the Hastings Senior Center for free arts activities. There is also a “Little Colony” painters group that meets in Prescott every Thursday morning. They are named in honor of a 1920’s group of painters famous in the St Croix Valley. A Writers’ Workshop is held monthly at the LeDuc Historic Estate. Music concerts featuring all types of music are held throughout the year in private homes and public spaces, such as the Rotary Pavilion along the Mississippi River.
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In 2015, HPAC initiated an Arts Scholarships for Kids program. This program provides funds for area children to take lessons in art, music, dance, and other types of art. HPAC initiated the conversation between ArtSpace and Hastings in 2013 and has been a steady voice of support since the beginning of this process. In 2016, ArtSpace finished the construction of a 37-unit building along the Mississippi River that is home for artists.
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In addition to these programs, HPAC honors those in the community that give above and beyond to the arts. Each year at the annual gala, the Arts Heroes select a new member to be recognized for their contribution to Hastings and Prescott. Click here to learn more about those distinguished honorees.
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In 2022, the group recovering from two years of zoom meetings, distance events of the COVID pandemic, launched its new brand and logo. Consolidating the name to Hastings Prescott Arts Council, HPAC, we look to the future and continue to build relationships and support the community around us. We are excited to work closely with the newly established Arts Commission in Hastings and continue to support the needs of those in our communities.
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