MAAA | Programs | Prof. Development | Missouri | OPI | Stockton

The Sac River Arts Council located in Stockton, Missouri, was founded in 2002. With a population of just 1,944 Stockton has little access to the arts. The arts council’s mission is to broaden the cultural opportunities for the residents of the area.

They were eager to participate in the OPI program and began planning their activities immediately. They chose as their exhibition Keep ‘Em Flying! Everyday Life in a WWII Fighter Squadron, which documents the 94th Squadron stationed in Foggia, Italy 1944-45. For their performance, they recruited Pittsburg State University professor Todd Hastings and his Jazz ensemble, the Kansas Jazz Orchestra.

The community response to both the exhibition and performance was overwhelmingly positive. The exhibition hung in the community room of the local bank, and the Kansas Jazz Orchestra played big band music of the 1940s at both an evening concert and at a separate workshop for middle school band students. A total of 209 people attended their OPI events.

The Sac Arts Council has primarily focused on the performing arts and the volunteers appreciated having the exhibition because they felt that it helped to balance their offerings to the community. Through the OPI events, they also had the opportunity to work with two local veterans groups who provided hosts for the exhibition, and color guard for the ribbon cutting. They felt it was a true learning experience and now know exactly what they’ll need to mount another art exhibition.