A legacy is the long-lasting impact of events that occurred in the past. As Columbia’s oldest, continuous arts nonprofit, the Columbia Art League (CAL) certainly has left its legacy in our community. Formed in 1959 as a grassroots movement by amateur artists who began meeting in each other’s homes to discuss their artwork, the organization has grown into a powerhouse and anchor in Columbia’s visual arts scene.
CAL can boast that it has been housed in almost every part of downtown Columbia over its long life.
“We have famously been in nearly every building downtown,” says Executive Director Kelsey Hammond. “We have been next to Ernie’s, almost in the D&M Sound building, by Top Ten Wines, and truly all over.” Since 2008, CAL has been housed in the front part next to the restored Missouri Theatre.
The Columbia Art League has certainly transformed the visual arts scene in Columbia. Hammond said that art making before CAL “was sort of siloed at the local colleges, and it wasn’t accessible to all of the people, adding, “Anyone can make art, and it can serve as a dedicated hobby for many. Truly creating access is why CAL came into being.”
While CAL started as a critique group, it quickly grew to include classes for people of all ages. That first year, 1959, was also the first year of Art in the Park, which continues to this day. It coincided with the first Boone County Art Show that same year. Art in the Park has been housed at Peace Park, Stephens College, and has now found its hopefully forever home at Stephens Lake Park.
Art in the Park, in its current form, was fashioned by past executive director Diana Moxon, who curated a national fine arts festival. The festival has 110 artist vendor booths, and highlights both local artists and artists from all parts of the country. There is also a maker’s tent for up-and-coming artists, and a kids’ tent where they have an immersive experience making their own art. The artists are all juried by experts who determine that their artwork is authentic. On average, around 18,000 people attend the two-day festival each year.
There are currently various membership levels for people to be a part of the Columbia Art League.
“There is a $20 student fee, a $50 individual artist fee, and the higher levels are for those trying to be a professional artist,” Hammond explained. “The higher fees give each artist a landing page on our website that can lead to their own website. It is great exposure.”
The base level gives members a chance to display their work at CAL shows throughout the year. There are a number of CAL members who have been involved for decades, including Brooke Cameron and Heather Foote.
The Columbia Art League also started some new movements in Columbia. It is said that KOPN, Columbia’s community radio station, was first broadcast out of CAL’s space, and the first yoga class was taught out of CAL. Even Greenhouse Theatre Project’s first show was performed in CAL’s space.
CAL is proud of its arts education program, which has a dedicated full-time staff member who helps facilitate classes for students from five years old to senior adults. In addition, CAL works with the Woodhaven, Grade A-Plus, and Moving Ahead programs.
The Columbia Art League became an official nonprofit in the 1970s. Around that time, the organization hired its first executive director, even though it was a part-time position. The board has always been active in helping with classes, arts shows, and Art in the Park. Many of the board members are also artists.
What is CAL’s legacy to Columbia?
“It was the beginning of Columbia forming a creative community,” Hammond said. “It is the heart of our current creative community, and many wonderful organizations have emerged from its humble beginnings. As the current executive director, I feel the responsibility of holding this organization up as it has stood on the shoulders of so many people who have held it up with love year after year.”
