DCFAS is a volunteer-led nonprofit that produces DBQFest, Iowa's longest running arts festival, while also supporting artists and culture bearers as a fiscal sponsor for arts-forward, community-informed cultural experiences in the Greater Dubuque region. The Dubuque County Fine Arts Society (DCFAS) is a volunteer-driven 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit arts organization serving the Dubuque, Iowa community. DCFAS serves as an “umbrella” organization for a range of affiliate groups and programs and is governed by an active volunteer board and committees. The group’s mission is “to encourage, promote, and present local and regional arts including music, writing, theater, and fine art.” DCFAS is the organization that artists and arts organizations look to for support, assistance, and fulfillment. Innovation and creativity are key to success. We seek to be inclusive and reach to populations traditionally underserved by the arts community. We adhere to equality in presenting a variety of arts from visual, theater, literature, and beyond. We provide perseverance during difficult times. BORN IN 1976
With a team of like-minded individuals, Ruth and Russ Nash founded Fine Arts Society in 1976 to enrich the cultural landscape of Dubuque. With Russ and Ruth’s passing in 2000 and 2002, respectively, board members and volunteers committed themselves to maintaining the core programs of the organization and guiding DCFAS toward a more sustainable future. The challenge of reinventing Fine Arts Society has resulted in a number of new volunteers, committee and board members, bringing new ideas, energy, and vitality to the group while remaining true to its mission to provide free or low-cost access to arts experiences through a variety of cultural programming. OUR MISSION
Visual arts, music, film, words, theatre, dance, and performance challenge and enrich lives. Arts organizations and cultural institutions all share a sense of purpose: to share with our fellow beings the human joy of creation springing from the soul, heart, and mind.
