About

For over 30 years, Missouri Citizens for the Arts has played a vital role in advocating for Missouri’s arts industry at the state Capitol. Founded in 1980 as a 501(c)4, MCA was joined by the MCA Education Fund, established in 1982 as a 501(c)3. Together, these statewide organizations work tirelessly to promote the entirety of Missouri’s arts industry to both public and private sectors, maintaining a non-partisan and not-for-profit stance.

MCA emerged from a grassroots movement of citizens who understood the importance of ongoing arts industry advocacy to foster public support and preserve the state's rich cultural heritage. The MCA Education Fund was created to provide essential educational programming and support that underpins such advocacy. Collectively, these two organizations are commonly known as Missouri Citizens for the Arts.

Today, MCA remains the only statewide organization dedicated to promoting the comprehensive arts industry in Missouri to both public and private sectors. It is uniquely positioned to unite the state's arts community on shared concerns and to represent these issues to public agencies and elected officials whose actions impact the industry. MCA aims to secure a stable and growing base of public financial support for the arts, ensuring that access to the arts is available to all Missourians.

The primary focus of the MCA Education Fund is to educate the public and private businesses about the significant contributions the arts make to our society while providing services that benefit the arts industry as a whole. Through education, research, and technical assistance, the MCA Education Fund fosters a healthy and stable environment in which the arts can thrive in Missouri.

In 2021, the MCA Education Fund was grateful to receive an ARP grant from Mid-America Arts Alliance to assist with administrative work that enhances our advocacy efforts.

Both organizations are governed by a Board of Directors that reflects MCA’s statewide constituency. An Executive Committee, which includes officers and regional vice-presidents, oversees the organization’s affairs. The staff consists of a full-time Executive Director, and MCA also employs a lobbyist on a contractual basis to ensure active participation in the legislative process.

For those interested, the Policies and Bylaws of MCA and the MCA Education Fund can be found here.

Income for MCA’s programs and operations comes from membership dues paid by arts organizations benefiting from MCA's work. Additional support from individual members, foundations, and corporate sponsors contributes to the MCA Education Fund.

Without the efforts of Missouri Citizens for the Arts, public funding for the state arts agency, Fine Arts Academy, and the Missouri Cultural Trust would undoubtedly decrease. When legislators view funding for the arts as a “discretionary” choice, MCA is there to remind them that every dollar invested in the arts generates more than eight dollars in return to the state’s economy. Organized, statewide arts industry advocacy is essential for maintaining public financial support for this vital sector.