The Northwest Alabama Arts Council (NWAAC) was created in 2004 with one primary purpose – to take over the reigns of the newly established Jerry Brown Arts Festival (JBAF) – and one secondary purpose – to promote the arts and art education in rural Northwest Alabama.

At its inception, the arts council included four Northwest Alabama Counties – Franklin, Lamar, Marion, and Winston – but with the growth and development of arts councils in those counties, the NWAAC voted in 2009 to change its primary area of service to the Marion County area.

What started out as a request by the Hamilton Area Chamber of Commerce to host the annual JBAF, the NWAAC has expanded its programs to include art education programs, community arts programs, and promotion of the arts and artists in Marion County.