Minnesota's oldest arts nonprofit — serving the community since 1961

Art is created throughout Dakota County — in studios and classrooms, in home workshops and community spaces, in the hands of countless local makers. For more than 60 years, Dakota Center for the Arts has worked to recognize that creativity, celebrate it, and help it flourish.


As the oldest nonprofit arts organization in Minnesota, the Center has spent six decades supporting local artists and providing free art experiences for the residents of Dakota County and surrounding communities. It is a long and meaningful history — and the next chapter is now taking shape.

Our mission and vision

A thriving arts community is not built overnight. It is cultivated over time, with intention and care.

Our mission is to develop, promote, and encourage participation in and appreciation of the arts throughout Dakota County, MN, and beyond.

Our vision is a world where creativity thrives, and the arts unite and strengthen communities.

Our history

Dakota Center for the Arts (DCA) was chartered in 1961 as the non-profit Fine Art Society of Dakota County to provide programming and community engagement in the visual arts. In 1980, the name was changed to DCA, and, in 1999, the group merged with the Eagan Arts and Humanities Council. In 2000, all assets of the Yankee Doodle Arts & Crafts Festival (est. 1994) were given to DCA. In 2001, DCA ran the art festival for the first time. In 2007, DCA turned arts programming over to the City of Eagan and registered the Eagan Art Festival (EAF) as an assumed name with the state. From 2007, the primary focus of DCA has been the EAF, celebrating 30 years in 2024.

Congratulations to our

2026 Scholarship Recipients

Alexandra Swords: Eagan High School

Amaya Carter: School of Environmental Studies

The Dakota Center for the Arts / Terry B. Davis Scholarship, awarded through the Eagan Community Foundation, honors Terry B. Davis, a former Eagan Art Festival board president and dedicated community leader. A passionate arts advocate, Terry envisioned the growth of the arts in Eagan and worked tirelessly to make it a reality.

"Beyond the financial support (though incredibly important), there is also the added honor of being someone who is believed in. Every person needs a support team, and the Dakota Center for the Arts will forever be one to me. Receiving a scholarship like this shows to me exactly the incredible impact a community can make for someone, and I cannot wait to give back through leadership and service in the future. " - Kaiya (2025 Scholarship Recipient)

The benefits of a strong arts ecosystem extend well beyond the studio or stage. Participation in the arts builds the kind of social connection that holds communities together. It expands how people learn, solve problems, and understand one another. It draws neighbors into shared spaces and gives them reasons to show up for one another. When the arts are healthy, the whole system grows more resilient, more connected, and more capable — and those gains reach far beyond the people making the work.

The Dakota County

Arts Calendar

Dakota Arts Calendar

Every artist has a story — where they come from, what they make, and why it matters. Those stories deserve to be told.


DCA is gathering and sharing the voices of Dakota County's creative community, one artist at a time. Some are just beginning. Some have spent decades perfecting a craft. Some work in quiet ways that few people ever see. All of them are part of what makes this region a vibrant place to live.
You can help tell these stories. Perhaps it's a neighbor with a kiln in the garage, a teacher who changed how you see the world, or your own work waiting to be shared.

The Creative Voice

Read Stories

Our Team

  • Lara Cornell, MASD

    Executive Director

    What is your connection to Dakota County?

    I grew up in Northfield and my extended family was from the Lakeville area. I worked in Burnsville, shopping in Apple Valley and even lived in Rosemount for a short time while my mother worked in Eagan. Dakota County has always been a part of my life.

    Why is it important to you to support the arts in Dakota County?

    Supporting the arts in Dakota County feels deeply personal to me because Dakota County has always been part of my life. I grew up connected to these communities, and over the years I’ve seen just how much creativity, talent, and heart live here. Because it sits so close to the Twin Cities, I think Dakota County’s arts community can sometimes be overlooked—but it truly deserves to be recognized for the vibrant, thriving creative hub that it is. There is so much beauty, vision, and artistic energy here, and I feel genuinely excited to champion it, celebrate it, and help it shine even brighter.

  • Lindsay Walz

    Board President

    What is your connection to Dakota County?

    Friends, community partnerships, nature and ART have been my primary connection points to Dakota County. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the place and people through my work with the DCA!

    Why is it important to you to support the arts in Dakota County?

    I'm a big supporter of the arts everywhere because they help us tell our stories and connect across differences. The arts can be deeply personal pathways to healing and transformation, add whimsy and fun to community spaces, or just make life more colorful! Celebrating and spotlighting artists and their art as the culture bearers of our community is critically important - not just now, but always.

  • Board Of Directors

    Abhishek Kumar, Vice President
    Bobbi Hoppman, Treasurer
    Norah Carroll, Secretary
    Tom Lyseng, Director

    Board Advisor

    Christy Williams

Be Part of the Story.

However you choose to take part, you help shape a more connected, more creative Dakota County for everyone who lives here.