Cooke County Arts Council

The Cooke County Arts Council was created in Gainesville, Texas in 1980. Soon after the creation, Billie Ruth Morris was named president and helped to continue the growth of the council. It is thanks to Billie Ruth and all the members of the Arts Council that Gainesville and Cooke County is rich in history and artistic vision today. 
Gainesville Swing Orchestra • North Central Texas Chorale • Gainesville Area Visual Arts Butterfield Stage Players • Dolce Canto Children's Chorus of Cooke County
The Cooke County Arts Council is a not-for-profit tax exempt corporation under the provisions of 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue Code. The Cooke County Arts Council is dedicated to promoting artistic endeavors in the county and providing scholarships to Cooke County High School Seniors.
The Cooke County Arts Council’s Annual Spring Sights and Sounds Fundraiser showcases the talent of it's members while raising money for the council’s annual scholarship. This scholarship goes to a graduating senior from a Cooke County school who is planning on studying the arts. 
Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/CookeCountyArtsCouncil

We are now accepting applications for our 2024 Scholarship! Deadline: May 1st, 2024

Be part of the Arts!

The Cooke County Arts Council would not exist without the support of its members—people who understand how vital the arts are to everyone. Members support the Arts Council’s educational activities, programs, exhibits, concerts, and events for all ages and throughout Cooke County. Please join today and help make this the best place to live through the power of the arts. Your tax deductible donation with your yearly membership dues makes our efforts possible! 

Simply select your membership level and enter the amount you wish to give. Payments are processed through Paypal. If you prefer to send us a check in the mail, that’s wonderful, too!  Please include your mailing and email addresses so we can send you a thank you note. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. 

To donate at a higher level or to sponsor an event, please contact us!  

$250 Yearly

As a Sustaining Member to the Cooke County Arts Council we make sure your donation goes directly to supporting our cause. Thank you for your generosity! 

$150 Yearly

Your donation helps us continue our mission to enhance, educate and expand public interest in the arts throughout Cooke County

$50 yearly

Your membership supports our vision to be the leading resource and advocate for the arts in Cooke County. Thank you for your support!

Gainesville Swing Orchestra 

The Gainesville Swing Orchestra came into existence thirty-five+ years ago when former Texas Governor Bill Clements came to Cooke County to speak at a Chamber of Commerce Banquet.  The band, then called the Cooke County Orchestra, was formed as the entertainment for the event. Original members of the swing band came from Cooke County, Grayson County, and even some students and alumni from the University of North Texas.  This amazing mix of talent still exists today, and in fact, they have one of the original North Texas Lab Band members playing with them today.This twenty piece swing band features the music of legends such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller, & Count Basie and in past years has expanded to include all styles of Big Band music and vocal numbers. With their large repertoire, they are able to create a stunning and exciting show for almost any occasion. For bookings please visit their website.The Annual Gainesville Swing Orchestra's Swingin' Christmas Concert brings the Christmas Spirit to audience members young & old and their performance at Denton Arts & Jazz is not to be missed! 

North Central Texas Chorale 

The North Central Texas Chorale is a community-based choir that has been giving concerts in and around Cooke County since 1980 - for over 43 years. Their mission is to provide the opportunity for singers in the North Central area of Texas to learn, understand, and sing the finest choral music, and to provide the citizens of this area opportunities to enjoy this fine choral music.

Concerts of the Chorale have featured numerous works with orchestra, including Messiah performances usually every 3-5 years. Occasionally, the choir also presents lighter programs that feature anything from Broadway selections, to hymn arrangements, to patriotic music.

In addition to providing audiences with a quality artistic experience, the Chorale is always seeking ways to foster a deep appreciation for great choral music within the community. If you know anyone who enjoys singing, that reads music, and can sing on pitch please encourage them to join us in our weekly rehearsal! We welcome members of all ages—18 (or so) and up.

Dues are just $20 per season.


Gainesville Area Visual Arts
Founded in 1992, Gainesville Area Visual Arts (GAVA) has grown from 16 members to over 100 - embracing as diverse and talented a group of artists as can be found in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. As a nonprofit organization, GAVA has two primary goals: promote the visual arts and raise funds for annual art scholarships. These scholarships are distributed to local graduating seniors who wish to pursue a career in a form of visual art - applications from students in Cooke County have increased every year.
​The Gainesville community and beyond has rallied behind GAVA by supporting two annual art shows each year. For the Love of ART annual event is the primary fundraiser for the scholarships, held each February at the historic State Theatre in Gainesville. The Annual Fall Art Exhibition draws talent from across the area for a celebration of ART in all its lovely and lively forms.  For a week, the Museum at the Santa Fe Depot in Gainesville is transformed into a world of art attracting visitors from across the state.
GAVA, through its Genelle Merrrick Children’s Art Award, gives annual awards to Cooke County school children whose art has been recognized as exemplary. 
Membership dues are only $20 per year. 
Butterfield Stage Players
Butterfield Stage Players has been entertaining audiences for 40+ years. The theater was formed in 1979 when Cooke County residents Rodger Boyce, Tom Carson and Monica Hess decided to embark on the endeavor of creating a community theater.
Thanks to their dedication, Butterfield has evolved from a small playhouse into an organization known for providing quality entertainment and a foundation for the arts in our community.
Located in the historic former Carnegie Library, 201 South Denton Street, with theater seats repurposed from the Cooke County Courthouse, patrons are provided with a unique experience. Butterfield Stage Players strive to culturally enrich, educate and entertain through theater and performing arts.
Butterfield Stage established the Find the Light Scholarship in 2023. Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to current graduating seniors from a Cooke County High School or Home School who have demonstrated participation in theater during high school and who intend to pursue theater based courses at the college level. The scholarships will be awarded at Butterfield’s annual Fish Fry in May. 

Dolce Canto Children's Chorus of Cooke County 

Dolce Canto Children’s Chorus of Cooke County is a choir for students in grades two through eight who are interested in learning proper choral singing, some music theory, and appropriate concert etiquette, all while making lasting friendships! Each rehearsal of Dolce Canto includes some warm-up exercises to build vocal range and strengthen breath support. Learning healthy vocal production is important during these formative ages, so we focus on correct singing posture and developing good habits. 
Dolce Canto is an Italian term meaning sweet (dolce) song or singing (canto).The Artistic Director and Founder of Dolce Canto is Susan Beall. Susan has a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas and has many years’ experience working with voices of all ages. In October of 2019 she put into action the long-time dream of forming a choir for area children and young adults; thus, Dolce Canto began!
Dolce Canto has included singers representing Callisburg, Lindsay, Muenster, Sivells Bend, Gainesville, and Prosper ISD’s, St. Mary’s, and our local homeschool network.
$40 Membership dues are paid only once by each member.

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