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The idea for a Corvallis Arts Center came from Marion Gathercoal, then President of the Corvallis Woman's Club. In the late 1950's, she was looking for a community project and a friend handed her a small book called "A Survey of Arts Councils." Marion seized on the idea of creating an arts council with the ultimate goal of becoming an arts center. She had the drive, dedication, and organizational skills to bring a talented pool of people together to turn this dream into a reality. 

On September 12, 1961 the Corvallis Arts Council became a reality—the first arts council in Oregon and the 21st in the entire country. The purpose of the organization was to "encourage creative effort; foster appreciation of creativity; and to coordinate activities of all cultural and educational organizations in the community." The Arts Council thrived and soon needed a home to house artists, organizations, and programs it had generated. 

In 1962 they began to search for a vacant building; they found the Corvallis Episcopal Church on the corner of 7th and Jefferson, where the Corvallis Gazette Times is now located. The church had chosen a different location for their new building, and the Corvallis Elks Lodge #1413 had purchased the old church building. When the Elks Lodge was approached by the Corvallis Arts Council, they responded by loaning it indefinitely to the council for the purpose of creating an arts center. 

Since the building had been vacant, a great deal of work needed to be done. A dedicated crew of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and donated their varied talents. On January 26, 1963 the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Corvallis Arts Center was held, to the joy of its founders and the community. In 1970 the lot was sold to the Corvallis Gazette Times and the Corvallis Arts Center faced yet another challenge—how to move the building to another site. The lot on 7th and Madison, owned by the city, was approved by the City of Corvallis as a new site. Robert Mix, the legal counsel for the Corvallis Arts Center, secured the building's status on the National Registry of Historic Buildings, making it eligible for $40,000 to move it to its new site. The Robert Wilson Construction Company of Corvallis dug a basement for the building, free of charge. In this way, by 1972, the project was completed. 

Though the Corvallis Arts Center has grown and changed, we are still proudly housed in the same historic building. The guiding focus remains the same—"arts at the center of life." This mission is met through a variety of educational programs, exhibitions, community events, and services. Major programs include an Exhibits program that changes monthly, ArtsCare for cancer and dialysis patients, Globetrotters arts and culture summer and school-year camps an ArtShop, ArtsEducation for all ages, and a variety of performances, music events, readings, talks, and special events.