Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DUBUQUE ART ASSOCIATION
DUBUQUE ART ASSOCIATION. Oldest cultural group in Dubuque. The first mention of the Association appeared in the Dubuque Daily Times on June 18, 1874, when news of the Association's first art exhibit was announced. The Association, reorganized in 1911, offered many artistic experiences including exhibits of ceramics, sculptures and paintings for its members and the general public.
The major project of the Association became the development and operation of the OLD JAIL Gallery. This was obtained by the Association after the sheriff's department moved to the new Law Enforcement Center in 1974. Former MAYOR C. Robert JUSTMANN and Association president Elisha Darlin negotiated with the county supervisors for nearly all of 1975 for a lease arrangement. In November 1975, a five-year lease for $1.00 was finalized. In its entire history the Association had never before had a gallery of its own.