Check out the arts and cultural scene in Round Rock! While that sentence may be considered a stretch today, that is what a newly formed group hopes the community will soon be saying.

With a simple mission to encourage, support and enhance arts and cultural activities in the Round Rock area, the newly formed Round Rock Area Arts Council announces significant initiatives to transform the Round Rock area into a thriving arts and culture scene.

"No one wants to live in a community void of arts and culture,” said Cathy Kincaid, President of the Round Rock Area Arts Council and Executive Editor of the Community Impact Newspaper community newspaper group “The arts stimulate conversation about the community and contribute to making it an appealing place for all of us who live here and those who come to visit."

Round Rock consistently ranks among the safest communities and has been lauded among the finest places to raise children and operate a business, but something is missing.

“We have a lot of culture and history in Round Rock but it’s not as evident as it could and should be,” said Kris Whitfield, a Round Rock Councilwoman and Chair of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Committee. She will serve as First Vice President of the new arts council. “Our sights are on promoting creative arts in the community to help strengthen that sense of place in Round Rock. And as a noteworthy auxiliary benefit, a strong arts component in the community will help us attract future business and investment."

Made up of a grassroots group of dedicated and diverse individuals, the Round Rock Area Arts Council filed for 501(c)3 non-profit status and selected officers in January 2009.